Why don't people RSVP anymore? (boys, daughter, friend, brother)
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I think many people don't know what RSVP means. If they do know what it means perhaps they haven't thrown a party before and don't realize that it's inconvenient to the host to just show up w/o notice (I've had some ignorant but nice people do this to me... like at my wedding which required specific numbers and I had people give me "maybes" and then show up the day off). I would suggest that if one is sending out invitations that it be specific as possible in a nice way (basically, spell it out for people). For example, you could state "please let us know how many kids will be attending with you when you RSVP - all are welcome, just need a head count in order to provide enough food for all." Or "please let us know how many will/will not be attending" instead of writing RSVP. It doesn't always work, but it might help.
I suppose maybe some people don't know, but most people probably know what it means. I think that maybe people don't think about how it affects other people. If they were the only one to not RSVP, maybe it wouldn't be a big deal, but when most people don't bother to, it makes it impossible to plan.
I had a friend not RSVP to my wedding, and she had been married the year before! Surely she should have realized that it is important to get a head count for a catered meal! She called my cell phone the day before the wedding, no doubt at the urging of another mutual friend. By that time, it was too late. I was doing last minute errands, and had already given the count to the caterer. I didn't even bother to answer the phone. She and her husband did come.
Ditto--I am the OP and I am in Texas--never had such a hard time getting a response as from people here!
Hmm... maybe it depends on where you are then? We lived in the Park Cities (Highland Park) which is it's own little stuck-up snobby 'hood inside Dallas, TX. People outside the Park Cities refer to it as "the bubble". Talk about snobs... but at least they followed strict social etiquette... the ones that weren't drunks... anyway!
I feel much sympathy for you. I cancelled my dd's 4th birthday gym party because I received two RSVPs. I don't care for any excuses people can/will make: IT'S RUDE and IT'S MEAN. The same people who never responded sent invitations to their parties, expecting RSVPs of course. Well, I certainly did....
For the last several years my 2 daughters (who have birthdays the same week) have gotten to take 1 friend each to the Renaissance Faire in Muskogee. Since it is also in May and it is only 1 month a year, it is an event. The girls always love it and last year we took the whole girl scout troop and made it a Troop Party. They liked it too. I just don't do the whole "invite the whole class thing and have 5 or 8 or 15 people show up."
It only takes a minute to reply "yes" or "no" to an invitation. This applies to children's parties and adult's. Not responding is just lazy and of poor taste.
When people don't respond --- I think much less of them.
My mother was planning my brother's rehearsal dinner and out of all of the people who were invited (about 40 people maybe?) only about 5 RSVP'd. My mom was floored and got on my brother's case. My brother acted like it was no big deal and didn't want to bother his friends about replying. It was a mess and I too was shocked that no one RSVP'd. We are talking about people ranging in ages from early 20s to late 70s.
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It's just poor manners
