Deciding who you want to share your special day with is such an important part of the planning process. Put your guest list together without any stress by avoiding these nine mistakes.
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Letting your parents take control. It can be easy to let your parents take over the guest list, especially if they're paying for some or all of the wedding. But you don't want to have your day mostly made up of people who are just important to them, so sit down with them and figure out how to make it fair for all.
Creating the guest list after booking the venue. You decided on a small, intimate reception space, and then realized you have way too many people for the space. To avoid everyone being packed into the venue like sardines, figure out how many friends and family members you want to invite before you commit to a venue.
Forgetting the 10 percent rule. When making up your guest list, keep in mind that anywhere between 10-20 percent of guests will not attend. So if your venue requires a minimum head count, you need to plan accordingly.
Letting everyone have a plus one. In an effort to keep your single friends happy, you might be tempted to let everyone bring a guest. But those extra people represent more money out of your budget. A good rule of thumb is to only allow single friends in serious relationships to bring a plus one.
Taking over the guest list. Even if you're doing the majority of the planning--and your parents are footing most of the bill--you still need to give the groom and his family their fair share of the guest list. You don't want to start off your marriage offending your in-laws and making your new husband feel like the wedding day was all about you.
Not being clear on kids. If you want a kid-free wedding, you need to make that clear through the invite. Be sure to address the envelope properly ("Mr. & Mrs. Jones," and not "The Jones Family"), and have your parents and bridal party spread the word so people don't just assume their children are coming to the reception.
Feeling pressured to invite coworkers. If you happen to be close to a few of your coworkers, go right ahead and invite them. But don't feel like that means you have to include the entire office just so others don't feel left out. This even goes for your boss. If you won't feel comfortable having him or her there, then just don't extend the invitation.
Putting exes together. Be mindful and respectful of people's relationships while putting together the guest list. If there are guests who really don't get along, seat them separately.
Inviting everyone you know. Unless you have an unlimited budget and a huge venue space, it's probably not a great idea to invite every person you've ever met--regardless of how tempting that might be.