A few nights ago, I was having a conversation with one of my best friends regarding modern day manners. She had recently sent out a dinner party invitation and only two people, myself included, had replied. My friend is really sweet and she throws amazing dinners, parties, events and pretty much any sort of get-together. She is the kind of host who makes beautiful flower arrangements, bakes everything from scratch, and has an acute attention to detail. If she invites you over, you should
want to go. In fact, if you already have plans, you should change them and go to whatever it is she's doing instead.
I understand things come up and people have other commitments. Totally natural. But since when did not replying to personalized invitations become acceptable? I, too, recently invited friends out to a bar for a little reunion. Some of them emailed me back saying they couldn't make it. Some didn't reply at all. Despite telling myself that it was probably because they were swamped at work, I was still hurt.
I understand people get busy, but when someone invites you to something, I think it's only common courtesy to let them know whether or not you can make it. Has the use of social media, like Facebook event invites for example, made us more inconsiderate?
What do you think? When someone sends you an invitation, do you respond even if to let the host know you can't make it? Or if you're the host, how do you deal with non-responders? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Emily Post's Etiquette can be found here.
RSVP photo via InspiredBride.
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