Once you've created your wedding guest list, and cut it down to the number of guests you can accommodate, it's a good idea to create a "back up" list or "B" list.

These are guests you'd like to have at the wedding but whom you don't currently have room to accommodate. Therefore, they are not invited in the first round of invitations.

You'll want to put together this back up list so that you can accommodate as many people as possible at your wedding without "overbooking" your wedding venue and creating the very awkward and problematic situation where you don't have room for everyone you have invited.

This isn't a violation of etiquette, but its also important to be discrete about this. Never let guests know you have two lists going. No one wants to think their on your "B" List.

Typically, your back-up list will be about 10-15% of the size of your allowed guest list. So, if your wedding can accommodate 100 guests, the back up list or "B" list should have about 10-15 people on it. This is because, on average, 10 - 15% of the people you invite to your wedding will decline your invitation due to scheduling problems, etc.

Once you've made up your back up guest list or "B" list, rank the names of the list in order of priority. Remember that you must always invite the spouse, fiance or live-in partner of any guest you invite.

As people from the "A" list send their regrets, you can send out an invitation to the top person on your back up guest list immediately.

Once again, keep in mind that you want to avoid at all costs making it obvious that someone is on your back-up list, as much as possible. Discretion is the key to making a wedding guest list "B" list workable.

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