MAKING THE FINAL DECISION

Task 2

Next, and this needs to be approached with caution, you should show the list to key members of the Wedding Party, in particular both sets of parents.

The idea with this task is to ensure that key people have not been accidentally omitted - fresh sets of eyes will often quickly spot something obvious that you may well otherwise have overlooked. The danger here (and we guess you’ve spotted it) is that your list will not be checked, it will be critiqued.

You will certainly give people the ammunition they need to question why certain people have been missed off, but at least you get the opportunity to say that it is not a definitive list and that there is some scope for change. If those who view the list suggest that certain new names are added, make sure that they give a reason for doing so - knowing these reasons up front should help to make future decisions easier.

Task 3

Thirdly, and armed with a list longer than the eye can see, your next task is establish accurate costs per head. In order to obtain this figure you literally need to factor in any cost that will rise as the numbers do – food and drink are obvious ones, but also consider stationery and favours, and potentially decorations and cake cost increases. As advised in the Factors to Consider article, devise separate costs for adults, children and infants and distinguish between costs for full day guests and evening only ones.