Making your guest list

I had a bride ask me the other day, "We are on such a small budget. Do we have to allow our single friends to bring a date? What about out of town guests? We think many of them are not coming, but we're not sure." How do you decide on the "A-List" for your wedding? Who makes the cut? Well, for one thing, you are not obligated to allow your single friends to bring a date. It is nice for your wedding party, but not neccesary for all your guests. I feel it's okay to call out of town family and find out who is coming, if you don't already know. Of course, I like to be very straightforward and practical. Most people will tell you to plan for 70%, but in reality, more like 50% of your invited guests actually come. There are different ways to look at it, but ultimately you must look at your desires as well as your budget. If you really want an intimate, small wedding, keep it that way. If you want to invite everyone you've ever known, then do it. Make room for all sets of parents to invite their guests, though. Most of the time parents want to announce that their son or daughter is getting married. Most importantly, if your wedding is still months away, don't stress about the guest list, yet. You have plenty of time to work on it before the invitations have to be ordered and sent out.