We planned to have a small wedding, and booked a venue that allows no more than 50 people (including us, the photographer, coordinator, etc.). When crunching the guest #'s we thought it would work, but weren't really considering my fiance's dad's family.
His parents divorced when he was pretty young, and he hasn't seen his dad's side of the family since (except for his dad once every couple years). We weren't really planning on inviting his dad's extended family other than his dad and grandma, but now he has changed his mind.
The problem is, his dad's side of the famiy is huge - he is one of 9 siblings, all who have their own families This would bring the number of people we are inviting to around 100. I know our turnout will likely be below normal because it is a destination wedding, but I still definitely do not feel comfortable inviting 100 people and just hoping that less than 50 can make it.
Now the problem is, who do we cut? Even with family only, it is going to be too many people. His mom thinks we should cut cousins - This will cut down on quite a few people since most cousins also have spouses and children. My thought is, what about the cousins who are teenagers and still live at home with their parents? Would it be rude not to invite them yet invite their parents? In general, it just feels odd to invite aunts and uncles but not cousins.
I'm really not sure what to do. Should we cut cousins, my fiance's dad's side of the family, or do something else? Getting a different venue really isn't an option at this point, and we want to keep the wedding somewhat intimate.