Couple Sends Invoice for Wedding No-Shows
Does RSVP'ing to a wedding invitation enter you into a binding contract? One couple seems to think so.
An invoice posted to Twitter reveals an invoice that was sent to a couple for being no-shows at a wedding after, we assume, RSVP'ing that they would be attending the affair.
FLY AWAY
It appears, judging by the wording on the invoice, that the wedding was for Doug and Dedra's wedding reception at the Royalton Hotel in Negril, Jamaica. So, in other words: a destination wedding, if this invoice is from the US.
WHAT WE KNOW
What we know about this invoice falls into the "Not Much" category. We don't know to whom the invoice was sent. We don't know if they made it to Jamaica but got lost on the way to the wedding. We don't know if they partied too much the night before and were too sick to attend the event. We don't know if they were abducted and.... well, that might be a bit too extreme of a scenario, but you see where we're going: the couple may have had a legitimate excuse.
We also know that the invoice is dated 8/18/2021 - a time when the Delta variant of the coronavirus was ravaging the United States. Could a positive COVID test be the reason? And if so, shouldn't the couple sending the invoice understand that situation? I agree that it is proper etiquette to inform in advance of a cancellation, but if the no-show is indeed due to illness, surely the offended couple would understand.
WHAT DOES THE INVOICE SAY?
The wedded couple includes a note on the invoice that explains why the invoice is being sent:
...you confirmed seat(s) at the wedding reception during the Final Headcount. The amount above is the cost of your individual seats. Because you didn't call or give us proper notice you wouldn't be in attendance, this amount is what you owe... - Invoice via Twitter
Unit Price: $120 Quantity: 2 Amount: $240 The happy couple would like to be reimbursed from the no-show couple a total of $240 for the "waste" they experienced from the no-show.
SHOULD THEY PAY?
I'm no lawyer, but I'd tell them to go herd cats. I don't believe that an RSVP in the "We'll Attend" column is a legal, binding contract (disclaimer: read the first line in this paragraph again).
Most of the comments on the Tweet agree that, though it's rude to RSVP and not give notice of the no-show, it's also rude to send an invoice:
Weddings are expensive to begin with, but to have a destination wedding makes it expensive for the guests as well. Maybe the guests were too embarrassed to say that they couldn't afford the trip?
We may never know.
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