Rehearsal Dinner

I have a large family and a limited budget, but I am having trouble getting to a manageable number for the rehearsal dinner guest list. To of my bridesmaids are cousins, yet if I invite their parents (my aunt and uncle), I don't know how to tell the rest of my relatives that their not on the list. Any suggestions??

I am on my second marriage. However, for my first rehearsal dinner, we did just that. His cousin had a great house with a huge deck in the back and a pool. They rented some round tables, did all the decorating, and we cooked hamburgers and hotdogs and had a wonderful time of it. It was a GREAT rehearsal dinner. Everyone was laid back, got a chance to meet one another, and it was very private because we weren't in a restaurant with people all around us waiting for our rented time to be up so they could kick us out and shuttle the next group in. I totally say do the backyard BBQ. It's amazing how much better that can be than a traditional, and much more awkwardly formal, rehearsal dinner. Besides, this is the end of an otherwise long day, and the last night you'll have to sit back and enjoy yourselves like this for awhile. Especially if you have a lot of out-of-towners, this route is for you!! Invite everyone, and make it potluck if you want to even. Does Aunt Sue make an amazing pound cake? Have her bring it! Love your uncle's "special" cheese dip? Buy tortilla chips and beg him to come over. You'll love it, I promise!!