Sorry this is long, but I have a tough situation about my rehearsal dinner that I need help with!
I want my rehearsal dinner (which my fiancé and I are paying for) to include just our wedding party and their SOs (or parents for FG and RB), parents, and grandparents. That already brings it to about 35 people-40 people.
However, my FI's father is one of 5 brothers, and they are all very close and have big families/a lot of kids. My FI's parents say that if we invite only one of the 5 brothers (the parents of our ring bearer, who is 3), then we have to invite all of them or they will be upse. I don't want to hurt anyone's feeling, but inviting all of them would bring my rehearsal dinner would bring my guest list from 35-40 to about 60. Plus I would feel bad inviting his aunts, uncles and cousins, and not inviting mine or having all of his family there with just my parents from my side. I don't want the rehearsal dinner to be huge, and the venue I really like for it only holds up to 40 people the way I want it to be set up.
What would you do? How can I tell my FILs that I only want the wedding party, parents, and grandparents? And how can I avoid everyone else feeling upset that only those two adults are invited since their child is in my wedding?