Too Few, Too Many, or Just Right?

I'm talking guests here, people. Although there are about 125 people on our invite list, we've been guesstimating that only about 70 adults and 5 children would actually attend - and that's the number of people we've budgeted for. Now, I come from the 'more is more' camp when it comes to party attendees. In fact, I've been known to invite way more people into my home than could possibly fit comfortably, and just let them work it out for themselves with the help of everyone's good friend, vodka. So I've been secretly hoping that we'd have more, even *way* more, wedding guests than we've budgeted for. In my mind, that makes for a better party, even though it also makes for a sadder wallet.

image via Ronski Polski

My worst worst worst fear is that only, say, 50 people show up to the wedding and then we've spent beaucoup money on a party that will fizzle early because there aren't enough people there to keep up the energy. (Why it's not my worst fear that 125 people show up and then we're $10,000 over budget, I have no idea.)

image via Savage Chickens

Our social circle is much more on the small and intimate side, plus a smaller guest list is all we can afford. Furthermore, we've chosen a ceremony space that can only seat about 30-40, with standing room only for everyone else. With those calculations, it would stand to reason that 50 guests is too few, 125 is too many, and 75 is just right. But I can't shake the feeling that a few more than 75 guests would be just right-er.

So imagine my pleasant surprise as I've heard whisperings that some guests may be attending who we hadn't thought would be able to come.  And again when we considered adding a few extra invites for  some people who we've grown closer to since we initially made our guest list at the end of 2010.  It's impossible to predict those final RSVP numbers given that many of our guests would be coming in from out of town, but it looks like I might get at least a tiny bit of my 'more is more' wish after all.  

How did you decide your "just right" number of wedding guests?  And did you feel the pull to let that number creep upward?