The wedding guest pyramid for your return gifts selection!

Wedding planning equals manic frenzy for most brides, grooms and their families. With a never-ending list of tasks, hundreds of guests to please and a having a fairytale celebration, stress is bound to be a part of the equation. One of the most difficult aspects of planning a wedding is thinking of the right invitation and return gifts for your guests. The ceremony is grand, the food is delicious, the bride and groom look like royalty and as a thank you gift you get a coconut, a banana and a piece of cloth you don’t know what to do about.

So, here’s how to plan your return gifts and invitations. After all, not all guests are made alike, so neither should be the way you welcome and thank them!

Most likely to be Wedding Crashers

Who are they? : They are the ones you don’t know who knows. You’ve probably met them twice in your life and yet they’ve been invited because someone in the bridal party just had to have them be a part of your special day.

The Invite Protocol: Since there’s a huge chance that they are not going to be invited by you, it’s best to stick with just e-invites. They’re user-friendly, low cost and can be circulated around without much stress. Also, this is not a part of the guest list you want to send an invitation gift to, so a call from the family member who knows them best and an e-card is all you need.

The Thank You Gift: Whether you’re excited about their presence or not, you shouldn’t let someone who’s attended your function to go empty-handed. After all, today, you even get a return gift for attending even a 7-year old’s birthday party! However, you don’t need to go overboard either, as this is mostly a gestural gift. A small assorted sweet box would do the trick.

Definitely Not the Peanut Butter to Your Jelly

Who are they? : They are the people who were invited because you’ve met them a handful of times in your life. You like them but just don’t know them well enough. It may be a long-lost cousin or a childhood friend that you’ve reconnected with recently. They are not strangers and yet they are not your friends or family.

The Invite Protocol: These relationships are tricky. Though you like them enough, you also need to think about your wedding budget. Since e-invites are the preferred mode of inviting nowadays, you can go with an e-invite followed by a personal and genuinely warm call from you.

The Thank You Gift: Again, while you don’t need to send an invitation gift, you can do a bigger box of sweets or a small token gift for this set of guests as return gifts. Think candles, pottery, diyas or something decorative but not expensive.

The Fudge with a Little Nuts

Who are they? : They may be a little nuts, but hey, they’re family. They are the people whom you absolutely want at your wedding. If your wedding was a movie premiere then they’ll be the people on the red carpet.

The Invite Protocol: Since these are the people you’ll definitely invite in person, it’s best to take an invitation gift and a paper invite. Gourmet is the most popular choice for such occasions and you can plan the specifics based on your budget.

The Thank You Gift: These are people you most definitely thought about when planning your wedding. They’re an important part of your life and they’ll be with you through your entire wedding journey. So give them something that they can remember your wedding by. From silver to copper or even a beautiful pottery set, the options for return gifts are never-ending.

The Pot of Gold

Who are they? : They are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They’ve always been there for you and your wedding is no different. They are the people who’ve been with you throughout the process. In addition, they’ve also helped keep the fire-breathing dragon in you at bay when things went wrong.

The Invite Protocol: They don’t need one. But since you love them you’ll want to give them one anyway! So go with the paper invite, the gourmet gift and a ton of hugs and love when inviting them to your wedding.  

The Thank You Gift:  They are the people who’ve witnessed the madness and have helped you keep calm when you wanted to rip some heads off. Since they’ve put their lives at risk to tame the monster in you, you should thank them in an extra special way. With these people, it’s not the monetary value of the return gifts but the memory value that counts. Go for a personal gift, be it customised stationery or monogrammed accessories… something that lets them know how special they are.

When planning for a wedding, it’s all about making smart choices. It’s important to stick to the budget so be thrifty when you can and splurge when you have to. Sticking to this pyramid will really help you prioritize your guest list and also help in saving some money on return gifts which you can choose to splurge on something meaningful and towards people who truly matter.

Visit weddingwishlist.com for more wedding and wedding gifts ideas!