{"id":59164,"date":"2019-11-04T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T14:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/?p=59164"},"modified":"2025-12-11T06:21:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T11:21:49","slug":"how-to-respectfully-send-your-regrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/how-to-respectfully-send-your-regrets","title":{"rendered":"How to Respectfully Send Your Regrets"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s face it \u00ad\u2013 you will not be able to attend one hundred percent of the weddings you are invited to. Whether it is due to previous obligations, geographical barriers or unforeseen circumstances, at some point you will have to send your regrets. This is normal. In fact, when planning a wedding, most couples expect approximately 25% of people will not be able to attend. So, what do you do if you have to decline a wedding invite?<\/p> <hr \/> <h2>First things first, RSVP ASAP<\/h2> <p>If you know immediately that you cannot attend, don\u2019t wait to send the RSVP. Chances are you will forget and there is nothing worse for a bride than having to chase down responses. Let the couple know that while you would love to attend, you unfortunately can not. What you shouldn\u2019t do is make up big excuses or lie about why you can\u2019t attend. If you are close with the couple, a phone call is probably the best way to let them know that you won\u2019t be there, but an email or little note with the RSVP card is also fine. The main point here is that you must RSVP even if you can\u2019t make it!<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Lori-Waltenbury001.jpg\"class=\"link-image link-image_wide\" rel=\"gallery\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"full-size-image alignnone wp-image-55423 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNjAwIiB3aWR0aD0iOTAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjYwMCIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMTklMkYwNCUyRkxvcmktV2FsdGVuYnVyeTAwMS5qcGciIGRhdGEtdz0iOTAwIiBkYXRhLWg9IjYwMCIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+\" data-spai=\"1\" alt=\"Send Your Regrets\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" \/><\/a><span class=\"caption\">Photo Courtesy of <a class=\"listing-mentionable listing-mentionable-disabled listing-mentionable-disabled\" href=\"#\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-listing=\"6945\">Lori Waltenbury<\/a><\/span><\/p> <h2>Do you still get the couple a gift?<\/h2> <p>This honestly depends on how well you know the couple, as well as your reason for not attending the wedding. For example, if you feel that you were only invited out of obligation and are not actually that close with the couple, you probably don\u2019t need to get them a gift. On the other hand, if the reason you are not attending is because you aren\u2019t able to take time off or travel to the wedding, a gift may be a good idea. At the end of the day, use your best judgement to figure out if you need to send a gift based on your relationship with the couple and the circumstances surrounding you not attending.<\/p> <p><h3 class=\"related-posts-title toc_show\">You May Also Be Interested In<\/h3><ul class=\"display-posts-listing\"><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wedding-captions-for-instagram\"><img alt=\"ultimate last minute wedding planning checklist, 1\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0MjUgNDI1IiB3aWR0aD0iNDI1IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQyNSIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjYlMkYwMiUyRkVTLUhlYWRlcnMtV2VkZGluZy1DYXB0aW9ucy1mb3ItSW5zdGFncmFtLWNvbXAtNDI1eDQyNS5qcGciIGRhdGEtdz0iNDI1IiBkYXRhLWg9IjQyNSIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+\" data-spai=\"1\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" srcset=\" \" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 768px) 642px, (min-width: 576px) 510px, calc(100vw - 30px)\" decoding=\"async\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/wedding-captions-for-instagram\">Wedding Captions for Instagram: 150+ Ideas Organized by Photo Type<\/a><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/how-to-choose-your-bridal-party\"><img alt=\"ultimate last minute wedding planning checklist, 2\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0MjUgNDI1IiB3aWR0aD0iNDI1IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQyNSIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjYlMkYwMSUyRkVTLUhlYWRlcnMtQnJpZGFsLVBhcnR5LTQyNXg0MjUucG5nIiBkYXRhLXc9IjQyNSIgZGF0YS1oPSI0MjUiIGRhdGEtYmlwPSIiPjwvc3ZnPg==\" data-spai=\"1\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" srcset=\" \" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 768px) 642px, (min-width: 576px) 510px, calc(100vw - 30px)\" decoding=\"async\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/how-to-choose-your-bridal-party\">How to Choose Your Bridal Party: A Wedding Planning Guide<\/a><\/li><li class=\"listing-item\"><a class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/ultimate-last-minute-wedding-planning-checklist\"><img alt=\"ultimate last minute wedding planning checklist, 3\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0MjUgNDI1IiB3aWR0aD0iNDI1IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQyNSIgZGF0YS11PSJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy5ldmVudHNvdXJjZS5jYSUyRmJsb2clMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjUlMkYxMSUyRkVTLUFydGljbGUtSGVhZGVycy13ZWRkaW5nLWNoZWNrbGlzdC00MjV4NDI1LnBuZyIgZGF0YS13PSI0MjUiIGRhdGEtaD0iNDI1IiBkYXRhLWJpcD0iIj48L3N2Zz4=\" data-spai=\"1\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image\" srcset=\" \" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 768px) 642px, (min-width: 576px) 510px, calc(100vw - 30px)\" decoding=\"async\" \/><\/a> <a class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eventsource.ca\/blog\/ultimate-last-minute-wedding-planning-checklist\">The Ultimate Last-Minute Wedding Planning Checklist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p> <h2>What if I RSVP \u2018Yes\u2019, and then can no longer attend?<\/h2> <p>The most important thing is to not be a no-show. This is incredibly rude and completely avoidable. If you are suddenly unable to attend, inform the couple as soon as you realize that this is the case. While they will still likely have to pay for your plate (depending on how last minute you change your RSVP), they will appreciate you taking the time to let them know. On the other hand, what happens if all of the sudden you <em>can<\/em> go? This is a tricky situation. Your best bet is to call the couple and let them know the situation and let them decide if they have room for you on the guest list.<\/p> <hr \/> <p>If you are close with the couple and are sending your regrets, it is always a good idea to make alternate plans with them so you can offer your congratulations and give them their gift in person if proximity allows. Go out for a nice dinner when they have settled down from their honey moon and make sure to send your friends a \u201chappy wedding day\u201d text on the day to let them know you\u2019re thinking of them.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s face it \u00ad\u2013 you will not be able to attend one hundred percent of the weddings you are invited to. Whether it is due to previous obligations, geographical barriers or unforeseen circumstances, at some point you will have to send your regrets. This is normal. In fact, when planning a wedding, most couples expect [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":61821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[136],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-59164","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tips-tricks"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>How to Respectively Send Your Regrets<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What do you do if you have to decline a wedding invite? 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