Total Weddings!

Before you go on the hunt for the perfect venue and/or catering team, it is always a good idea to have a tentative guest list to ensure that you have an idea for how many guests you will be inviting.  This is extremely helpful when trying to stick to your budget or work out a budget to begin with due to the great difference in price that alterations to your guest list can create.  Consider this; In most instances, each person you invite is another meal and drinks.  As the number grows by another person, and then another and so on, that meal and drinks can grow to become another table as well.  Another table means more chairs, cutlery, candles, flowers, bottles of drink, dining decorations and so on.  As one table grows to two, three or four, the venue may be considering additional staff.  Even one or two more couples could put your seating arrangement out which will then require an additional table, so you can see how easily your expenditure can be affected by how many guests you invite.

Once you have considered the effects on your budget, you will be able to then make a well educated decision on who to invite. Remember this is YOUR wedding, not your mums or your Aunty's, it's YOURS and only you and your partner should have the final say on who to invite. It may not be as important to invite your long lost uncle that you haven't seen since you were four, or Susan from the front desk at work that you say hi to once every morning.  More heads means more money.  If you have the budget and you want all the extended family and long lost high school friends to witness your wedding then go for it, but if you are working towards a conservative budget than it is a good idea to take care. 

It is nearly impossible to please everyone by inviting everyone neither is it your job to do so, however a good method to completing your guest list is to list everyone you can think of and then start culling.  With everyone down on paper, you and your partner will be able to determine who is the closest to you and who is simply a formality.

Good luck!