Here are a few tips for planning your wedding. First, decide your budget! You will need to decide how many guests you will invite based upon your budget for wedding invitations, the wedding meal, and other aspects of your wedding day which will be based on cost per number of guests. Remember, when ordering your wedding invitations, you will also need to order reception cards, response cards, and, if needed, map cards.

To decide how many guests to invite, you can split your guest list into three different categories - bride’s parents list, groom’s parents list, and the bridal couple’s list. In the end, the three lists should total up to the amount of guests that can be invited. From here, make a master wedding invitation list.

You can have a “wish list” of people you will invite as your guests start to decline. Make sure all your guest names are spelled correctly, as well as their titles. Also, double check your zip codes and addresses to make sure they are all updated. On your master list, include all friends and relatives you would like there, even if you don’t think they will attend.

TIP: Use index cards, or a computer, to alphabetize the lists and eliminate duplicates.