When it comes to finalizing your wedding guest list, there’s often a delicate balance between who you want to invite, and who you’re able to!
With limited space or budget, most couples simply can’t invite everyone they know. This is where A and B lists come in handy. By prioritizing your guests, you can extend invitations to close family and friends first, then add others if room becomes available.
Not sure how to use A and B lists for your wedding invitations? Read on for our complete guide, including some etiquette tips to avoid any awkwardness!
What Are A and B Lists?
When it comes to wedding invitations, A and B lists refer to two separate groups of guests. Your “A list” is made up of the non-negotiable people who you definitely want to be there, such as close family, best friends and any other VIPs in your life. These are the guests who will receive their invitations first.
Your “B list” includes any guests you’d love to celebrate with, but may not be able to invite initially due to budget or space constraints. By having a B list, you can extend invitations as soon as you know there’s extra room, allowing you to include more guests if some on the A list can’t attend.
Why Use A and B Lists?
Using an A and B list can be helpful if you’re working with limited venue capacity or a tight budget. With these lists, you can prioritize your guest list and make sure the most important people are invited first, while still being able to invite more guests if RSVPs allow!
How to Create Your A and B Lists
Okay, so where do you actually begin with creating A and B lists for your wedding?
First, start with your A list. Make a list of anyone you really can’t imagine celebrating without, like your immediate family and close friends. Simply put: the people whose presence is essential! If you’re struggling to narrow this down, think about who you would notice most if they weren’t there.
Next, start building your B list – the people who you would love to celebrate with, but aren’t necessarily in your core group of guests. This might include extended family members, friends you don’t see as often, or coworkers. Read our guide on creating your wedding guest list here for some helpful tips!
When and How to Send Invitations to Your A and B Lists
Once you have both of your lists in place, it’s time to think about the timing of your invitations to make the process as seamless as possible.
First, send your A list invitations. We’d suggest sending these 12 weeks before the wedding to leave enough time for your second round of invites. Make a plan for tracking RSVPs as they come in so you know exactly how much room you’ll have for guests on your B list. Our online RSVPs and digital guest list manager can be super helpful here!
Once you’ve received enough RSVPs from the A list to confirm your headcount, you can extend invitations to guests on your B list. Ideally this will be around 8 weeks before the wedding – anything closer, and your guests may feel like a last-minute addition.
Etiquette Tips for Managing A and B Lists For Your Wedding
If you’re using A and B lists, it’s important to approach the process with care! Keep things respectful (and avoid some potentially awkward moments) with these tips:
- Be mindful of social circles. To prevent feelings of exclusion, avoid dividing close-knit groups. Keeping social circles intact is a helpful way to minimize the risk of someone finding out they were on the B list.
- Prepare for questions. You may encounter a few curious guests who wonder about the timing of their invitation, particularly if it’s within 6 weeks of your wedding date. If anyone asks about it directly, simply explain that you were working within your venue capacity or budget. Most guests will understand the constraints of planning a wedding and won’t take the timing of their invitation personally.
- Consider digital invitations and RSVPs. If you’re using traditional invitations, you’ll need to organize seperate RSVP cards for your A and B lists, as their deadlines will be different. To streamline the process, consider using digital invitations and tracking RSVPs online instead. This way, you can easily update your invitations without having to print seperate response cards!
Need more help with your guest list? We answer the most common guest list FAQs here.
