How to Invite Guests to a Last-Minute Wedding
Updated October 6, 2021
Photo Credit: Ivy Bee Weddings
So you decided to get married (very soon)…
Or maybe you have some extra guests you want to invite to your wedding that’s coming up….
Now what?
To help you navigate this, we’re going to be discussing two different situations. Thankfully, the solution to both of them is simple! But they do require different approaches.
The first is how to invite guests to a last-minute wedding. That means, the whole wedding is being planned quickly, so everybody on your guest list is getting a short-notice invitation.
The second is how to invite last-minute guests to a wedding. Does it sound similar? This second situation is more common. This is when you suddenly have room on your guest list and are inviting new people to a wedding that has been planned for some time.
Situation one: the last-minute wedding.
Most people couldn’t imagine having a last-minute wedding, but for others, spontaneity is the name of their game! If you fall into the latter – don’t sweat it. For others, having a short-notice wedding is the only option - maybe you need to tie the knot to keep your health insurance, move across the country or ensure a loved one can make it to the wedding.
Whatever the reason is for having a short-notice wedding, we’re here to help you pull things off!
The biggest part of a wedding for most people? The guests! They’re who set the tone of your wedding and who gather to help you celebrate.
Sending Wedding Invitations
If you’re having an impromptu wedding, inviting and gathering your guests might be difficult at first glance.
However, you just have to be a little more creative with how you invite them. Since you most likely won’t have the time for a calligrapher or stationery artist to build your beautiful paper goods, sticking to a digital option or something that can be ordered quickly is key.
Depending on how far in advance you can send out wedding invitations, you may still be able to mail them the old-fashioned way. However, keep in mind that it may take a few days for your guests to receive their invites and a few days for you to receive RSVP cards back. Plus, however long in-between where those guests are deciding whether or not to send their acceptance or regrets.
If you are having a small wedding with just close family and friends, you can do something as simple as start a group message and keep an Excel sheet or note of who responded and who didn’t. You can send friendly follow-ups in the group and people will have easy access to any information they need.
Virtual Wedding Invitations
If you’re looking to invite a larger group of people, then go with a digital wedding invite option. Virtual wedding invitations can be emailed or texted in bulk (we offer that service!), ensuring everyone gets theirs in a timely manner. Including a way for guests to RSVP online will also keep the process moving forward at a fast pace.
Situation two: the last-minute guests.
In situation one, all guests are treated equally. Everyone is receiving their invitations at the same time, and the wedding just happens to be coming up quickly.
In the second situation, you’ve already invited some or most of your guest list. Those guests have had a standard amount of time to save the date, make arrangements, find their outfits and plan to attend your wedding.
But then, you’ve got a second list of people. This is most often called “the B list.” It’s the group of people who you weren’t sure if you were going to invite. This could be due to guest limitations, budget or maybe you even made some recent friends who you now want to include in your big day! Most often, though, you needed to know more information about the A-list before you committed to the B-list.
Inviting someone to a wedding last-minute.
Most people know that if your wedding has been planned for some time, and they receive an invite with just a few weeks to go, they probably weren’t on the original list. So, you don’t need to pretend that they were.
However, just because someone didn’t make the first round of invites, doesn’t mean they aren’t just as important.
It often comes down to logistics. You only have so many seats you can fill. This is especially true if you planned your guest list during COVID and had stricter guest restrictions at the time of sending out invites.
You might also have run into the situation of not being able to commit to plus-ones early on, and now that there is more wiggle room, you are opening the door to them.
Whatever the reason is for sending out last-minute wedding invites, it’s important to do it with tact and understand that your invitees might feel a little slighted.
Wording last-minute wedding invites.
It’s often best practice to extend a personal invitation to these last-minute guests, rather than sending out invitations in bulk.
Whether you feel it is most appropriate to invite them face-to-face, on a phone call, via text or through email, just make sure it’s personalized to them.
Consider the following options when inviting these guests:
“Hey (name)! I know this is last minute, but I wanted to invite you to our wedding. It’s been a crazy few months with COVID, and we weren’t sure what our guest limitations would be until recently. We’d really love for you to be there, but of course, no pressure!
“Hi, (name). I wanted to let you know that we’ve received our final guest count for our wedding and have some extra room. So, if you want to bring a plus-one, you are more than welcome to! Thanks for bearing with us while we finalized our numbers!
Is it rude to invite a last-minute wedding guest?
Here’s where the etiquette of the situation comes into play. Some couples would rather have empty seats at their wedding than risk offending a guest with a last-minute invitation. This year, we’d say that people are a lot more understanding of plans changing. People will get why you weren’t able to include them in your original guest count, and frankly, a lot of people are probably just excited to be going to events again.
However, you know your guests better than anyone. Play it by ear, and if you feel as if you might offend a guest by inviting them with little notice, then you might want to skip the invite altogether.
The key: offer other options to attend your wedding.
Whichever situation you find yourself in, one thing is certain. Never expect people to accept a wedding invitation at the last minute. They might have to find child care, make hotel accommodations, get a new outfit… it’s a lot of work!
Thankfully, with more options to attend weddings virtually, it’s less of a slight to send a last-minute invite. In the past, it was somewhat like dangling a carrot in front of a horse. They could see it, but they couldn’t get to it.
Now, with hybrid weddings becoming more popular, you can invite guests to a wedding on short notice while also giving them the option to participate if they can’t make it.
We highly suggest not extending too many last-minute wedding invitations unless you are also offering a way for guests to attend virtually. With LoveStream, you can live stream your wedding to an unlimited number of guests. Guests don’t have to do anything to prepare, so it’s incredibly easy for them to help you celebrate from their own homes. Best of all, if they had a prior commitment on your wedding day, they can come back and watch your wedding live stream at any time. So nobody has to miss your wedding.
When sending last-minute invites, include something like, “We know this is short-notice. However, we’d really like to celebrate with you! We are including a live stream option so you can tune in and watch online.”
Your Wedding Live Stream Team
Looking to throw a wedding last minute but not sure if your guests can be there? Try out LoveStream.
With a virtual wedding invite sending and RSVP option, you can easily know who will be tuning in to watch your wedding live stream. With our wedding live streaming platform, guests can go back to your custom website and watch your wedding whenever is convenient for them! It’s the best of both worlds.