Guest talk - filling the venue!

Definitely don't add guests just for the sake of making the venue look fuller!

What is the difference between your current guest list and the maximum capacity of the venue? Unless it is a huge difference, then some alterations to the layout might make the space look full enough to work. If you really love the venue, it would be worth asking the staff there for advice - they might be able to show you photos of previous small weddings and how the space was set up for that.

If not, then I'd keep looking for a different venue. If the space is big enough to cause a problem, then you're going to need to add more than a 'few' guests to make a difference, and you don't want to end up with a wedding that is totally different to the one you feel comfortable with.

We had similar issue ( planning our wedding for 2025) . We fell in love with the venue straight away , it's soooo us ! Minimum amount of guest 60 so we are inviting evening guests to the whole day . In total will be around 65 . So we thought people can get just to know each other and make the most out of the whole day .

You want people there who are important to you. We are inviting 35 people in the evening up to 40 people. I don't think all out guests will show u so let's see. Not sent invites just yet just save the dates for now. My Fiancé has cousins that live abroad so not sure if they will make it let's see.


Best of luck with finding the venue our venue holds 77 people I believe x

We had same worries but spoke to the venue who assured us room can be staged so it doesn’t seem so big 😊

Hello,

Congratulations on your engagement!

If you've found a wedding venue that you both love but are worried about not having enough guests to fill the space, you need to think about how to handle it.

Focus on the quality of your guest list rather than the quantity, and surround yourselves with the people who mean the most to you.

Even if you have a smaller guest list, you can still create a cozy and intimate atmosphere by arranging seating in a way that encourages mingling and conversation.

Hi,

I wouldn't say you should add more guests to make it look fuller. You know that cost will add up when it comes to food and drinks right? Unless some of your A-list people does not make it then you invite B-list.

Our venue is 150 guests max and we are having less than 100 so I was recommended to go heavier into decor just so the space does not look empty. You can also look into how you can layout everything so it takes up more space. Adding more guests should be the last thing you want to do as it increases costs.

We booked 50 and picked a smaller venue . Don't be pressurised. We are looking forward to an intimate wedding xx

We have a fairly big venue with lots of space and we’re only having max 70 people, we are going to leave most of the outside space as it is and just set up everything inside, this will make the inside feel smaller but we will have lots of different areas inside and out so people can sort of mingle around the areas (hopefully). Stick to who you want to invite! I think I also felt pressured to invite everyone so we had more people but actually, it will be nice to have just the people we care about sharing our day!! Enjoy!

I don’t think you should compromise on your venue and what you want just based on numbers (UNLESS the venue have a strict minimum spend). Theres no point adding additional people for the sake of it either as the last thing you want is looking back and your photos and realising how many little of those people you may speak to in ten years to come.


Those who want to be there, will, and will fill the space!
Good luck X