Guest lists are the bane of every bride’s existence as making them and maintaining them usually means a lot of drama. Here’s how you handle the addition and subtraction.

One of the biggest sources of drama during a wedding is planning the guest list. It always feels like a lose-lose situation for the bride, which is unfortunate because a wedding should feel like a big win. Unfortunately, it’s a task that has to be taken care of early on because the guest list will be in flux up until the actual day of your wedding. The best advice is keep calm and carry on, but how do you deal with the juggle?

Get organized early on and online! Even though the guest list will be constantly changing if you get started with planning early on you will find that your guests respect you more and there will be a solid core group of people that is unchanging. The statistics go that ten to twenty percent of your guest list will not be able to attend but that is the minority. Plan early to appease the majority and to make things easier for yourself.

Another great tip for making the guest list mathematics easier is to get with the times! Technology makes it easy to add and subtract without creating multiple lists or messiness. You can use spreadsheets or word processing programs to help you keep track but finding an online service is even better! With your guest list online not only can you make changes immediately and anywhere but you will have access to your guest list anywhere. This extreme amount of accessibility will make the entire process go easier. As soon as you receive word from one of your guests about an add-on or about a change in plans to attend you can update your guest list even from your phone or work computer if its online. You can also bring your guest list wherever you go to such as to the stationers or to the post office. Up to date information at your beck and call will be a total lifesaver from the complicated mathematics of guest list juggling.

Image license: iStockphoto (view source)