How do you know who to invite/not invite to a wedding?

[Audrey]

I heard a guideline that if you haven't been in contact with someone for at least six months that you probably shouldn't invite them to your wedding. Is this a good rule to follow? Well, excluding family members because I don't always talk with certain relatives on a regular basis. Especially since I don't live near them.

There's a few past friends I'm not sure if I should invite or not. The first friend is my best friend from grade school. We were friends all throughout elementary and junior high but drifted apart in high school. We graduated in 2006 so I haven't talk with him much since. One of the girls in my high school group of friends invited him to her wedding in 2010. But another friend got married last month and didn't invite him. The only time I really talk with him if we're both back in our hometowns at the same time or if we text each other on our birthdays.

The next people I don't know what to do are my college roommates. I graduated in spring 2010 but they started college earlier and graduated spring semester 2009. So I haven't really seen or visited them since we were on campus together. I like my college roommates, but I never was as good as friends with them like the people I knew in high school. The only time I saw my two roommates again was when we met up last fall. I was good friends with another roommate but haven't seen or heard from her since graduation.

The last person in question from college is my track coach. I was a college athlete all four years. I got along with him great. But to be honest I wasn't as close to him as my teammates. I wasn't even close with most of my teammates although I got along with everyone. No one from the track team is on my wedding invite list. I know some of my teammates have invited Coach to their weddings, but I don't think I'll invite him to mine. I maybe email him once or twice a year to touch base so it seems random to send him an invite.

My boss is very anti social media. Employee Facebooks are monitored closely. I didn't want to risk it so I gave up my Facebook once I started working my current job two years ago. So I tend to lose track with people.

What do you think I should do? Right now I'm thinking I'll invite my high school guy friend. We were good friends and I was close with his family growing up. His step dad is actually my distant cousin. But as far as the people from college, I'm thinking that I won't invite them. I just haven't kept in close enough contact with them. It would be awkward for me to invite them just out of the blue.

Thanks for your suggestions!