We are having a destination wedding in December in Africa due to our parents still being there and wanting a real cultural celebration. Regardless of location, we were planning to have at least 200 people, now we are planning for about 400+ (big African family won't miss a party). Should I invite ALL friends from the USA even though I know that most of them won't be able to make it? Inviting them means they hold a special place in our lives, but I don't want it to seem like we are just inviting them because we expect gifts. At this point, we haven't decided if we need to hold a small party in the US and don't want to have one after all the resources go into a huge celebration in our home country.
thoughts?