<p>For my kids’ bnai mitzvah, one guest was a young lady who was one of 5. For the service, her mother brought her along with several of the siblings. Ok, fine, they wanted to learn about another religious service, no big deal. Then at the oneg afterwards (quick little reception with cookies, fruit, etc), as I was greeting guests and chatting, she pulled me aside and thanked me for the opportunity to come. Ok, great, glad you enjoyed it. Then she pulled out makeup and tried to sell me Mary Kay makeup right on the spot. I am not kidding. </p>
<p>When you book the venue, you give them a guaranteed number that you will have to pay for no matter what. Then anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks before the event, you have to give a final number of guests. Then when people don’t show (which seems to have happened to all of us), you’re stuck paying for them anyway. I can’t believe how inconsiderate some people can be. With this being the first event S1 and FDIL are planning, they will be surprised, and annoyed, with the no-shows.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, my jaw dropped open. </p>
<p>Oh brother…about the Mary Kay!</p>
<p>Boggles the mind! </p>
<p>I have thrown few major events - my kids’ sweet 16 and my parents birthday party. Few days before I needed to give the final commitment, I would let people know that they would be turned away if they weren’t on the guest list. For my kids’ sweet 16, I hired security guards (local police) to admit guests. They were told to turn away anyone who wasn’t on the list. I purposely didn’t stand by the door, so I didn’t have to be the one to turn anyone away. </p>
<p>All seemed OK up to the Mary Kay! lol</p>
<p>We also had guests who brought family members, and I appreciated that people were curious and interested in seeing what a bar/bat Mitzvah is all about, but where anyone gets the idea that it is OK to sell Mary Kay at religious events is beyond me. </p>
<p>Ugh, hope she didn’t bother the other guests!</p>
<p>Three weeks until my son’s wedding…I’m reading this attentively. We have a bit of a wild hair family member who keeps telling us that “so and so may bring their son/daughter/date” so we don’t know the exact count. We are trying to stop the behavior, but are afraid of some last-minute reception juggling. RSVPs were a nightmare (long story, basically a bad address)…we’ve had to contact everyone. It’s going to be a great weekend, but those rogue family members will keep you on your toes.</p>
<p>At my kid’s school, there were parents who didn’t invite the whole class, about 60 kids but when they had to cancel the event due to the weather, they called everybody that the event was called off. They could bother to look up who they invited?</p>
<p>I discovered with my daughter’s bat mitzvah that at least 6 or 7 of the 60 invitations never arrived. What’s up with that? For sure I had the right addresses and the stamps were firmly stuck onto the envelopes.</p>
<p>My husband wanted to include several coworkers to our son’s Bar Mitzvah; the other doctor’s in his practice and a couple of nurses. We had table assignments, tables of 10, for the party and put these people together as they were not going to know anyone else at the event. Only two that RSVP yes showed up to the service or the party; I was livid! I think because this might have been their first Bar Mitzvah, they might not have realized what was involved. On the other hand, common sense would tell you if you RSVP yes, you should come, or of you say no, don’t show up anyway!</p>
<p>I know there are going to be emergencies where someone can not attend after replying yes; if that happens have the decency to call the host and leave a message if you don’t get them. Not one of these people called, and only one even made mention of it to my husband the next day. From that point on I made sure my kids knew what an RSVP meant and the importance of replying in a timely manner.</p>
<p>I’m flabbergasted at all the RSVP horror stories. Never mind if people weren’t taught proper manners, isn’t it common sense to know that people have to plan/order/buy for a set number of guests? I guess I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t had too much of a problem in this area. </p>
<p>I think absent extenuating circumstances, failing to RSVP is the height of ignorance. I haven’t run into it all that often, but it tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth. I can never quite think the same way about people who don’t exercise common courtesy. My husband is convinced they just don’t know any better. </p>
<p>Snowball, I had a table of work colleagues. Those who RSVP’ed did show; in fact, they were often the first guests to arrive! I think it is because I had shared plans with them. They knew the menu, the centerpieces, the favors, et al. Perhaps your husband did not share enough for them to realize the significance. </p>
<p>My personal pet peeve is that, as a single woman, I am usually seated with other singles or random tables, not with friends. </p>
<p>I’ve seen some really out-there behavior, but trying to sell Pizza Girl Mary Kay? Wow. </p>
<p>So bevhills, how did it go?</p>
<p>It’s 9 a.m in CA! We gotta be patient. Hopefully Bevhills partied well into the night and is just now getting up…and getting ready for a brunch!</p>
<p>Oops, sorry, of course you’re right, thumper.</p>
<p>bookworm, this is a man you are talking about! His nurses for sure knew the importance of the event, and I am pretty sure the doctors had some idea. They may not have know it was a seated dinner, although it was as 6:00 as it was a holiday weekend and on a Sunday night. The invitations were a dead giveaway that there would be cocktails, dinner and dancing, so I will chalk it up to rudeness! They didn’t feel like driving to the location as it was 30-40 minutes from where they lived. It was their loss as it was a great party :)</p>