Oh, the wedding guest list. It is perhaps the single most important document or list you will have to come up with when planning your wedding. In the excitement and joy of the moment, you might want to send an invite to every person whose name you know or face you recognise, but that’s not the way it works. You have to keep in mind that with each person you add to the list, the cost of your wedding increases. You have to feed and entertain the guests and in some cases, might have to arrange for accommodation and transport as well.

Not to mention, you have to send invitations and make favours, which will stretch out your budget. And the more guests you invite, the bigger the venue you will need, and generally, large venues cost more. In simple words, your guest list will determine, to a large extent, how much money you will have to spend on the wedding. This is why it is crucial you make a guest list that is in line with your budget and you don’t have to exclude anyone important. Here are a few factors you have to consider:

• The Size of Your Wedding

Most couples prefer having an intimate wedding, with only their family and closest friends invited. On the other hand, some people like to party and so they plan a big, fancy wedding. You have to decide on the size and scale of your wedding so you can create a guest list according. If you want a small wedding, your guest list has to be small, and vice versa.

• List the Must-Invites

Now, there are some people you absolutely have to invite and if you don’t, all hell will break lose. This usually includes your family, closest friends, people from work, and a few people your parents say you have to invite. Create a list of the must-invites so you at least know the minimum number of guests when working on your guest list.

• Make the List

Now that you know the people you ‘have to’ invite, now is the time you start working on your list. The best approach is to work on it individually and then together so that you don’t leave anyone out. Do keep in mind that a wedding guest list can easily go out of hand and you might end up listing 200 people when you only want to invite 100.

• Curate the List

The most difficult and perhaps the most important part of creating a wedding guest list is cutting names from it to suit your budget. You will feel bad about is so you will have to find a way to get around it. To make it more acceptable, you can keep a few guidelines in mind:

- When it comes to extended family, you invite one you have to invite them all, so decide wisely

- If you haven’t spoken to someone in 2 or 3 years, there’s no point in inviting them to your wedding.

- Invite only your close friends from work. No point in inviting them all.

- Limit ‘plus-ones’ to spouses, partners and fiancés and you can shorten the guest list significantly.

Last, but not the least, if someone has invited you to their wedding in the past, you might be obliged to do so. In most cases, it is a good idea to add them to the list.

So, these are some things you need to keep in mind when creating your wedding guest list. This way, you can ensure you invite everyone you want to share your joy with and also stay within your budget.