I find that the list of guests keep growing and growing and if you can’t afford a big wedding limit yourself to just inviting family for the meal and invite shul friends just for the chupah. Shul friends will NOT be insulted if everyone is treated the same way. Everyone is worried about insulting people and people who get invitations wonder why they were invited and feel obligated to go even though they are NOT close to these people. Everyone really needs to consider what they can afford to do and why they are doing it.
Sometimes I look at photos from a Rebbish wedding and I think about the chassan and kallah. How nervous they must be in front of thousands of people they don’t know. Firstly they are very young, secondly they must be nervous and thirdly they are surrounded not by their best friends and family but on display for thousands of people they don’t know and will never know. How daunting that must be.