How to politely let people know our wedding will be small?

My fiancé and I are in the thick of wedding planning and could use some advice on how to word things politely. We’ve decided to keep our guest list to about 65 people, which will include immediate family, our uncles, and our closest friends.

Here’s the tricky part: We both have very large families and blended families, so even just including cousins, step-aunts/uncles, or plus ones would instantly double (or triple) our guest count. We truly wish we could invite everyone, but we want to keep things small and intimate so we can actually enjoy the day without going over budget or feeling overwhelmed.

The hard part is… we’re both people pleasers. We know some people will feel left out or even hurt, and we want to handle this as kindly as possible. We’re trying to figure out a way to word it so people understand it’s not personal—it’s just the reality of space, budget, and wanting a small celebration.

Has anyone navigated this and found a polite way to: • Let extended family and friends know early that it will be a small wedding • Avoid making it sound like we’re ranking people’s importance • Still make everyone feel appreciated and loved even if they aren’t invited

Any wording ideas or personal experiences would be super helpful!