Five things that happen when you're planning a wedding

I've been engaged now for just over four months. We will be getting married in about 13 months. Wow. That makes it seem sooner than I thought. But really, it's still early in the planning stages, but I'm already noticing some trends.

:: People constantly ask how the plans are coming along.

I wholeheartedly appreciate their interest and honestly don't mind the question most of the time. But every now and then it makes me wonder if I should be doing something more.

//// 

:: Everyone offers advice and warnings. 

This is kind of related to the above item. And, again, it's very appreciated. One of the benefits of getting married later than a lot of friends is seeing what worked for them and what didn't. I've already decided to do some kind of receiving line after one of my friends told me she wished she hadn't skipped that. Even with a limited guest list, she said there were still a lot of people at her wedding she didn't have time to speak with. I want to at least say "hello" to each person and thank them for coming. I also want to know what caterers, dress stores, etc. were difficult to work with. Ain't nobody got time for that.

\\\\

:: You start looking at the cost of wedding venues and promptly faint.
When you wake up, you search for cheaper alternatives. Seriously. I don't need fancy linens or a fountain or high tech lighting. I just want a place that's easy to get to, will look good in photos, and will hold our guests. Fortunately, we found the perfect place. It suits our theme, has room for our guests, a bar, and our band. We booked it very quickly.

////

:: You are suddenly grateful you have friends and family with a multitude of useful talents. 
Among my list are a photographer, a musician, a hotel professional, and several crafty folks, all of whom have offered up their talents and some discounts. These relationships will save me money, stress, and time. I'm so thankful for these folks.

\\\\

 :: The guest list becomes less of a "who I want at my party" and more of a "who do I like enough to pay for them to eat." 
And that list gets very small very quickly. Honestly, I think the guest list is going to be the biggest headache. Our venue holds 200 people. He has a large family (those Catholics and their breeding). There are going to be some tough invitation cuts. Maybe I'll just use this flow chart:

\\\\

Honestly, I feel good about where we are in our planning. We've already made most of the important decisions (date, location, entertainment, photographer, caterer, theme, beer). It probably helped that we talked a lot about what kind of wedding we wanted before he put a ring on my finger. It also helps that (so far) we've agreed on everything so far. Without too much discussion. It's sailing by pretty easily. I'm crossing my fingers that it keeps going that way.

Any advice?