Based on your budget for the wedding, customarily the number of guests to be invited is split equally between the bride’s family and the groom’s family. Sometimes, one family may have a longer list than the other due to having a smaller family or because of having to travel a long distance for the wedding. The guest list can also be split three ways between the bride’s parents, the groom’s parents, and the couple, especially if the bride and groom have lived away from their parents for some time.

Make your guest list by households, and at the same time keep a tally of the number of adults and children that are in each household that you are inviting. Based on your budget for the wedding, this will help you to determine whether or not children will be invited if that is even an issue. It will also save you time later when you need to give a head count to the caterer to help determine food preparation.