Oh My Goodness!!!
I think someone may have posted this before, but read this!
ABBY: I'm enclosing a wedding announcement my family and I
received yesterday. My family and I are shocked and appalled.
It reads:
'Dear Family: I am asking for your cooperation and under-
standing. My wedding will be very costly, and this has caused
me to make some unpleasant decisions.
'I hope you will see this as a request for a donation and
not a charge for you to attend my wedding. I cannot figure
out any way other than to ask each guest to contribute to
the cost. If anyone is insulted by my request, I am sincerely
sorry.
'Your $330 contribution must be received on or before June 30.
Only postal money orders will be accepted. Please purchase it
only from a U.S. post office. Thank you for your contribution.'
My question is, how should this 'invitation' be handled? We
don't have this kind of money. Should we tell the bride-to-be
what bad manners this is? -- APPALLED IN OHIO
DEAR APPALLED: No. Please allow me to do it for you. What you
received is not an invitation. It is a solicitation. Not only
is it tacky; it is unbelievably insulting. When a couple
marries, all monetary contributions should be voluntary. To
specify that the 'gift' be paid via money order implies that
there might be insufficient funds to cash the check.
If I received such an 'invitation,' I would not send a money
order. I would send my regrets. I recommend that you do the
same. Readers, I challenge you to top this!
ABBY: I'm enclosing a wedding announcement my family and I
received yesterday. My family and I are shocked and appalled.
It reads:
'Dear Family: I am asking for your cooperation and under-
standing. My wedding will be very costly, and this has caused
me to make some unpleasant decisions.
'I hope you will see this as a request for a donation and
not a charge for you to attend my wedding. I cannot figure
out any way other than to ask each guest to contribute to
the cost. If anyone is insulted by my request, I am sincerely
sorry.
'Your $330 contribution must be received on or before June 30.
Only postal money orders will be accepted. Please purchase it
only from a U.S. post office. Thank you for your contribution.'
My question is, how should this 'invitation' be handled? We
don't have this kind of money. Should we tell the bride-to-be
what bad manners this is? -- APPALLED IN OHIO
DEAR APPALLED: No. Please allow me to do it for you. What you
received is not an invitation. It is a solicitation. Not only
is it tacky; it is unbelievably insulting. When a couple
marries, all monetary contributions should be voluntary. To
specify that the 'gift' be paid via money order implies that
there might be insufficient funds to cash the check.
If I received such an 'invitation,' I would not send a money
order. I would send my regrets. I recommend that you do the
same. Readers, I challenge you to top this!
