Making your guest list is definitely one of the more stressful wedding tasks. No one wants to leave anyone out. But it’s not possible… so here are our 5 favorite guest list pointers to help you get started:

1. Budget: set your wedding budget first, this will give you a ballpark number of how many guests you can invite. This doesn’t mean inviting as many as you can within your budget, pick a realistic number that best suits you and the style of wedding you are looking to have.

2. Make a dream guest list… everyone and anyone you may want at your wedding. Start big and whittle it down from there.

3. Organize your guests into an A-list and a B-list: A-list guests, are the people you just CAN’T get married without, they receive the first round of invitations. B-list guests, you still really want to attend but they will get the second round of invitations based on RSVPs from your first round guests.

4. Decide what percentage of guests everyone gets beforehand and stick to it: you, your husband, as well as both your parents.

5. Create a set criterion for choosing your guests and follow it: Do you know their last name? Have spoken to them in the last year? Would they make the effort to attend? Are inviting them out of guilt? Are you allowing plus one’s? Are you inviting children? Etc….

Good luck and happy guest list making!