HONOURING INVITATIONS

It is 26 days to go before my son's wedding reception. The r.s.v.p.s are trickling in. Surely but slowly.
Which leads me to wonder - how do you regard wedding invitations when you receive one? How do you feel when you get one?

I, for one, feel very honoured every time I receive an invitation to just about anything at all. What more a wedding invite. Weddings are traditionally an intimate affair, especially meant for family, relatives and close friends. To be invited to one means you qualify under one of these categories, and you should be grateful to be included. I know I would be. After all, it is the prerogative of the host to decide who to invite and who not to for the occasion, regardless of your association with him/her.

The way to honour such an invitation is to respond to it as soon as one can. The host needs to know the number of people coming especially for catering purposes and seating arrangements. The way I see it, if you want to attend the function and you can, you should say so immediately. The same goes for responses in the negative. If you know for a fact that you would not be able to make it, or don't want to - whatever the reason - you should reply accordingly. So why do some people take their time to respond? Or wait till the last minute to do so? Worst still, not respond at all?

If you said you would attend, be sure to keep the date. It is your responsibility and moral obligation to make sure that you don't commit to something else on that date. Unless it's a matter of life and death, we should honour that commitment once it is given. Wedding invitations should not be regarded as trivial, no matter who it is from. The host would have been deluged with a zillion things to take care of in order to ensure the smooth running of the function. He/she can do without having to worry if his/her guests would turn up when the day comes. It is also downright rude to reply that you would attend and then not turn up for the function just because you decide to do something else.

The host has been gracious enough to extend you an invitation; the least you can do is respond - and in good time. It is simply common courtesy, isn't it?