Tonight's pet peeve is one that I only developed in the last year. It is also one that makes me feel horrible as I used to be guilty of it. Never again!
So, here's the deal. Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful things you can do. Believe me. I've done a lot of stressful things not least of which was opening my own 24 hour coffee shop with my then fiance. Planning a wedding still ranks way up there.
The bride, any bride, has about a million things to do and remember. She took the time to gather your address, address and send you an invite, write her return address on your RSVP, and even include a stamp on it. Guess what. You are not the only person she did this for. Multiply this times 50, 100, 150, maybe even 200 or more.
So, doing this for you was only one tiny thing on her gigantic to do list before the wedding. What is on your to do list before the wedding? Let's see, you have to check either "attending" or "not attending" and write in a number. Then you have to seal the envelope and walk the RSVP out to your mail box. That's it. The bride even gave you a due date, probably four to six weeks away. Let's see... what else do you have to do? Nothing. Well, perhaps you'll buy a gift, perhaps not, but that is another pet peeve for another day.
Do you know what happens if you don't mark your RSVP and then walk it out to your mailbox? The bride has to track you down along with everyone else who didn't take the time to do the one thing they needed to do. It isn't like she doesn't need the answer. It cost tons per each person attending the wedding. From the chair/table/linen/dishes/silverware rental, to the floral arrangements, to the food, the favors, the programs, the number of cake slices, and the list goes on, each guest costs. The new couple beginning their new lives together would be much better served not wasting all that money on people who couldn't do them the favor of letting them know they wouldn't be able to make it. They need to know this info far enough in advance so that they can let their vendors know (caterers, cake makers, rental companies, etc..).
You might be thinking, "I'm in the clear. I told her I was coming and bringing my new boyfriend when I ran into her at the grocery store." May I remind you that you are not the only one the couple has invited to share in their special day? Remember the multiplying by potentially hundreds of people? Why would you expect the bride, who only has a million other things to tend to, to try to remember the plans of hundreds of people rather than just doing your one little job which she has made so easy for you?
Now that I've been through it, I feel horrible for every RSVP I didn't send in the same day I got it! That doesn't change the fact that I find people who don't send in their wedding RSVPs very annoying!
