When should the couple put together the guest list?
Probably no other part of wedding planning causes as much frustration. Who will be present to bear witness to the big event, is something that no family has ever been to totally agree on. There are those fairy tale weddings that money it is not an object, but even those weddings have their limits.
The number of guests invited to your wedding will have a considerable impact to your wedding budget. You have to feed your guests, maybe to accommodate them, you need a venue large enough to hold your guests comfortably, they are coming out of town, you need invitations. Do you really need to invite all of them? No. Just your immediate family, you and your mate of course, mothers, fathers, step parents, brothers sisters are absolute must, unless personal situations dictate otherwise. Put everyone on the list and see where you are at. Then, if necessary, take a pen and start cutting until you are down to a figure that manageable and that fits into your budget.