What are the different types of wedding guests?

You will usually invite family first, then friends, then work colleagues and wider circles. Some couples add a fourth group of day guests who attend the ceremony and drinks but not the evening party. This helps keep costs and space manageable while still welcoming everyone who matters.

Family can be split further into parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. Friends may be old school friends, university friends, neighbours or hobby groups. Colleagues often come in two waves, with the closest team at the ceremony and the wider office at the evening only.

Day guests are a special category. They arrive for the ceremony and welcome drinks, then leave before dinner and dancing. This is common when venue capacity is tight, when you want a small evening for family only, or when you are balancing two households.

Children, babies and service animals also count as guests in your numbers. Some venues and religious buildings have their own rules about children, so check with the register office or place of worship early. Always count everyone who needs a seat, a meal or a bed.