Planning your wedding Guest List: Who makes the cut?!

One of the most sensitive subjects that you will tackle while planning your wedding is the guest list. While both the bride and groom may think that they will be able to invite everyone they want to, this is often not a possibility. The choice of who to invite to the your wedding needs to be a mutual agreement between you and your fiancé, and the truth is there are some people on your personal guest list that will not make the cut.

When you imagine your dream wedding, is it really filled with everyone on your Facebook page? People you choose to invite will fall under a number of categories, but not all of them will be obvious.

No-brainers
There are certain people both of you will agree on as no-brainers to attend the wedding, but there is still the question of whether they need an actual invitation. Immediate family members and the bridal party, for example, may have already been verbally invited but it is still good etiquette to send them an invitation.

Prune the family tree
Although you may be getting mutual pressure from your individual families to invite second cousins, great-great uncles and children of your guests, you and your fiancé have to come to a mutual agreement as to where the cut-off point for your family members will be. You should consider the costs, and if parents are funding the wedding you should seek feedback from them about what family members are essential guests. However, you must make it clear the ultimate decision is yours.

What about single friends?
It is certain that you both have friends who either haven’t married yet or are divorced. You may have met some of their significant others, while some you may not know at all. In this case, the right thing to do is not to make assumptions. However, you need to be certain that if you send these individuals +1 invitations that you are comfortable meeting the unfamiliar people they may bring. Although it should be their choice whether or not to go to a wedding stag, you are well within your rights to restrict +1 invitations to the bridal party and groomsmen.

No shows
There are always those who will not be able to make it to the wedding, and whether or not to send them invitations can be a tough call. If you decide to send an invite, make sure it is to those with whom you are close. They will appreciate the time that you took to send the invitation. Those you are not as close with may still feel obligated to send a gift and not be as happy to see your invite.

Old flames
This is the most common cause for friction when putting together the guest list. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution. For your part, just because you feel comfortable inviting an ex does not mean that your fiancé does. Have an honest conversation about both of your feelings on the matter before pressing the issue. Keep in mind that this is your day, looking toward the future, and it is not a time to be dwelling in the past.

Remember that you and your partner are the ones that make the rules — and there is an exception to every rule. Be prepared for some hurt feelings if you have to trim the list too severely, but this is a day for the two of you. Anyone else that shares in your joy is a bonus.

Throwing a Bridal Shower 101

When your close friend asks you to be her maid of honor at her wedding it’s actually more than a privilege, it is an honor. Your friend needs your help and support more than ever through this emotional and life changing time. She has chosen you and has placed her faith and confidence in your unique ability to be her emotional support and friend during a stressful time. Along with that she also trusts that you are the person whom she can confide in and rely on to carry out the intricate tasks and organization needed for the maid duties.

Good thing MY name is spelled correctly! :)

Traditionally, I have this-and-that duties, but since she lives from the South, and I'm from the East part of Manila, I was unable to do this MOH duties. So technically, yeah, I'm one of the worst MOH ever. Pero hindi naman sobrang wala akong naitulong kasi during the brainstorming part ay magdamagan kami kung magusap. I may not be physically helpful, but I was emotionally and virtually there for her, so I guess I was also able to help somehow. (defending myself!)

I have always loved organizing parties. I get so giddy and all with just the thought of it.

The MOH is a key VIP of the bridal party, hand-picked by the couple from their closest crew and selected to represent the leader of the bridesmaids.


In coordination with the bridesmaids, another one of your primary maid of honor duties will be to organize, plan and host a bridal shower for the Bride-to-be. This may or may not be the same bridal shower as one given by members of the family, that will depend on the bride and her respective family.


For Lara's shower, I was the one who basically hosted everything. It was sort of my fault since I didn't take the time to get to know the bridesmaids. Anyway, I sure did not expect that hosting a bridal shower can be this stressful. And did I mention I only had less than a week to prepare? But look at the bright side, I get to choose and make the final decisions on all the stuffs! (Convincing myself that this is an easy task.tsk!)


So I have here a few basic details that you need to know. The following is a quick guide for first-time host/hostess.


THEME:

I was almost decided on the theme for the shower so this isn't really a big deal. I pictured it to be something which can show a glimpse of the bride's personality. So if you are throwing your friend/sister a shower, think about how you can relate their personality, likes, and attitude to your event. In my case, I chose Sweet and Pink as the theme. Also, you have to consider that the theme should be easy so your guests won't have a hard time complying.

This is how I plan to do it.

VENUE:

Now this was the biggest challenge for me. With only a few days of preparation it is very hard to look for the perfect venue for your party. Take into consideration your budget, location, and the safety of your guests. I was the one incharge with everything, so in short, I am also the one to foot the bill. Meaning, I have to stick to a certain budget. Thanks to Google for making it possible and easier to look for a venue. This is actually my top priority during preparation because as long as I have a venue, all the other details are manageable. I have always thought that a hotel room or a KTV room are the ideal venue for a Bridal shower. It is best that you hold the party within a secluded area where you can't disturb other peeple/neighbors. I know how wild, loud, and crazy you can be. Besides, it is most of the time done during night time, and we wouldn't want other people asking us to shut up, right?



GAMES:

As the saying goes, "If in doubt, ask Google" This is my first time to host a party like this. And Google have been very helpful. I have been reading blogs and articles on how they held their bridal showers and thus gave me ideas on what to do. Particularly with the games. Some traditional party games can also be played but you have to add a kinky or flirty twist to each game. For example, you would like to play Pinoy Henyo, you have to make sure that words such as Handcuffs and Lingerie be included there.



OTHER ACTIVITIES:

This includes the Kinky Cakes and the Wild Strippers/Dancers. I honestly haven't seen any of these. I have considered having both but due to tight budget I only have to choose one. And yes I've chosen the strippers....nah!

Reminder: If you really want to hire a stripper, you have to make sure that this person is being referred by a close friend. It is hard to trust strangers this days. Just be cautious.


INVITATIONS AND GUEST LIST:

Just like any other parties, it is great to have invitations and guest list. That way, you are able to know on how many people you need to accommodate. Think about it, how will you be able to accommodate 50 people in a 20 sqm ktv room, or 5 people in Presidential Suite? Invitations doesn't have to be expensive, you can just simply create a FB Event Invite or if you are crafty person, you can even handmade a card.


FOOD/CATERER:

This is sometimes connected with the venue. There are some venues that have consumable promos. If you are only a group of less than 10 people, I suggest that you rent a KTV room. Everything is there. Enough space where you can do a few games, Air conditioned rooms, good sound system with microphone, and most of the time, the amount you pay for the venue is consumable to food and drinks. But if these does not apply, food is not really that big of a deal. This is the kind of party that doesn't need huge food servings or selections. I suggest that you serve cold cuts and finger foods. It is usually just appetizers and cold drinks that are present in this type of parties.


SOUVENIRS:

This is optional. But if you think you can spare a few more bucks, it'll be great to have a little something that is kept as a reminder of the event. You can have personalized cupcakes, shirts, and even soaps.


GIFTS:

Basically, you are throwing this party to shower the bride with gifts! They wouldn't call it a Bridal Shower for nothing, sweety! This doesn't have to be expensive, you can either buy a flirty thong, a body scrub, or anything that the bride can use before, after, or during the honeymoon. The naughtier, the better!


These are only the basic details that you need to know in throwing a Bridal Shower.

And don't forget to have fun!