Most caterers and restaurants charge by person when it comes to wedding reception. So if you run the numbers, you’ll see that trimming down the guest list from 150 to 100 will save you twenty-five percent. It’s understandable that your parents probably want to invite their friends, and your in-law’s friends, you will want to invite everyone you like, but the list gets big that way.
Start with the absolute list first. And build from it. You also need to give a max number. So if the list goes overboard, trim it down. Even money is not a problem, can you possibly invite several hundred people to your wedding and spend time with each one? So someone will be left out. When the budget is tight, just stick to a small family wedding. You probably can get by with a guest list of fifty that way.