Wedding Blog
(source)It’s March! For most people, this is a good thing. It means that the long winter is almost over (although definitely not here in Boston!) and spring is just around the corner. The days are getting longer, so walking out of work at 5PM just isn’t as depressing as it used to be. And it also means that Opening Day is that much closer… and that’s a BIG deal over here.
For others, March is one of the busiest months of the year. Accountants like Papa Latte are in the middle of tax season, and are working hard for long hours. And college admissions officers like myself are buried in applications from high school students around the world.
Working in a career or an office where a “busy season” exists develops a special sense of community and camaraderie amongst the employees.
In my office, the other admissions peeps are the only ones who fully understand all the pressures and struggles we go through. They’re the only ones who can REALLY empathize with me when I complain that my eyes hurt from reading too much. They’re the only ones who REALLY understand the internal struggle between absolutely loving an applicant, and wishing they had just worked a little bit harder in high school. Through these shared experiences, we’ve developed a unique relationship that brings us all closer together.
On top of that, most of my co-workers are pretty darn cool. They’re all relatively young in age, and we have a fun time when we’re together. We work in teams (shout out to Team B! Yeah-uh!) so there’s even more of a sense of unity. I love my job because of the impact it allows me to make on the lives of young people, but I love it even more because of the cool people it surrounds me with.
So, imagine how hard it is for me to finalize the guest list for the wedding. Hands down, it’s been the hardest aspect of wedding planning for me. Early on, Mr. Latte and I agreed that we would rather throw an AMAZING party for fewer guests than have a GREAT party for more. We are trying to keep our guest count down to around 150, which sounds like a lot… but it really isn’t when you break it down. In addition to the guest lists of the FILs and Mama and Papa Latte, and as a result of being in a long-distance relationship, Mr. Latte and I have very few mutual friends. This means that my “cut” of the guest list is teeny tiny.
I’m not complaining here. Thanks to our super understanding, supportive, and accommodating parents, Mr. Latte and I have been given a generous portion of the list and we’ll be able to have our closest friends with us on our big day. It just means that we won’t be able to invite everyone we would’ve liked to have celebrating with us… like some of the friends I’ve made in the office.
I’m still struggling to finalize my portion of the guest list to accommodate as many of my friends as possible.
Anyone else in the hive struggling with this same dilemma? How did you decide who in your “office party” to invite?
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Share this post: The Office Party
I’m planning on only inviting the people in my office — which totals about 40 — I work with the most.
We aren’t doing office friends, other than my fiance’s co-worker who left their company and they still hang out on a regular basis.
We have big families and had to make the cut somewhere. With 250 on the list, co-workers weren’t an option, but since I work at a large company, it actually is fine, because I’d be thinking if I invite this person, I have to invite this person. So saying no one at all has been a little bit of help for me.
If I were you, I’d focus on the people you really click with and hang out with. Make it so that no one gets hurt. If you hang out with two people equally make sure to invite both of them and not just one. If there are others you don’t hang out with, don’t feel bad not including them.
We didn’t invite anyone in our office to the Wedding. We ended up scheduling a BBQ/open house a week after the wedding that we’ll invite co-workers and lots of the mutual friends that we couldn’t squeeze into the ceremony to. That has helped a lot.
I’m in a similar situation where I’m not really inviting any of my friends in my office. FI works with people that are now mutual friends of ours since he has been there for almost a year and a half. We’re inviting a handful of the folks he works with.
Because our wedding is 600 miles away from where we work (work: DC, wedding: Atlanta) it’s a little easier to not invite people. I don’t know what I would do if I could only invite a few because I love a lot of people here. The distance allows me to seem considerate while not inviting people.
Go Sox 
We struggled with this a lot - especially since we met at work and many people were a part of the growth of our relationship but we both agreed on inviting the “office” friends that we also socialize with outside of work. This helped narrow down the decision, but still leaves a few people I would add if we just had more space/budget
Like rasgoola, we met at work so this is tough. But only the people we have socialized with outside of work will get an invite, which is not many but they all have spouses so you know how that goes.
I’m not inviting many people from the office– we just had to draw the line, and we are focusing on inviting people who will support our MARRIAGE (not just on our wedding day) for years to come. Although I like a lot of my co-workers, we don’t hang out together outside of work, and I’m not sure that I would remain as close with them if we didn’t work in the same place. Between me and my FI, we are only inviting 4 co-workers (plus their husbands & wives, so 8 total on our guest list).
