FI and I wanted a small, intimate wedding (inviting 75 people, but that includes plus ones for all guests, so only 38 invites being sent out. most of our single friends have already said they're not bringing a guest, so count will probably be closer to 70 or so).
We (FI and I) are paying for the entire wedding ourselves, but offered for our parents to pay for any additional guests they strongly felt should be there. Both of his parents requested a few select family members, and family friends.
His family is quite large, but there are some "interesting" family dynamics. We're inviting only 2 cousins + 1 uncle on his mom's side, and 2 cousins + 1 aunt on his dad's side, but not inviting all of the same family tier. I know this is technically "against etiquette", but I went over with his family multiple times to make sure we weren't offending anyone.
Even though my immediate family is very close, we're not at all close to any of my aunts/uncles. My parents originally said they wanted to invite my aunts/uncles, but then changed their mind and said that they'd prefer they weren't invited (I don't feel strongly either way). My family is also not one that could be split up (i.e., only invite one uncle), and inviting all aunts/uncles would add another 12 people. My parents also didn't want any family friends invited.
Now the guest list is about 1/3 our friends, 1/3 his family/family friends, and 1/3 our immediate families. I love all of the family members on his side that we're inviting, have spent time with all of them, etc. (we've been dating for 6 years so I've been to lots of family events). And on my side, my parents don't really have any family friends, and my aunts/uncles are a little weird (and they've either only met FI once, or not at all). It just feels a little odd to be so "unequally" split in terms of guest list. Anyone else have any similar issues?