What would you think of a bride with almost no friends?

[CluelessBride]

We wrote our invitations last night and it really brought home that I have hardly any friends! My fiancé has loads, which is one of the reasons I love him (he's so sociable and really brings me out of my shell!). For a whole range of reasons, I only have a small handful and only really two invited to the wedding. There are a few more but they live overseas so not feasible to invite them. I have family coming, so it's not like I have no one, but they're all older than us.

I'm feeling like a bit of a loser this morning and wondering, if you went to a wedding where the bride's guest list was tiny and hardly any peer group / friends, what would you think of her? I'm really worried people will think there's something wrong with me

I wouldn’t think anything of it at all.

The most important thing is that you have those who matter there to share in your day. And if that is just your fiancé and a couple of others then happy days ☺️

I had no friends at my wedding. DH had loads, many of whom I’d never met! I don’t think anyone noticed: they didn’t know one another so no one knew who was there on DH’s side or mine (not that we did sides).

We're the other way round over here - me and DP both have relatively small circles but DP only has two "real" friends he'd invite and my side is much bigger . Echoing previous replies here though, the most important thing is the people you love and who care about you are there!

No one will notice really.

On another note, why not invite your friends from abroad? 80% of our invites went abroad, around 70% decided to come (more than we expected). If you would like them to be there at least give them the option to come. They can always decline. But unless it's very short notice some might like the idea of a Holliday to the UK. You never know.

@GreenMeeple

No one will notice really.

On another note, why not invite your friends from abroad? 80% of our invites went abroad, around 70% decided to come (more than we expected). If you would like them to be there at least give them the option to come. They can always decline. But unless it's very short notice some might like the idea of a Holliday to the UK. You never know.

Good point! I was thinking about putting them under pressure due to travel rules etc but better to just give them the option I guess. It would be amazing if even one of them could come!

I couldn't even have a hen do due to lack of friends but I still had a great wedding. Don't worry and have a wonderful day

Just invite them! You have nothing to lose. It is very possible and understandable if non of them can make it. But you never know, one might surprise you. Some people I was certain would come declined and other that I was convinced would not did come.

(Do make sure you budget for them all coming though, don't assume they will all say no)

Also it a way to show them you care about them and that they are important enough to get the invitation. For some people that alone means a lot, even if they cant come. We sent an invitation to my DH aunt who is very ill and a 6 hour flight away. She was never going to come but it meant a lot to her that we invited her.

If I did notice at all, I wouldn't judge you as a bad person.

@nocturnalcatfreetogoodhome

I work with a girl who is in a group of ten 'besties'. She had them all as bridesmaids. I have never heard her say a nice word about any of them.

Quality ALWAYS over quantity. I would prefer to be in your situation completely.

Erguh. I was part of this sort of friendship group, I was in my early twenties when I realised that the dynamic in the group was not what friendship is.

Twenty years on and they're all still "besties", were all bridesmaids for each other (and incidentally all bar one is divorced) and live in each others pockets. I can only imagine how vile the dynamics in the group must be now.

I had a handful of friends who I'd picked up along the way at my wedding, but they were exactly that; friends. I'm still in touch with them all now (except one) and although I don't see them all the time, when I am able to meet up with one of them, it's like we've never been apart.

It's certainly quality and not quantity when it comes to friendships.

By choice in 2015 we had a 3 month engagement and planned the wedding within 2 months. We had a small wedding, 30 all day including us, no extra just evening guests as there was no need to. Everyone we wanted there was at the whole day.
It was just close family and friends.
On my side there was 9, the rest were my husbands family and friends. Also before the wedding day the only members of his family and friends I’d met were his mum and dad. So it was mostly a room full of people I’d never met before. The reason was it all happened extremely quick.

I first met my husband end of April 2014.
We became a couple 9th may 2014. We decided to start trying for a baby in July 2014, we moved in together in October 2014, I got pregnant in November 2014, we found out I was pregnant 19th December 2014. We got engaged 13th January 2015, and got married 9th April 2015. Baby was due 30th August 2015, was actually born on 5th September 2015.
So we had been together exactly 11 months the day we got married. I know it's very quick, being married and expecting a baby within less than a year of being together, but it worked for us. We had discussed marriage and both agreed it was what we wanted, but we weren't officially engaged. But when we found out I was pregnant we both knew it was important to us to be married before the baby was born, and I didn’t want to be showing if possible, so we made sure we were. It was perfect. Some people might think we only got married because I was pregnant, but that was never the case at all.

On top of that the reception was in the function room of the pub my husband worked in at the time. Which meant that it was even more people he knew better than me and from his side.

The day never felt unbalanced at all. I was glad we had a small wedding. It was perfect.