A Chicago newlywed couple took pettiness to another level after they sent a $240 bill to guests who stood them up by not attending their dream wedding in Jamaica. The newlyweds, Doug and Dedra Simmons, said they’re demanding the money from their wedding no-shows to cover costs they incurred after paying for their reception seats in advance.
A picture of the invoice went viral after it was shared on social media, and it sparked a heated debate as to whether the couple’s demand for “reimbursement” was justified. The couple explained the reason behind the bill in the invoice’s description.
“This invoice is being sent to you because you confirmed seat(s) at the wedding reception during the Final Headcount,” the invoice states. “Because you didn’t call or give us proper notice that you wouldn’t be in attendance, this amount is what you owe us for paying for your seat(s) in advance.”
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The invoice, which is dated August 18, also provides payment options for the no-show guests and asks them to reach out to the couple to let them know their preferred method of payment. The due date for payment is September 18.
According to the New York Post, Doug and Dedra had their dream wedding at the Royalton Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica. The event was attended by over 100 guests and the couple had to pay $120 per head for the reception. And as the invoice states, they made those payments in advance.
In an interview with the news outlet, Doug said the guests who did not show up despite confirming their attendance made him “feel some kind of way.” Despite asking the no-show guests to pay up, the groom said he’s not “some trifling person who is going to bill somebody” – albeit acknowledging he got a “little petty.”
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
Doug also said they asked their guests to confirm their availability for the wedding a number of times. “Four times we asked, ‘Are you available to come, can you make it?,’ and they kept saying ‘Yes,’” he explained. “We had to pay in advance for Jamaica — this was a destination wedding.”
Despite the assurances, the groom said not everyone fulfilled their promise. He added that the wedding no-shows did not also pre-inform them about their unavailability.
“No one told me or texted me, ‘Hey, we can’t make it,’” he said. “That’s all I was asking. If you tell me you can’t make it, I would be understanding — but to tell me nothing, but then let me pay for you and your plus ones? Four people became eight people. I took that personally.”
There was a divided opinion about the invoice after it was shared on social media. “I understand being upset about no show guests for a small wedding but sending an invoice is too much,” a user shared.
“If you can’t afford it then don’t have it. Not excusing rude behavior but stop doing big things if yo don’t have big pockets,” another user posted, to which a user responded: “If you bought concert tickets for you and a friend and they didn’t show up, didn’t call, didn’t email…would your answer be the same?”
“Nah, this is petty. You create a budget for any event in advance. Either you can afford it if everyone shows up or not. No shows at a wedding might be personally hurtful but guests don’t owe you s**t,” wrote a user. Another person, however, begged to differ.
“It’s not about being able to afford it, it’s about the principle. I had this done to me and I think it’s highly disrespect to rsvp ‘yes’ to a wedding and just not show. So much time/effort/ money goes into a wedding. It’s unfair!” the response said.
