kill me now. i hate the guest list.

I am having the EXACT same problem with my guest list.  My dad is one of six kids, my mom is one of five and my FH's dad is one of six as well.  They almost all are married with 2-4 children.  And my FH's cousins are almost all married with 2-4 children.
I think with just aunts uncles grandparents cousins and cousins spouses/kids we have 100 people.
Hang in there...just don't let people convince you to invite your grandmother's second cousin who you and your fiance have never met (trust me this happens)...or any other obscure relative who you don't need to or want to invite.

my guest list is currently at 140 and there seem to be people that were forgotten popping up out of the wood work. ... well the venue caps out at seating capacity for 160 people so at least i know it can't go above that!! haha

Doesn't it always seem to work like that.  Our location can seat 200 people but it's very very very crowded at that and is recommended for 150 or less.  Even at 150 it's kinda cozy in there.  Currently with all of our family, bridal party, close friends and people like the minister and their spouse etc. we're at like 138...not including some friends who we'd like to invite and neighbors who we currently don't have room for. Most days I consider eloping...

we considered that too except our parents would have been devestated. And it's not just the added guests.. it's the added cost with each guest. if you don't have a budget then that's great but if you do.. more guests = more food, alcohol, chair rentals, tables, and therefore centerpieces, party favors, cake.. every 20 people adds at least a thousand dollars to my wedding!

Oh my parents would be devastated too...and besides it's not really what we want.  As far as budget...yeah I hear you on that one.  My FH and I are paying for most of it ourselves (my mom is helping with the photographer and flowers)...our budget is teeny tiny...like $4-5,000. We're both broke and can't really afford any wedding at all so that's why we're doing a 22 month engagement over all and I'm doing most of the decoration stuff myself. My mom and dad are more worried about their neighbors being hurt for not being invited.  I'm sure their neighbors are nice and great and all, but I only lived in that neighborhood for two summers during college, so I don't really know them.  If they could afford to put in more money to help, or our venue held more, I wouldn't have a problem inviting them. But if I don't know their faces and names together I don't see how I can possibly afford for them to be on the guest list.
What's the style of your wedding going to be?

fortunately my parents could care less who i do and don't invite. They said it's my wedding do what you like. however my other halfs mom has lots of friends and relatives that she thinks would be hurt and while she has offered to 'pay' for a few of them.. i don't think she realizes just what she would have to pay for.. she is thinking a meal here and there.. but like i said before.. every person adds so much more cost.. it's not just the food. And the funniest part is that my mother in law to be thinks that our wedding budget is a lot of money to be spending.. yet she wants us to spend more to incorporate all the guests that she thinks should come. We are inviting mostly all of them but still! i find it funny.

i'll add that my fiance and i are paying for most of it with our budget being 10,000. And MY parents are making a very nice contribution of half of our budget(which means we have 5000 for a great honeymoon now!) plus a wedding dress of my dreams. And they are the ones saying do what you like. where as my other halfs family has offered to do an unformal rehersal dinner(we didn't care if we got help from either families and a rehersal dinner is a great thing to do for us, i'm not complaining).. but  they are the ones saying 'so and so should be invited.. etc.'

my wedding style is going to be fun and semi casual. It's at a historic ranch in a pavillion(a long building with a roof and half walls). I'm draping tulle vertically across the 60x30 foot ceiling and hanging christmas twinkle lights in between the sheets of tulle. as wel as along the half wall. Also i have those orange pom poms pictued on my wall that i'll hang of various sizes. actually they are 2 different shades of orange and a white and a few silver to tie in the tin can vase for my centerpieces. Then there will be round tables with white linens and i'm renting those white wooden folding chairs(no covers) and possibly an orange table runner-don't know about that for sure yet. And then i'm going to have the centerpieces in the tin can in the pictue on my page there. As well as i think the white hydrangea and calla lillie bouquet. I'll have a table set up with the cupcake buffet for dessert as well as coffee and tea. And there will be a $2 bar as well as a dance floor.  A fun atmosphere but a little dressy... nothing country or cowboy about it at all.

I would not invite everyone. Although you know so many people. I would just invite the ones that really matter to you. As for the others well in my book they can see the video and the picuters, because at the end of the day its too exspensive and the money that we waste on keeping other people happy could go toward an amazing honeymoon! Think of yourself.

Oh my gosh I absolutely adore you right now!  I know this was a post about you being frustrated (and we were there too...trust me), however when I read this I couldn't stop laughing!  I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes!  Thank you...I needed that.  I now have a super-cute comic all plotted out in my head about the adventures of RSVP girl!