No guests at the wedding??

The wedding may be about "you" but it is for both of you, and if making him happy means he only invites a handful of people, than so be it. Don't feel guilty, invite who you want, and let him invite who he wants. Don't have regrets about having the wedding you are planning, just enjoy it and then concentrate on the marriage.

Best wishes to you both.

Quite the predicament! It is not only "your" day, it is HIS too!

If he is giving you the power to invite whomever, then invite the people he knows for him. It's not like he has to go hang out with them. Trust me, you will both be much too busy to visit with everyone. Ask him how he might suggest a compromise and not just dismiss it.

As an alternative thought, how about this: Continue as you are inviting family & close friends for the ceremony and/or reception. Check the link below for alternative methods for the other people (like the boss he doesn't want to invite to such a personal affair.) There is a separate announcement for telling people you already got married. Could something like that work in your situation?

You could just say it was a small event, so not everyone could be invited. Someone else in your wedding party could throw a mini bridal party that would include the people that were not invited to the wedding.

I hope I'm not suggesting anything that you might think is tacky! Just trying to be creative and see what else might be agreeable to your honey!

I was kinda in the same situation. I have a large family, with lots of friends and my now husband has a small family. My parents didn't want me to marry him for no good reason. So I didn't invite anyone from my side and only his side was at the wedding. I told people about the wedding but didn't formally invite anyone. It's not what everyone else wants or expects its what you want. Period. So don't feel guilty. Do what's in your heart to do. No fuss is good.

In terms of "inconsiderate", it is not inconsiderate of you to keep it a small affair. Yes, they may all expect to go, but that doesn't mean they should expect it nor that there's anything wrong with you not having a big wedding. Your family has no say whatsoever in how you marry. Wouldn't it be inconsiderate of them to not consider what you and your fiance want? After all, it's YOUR wedding. You need to work on your sense of self so that you are not so insecure in deciding things that are for you. Will some people be offended? Perhaps. But will you have done something particularly offensive? No. It's their problem, not yours. Your job in life isn't to please everyone.

There is a red flag for me in your question: that your fiance sees it as "your" day. It's not just yours--it's his, too. And if it's not something special to him, I would personally worry about his views of marriage. Is this something he's doing to make you happy? Because it's what you want? Or does he truly want to be married to you? If you're sure he does, then see his wanting just a few people as a sign of it being more special--it's those who are truly close, not just anybody and everybody, who will be there.

I say you two do a Destination wedding, somewhere wonderful with the parents or a few important people then come back and have a wedding party at home to celebrate it you get the party and he gets the personal wedding day!

Tell him this isn't your birthday party. This is the wedding celebrating the marriage between the TWO of you. Tell him that it is important to you that your mutual friends and family be there, and let him know that it is equally as important for HIS friends to be there to celebrate as it is for your friends to be there. Then get their addresses and send them an invitation!