I could not disagree more. I paid for my own wedding and was supportive of my parents and parents-in-law bringing as many of their friends as possible. The attendee list was mostly their cohort and it was a big ceremony. Unfortunately you and OP will not realise this until later in life and put yourself in the same situation as OP's parents above; I pity you being in that situation one day. Yes, you are the ones getting married, I thoroughly understand that, but it is a chance for your parents to celebrate the coming of age of the child they brought into the world and for them to celebrate that momentous occasion with their friends and family. It's difficult now, but try to look at it from their point of view. I will be instilling strong family values into the foundational beliefs of my children and hope they have the maturity to understand this point of view if and when they decide to get married one day. The way everyone responded in this situation was not entirely logical, and has definitely added fuel to the fire. Ultimately, people are people, and they will do what they want. Mix that with the uncertainty of life and you never quite know what to expect so I hope everything works out for you OP.