You’re walking on air when you’ve just gotten engaged. At that point, your future wedding is just a nebulous bundle of beautiful ideas, in which everything goes smoothly and each second is filled with joy – as it should be. But it’s something you might lose sight of as the more practical side of wedding planning starts to happen. Any bride will tell you that putting together the most wonderful day of your life absolutely has its stresses.
One of the most fraught tasks that you’ll have to take on is constructing your guest list. You’re bringing together two sets of friends and family, at a minimum. But other dynamics come into play – often in the form of requests from your parents. 
Many moms and dads want invitations sent to people that are important to them, as well. And don’t be surprised if people contact you asking if they’re invited to the wedding. It might seem like the height of bad manners, but it certainly does happen.
Many moms and dads want invitations sent to people that are important to them, as well. And don’t be surprised if people contact you asking if they’re invited to the wedding. It might seem like the height of bad manners, but it certainly does happen. There are two approaches you can take to building your guest list. One is to choose the venues you want and set your budget, then build your guest list within those parameters. The other is to construct your guest list and create a budget and find a venue based on those numbers. In either case, have both sets of parents submit to you their “wish list,” and sit down with your fiance to construct your own lists. Compile them to cut out any duplicates, and then take a deep breath when you look at the initial number.
Once you’ve got all those names, you’ll likely have to make some cuts. When that happens, the best method is to try to be equitable. Start by cutting one person or couple off of the groom’s list, the bride’s list and your parents’ lists, and move along with that method until you reach your desired number. It’s likely that someone will be upset at some point during the process, but you need to keep in mind that the cuts are being made for a good reason.
The cost of your wedding is closely tied to the number of guests you’ll be hosting. To keep your budget in check, you need to stand firm about the number of people who will be invited. Doing so can help keep other sources of stress under control and help to simplify the planning process. And on the day of the wedding, you’ll be thrilled to see each person congratulate you in the receiving line. 
