Large bridal party...small ceremony

I would have them sit. I'm not sure how you would fit everyone, and I know you say you don't care what anyone else thinks, but it would look a little odd to have 11 people squeezed next to you at the altar and only 15 (or however many) guests.

Oh the no one cares thing is more about other guests who may be mad about like "oh they said intimate wedding but they had a big bridal party." Because I am having a much larger reception after. And I was honestly thinking the same thing. I would have more people standing next to me than actually watching haha!

Well, a tiered wedding (inviting some people to both the ceremony and reception and some just to the reception) is rude so I could get why guests would be offended. Normally to avoid hurting feelings, if you're having an intimate ceremony it is only immediate family (parents siblings, maybe grandparents). Including anyone else makes it tiered, which is what is offensive.

Who is invited to the ceremony? By including all these friends I think you've already broke etiquette and people will probably be offended. If I was your friend and I didn't make the ceremony cut but knew a bunch of our other friends made it, I'd be offended.

I can understand that. I have really bad anxiety at the idea of a bunch of people watching me get married. Its special to me. So my closest friends and immediate family make sense to me personally and I feel comfortable enough with them to not have major anxiety about it. I can understand why other friends and family may be upset or offended but I would hope they would understand that I do not think I could literally get up and get married if I had 80 people watching me. While a reception is a much more relaxed way to celebrate with everyone else. So while I get what you are saying...but I guess like...its about what matters to me and my fiance.

Regardless...this decision has been made. My question is in regards to how I should do my bridal party. I am really leaning towards having them sit since our immediate family is only 8 people.

Yeah I mean, if you don't care, then you don't care. Sounds like you're okay with your decision and possibly ruining relationships. If I were you I'd just have the small wedding across the board, but that's cause I'd never want to hurt the ones I love when I should be honoring their place in my life.

But that's just me. Best of luck.

Hmm...I really don't think this will be the case in my wedding considering I would hope my loved ones understand I have anxiety but I still want to have a celebration.

I agree you should have your bridal party in your ceremony. I think it would be weird to ask someone to be a BM or GM then not invite them to the ceremony. My fiance has 10 GM and I have 9 BM. they are all just standing up at the alter with us. I prefer that. But I think if they sat in the row right behind your parents it would be fine too.

My fiancé and I are doing something similar. I think we will have the normal # of BM/GM (7 each) walk down the aisle, but only Maid of Honor and Best Man stay standing the whole ceremony. That way we still have a bit of an "audience"