Hello Ladies,
Need your advice please. We are planning a 2014 spring or summer wedding (date TBD) that we are paying for ourselves. I have a small group of friends/family and came up with a small guest list. He came up with a 200+ list of family/friends/co-workers/etc. There is no way we can afford a 300 person wedding.
I had envisioned a small, intimate gathering, while he wants a full blown party with 2nd and 3rd cousins in attendance(He has 15 first cousins to put his family size into perspective). His grandmother, and aunt have made their OWN guests lists to give to him. However grandma & aunt are not paying for anything. I don't know how to handle this. He feels that since he is the first grandchild to get married he owes his family a big celebration. I feel they day is about us, and we invite who is closest to us.
To make matters worse, I recently have been laid off from my job, so we are really working with a tight budget. How do I get this guest list cut down in a tactful manner? Of course I am afraid to hurt someone's feelings but gosh, we cannot afford this!