SHORTLISTING CANDIDATES

By now you will hopefully have realised that it isn’t just a matter of saying ‘Ooh, I quite like my Uncle John, I think I’ll ask him’ – oh no, there are far more dark and sinister forces at work than that!

Before sending out any invites you must systematically and tactfully plot your way through a weird and complex process taking into consideration many factors before arriving at the ultimate decision.

So without further ado, let’s stop the waffle and take a look at these factors one by one so we can shed some light on the mystery that is ‘determining the guest list’.

Money

Your number one consideration above everything else when it comes to the guest list is your budget.

Of course the convenient option is to invite everyone whose names are thrown into the ring, but sadly money doesn’t grow on trees. So, in order to help make some decisions, you will need to determine the exact cost per head and in turn (based on this figure) work out how many guests your budget will allow.

In order to arrive at an accurate figure it is important to include everything in the equation - from the welcome drinks and place cards, through to the food and favours. If you don't have figures for any elements of the day yet, you can always refer to our average cost table outlined in the How Much Will it Cost? article until you get firmed-up prices.

We advise that you try to determine six individual figures in order to help you plan accurately, namely:

• Adult Cost - Full Day.
• Adult Cost - Evening Only.
• Child Cost - Full Day.
• Child Cost - Evening Only.
• Infant Cost (generally 0-2 years) - Full Day.
• Infant Cost - Evening Only. Please note that this figure will rarely be used (unless you have a 1-year-old party animal for a niece or nephew that is!) but it is still worth knowing.