How to build your wedding guest list and collect addresses

Build the list in three passes, collect addresses early with one simple message, and keep everything in one place. Do that and invitation week is a printing job, not a detective story.

The free guest list organiser keeps the households, counts adults and children, and flags missing addresses.

Pass 1: the dream list

Write down everyone you would invite if there were no limit. Do not edit yet. Mark whose guest each person is, so you can see the balance between you.

Pass 2: the real list

Count your total against your venue and your budget. Cut by category rather than by person: all work colleagues, or all friends of friends. A rule applied to a group is easier to explain than a decision about one person.

Pass 3: households

Group the list into households, since most invitations go out one per household. Record adults and children separately. Decide your plus-one policy now and apply it to everyone.

Collecting addresses without chasing

1. Send one short message to family and friends asking for a postal address and, if it helps, an email. Say why: "We are putting together our invitations."
2. Ask in the same message for dietary needs if you will want them later.
3. Keep the address in one place as it arrives, not in scattered chats.
4. Follow up once, with the households still missing.

Many couples now put a short form on their wedding website, so guests can confirm an address themselves. See what to put on your wedding website.

Check the list before you print

• Does every household have a name and an address, or an email if you will invite them that way?
• Are any households entered twice?
• Do the totals of adults and children match your caterer's numbers?
• Are titles and spellings right? Names are the thing people notice.

Questions

When should I collect addresses?

As soon as the date is fixed, and well before invitations go out. Allow time to chase.

Should I invite children?

It is your choice. If you do not, say so clearly in the invitation wording or on your website.

How do I keep my guests' addresses private?

Keep the list in a place only you control, and share it only with the people who need it, such as a printer. The organiser keeps your list on your device and does not send it anywhere.

Is the organiser free?

Yes. It runs in your browser with no sign-up.