A wedding invite is going viral for grouping guests into higher and lower tiers to meet capacity restrictions

• A wedding invitation shared on Twitter sorts friends and family into Groups "A, B, and C," to "ensure we do not surpass our capacity restrictions."
• In the invitation, "Group A" guests are asked to RSVP as soon as possible so that the couple can "extend any vacant seats to additional guests." "Group B &C " guests are asked to "keep a close watch on our wedding website for notice that we have space available."
• Wedding planner Lynne Goldberg told Insider that explicitly tiering individuals into groups is akin to making someone a "seat filler."
• In cases when weddings must be held with limited capacity, Goldberg says it is common to have an "internal" A-List or B-List of guests — but this must be "diplomatically done."

A wedding invitation that tiered guests by groups to meet capacity restrictions is sparking conversation on social media.

The invitation shared on Twitter sorts friends and family into Groups "A, B, and C," to "ensure we do not surpass our capacity restrictions." "Group A" guests are asked to RSVP as soon as possible so that the couple can "extend any vacant seats to additional guests." "Group B &C " guests are asked to "keep a close watch on our wedding website for notice that we have space available."

—Mary von Aue (@von_owie) July 23, 2020

Wedding planner Lynne Goldberg told Insider that she initially got "a little bit of a chill" when she heard about such an invitation. Goldberg said explicitly tiering individuals by groups is akin to making some a "seat filler."

"You're really telling people you don't matter that much," Goldberg said.

In cases when weddings must be held with limited capacity, Goldberg told Insider it is common to have an "internal" A-List or B-List of guests according to the couple's priorities on who to invite. However, she said this is "diplomatically done" – the couple asks additional guests on the internal list to come if seats are available in a way that is "inviting."

In wake of the coronavirus, Goldberg says that she's worked with a number of clients who have had to virtually stream their weddings or postpone the in-person celebration to meet capacity restrictions.

Although Goldberg's first client for an in-person wedding won't be until January, she recommends creative options for a safe in-person celebration like giving out hand sanitizers to guests, color-coordinating face masks, or hiring a "social distancing concierge" who will "diplomatically" guide people to abide by social distancing guidelines.