Greetings - I am a new poster, but have read a lot on this board that has been very helpful! Sorry for the long post. I'm having a destination wedding on Kiawah Island, SC in September 2013. We and most family and friends from the Midwest). We're finalizing our guest list. Our venue is "scalable" sowe can increase numbers if more people come (and it is not a cost issue if more people come). We are planning to have an AHR soon after we return for those who weren't able to come (and I suppose anyone who was able to come that wanted to see family).
Many of my cousins and their spouses as well as some aunts and uncles likely wouldn't be able to afford to come; however, I don't want to exclude them from the wedding. Ideally we will have a wedding of ~30 people to keep the intimate feel that we want. However, I would rather make people feel welcome and add another 10-15 people than hurt people's feelings. Would it be appropriate to send the invitation to the AHR along with the wedding invitation so our relatives see that even if they're not able to come to the actual wedding / reception that we'll be doing something to celebrate that is easier and more affordable for them to attend? By no means do I think everyone's dying to attend our wedding festivities but I also want to make people feel included should they be interested.
Hope this makes sense. Any feedback on how people made their family and friends feel welcome despite the costs / logistical challenges of a DW would be really appreciated!