How many guests are typically invited to each size wedding? These numbers may vary a little depending on who you're speaking with, but a small wedding typically includes 50 people or under, a medium wedding has a guest list of anywhere from 50-150 guests, and a large wedding has over 150 attendees.
Typically, a guestlist of 75 to 150 people is considered an "average" wedding size.
Weddings with guest counts between 20 and 75 are generally considered “intimate,” although we've had them with as few as six guests. While elopements are intimate affairs as well, we tend to use the term “intimate wedding” to refer to more formalized events with an itinerary and, often, multiple events.
A general rule of thumb is that the guest list is split between the couple and both sets of parents. So if your guest list is 100 people, you and your partner would invite 50 people, and each set of parents would get to invite 25.
The classic 100: 100–120 people
As we mentioned above, 100 guests is the size of a typical wedding in the Western Hemisphere. It's not too big. It's not too small. It's just right.
Typically, an intimate wedding is a smaller celebration– around 20-50 guests. Not only does a smaller wedding mean you have more personal time to spend with your loved ones but it will also free up more options for where and how you plan your special day.
It is officially a larger than average wedding when you have more guests than the average nationwide of 125 guests. The definition of a large wedding definitely varies by country and cultural tradition.
The average wedding gift amount hovers right around $100, which is a great place to start, and you can increase or decrease that based on how close you are. If you're very close or related to the couple (and have the wiggle room in your budget), you may choose to spend more—about $150 per guest (or $200 from a couple).
Experts recommend inviting no more than your budget can allow. If you've budgeted for 150 people, you should send out 150 invites. On the off chance some of those prospective guests send their regrets, feel free to send out more invites to “second tier” guests, but only up to that original 150-person total.
“A smaller wedding means it's really only your nearest and dearest in attendance,” says Bejar. “So, you might also feel less pressure or judgment about having to make any last-minute changes, or about any other decisions you make concerning the big day.”
This may include immediate family members, close friends, and important mentors, as well as their plus-ones and/or children. When planning an intimate wedding, don't feel pressured to invite acquaintances, neighbors, distant relatives, people you barely know, etc.
Intimacy in a relationship is a feeling of being close, and emotionally connected and supported. It means being able to share a whole range of thoughts, feelings and experiences that we have as human beings.
Intimate wedding: Between 50 and 75 guests. Small wedding: Less than 50 guests. “That number can fit comfortably in a backyard with 6 or so tables,” she says. Tiny wedding: 15 people or less.
But don't feel pressure to ask every one of your friends to be in your bridal party. According to The Knot 2021 Real Weddings Study, the average wedding party size is roughly four on either side, so you can use that as a guide when you decide how many bridesmaids to have.
Traditionally, the bride's family pays for the wedding, but that custom is rapidly changing. Couples are increasingly choosing to handle at least half of the wedding expenses on their own.
The number of bridesmaids selected for a bridal party, is very much down to the size of the wedding. For instance, a small wedding of up to 100 people, is unlikely to have 9 bridesmaids. But a wedding of 500+ people, may do. Typically, on average, brides tend to go for around 3-5 bridesmaids.
How many tables and chairs do you need for 100 guests? You should rent 100 chairs and 13 tables for a guest list of 100. You will also need a cake table, food tables and a table for gifts. The average table will accommodate 6-8 chairs, 100 guests divided by 8 (guests per table) is 12.5 tables.
Tell key people.
Explain why you're not inviting any non-family—whether it's because of the pandemic, a limited budget, your preference for a small wedding, your dislike of being the center of attention, or some other personal reason. A true friend will support your decision and not feel slighted.
“A general overall percentage between 75-85 percent of wedding guests usually attend.” The breakdown: 85 percent of local guests, 55 percent of out-of-town guests, and 35 percent of destination wedding guests will show up, Buckley said. But then it gets murky.
It is customary to have one bridesmaid and one usher to every fifty guests, so if you are having a small intimate wedding just ask your best mate, and if you are having a flamboyant bash for three hundred, you can opt for six ladies in waiting!
Most bridal samples have a B cup size to match, and plus size samples have a C or D cup. Don't fret if your bust is not that size—as the size of the dress you order increases, so will the cup size. Some designers can customize the sizing and open the cup size to match your proportion as well.
Small weddings can range in size, but typically include around 20-80 people and are just as special — and potentially a lot less expensive — than a large celebration.
There's no magical formula to determine exactly how many invitees will RSVP "no" (trust us, if we could predict the future for you, we would), but it's safe to plan for roughly 15 percent of people to decline the invitation (and more like 20–30 percent for a destination wedding).
150 people would take about 1 hour 15 minutes. Toasts – These should be between 2 and 5 minutes per person speaking. Try to minimize how many people are speaking to save a few minutes.