Can I retract an invitation?

[Festivefauxpas]

So I’ve made a bit of a balls up with how many people I’ve invited over for Christmas Day this year.

I’m not sure what planet I was on when I said it but in my head I felt like the jolly hostess, the more the merrier!

However, actually looking at the logistics of how many I can actually fit in my house and around 3 tables (2 pushed together for the adults in my small kitchen, where I’ll also be cooking, 1 separate for children in lounge where there will also be a large tree, a pram and baby stuff plus Xmas present chaos), I think I’ve made a bit of an over calculation and it’s just going to be really chaotic and crowded for people, not to mention what it will do to my stress levels!

So the question is, how can I politely in some way admit my error and uninvite people (these are all family members) or is that hideously, hideously rude and I’m just going have to make it work somehow?

Marquee in the garden? That has to be peak Mumsnet 😂

I don’t see how you can uninvite.

Serve Christmas dinner “carvery style” so everyone grabs a plate and helps themselves”. No starters and buy in ready-made puddings.

In the evening, put out leftovers and a cheeseboard. Zero effort!

Give the other families jobs so it’s not all on you.

Why? It’s been done before! Patio heaters. Decorations. Everyone brings a chair and put up tables with pretty cotton table cloths. Candle light - could be amazing and can all be left to the following day to tidy up too.
The way the climate is going. We are all going to be having BBQs for Christmas anyway!!!
(maybe not this year though!)

Wow, I’ve come back to so many comments, thank you all for taking the time to reply.

I think you’ve confirmed what I already knew in that it would be far too rude to uninvite guests so I’m going to have to go with it.

You’ve all given some really fabulous suggestions to make the day work and actually reading through your nostalgic stories and happy memories has made me feel a lot more positive about the whole thing.

I’m naturally quite an anxious person and I don’t entertain very often so it suddenly felt like I’d made a huge mistake and this was going to be far too overwhelming for me but I’m sure with a bit of furniture rearrangement, good planning and a few mimosas thrown in on Christmas morning, I can handle it!

Blanket on the floor for the kids
Ask guests to bring some food.. and a chair
Depend if guests are relaxed go with the flow types or sticklers for routine and order
You can't uninvite them but you can tell them what to expect.. Some might drop out

How many people do you think have a garden big enough for a marquee? And to afford to hire one and a whole bank of heaters? It's a ridiculously well off middle class suggestion.

Seriously, there's absolutely no-one in my circle who has the room and the money to do that at an already expensive time of year.
And I'm guessing that if OP had that space and money, it would go along with a house big enough to manage these numbers in the first place.