What is guest list bloat? It’s that place you find yourself when you want an intimate, elegant wedding and distant family, marginal friends, co-workers and your parent’s business associates have magically ballooned your guest list to 300+ of your “closest friends.”

Sometimes it can feel like a run away train that has taken on a life of its own. You feel powerless to stop it and you are left wondering where your meaningful intimate wedding disappeared to. It’s under there somewhere. It’s just not very pretty; kind of like a thong on a 300lb woman.

There has never been an easier time to reclaim your dream and you can do it with one sentence: “It’s the economy, stupid.”

Whether you are feeling the pinch or not you can use the economy as your excuse. You can even tell people that it just didn’t feel right to spend all that money when so many are suffering.

The best trick to saving money on your wedding has always been to whittle down the guest list. Having said that, it has been too easy to get caught up in the “oh, just add this person” game. You feel bad for not including them. Now you have an excuse you can live with: It’s the economy, Stupid!

No need to feel bad when you pass that co-worker in the hall; “With the economy and all we are really having to limit our guest list,~sigh~” When Mom tries to force Great Uncle Harry’s third cousin onto the list, you can put your foot down in style; “Mom, you know how tight a handle we are keeping on the budget, what with the economy and all.”

It’s out there, use it! Have the wedding you want and lay the blame on that nasty old bear prowling Wall Street.