Agonizing over your wedding guest list? TikTok has come to the rescue, yet again.
A video posted by Gabrielle Renè (@gadabout_gab) has gone viral after she platformed a simple yet transformative guideline from one of her followers: if you wouldn't invite someone to spend an evening at dinner with you, don't invite them to your wedding.
The advice has struck a chord with TikTok viewers, many of whom are praising the rule as a practical solution to avoid unnecessary guest list stress.
"Nobody should be invited to your wedding that you wouldn't sit and have a meal with," Renè said in the video. "Like, if you're not asking them to go grab dinner because they're in town, they don't make the guest list."
One viewer said: "I also agree because I hate being the 'I have to invite them pity invite' for distant cousins and such."
Another posted an applause emoji and wrote: "My wedding will not be a family reunion."
Newsweek spoke to certified etiquette coach Jamila Musayeva about why this rule is gaining popularity and how it reflects broader changes in modern couples' approach to wedding planning.
"Weddings are deeply personal events, and it's natural to want to surround yourself with people who genuinely care about you and with whom you share a bond," Musayeva said. "However, the pressures to invite certain people—such as extended family, colleagues or acquaintances—often stem from social obligations, cultural expectations and a desire to avoid offending anyone."
Musayeva pointed out that, traditionally, weddings have been seen as community events with the expectation to invite a broad range of people who have played some role in the couple's—or their family's—lives. This, however, can lead to a bloated guest list that does not reflect the couple's true wishes or alignments.
To navigate these pressures, Musayeva suggested creating tiered invitations, where close family and friends are prioritized then others are invited if space and budget allow. This approach helps couples strike a balance between honoring expectations and staying true to what feels right for them.
But she also warned of the potential consequences of excluding people from the guest list.
"Weddings are significant life events, and very rarely do people forget not being invited," Musayeva said. "It's important to consider the impact of these decisions on your relationships."
This conversation around guest lists belongs to a larger shift in how couples are redefining wedding traditions to better align with their values and preferences. By adopting the rule Renè set out, couples can manage to stay focused on what matters on their big day: celebrating love and connection with those who mean the most.
"Normalize only inviting people that make a difference in your current life...not past ones," one user commented on the video.
Newsweek reached out to @gadabout_gab for comment via TikTok.
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