More and more, it is becoming acceptable to bend some of the traditional rules of etiquette. This has allowed bride’s to plan weddings that are much more unique and personal. Unfortunately, it has also led to some problems and one of those that most bride’s will face is the Uninvited Guest. In a recent message thread, some brides discussed ideas for dealing with those guests who add extra guests to the RSVP cards. There are a number of reasons why this can be a problem:

- Many brides have a limited number of guests who can attend based on the number of guests who can be accomodated in their chosen location.

- With catering costs on the rise, every additional guest is an additional expense.

Here are some ideas that were shared among the girls:

Specific Reply Cards:

- This is also great if you need to do a seating arrangement and is probably the best option offered. This bride was having her wedding on a military base and was required to have a complete list of guests, including names, submitted 30 days in advance. To collect those names, and avoid uninvited guests, she filled out the number of guests invited, and allowed one space per guest for entering the names:

Number Of invited Guests: 2 Number Of Guests Attending: ___

Guest #1: ____________________________________________

Guest #2: ____________________________________________

- Fill out the cards in advance with the maximum number allowed. They will change it if less are coming, but are less likely to add more to the number.

- Make sure the invitation clearly states who is invited

- If a guest RSVP’s with extra guests on their list, call them and politely inquire as to who the extra guest is. Then, let them know that while you would love to have their guest attend, you have a limited space available and there are no extra seats at this time. Offer to contact them in another invited guest can not attend.

Remember: Ettiquette DOES NOT require you to allow your guests to add whom ever they wish to your guest list: especially at yoru expense. If your location and/or budget does not allow for extra guests, then some of these suggestions may help you to eliminate that problem.

Have some more ideas? We’d love to hear them. Click COMMENTS to share yours.