Guest List Attacks Back

First, why does no bridal planner have a guest list worksheet? I have hand written the stupid guest list over and over. I've used half a legal pad making lists of households, kids and out-of-towners. I am using the online guest list tool at Martha Stewart Weddings. It works great, but I can't filter all the ways I'd like to. I can't highlight, color code, etc. It has been wonderful for keeping all the info together especially addresses. I just wish I also had some kind of worksheet/chart. Maybe I'll break down and make one. Not that it'll save me.

We wanted to be around 75guests, but I was only able to get us to 86guests. Mike looked a little green at the thought, but it seemed doable. We went around and around about who we had to have versus wanted to have there. We talked about the people we were inviting who may not make it. We discussed how adding this friend means another family of four on the list. We looked at inviting some of Mikes co-workers, but not the whole office.

After I had a list I was happy with I counted households and kids again. There were double the number of kids I had estimated (20 including ours). I showed all this to Mike who had some revisions of his own. Now we're at 102 guests! So, do I cut my C-list and get us back down? Does it even matter when we're passed 90?

I made my ideal list just my closest friends and family I really want there list with no regard for etiquette or feelings just to see what the number would be. Three guesses...75guests. It didn't make me feel better, it made me mad. It's all so political, isn't it? RAR, RAR.

Also, like the budget stuff, inviting 102 (plus bride, groom, kiddos, photographer, and planner) does not mean we will be feeding 102. It means that's how many we invited. When RSVP's are counted we may be back in our comfort zone again. Of course if we'd stayed at 86 we could ended up at our ideal number.