Setting clear boundaries and communicating politely yet firmly is crucial when dealing with such situations. Here’s a suggested response if a parent writes their children’s names on the response card:
“Dear [Parent’s Name],
Thank you for your prompt response to our wedding invitation. We are excited to celebrate this special day with you. However, we noticed that the response card includes the names of your children as well. We apologize for any confusion, but the invitation was intended for you and Alan only.
We understand that there might have been a misunderstanding, and we genuinely hope you can still join us for the celebration. We have made arrangements for adult guests only, and while we love children, we are keeping the event adults-only to ensure everyone’s enjoyment.
We hope you understand our decision and respect our wishes regarding the guest list. It wouldn’t be fair to make exceptions for some guests and not others, as we want to ensure that everyone has an equal and enjoyable experience at the wedding.
Once again, we sincerely hope you can join us on our special day. We value your presence and look forward to celebrating with you.
Warm regards, [Your Names]”
If they push back or express disappointment, it’s essential to remain firm yet empathetic:
“We understand your feelings on this matter, and we genuinely wish we could accommodate everyone’s preferences. However, we hope you can appreciate that we must be fair to all our guests and adhere to the decisions we’ve made regarding the guest list. We hope you can still find a way to be part of our celebration, and we assure you that it will be a beautiful event.”
If they insist on not attending due to this issue:
“We are sorry to hear that you won’t be able to attend the wedding. We will miss you on our special day, and we truly hope there are no hard feelings. The decision to have an adults-only wedding was a personal one, and we hope you can understand and respect that. Nevertheless, we wish you all the best and hope to catch up with you soon.”
Remember, it’s essential to stand by your decisions while maintaining kindness and understanding throughout the communication process.
