So FI and I are planning an intimate 60-70 person wedding. I wanted to keep it limited to immediate family (up to aunts + uncles) + close family and mutual friends. We were at 65 guests ... until our mothers got a hold of the list.
Since last night, we are now at 89, and that doesn't include 6 "maybe we'll invite them"s from MIL (these are neighbors that FI has never met).
I'm OK with a larger guest list; it's still a small wedding. However, our caterer quoted us a price for 60 guests that was already pretty much at budget. We are splitting the wedding almost equally three ways, with me + FI paying one third, parents paying one third (catering and photog), and MIL/FIL paying one third (venue + florist + other costs). MIL has also quietly and graciously offered to pay for any cost overruns.
So my question: Is it OK to request that MIL/FIL pay for the difference in catering costs with the larger guest list, and if so, how do I broach that subject politely? Or should FI and I take that cost on ourselves?
(I should add that my MIL is wonderful and amazing and I begrudge her nothing; she is just a social butterfly.)