Choosing your guests

Believe it or not, choosing wedding guests is a big dilemma for most engaged couples. Between family, friends, colleagues, and even business acquaintances, your list can fill up fast. So how do you decide who should be invited and who does not make the cut.

Here are several rules of thumb that you can use to determine you list. First off, you need to determine whether or not you want to have large, medium, or a small wedding. This is relative to what you consider large and small, but my view is anything above 400 guests is large, and anything below 100 guests is small. A medium wedding is often the most popular. In a medium size wedding your budget for wedding decorations, wedding accessories, and personalized wedding favors is often very affordable. After you have a set goal in mind, start to compile your list by writing it down and putting people into two different categories:

1. Must
2. Maybe

Easy enough. You know that pretty much all (close) family members are in the "must" category. You also will probably want to put all close friends in the must category. But if there are any hesitations at all in the "must" category then move them on down to the "maybe" pile.

After listing as many people as you can think of grab a highlighter and a pen. Examine the names in the "maybe" category and ask these few questions about each one. If the majority of the answers point towards not inviting them, then, without hesitation- cross them out. But, if not, then highlight them and add them to the invitation list.

1. Will you see this person again soon?
2. Will this person be extremely offended for not getting invited?
3. Do you have enough room for this person?
4. If you invite this person, will several other people expect to be invited as well?
5. Will YOU regret not inviting this person?

Your invitation list is not the beginning or end of the world as we know it, but since it involves people who are care about you, it is definitely something to give a lot of thought. In fact, your whole wedding planning is not something to take lightly. From your wedding decorations to your honeymoon, your wedding is one of the greatest times of your life.

Don't settle. Plan. Enjoy.

-G R H