The very first thing that you need to do, is know what your wedding budget is and a rough estimate of the number of guests that you want to invite. It isn't the case that the bigger the wedding the more it will cost (if you're holding your reception at home then you might be able to budget for more guests to be invited in the evening, than if you were holding a formal sit down wedding breakfast). So these two need to go hand in hand, and one is very dependent on the other.

Sit down with your partner and write a list of everyone you would want to invite if money and space weren't an object. Start with people who you couldn't imagine not being part of your special day, your very nearest and dearest. Then expand your list to extended family, work colleagues, friends' partners.

Highlight or put a star next to your absolute non-negotiable guests - these could be your besties, your siblings, your parents, anyone that you absolutely can't imagine missing out on your special day. Don't think too hard about this, you know who they are. If you find yourself umming and ahing over a name, they shouldn't be there, leave them off for now.

Once you have this list you can then start adding to it, if your numbers will work.

From personal experience, it doesn't matter how laid back or how many times your parents say "It's your wedding, you do what you want to do", they will ALWAYS try to have an input on the wedding guests. Remember Old Aunt Marilyn? She has to be invited because you knew her when you five years old and she'd be gutted if she wasn't there.

This is tricky and can be a somewhat awkward situation to find your self in, and find yourself in it you absolutely will, so get ahead of the game and decide with your partner how you will deal with it beforehand.

It is 100% YOUR decision who does and doesn't get invited to YOUR wedding, BUT we must also be considerate to our parents. If they are contributing towards the day then you might feel that they have a right to have a little say in what's going on. And let's also remember that they will be there, and it might be nice for them to have some company, someone other than your friends and colleagues. If your numbers allow it, decide early on to maybe allocate a couple of spaces for each side of the family, for guests who you think your parents will want to be invited. But obviously only if your numbers work. If inviting Old Aunt Marilyn means bumping off your friend of ten years then that's a no go. In this case sit down calmly with your parents and explain the situation. At the end of the day this is your wedding and the decision is ultimately yours.

Plus ones is a concept that often gets debated. Inviting plus ones means adding a space for your guest to bring a friend or a partner with them, so that they're not turning up alone. Which makes sense if you have a guest that knows absolutely no one else at the wedding. But in today's society most guests will know at least someone else there. When I got married, we decided that there would be no one at our wedding that we didn't know, so we removed all partners that we didn't socialise with. This way we made sure that every face at our wedding was someone we knew well.

There may be a few exceptions to this (because aren't there always). For friends that are coming a long way and travelling across the country or for friends that you know won't know anyone else and might feel uncomfortable, then add a plus one.

Remember that every guest at your wedding costs you extra money, so think carefully. If you have an endless budget then absolutely feel free to invite everyone!

Eeek! This seems like a difficult topic, but sometimes there are a lot of children (especially in a large family). Remember that each child, no matter how small, takes up a space and needs feeding. If you love the idea of a big family wedding and having joyful children running around all day then of course invite them. But if you're short on space, then add a polite notice on your Wedding Invitation that says Only children within the bridal party will be able to attend the wedding. (Obviously this may exclude teeny tiny babies).

And let's be honest, which parent doesn't want, and look forward to, a day out without their little ones in tow.

Don't over think it too much. Will your third cousin Jonny really be that surprised if he doesn't get an invitation to your wedding when you haven't seen him in five years? It's very doubtful.

Ultimately, remember that this is YOUR day. Invite people that you love and don't let others sway you or you make you feel guilty.