200 person guest list

You can have the wedding you want. Say no to any money, refuse to listen to pleas for guests you don't want, and have those conversations once.

Lol I know some people are hoping for declines but I think that's so weird!!! I didn't put anyone one my guest list that I didn't actually want at our wedding!

Annakay, did you read what I wrote at all?

It's a sign of respect to the people who are paying for the wedding, and frankly, even if they weren't paying, I would offer it to my parents that they can invite people they would like to have there. Because after raising me for 28 years, it's a nice thing to do, damnit.

Also, Celia, I absolutey, unquestionably, have 200 people that I would WANT there. I have 75 people in aunts, uncles, and cousins alone. I would say I have at least 30 friends I would want there. His family is the same. Can we all stop acting like if you know 200 people you must be lying, or something?

I agree with @m. We're inviting 300 people. Yes we know all those people (sans a handful of our parents' friends), have seen all these people within the last few years at family/friend functions, and we want all those people to be there. Yes both parents are contributing as well.

Calm down m; I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and we almost always run parallel in our opinions. I'm not trying to be insulting.

All I'm saying is that once you take money from parents, you allow them to make your wedding into a social event for their friends, remote family, and people you hardly know and rarely see.

If that's fine with you, then fantastic; you have the wedding that you wanted and dreamed of. For many couples, that's not the case. They're held hostage by the money thrown at them and they feel that they have to acquiesce to every demand that money brings. It's not their style but they get swept up in the wedding tidal wave and end up having a day they didn't want and didn't enjoy.

The biggest complaint about weddings is that the cost a fortune, and 200 guests (along with huge bridal parties) is why. And I can say this, because I'm the outsider looking in. The last 50 on the list are the ones at cocktail hour on their cell phones because they really didn't want to be there to begin with.