Most posts about small weddings end up defending the guest list. I think it needs no defence. When you only invite the people you would set a place for at Thanksgiving dinner, every person in the room is there on purpose.
You can see it in the photographs. The faces in the frame are fully present. A parent's reaction. A friend mid laugh. No filler guests, no one checking a phone. A short guest list is not a budget cut. It is a way of saying thank you to the people who actually matter.
Whether it is two witnesses, twelve people or forty, the rule is the same. Fill the room with people you would pull a chair out for. Everything else follows from that.
Planning your own table? Send me a message and tell me who is sitting at it.