Christmas eve

I agree with everyone else. I'd just say be prepared for a lot of people choosing not to attend. Personally, I would turn down a Christmas Eve wedding unless it was immediate family or a very close friend.

You could always plan a small, intimate ceremony for this year and then throw a large reception the next time he's back home?

I just about choked, 200 a small wedding. No, honey, I'm having a small wedding of 20 people. 200 is a shitload of people. Most of which will not show on Christmas Eve, that's when most people I know go to services and/or have their family dinners.

Is 200 wrong?

I have done several Christmas eve weddings, but they have been for immediate families who would spend the night together anyway. I don't really see friends who aren't extremely close to you accepting.

I've also done a bunch of weddings on the weekend between Christmas and New Year's eve, and I love them. That might be something to consider.

Christmas eve is really the only day I say no to, unless the wedding is early enough that I can get to church; I'm not a big church goer, but its important for my church 'family' that the group gathers.....

Maybe it was a typo and she meant 20.

Honestly, inviting 200 guests to a Christmas Eve wedding looks kind of gift-grabby because there is obviously no way that the vast majority will be able to make it, but they'll still feel like they have to send a gift :/ If it were me, I wouldn't feel comfortable putting people in that position.

ETA: In that context though, it's probably a typo in which case I take my comment back.

200?!?! I think mine is large capping it at 120.

Is that a typo?

Unless it was someone in my immediate family (sister or FH's brothers...maybe my close cousins) I would have to decline. We have a lot of family get togethers on Christmas Eve and I just wouldn't want to miss them. I would send you a really nice gift out of guilt though...

Have you booked the venue and catering? You may have a very difficult time with those because of the holiday.

@katie, 2 weeks before Thanksgiving is a completely different scenario than the night before Christmas.

@OP, 200 is a large wedding. Lower your expectations since you will get a lot of declines.

I'm inviting 150 at least venue is already booked as well as DJ and minister

ETA: Just saw you are back. Have you sent save the dates? Do you have a dress? Have you ordered invitations? I am having a 6 month engagement and it is stressful, but doable, but you are now under 3 months...

I would decline this unless you were my sibling. I understand the circumstances, but I think it would make the most sense to have a small, intimate celebration with immediate family.

If you lower your expectations, then there's no problem.

For my italian family, Christmas eve is the biggest day of the year. However, you know your guests maybe that's not the case for you. I do think a lot of people may not want to abandon their traditions that day.

In no universe is 150 guests small.

I would either keep it really small (just immediate family) or change it to the 23rd.

We didn't send save the dates but the majority of ppl in our lives know when the wedding is I already know at least 50 are coming. And invites are going out Monday. Trust me I know how stressful it is. With him in the military we basically have no choice.

Nope to 150. If you're getting married on Christmas Eve, have an intimate wedding of about 25 people/family members.

I would probably go if it was family, but probably not for a friend. Take that into consideration, and decide what you care about (it seems like you have). I would expect about 50 people at most, if it were my guests. It could be absolutely beautiful. I would wonder about other vendors' availability, however. They may decline a Christmas Eve wedding gig. But maybe not!

Wow. Even 150 isn't small. Not to beat a dead horse, but you will get a lot of declines. I am Hispanic and in our culture, Christmas Eve is a much bigger deal than Christmas Day so I this is a wedding I would not attend unless it's a family member or one of my closest, most intimate friends that I have known for like 20 years.

Lauren, please listen to us that most of the 150 you invited will NOT attend. Even if it was 2 or 3 days before Christmas, you could expect the majority to decline.

Just have you expectations in the right place and don't be offended if even some of your VIPs and family decline.