Weddings can be really challenging to manage, especially because they often cost a lot of money. This couple, however, decided to take a unique step when guests RSVP’d but then didn’t show up.
Keep reading to discover the actions they took against those who didn’t inform them ahead of time.
A bride and groom were very upset when some guests didn’t attend their wedding after confirming they would. To address this, they sent those guests a bill for $240.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wedding reception invoice before lol pic.twitter.com/ZAYfGITkxP
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) August 24, 2021
A user named thweddat shared the bill on X (previously known as Twitter), posting a photo and commenting, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wedding reception invoice before lol.”
The bill’s payment was due on August 18, one month after it was issued. The wedding had taken place at the Royalton Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica, costing $120 per person.
While some thought the invoice was a joke, the bride and groom, Doug Simmons and Dedra McGee from Chicago, confirmed it was real. They told the press that the guests’ failure to attend as promised upset them greatly.
Doug first shared the invoice on his Facebook page. On the invoice, the couple wrote, “You received this bill because you confirmed seats at the reception during the final count. You did not inform us you wouldn’t attend, so you must pay us for the seats we paid for in advance.
Payment can be made through Zelle or PayPal. Please contact us to select a payment method. Thank you!”
This sparked different opinions about whether their request was fair. One person said, “I wish I’d done this. A third of our wedding guests didn’t show, and we paid for lots of unused food, though much cheaper than $120 per person.” Another person disagreed, saying, “You mean so much to us that we invited you to our wedding.
But now we’ll end our relationship over $240 because you couldn’t come and see us in person. Yet, we’ll probably invite you to our baby shower, so bring a gift or get ready for a collection agency.”
A Twitter user suggested they would simply return the invoice.
The groom admitted they were being “a little petty” but clarified, “I’m not the type to bill someone for no reason.”
Simmons, who owns a small business in Chicago, said it wasn’t about the money but about feeling disrespected by the no-shows at their wedding. They had put a lot of effort and money into planning a wedding for over 100 guests.
He explained, “We confirmed four times if guests would attend, and each time they said ‘Yes.’ We had to pay upfront for the destination wedding in Jamaica,” expressing his frustration.
However, when they did the final guest count, they realized not everyone who confirmed had arrived. “No one messaged to say they couldn’t make it. That was all I wanted. If you had told me, I would have understood. But paying for you and your guests without knowing? That felt personal,” he said.
The couple didn’t say what they would do if the payment wasn’t made, but it seemed many relationships could be affected.
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