......Guest List

It is never to early to start thinking about the wedding guest list. I guess the most important thing is to make sure you and your partner are on the same page, it's no use you wanting 40 people and your partner wanting 400 people to attend.

My partner and I didn't want a huge wedding. We wanted our closest friends and family and that is it. What is the point in having people you only see once a year, or have never met at the most important day of you life, regardless if they have the family "status" or not? With this in mind we set guest numbers, including us at 60.

We started by making a list of the people who would definitely be attending, and then those people who were maybes. By the time we had counted all of those people up, we were pretty much on our mark. Something that you should also keep in mind, is people who are absolutely not welcome, for example children, or ex-girlfriends/boyfriends if you or your partner are on friendly terms. One thing I also kept in mind when creating the guest list was +1's for single people. The cost for these people can really add up. As a rule to sticking to our number of guests, we have not allowed for any plus 1's at all.

A sensitive issue that we found was the people that our parents wanted to invite. This also comes down to who is paying for your wedding. If your parents are paying for the wedding discussions will need to be around who you would like there and also who your parents wish to be there. As we are paying for the wedding our selves, it was entirely up to us who we wanted there. The MOST important thing is that this is YOUR day. In the end you choose the people you want there. If you are having difficulty with in-laws or parents try giving them a limited number of seats at the wedding, then they can choose from there.

Keep in mind, if you are on a tight budget like us every extra person will add to your bottom line.