party poopers

[Binky]

OK, how many people have had this happen to them?

You organise a party, you've got it all catered for, you've sent out the invites and reminders, you think you know how many people will be showing up from the responses you've received. Party night rolls round, you've paid for every thing according to the numbers you've got, and guess what.....HALF the people show up!...so you've spent DOUBLE the amount that you needed too!

This happened to my fiancée, he catered his party for 50 people, that was about $10 a head, so good $500 on food.....7 people showed up! The rest either showed up 4 hours AFTER the time he said the party started, or just didn't show. I mean OMG, do people just have no conscience? Similar thing happened at my brothers WEDDING! He had a set number of people for the reception, he paid for it, it was more like $70 a head, and STILL people who said they were coming didn't show up....

Anyways, decided to have a rant...because I have a party to organise soon and I know that this will happen to me, it ALWAYS happens to me....and yet, I keep thinking, I'm sure THESE friends that I have now won't do it to me!..pfft....yeah right

[CurlyLocks]

I hear ya! It's especially rotten when when it's a catered party or wedding reception and so much money is involved.

I've had it happen lots of times for just regular parties and get-togethers that I was having. I also run into it a lot for my side business. I sell sterling silver jewelry, mostly at home shows. The hostess invites tons of people and gets affirmative responses, then hardly any people show up. Some people will call right before but plenty of people don't even bother. It's extremely inconsiderate. If you don't want to go to an event just say so up front instead of wasting the host's time and money! :rant:

[blas]

I never spent that much money on a party, but I know the FEELING you're describing.

My 20th birthday this last January. I didn't invest a whole lot of money into it, but I did get someone to purchase 3 bottles of champagne (cheap champagne, lol, gets you drunk faster), 2 decks of cards, and borrowed a cheap table for beer pong.

ONE person showed up. She knew of another party, so we packed up my booze and went over there.

I still won't speak to the other 9 people.....they didn't even call to say that they wren't coming. Assholes.

[MadMike]

I had the opposite happen at one of my son's birthday parties that we had at the local skating rink. All the kids showed up that said they were coming, but then this one mother (of twins, no less), who had not called to say her kids were coming, showed up. She claimed she didn't know she needed to call to let us know her kids were coming. :wtf:

We were able to get her two kids in, but it was a bit of a PITA to do so. If it wasn't for the kids, I would have told her "Sorry, you didn't tell us you were coming, you're SOL." But I couldn't punish her kids because of her failure to let us know. It's not the kids' fault that their mother is an idiot.

[SongsOfDragons]

Hey Blas, what day in January? Methinks we're the same age. :D

Us lot at uni don't throw parties...a. we're not allowed to as per contract, and b. we have them every night, basically called Stein and co. coming to our house to play Xbox 360 and do stuff like that. Special occasions really aren't that much different.

[blas]

I'll give you a hint, it was my golden birthday this year.

Yes, didn't I have some lovely friends? I wouldn't miss a friend's birthday for the world, but I guess just to show them how it feels, I'm not showing up to any of those 9 people's birthdays or any other parties. It's just rude, it's just like blowing off a date. No call, no IM or any contact to even tell me they had different plans or weren't coming. Stupid kids.

[Kiwi]

at christmas time we had a party, the guy who was supposed to drive 4 of the people got in an anti social mood, ruining 4 other peoples nights (theres no public transport after 9pm here) after he they had organised a car pool a week in advance

because he through a shit, 5 people couldnt come, then 2 more people got pissed off at that and didnt come.... we had invited like 15 people and maybe 5 showed up

$100 of food down the drain, no one ever throws parties after that all because of one asshole

[BookstoreEscapee]

I'd say buy half the food, but if you do that, all the people who RSVPed Yes will show up and then some! :D

Other option is to get food that you can freeze the leftovers and have it for dinner over the next couple yea -I mean, weeks...(pasta is good for that...)

OT Edit: My post before this one was Number 1234! :lol:

[Cia]

One of my DD's friend's Mom never RSVP'd she would just show up. I always call to let the party giver know if we are coming or not. I find it rude not to call.