Brides tell me that one of the most challenging parts of a wedding is the guest list. From experience, I suggest strongly that before you announce your wedding to everyone, you and your groom develop some simple guidelines about inviting guests – or be prepared to suffer the consequences. For instance, your excitement of the moment may put you in an uncomfortable position if you both verbally announce to everyone at work that they are invited to your wedding. And when you determine that you can only accommodate x number of guests, and they have to be un-invited…..not a good situation.
You need to consider some qualifying factors – like how large or small you want your wedding to be, the size of the facility and how much you can afford to spend.
Most couples start with the family first and combine both sides together. You might want to consult with your parents to be sure that an important member of the family has not been overlooked. Keep in mind that you want to invite to your wedding the people that you really want to celebrate your special day with. About 10-15% of the guests that you invite will not be able to attend, so some couples keep a “B” list to invite at the appropriate time. Remember that anyone that you have not been close to or spoken to in years can safely be cut from the wedding guest list. The creation of the guest list may mean some compromise on both your part and the groom’s part as well.
Just remember that your wedding is about CELEBRATING your day with the people you care about most.