Hi Everyone! I need some advice. My fiance and I are recently engaged, and are super excited to be getting married next summer on the fourth of July. However, there is a twist to our wedding. We both agreed we don't want a big wedding so, instead we are getting married on our next family vacation in our favorite place, the Outerbanks, NC, with our closest family members (parents and siblings), who we go on vacation with every year. We are having a small ceremony on the bay, followed by a private dinner at our vacation rental home that will be cooked by a personal chef. We are both super excited to have something so intimate and personal, it is just exactly what we want. Now, although we are planning this affair, we are keeping it a secret from the rest of our family members because we do not want to hurt any feelings. My fiance's aunt, (his mother's sister) will be there. She comes on vacation with us every year. While my fiance's other aunts and uncles will not be invited, simply because we don't go on vacation with them every year, and if we invite one, we have to invite our entire family. We don't want them to think we're playing favorites by having her there. So, when we get back from OBX, we are going to announce that we eloped and invite everyone to a more formal reception that we are going to be having, and will be inviting our whole families to. This will be held in our backyard next September. I know family members will be hurt initially, but we also know that they will understand and will be very happy for us.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had experience with planning a destination/elopement-style/small wedding, and if they could provide me with some advice to keep my cool? I'm a very honest person, and I'm fine with keeping it a secret, although it's hard, it would just be nice to know of another bride who was in the same boat as me, as I know this isn't what a lot of people do!
Thanks in advance!