The Wedding Reception Guest List

Couples are always faced with this dilemma; who to invite to the wedding. When planning our wedding we wanted to invite everyone we could to share in our special day, but budget dictated and we had to pare down.

Here are a few tips and tricks to keeping your wedding guest list from getting our of control.

1 ~ Make a "master list" as soon as possible. As you start to decide on your budget and venue, then you can begin crossing names off.

2 ~ Ask parents to leave the kids at home. Most parents view a reception as a date night and would love to leave their little ones with a sitter, so add a little note on the bottom of the reception card that indicates "Adult only reception".

3 ~ It is not a reunion. Many couples want to invite grade-school chums and old co-workers, but a wedding is no place to reunite friendships, this is a time for close family and friends.

4 ~ "Honey meet my cousin". A wedding is not place to meet family members, that’s what an engagement party is for. There will be plenty of time after your married to meet each-others families.

5 ~ Let your parents know its not for everyone. Lots of parents want to invite their friends to your wedding, which is great if money is no object. But if you have a budget then stick to your guns and let your parents know up front who they can and cannot invite. This is a sore subject for lots of families, so tread lightly and proceed with caution, a big blow out before the wedding is not what anyone wants.

Stick to these handy tips and you will be on your way to a guest list of close family, friends and loved ones.