RSVPing - when did this become the exception rather than the rule?

Your mistake was voluntarily hosting a party.

My guess is people don't like committing to something in case something better comes along.

 

Email invites are kind of lame. I would break that list of 80 people amongst three or four hosts. Then have each host call about 20 on that list to get a more committed response as to whether or not the guest will show up. I generally don't like having my name on an email invite for everyone to see.

 

Yeah email/Facebook invites will get you those kind of results.

You'll have to call them, and for those that won't answer you could show up at their job/home. I had to do that when organizing a going away party + donations for going away gift.

 

Did you specify that you must RSVP in order to attend? Sucks to turn away friends at the door but if you want to be hard about it then you should include that in your email blast. Really though, mass email invites not a good idea.

 

RSVPing is so French and Gay

 

My sisters friend invited over 100 people on facebook for her birthday and a lot of them confirmed on facebook they were coming so she rented out a restaurant/hall and order a **** load of food. Only like 4 people including my sister showed up.

So sometimes its better for them to say they are not coming than to say they are, cause it would suck to rent a big hall for 4 people...

 

Maybe your friends are just a bunch of douchebags, like this guy.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-has-never-given-single-definitive-yes-to-any-i,33371/

Once I realized how much of a dick move it was not to commit to events, I stopped doing it. Now I tell people yes or no as soon as I am able, or I give them a timeline as to when I might know. Sometimes the facebook invites are truly for peripheral engagements that I have no connection to, and maybe in those occasions it's ok to ignore the offer.

 

One problem is with the ubiquity of social media people are inundated with invites asking them to RSVP to all sorts of events. The importance of RSVP'ing to any single event often gets lost.

Also as Pink Tacos says another problem is that some people will just RSVP "yes" on Facebook to events they aren't actually planning on going. I've heard some people say they do this to because they think it helps to pump up the numbers of attendees on the event page.

 

Damn... that really sucks. Happened to a classmate of mine a long time ago. I didn't go because I didn't know the girl, but had I known nobody would come, I would have made the effort. She just randomly invited her classmates without asking for confirmation. Assumed everyone would come... and she didn't really have any friends, cept for like 3-4 close friends and even they didn't come.

 

If I ran an internet service provider who took net neutrality seriously, I would call it rsvPING.

 

just don't let it turn into a sausage fest.

 

You can always take Drew Carey's advice and play scenes from a hat when there's no chicks or booze.

 

Plan for 30. That accounts for the 10 who RSVPed (and not including their guests) and another 20 for the maybes and no shows. Once you reach capacity - turn the rest away. If it doesn't reach capacity, at least you didn't plan for too much.

In hindsight, whether it's through email or facebook or whatever method, you made an invite. They got your invitation.

Hopefully your party won't turn in to a Project X. Good luck!

 

When I play events that require a headcount, I give a cutoff time to reply and if people do not reply by that time, they are not welcome at that event. If they decide to show up, I let them know that they should have RSVPed and I probably let them stay to avoid ruining the good vibes of everyone else at the party but I also make a mental note to blacklist them from all future events.

 

It also shows respect.

 

Wow, I had thought this was just a rude Californians problem, but it sounds more national.
Mrs. B-Bob and I love throwing parties, but we've tapered off for just this sort of problem.

In fact, I would say people throw fewer parties in general. Either that or we are just old and our friends all have little kids.

 

I'm thinking about getting a bouncer so I wouldn't have to deal with the 50 people who comes without RSVPing, so the 4 of us can party in peace.

 

my rule has been expect only half of those who RSVP to actually show up. buy twice the amount of food and drink for that number. that'll cover the extra douchebags that show up but thought it was too cool to make a commitment.