Home › Guides › How many guests should you invite to a wedding?
How many guests should you invite to a wedding?
Quick answer: Bridebook's 2026 UK report puts the average ceremony at around 74 guests, with 41% of receptions under 60. There is no right number: choose the size that fits your budget and venue, because each guest adds roughly the same cost again.
Guest numbers drive almost every cost: venue size, catering, tables, favours and invitations. Decide this early.
What UK couples do
Bridebook's 2026 UK wedding report puts the average ceremony at around 74 guests and says about 41% of receptions have fewer than 60. Costs are often quoted at roughly £270 to £280 per guest in the two big UK surveys, so every extra guest adds noticeably to the bill.
How to build the list
- Start with the must-haves: immediate family and closest friends.
- Make a second tier: wider family, friends and colleagues, and decide on a rule, such as people you have seen in the last year.
- Decide on plus-ones and children early, and be consistent.
- Plan for declines. Many couples find a share of invitees cannot come. Ask your venue how it handles numbers close to the day.
If you need to cut the list
- Apply a simple rule and apply it to everyone.
- Consider a smaller ceremony with a bigger evening gathering, if your venue and budget allow it.
- Be kind and clear. People usually understand a budget or venue limit.
Next: seating and tables with the guest and seating calculator, and costs with the budget planner.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average number of wedding guests in the UK?
Bridebook's 2026 report puts it at around 74, with about 41% of receptions under 60 guests.
Should we invite children?
It is your choice. Decide early, apply it consistently and tell guests clearly on the invitation or website.
How much does each wedding guest cost?
The two big UK surveys put it at roughly £270 to £280 per guest on average, though it depends on your venue and menu.
This page has an affiliate link: we may earn a small fee if you buy, at no extra cost to you.
Keep reading
- How much does a wedding cost in the UK?
- Wedding planning checklist UK
- How to plan a wedding in 6 months
- Wedding planning timeline: 12 months to go
- Wedding venue questions to ask
Information checked November 2026 against the sources linked above. Rules and prices change, so check GOV.UK and your suppliers before you commit.