Friday, January 04, 2013

Yes/No/Maybe

It has been seventeen years since our last wedding, but what a change in attitude. Last time I sent out x invitations and received x replies. Simple. The reply said "yes" or "no". This time I enclosed the little  reply envelope, printed with our names and with a stamp decorated with ribbons spelling out the traditional "Love", so that all the recipient had to do was fill in his intentions and throw it in a mail box. Today was the last day to R.S.V.P. and I have no idea how many people plan to come. Etiquette allows me to get on the phone, but I don't want to. Nor do I want to run out of food for people who come and don't tell me, or—worse yet—pay for people who don't intend to turn up. On the one hand I am nervous that some of those silly little envelopes have gone astray, especially during the Christmas season, and on the other hand the pop sociologist in me says there is a link between not bothering to reply—and I have had several people e-mail me or my daughter or my future son-in-law—and the decrease in letter writing.

I'll let you know how it goes.

1 comment:

Z said...

Your daughter needs to put out a reminder on Facebook with a final deadline for replies, and then put a message on each person's wall, to ask if they're coming. Half of them will have lost the invitation so she'll then have to message them with details if they accept. I'm assuming that it's largely the younger generation who haven't answered the invitation, but if there are older people whom you know, it's best to phone them.