The Guest List: How to keep your small wedding from turning into your big, fat Greek wedding 

I don’t want my wedding to be too small or too big.  How do I decide who is worth inviting, and who would be offended if they didn’t receive an invite?

Your wedding guest list can be rather tricky, especially if you know you don’t want a huge wedding.   When you do know you want a big wedding, you don’t stop to think that maybe your preschool best friend probably could care less about what you’re doing with your life twenty-some years later.  It takes careful consideration about who you should weed out and who it would mean a lot to if they scored an invite to your big day.  So the first step towards the perfect guest list is to sit down with your fiancé and write down everyone who you could think of possibly inviting.  This will make it easier for your brain to focus on each guest.  It’s also easiest to start with your friends because there are your close friends and then there are your acquaintances.  If you haven’t spoken about something important to someone, who you once considered a pretty good friend, in the past year, it’s probably safe to say you shouldn’t be sending them an invite.  Trust us, the invites will add up fast, and before you know it your small wedding will turn into your big, fat greek wedding. 

When it comes to family, your parents should be your go-to.  Mom and dad will be sure to help you decide whether your twice-removed cousin, who you last saw when you were ten, should be invited or not.  But remember, mom might be more likely to say “Yes, of course invite your great aunt you meant once when you were 3!” than she would about someone on your dad’s side because she doesn’t want to offend anyone from her side.  People will understand, though; the economy still isn’t at its best and more importantly, the ones who are closest to you should be spending your special day with you. 

To help you feel more organized, have a Plan A guest list and Plan B.  If someone from the Plan A list cannot make it, send an invite to someone on the Plan B list.  Also, to be able to include more people on your Plan A list, don’t invite children.  Three children could equal three coworkers who you actually see on a daily basis.  As goes with children, don’t feel the need to include a “plus one” on your single best friend’s invite if she doesn’t have a boyfriend.  Not only will it will subtract one from your guest list, but also, your best friend won’t feel pressured to scramble for a date.