I agree that it can get VERY hard to draw the line somewhere!
I’m only inviting 2 of my coworkers. They are the ones that I feel the closest too. There are only 8 people in my ENTIRE company (yay for small businesses) but that doesn’t mean they can all fit (or that they’d all come). I’m afraid one or two of them are expecting to be invited but I just can’t bring myself to invite them. There isn’t room, and I don’t really want to have them there! LOL
It’s nice to have people you like & trust & get along with at work!
We’re only inviting 1 co-worker (and that’s because they were grad school friends before becoming co-workers). However, it’s NOT been an easy decision for me since I’ve been in my job for almost 9 years and have formed some good friendships at work. It just came down to hurt feelings if I invited 1 and not all 10 in my “group”. But it’s been something I struggled with, and still don’t really “like” the solution.
We decided not to invite anyone from our respective workplaces. We’re getting married 3 hours from where we live and don’t think many people would come, plus we don’t want to stir the waters by only inviting those that we like! We are, however, inviting most of our former coworkers from the firm we used to work at because we were all so close and they knew us before we were together!
I’m (somewhat begrudgingly) inviting all my co-workers in my department. 2 are great and 2 I could go without, but I didn’t want to play favorites…(although I am leaving my job and moving after the wedding)
Kind of off topic here, but my boyfriend is running the marathon in Boston next month (their might be a ring…!), and I’m don’t know what to pack. How cold/warm will it be? Thank you!
We are having such a small ceremony that we aren’t inviting anyone from our offices.
I have it easy, I work with my boss and her husband and thats it. So those 2 are coming, and FI only works with 10 other guys, and only his close 3 are coming
Ahhh I’m in the same place. My firm is only 30 people.. so hard!!! And for those married I should invite their spouse.. how do I only invite 10 out of the 30.. is that rude? 
Mr. K has a dental school class of about 90 and they have been in school together for four years. It was SO hard for him to decide who to invite! No matter what you end up hurting someone’s feelings. We just try not to think about it–too stressful!
You know I have had the same problem and because of this I have said forget the rules. We are going to throw a huge cocktail type of engagement party since everyone can’t join us. And we are inviting our friends who we dont have room for at the wedding but love regardless. It was fun and we were upfront about our small quest list so everyone came, had fun, and no one cared that they werent also invited to the wedding. Everyone was just happy to be included and able to celebrate with us. Especially in these times, ppl understand having to cut costs!
Thanks for all your input!
@Stacy: Very cool that he’s running THE marathon! It’s hard to predict the weather…some years it’s cold and rainy, and other times it’s HOT. We just got a blizzard yesterday overe here so if that’s any indication of what’s to come…dress warmly!
Miss Latte, I’m an AO in Pennsylvania! Maybe I’ll see you on the road this spring (New England). Good luck in committee!
I teach at a high school, and decided to stick with just my department. It was the only way to be fair… otherwise my “office” invite list could have topped 50 people!
I kept my office list super low because I’m in the military and I move around so much that I don’t really get a chance to know my coworkers that well…I guess in terms of a guest list that’s a blessing!
I’m a law school admissions counselor! I totally understand your “busy season” and loving an applicant and wishing he/she had done a little more.
I’m just inviting my department, but my FI is a high school teacher and we’re inviting most of his coworkers.
We’re having a small wedding, so small that most of my FH’s first cousins are not invited, so it’s made it easier for me to explain why some people are not invited. I am inviting people from the office, but these are people that are my friends outside the office too. You can’t make everyone happy, and I think for the most part people understand that and don’t take it personally if they’re not invited.
Only one person from my current job, who isn’t going to blab it around More from past jobs, though, who are wonderful friends now.
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Mrs. Latte, Boston/NYC
Age and Occupation: 29, College Admissions Counselor
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Elementary School Teacher
Engagement Date: August 23, 2008
Wedding Date: July 2009
Venue: Stage 6 at Steiner Studios
About Me: I am an East Coast girl marrying a West Coast boy. After 2 years of over 3,000 miles between us, Mr. Latte and I are looking forward to finally living in the same time zone/coast/city/home and living “normal couple” lives. I am a crafter at heart and enjoy dragging my friends into new craft projects. I love my Mac, baking cupcakes, wrapping presents, my BlackBerry, naps, good NY style pizza, Jack Bauer and of course, Mr. Latte. I love him a latte. :)
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