Newlyweds cause stir with $328 bill for no-show guests
A newlywed couple has sparked controversy after invoicing no-show wedding guests for their share of wedding costs.
A photo of the invoice was shared on Twitter and soon went viral, with the poster commenting, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wedding reception invoice before lol”.
The pictured invoice was sent by a couple whose wedding at the Royalton Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica cost $164 a head.
The couple - identified by The New York Post as Doug Simmons and Dedra McGee - called out guests who didn’t attend in the notes section of the invoice.
“This invoice is being sent to you because you confirmed seat(s) at the wedding reception during the Final Headcount,” the invoice reads.
“The amount above is the cost of your individual seats. Because you didn’t call or give us proper notice that you wouldn’t be in attendance, this amount is what you owe us for paying for your seat(s) in advance.
“You can pay via Zelle or PayPal. Please reach out to us and let us know which method of payment works for you. Thank you!”
The post quickly divided the internet, with some wishing they had thought of doing the same thing themselves, while others claimed it would end relationships.
“I wish I’d thought of this. A third of the people who RSVP’d for our wedding didn’t show up. We paid for a lot of food that went to waste (though it was a lot less than $US 120 a plate),” said fellow Twitter user Jackie Barbosa.
“You are so special to us that we invited you to our wedding. However, we are going to severe [sic] that relationship for $US240 because you didn’t let us show off in person. But we will send an invite to our baby shower at some point, so show up with a gift or face collections,” said one critic.
Despite the controversy, when The New York Post reached out to the groom, he admitted that had been a “little petty” but he is “not some trifling person who is going to bill somebody”.
Simmons stressed that it wasn’t about the money, saying that he and his bride were more hurt and feeling disrespected by those who didn’t show up to their wedding.
“Four times we asked, ‘Are you available to come, can you make it?’, and they kept saying, ‘Yes’,” Simmons told The New York Post. “We had to pay in advance for Jamaica - this was a destination wedding.”
But, when they got to the final headcount they discovered that not everyone followed through.
“No one told me or texted me, ‘Hey, we can’t make it’,” Simmons said. “That’s all I was asking.
“If you tell me you can’t make it, I would be understanding - but to tell me nothing, but then let me pay for you and your plus ones? Four people became eight people. I took that personally.”
Image: Facebook