The one thing about entertaining that drives me absolutely insane is when people don't respond to an invitation. It's so incredibly, breathtakingly rude that I have to wonder if such people were raised by wolves. Those same people wouldn't dream of responding to a verbal, face-to-face invitation with silence, so why do they act that way with a written invitation?
I've tried, but I just can't understand why people fail to RSVP. Is is monumental laziness? I mean, nowadays, it's not as if they even have to bother picking up a pen, writing a note, finding a stamp, and mailing it. All they have to do is pick up the phone and call me or shoot me an e-mail. Why is that so hard??? Or maybe people are afraid to respond with a "no." Maybe they're afraid I'll get angry. If that's the case, then they're just silly. I won't get angry over someone declining an invitation. Sometimes, you just can't attend, and that's fine. No offense will be taken, I assure you. Or maybe it's that people don't understand/appreciate all the effort that goes into throwing a party. Maybe they don't understand that a head-count is necessary for proper planning.
One of the most egregious examples of failure to respond that I ever saw was at a wedding reception where they ran out of food because well over a dozen people who hadn't bothered to respond to the invitation showed up out of the blue, unannounced. The bride's mother was fit to be tied and nearly in tears. It pretty much ruined everything.
A friend once told me when I was griping about this issue that "Some people just don't RSVP and you should just accept it." I said, "You're right, I can't change people and force them to RSVP, but I can refuse to invite them back again." And that's been my policy ever since. So, if you want to stay on the good side of your favorite host/hostess, please RSVP promptly. Yes or no, up or down--it doesn't matter. Just say something!
I've tried, but I just can't understand why people fail to RSVP. Is is monumental laziness? I mean, nowadays, it's not as if they even have to bother picking up a pen, writing a note, finding a stamp, and mailing it. All they have to do is pick up the phone and call me or shoot me an e-mail. Why is that so hard??? Or maybe people are afraid to respond with a "no." Maybe they're afraid I'll get angry. If that's the case, then they're just silly. I won't get angry over someone declining an invitation. Sometimes, you just can't attend, and that's fine. No offense will be taken, I assure you. Or maybe it's that people don't understand/appreciate all the effort that goes into throwing a party. Maybe they don't understand that a head-count is necessary for proper planning.
One of the most egregious examples of failure to respond that I ever saw was at a wedding reception where they ran out of food because well over a dozen people who hadn't bothered to respond to the invitation showed up out of the blue, unannounced. The bride's mother was fit to be tied and nearly in tears. It pretty much ruined everything.
A friend once told me when I was griping about this issue that "Some people just don't RSVP and you should just accept it." I said, "You're right, I can't change people and force them to RSVP, but I can refuse to invite them back again." And that's been my policy ever since. So, if you want to stay on the good side of your favorite host/hostess, please RSVP promptly. Yes or no, up or down--it doesn't matter. Just say something!
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