Do we have to invite the minister to our reception?

We are having a tiny wedding with 14 guests. Our preacher will be marrying us and he does not charge a fee for it, but we don't really know him. We like listening to him at church on Sunday but we have only spoken to him like twice. Since there are so few guests I am afraid he will feel out of place, but the reception is right there where the wedding is and I don't want him to feel sad if we didn't invite him. Also, the area where we are having the reception only seats 14 people so we would have to kick someone else out if we invite him.
Do we have to invite the minister to our reception?
Yes. you should definitely invite him, especially since he is not receiving any fee for performing your wedding. You should even invite his wife, if he is married. And don't hint around that you'd really like him to decline. You will probably become better acquainted with him if you continue to attend the same church, so start off on the right foot!





If possible, rearrange the seating to accommodate one or two more people, or move your reception to a slightly larger place.
Reply:inform him of your exact situation. you would have loved to invite him, but you feel he wont enjoy it besides the seating issue. if he is good as he should be he will surely understand.
Reply:There is no rule that say you have to invite the minister to the reception. It's a nice gesture, but you're already somewhat cramped for space.
Reply:It would be rude to just leave the situation alone. Personally, I would invite him. There is a good chance that he will decline. Otherwise, just explain your situation to him.
Reply:Yes, invite him. Uninviting him would be very rude, and not addressing the matter isn't much better. Extend an invitation to him and make the seating work.
Reply:say oh well we would invite you to stay, but the reception only holds so many, plus if he doesn't know you real well i'm pretty sure he won't be hurt by it.