How did you handle it?

snuff9861

So there are a total of approximately 85 people in my program. Clearly there is no way I can invite every single one of them (or even ALL of the people I am friends with) to the wedding. I have sent out STD to the people I am for sure inviting from the class. If the conversation comes up, is there a polite/graceful way to say "Hey, sure stop by the reception for dancing if you want?" I'm not inviting them if it doesnt come up but I dont want people in the class to feel like I am excluding them.

ChristineNB

you can not invite a person to the reception "just for dancing."  That's rude.  If you are going to invite someone at all, they need to be able to eat, drink, and partake of the other festivities assciated with your reception like everyone else. 

You need to think to yourself who do you hang out with outside of school?  Who do you see yourself keeping in touch with once you graduate?  Invite those people, and don't worry about the rest.  If they ask just explain that planning a wedding while in school gives you a tight budget and not everyone can come.

Beverly8

As PPs have said, you can not invite someone to your reception just for dancing.  When I got married, I only invited 3 people from my program of 30 people.  I hung out and talked to these girls outside of school.  I still keep in touch with them and have attended the ones wedding last year and will be at the others this november.

Invite those who are the closest to you and those you have a relationship with other than school.  Keep all wedding talk to a minimum while in school.  

becky659

Agreed with the above posters. I have about 30 people who I'm close with in my program, but only about 10 that I hang out with outside class. 
I'm inviting those guys and I just wait until we're actually hanging out before I talk about wedding stuff.

minniehopeless

No you can, its very common in the uk in fact. Our wedding will be split into three sections, ceremony, meal and then dancing. The dancing will essentially be anybody we know can come. The meal having the smallest head count of all three sections, if we do a sit down dinner anyway...

sdolander

I'm actually doing something very similar...

My sorority sisters desperately wanted to be able to come to my wedding.  They all understood that I had already reached my maximum number of people, and I couldn't afford to feed anymore people.  They didn't care - they just wanted to see me on my big day and share in the joy and happiness... they were actually planning to tailgate my wedding!! It was so sweet that they wanted to be there, so I talked to the lady in charge of the place for my ceremony and reception, and she said that as long as they aren't offended, she just needs the numbers for who would be coming for the ceremony and after dinner so they have the chairs and bartenders needed. And they weren't offended at all - they were ridiculously excited!! It made me really happy to see that they just wanted to be there.

So I'm basically saying that if the people in your program are the kind of people that just want to see you and share in the happiness, it's fine - so many weddings nowadays are so laid back.