Guestlist Guilt

A post on Weddingbee today got me thinking about our decision to have such a small wedding. I know the size is what's right for us, both financially and emotionally (as I talked about in the last post), but I still feel guilty about who we won't be inviting.

The Backyard Groom's mom's backyard (that's a mouthful!) is beautiful but not big by any stretch. Our 15 guests will fit perfectly in the space, but adding even a few more people would make it seem crowded. And because that backyard is here in Austin, where The Backyard Groom and I have lived and worked for the past eight years, I'm worried that people will be hurt when they find out we're getting married in town, but they're not invited. Also, aside from the space issue, inviting more guests would obviously increase the budget, which we are very set against.

Does that make us selfish? Honestly, sometimes I'm not sure. It feels like a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't predicament. If we had chosen to cough up the money for a large wedding that included everyone we feel obligated to invite, I know we would end up feeling guilty every time we wrote a check or, even worse, got a credit card bill. But right now, I feel a twinge of guilt every time my co-workers ask me how the wedding plans are going, because I know they won't be invited.

Even with the guilt, I'm still committed to having the small wedding that's right for us. And in the meantime, I'll be watching for more of Miss Mary Jane's posts.