Manners

Many things have changed since I was young, but none more than the etiquette of invitations and replies.

If we received an invitation to an  event, we replied.  We replied as soon as we possibly could.  We checked our calendars and commitments and then either said we would be there or not.

When the date arrived, we turned up (more or less on time) and usually had a great time.

I have discovered that these days, when an invitation is received there are apparently some new options.

Thankfully, some people stick to the old rules.  They check, they reply, they attend and they hopefully have a great time.

Others choose the newer options.  They either do not reply at all or they reply, accept and then do not bother to turn up to the event.

What is this?

It is a reasonable expectation to attend an event and find food and drinks available and yet people do not seem to take into account the work and expense this catering incurs.   If you are hosting an event, you want all your guests to have the best time possible.  That includes ensuring no-one goes home hungry or thirsty.  This is hard to do if you have no idea of numbers.
Conversely, over catering wastes time and money. Both scenarios are frustrating.

I know times change.  Invitations have become less formal but surely some common courtesies could continue.  Even if only for the practical reasons of planning.