The wedding guest list can be one of the most daunting tasks of planning a wedding. Mom wants to invite all her friends. Dad wants his 2nd cousin twice removed to be invited. And then there's all of your friends and co-workers that want to come. While these people might all expect to be invited, it doesn't mean you do need to invite them.
The more guests you invite, the higher the cost of your wedding. You'll need a bigger reception site, more food, and favors for all. This all adds up quickly. Cutting down the guest list is one of the easiest ways to cut your wedding costs.
When making your guest list make two separate lists. The "must invites" and the "would like to invites". As people from the first list RSVP that they cannot make it, you can then send invitations to the second list.
When making your lists if you need to think twice about inviting someone, then don't invite them! You are probably not that close to them if you have to think about it.
Just because someone invited you to their wedding doesn't mean you need to invite them to yours. They may have had a larger budget or a smaller family which allowed them to invite more people. If someone asks why they are not invited just explain that you are keeping things small or that you have a large family to invite.
And one tip when you send out your invitations...number your guest list and then on the back of the RSVP cards write the number that corresponds to that guest. You'd be surprised how often guests don't write their name on the RSVP cards! This way if they forget you have a quick way to figure out who it is!
Remember to relax and enjoy this process! Happy planning!
