My SO and I have decided to get married near his family about a 9 hours drive away and we decided to invite family so approximately 8 guests altogeether. We planned on a legal ceremony in a park which should take about 10 minutes (we'd do it in the courthouse but apparently that's not a thing in Canada) followed by a quick brunch in an Airbnb and a winery tour total cost to us will be about $450. which is all we really want to spend (we want to get married, not have a wedding)
We weren't even planning on invites.
Wellll, like an idiot, I posted our engagement online, and now the "I better be invited" and "I'm totally going to be there, can't wait's" have been pouring in, even after stating we'd probably be eloping or something similar.
So I'm torn between, telling people they're free to come but that it's just a 10 min ceremony, no dinner or party (although they'd be welcome to come on the tour with us ($99)
Or say nothing else, and go ahead with our plans and have a lot of hurt feelings from a few very close friends.
This is my second wedding, and we are both in our thirties.
Thanks for your input.