Top Tips: Sending Invitations To The B-List

Firstly, what is a B list?

The B List is a backup list of guests if the guests from the A-list cannot attend. It can be a very difficult and controversial subject to navigate yet something that commonly occurs for most brides and grooms.

Why have a B list?

Many reasons – often a guest list will be restricted by other factors such as budget, large families, venue size and so on. A couple usually will be paying to host a wedding for a certain number of people yet the guest acceptance rate as standard is 85% so you are likely going to need a B list for when the declines come in.

How to discreetly manage a B list?

While we have already established that a B list can be unavoidable for some couples, a B list still needs to be acted out with care. By acting with sensitivity you will prevent offending anybody and make them feel like second best.  What I would recommend is that timing is key to this. Make sure to send your first round of invitations early. You will have a good idea of the “regretfully declines” early and plenty of time to send out the second round of invitations to the B list.

Who should be on the B list?

Well, the B list is made up of people you would like to invite but for other factors, you cannot do so. Who to put on the B list is really a personal decision. There are a few things you could consider like; how long you have known each other, how close you really are, how regularly you see them and so on.