Court Wedding and Dinner

Personally, I would do a dinner after... the court ceremony won’t be more than 20 minutes I assume! Then you leave everyone? I know my immediate family would be highly disappointed...but it is your day! You can skip the dinner and head out if that is what you both would rather do. If it’s money, maybe choose a cheaper place to eat? Best wishes!

If you have any guests at all, you must feed them. It's just basic etiquette.

It could be a pizza party, it doesn't have to be expensive... but if you invite them to your ceremony, you need to feed them.

I’m all for it! If that’s what you’re fiancé and yourself want to do them go for it. You can always celebrate at a later time with your family

View Quoted Comment Agree with this. Also many courthouses have guest capacities so check what the limit is.

View Quoted Comment

Thanks for the advice. I will check on the courthouse guest capacities. Our original plan was to take our parents, siblings, and witnesses (12 people). Now, it has extended to aunts and uncles, cousins and their boyfriends and girlfriends. We're at the point now where we want to cancel the dinner and just have a photoshoot and have dinner with our witnesses.

Basically, my mother has said I'm being rude by taking people off my list and that she would make sure she's out of the country the day of my wedding. So to save everyone from their drama, we were thinking of going away.

View Quoted Comment

You are right, and that was our intention - to have dinner with our families and witnesses. We went from a party of less than 15 people to 43 people! We do not have credit cards and intend to pay everything in cash. So, that's the reason why I cut the list down to 21 people. My mother felt some kind of way when I removed my sisters' and cousins' boyfriends and girlfriend.

View Quoted Comment Long term couples are a social unit. You cannot invite only half.
However, it is totally fine to keep the list to immediate family only, and not have your cousins.

Planning on paying only cash is totally fine, but if your mother insists on adding people, it is perfectly fine for you to say no, unless she's paying.
Also, as Jana said... courts have guest limits. My guess is that even 21 is over that limit.