Newlywed couple sends $240 bill to guests who missed their wedding

Weddings are tough to handle. They often cost a lot of money. This couple decided not to overlook guests who RSVP’d but didn’t attend.

Continue reading to learn what actions they took against those who failed to notify them in time.

A bride and groom were upset with guests who failed to show up at their wedding after confirming their attendance. The couple chose to act by sending those guests a bill for $240.

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

The bill was shared on X (previously Twitter) by a user named thweddat, who uploaded a photo of it and commented, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wedding reception invoice before lol.”

The payment for the invoice was due on August 18, one month after being issued. The wedding took place at the Royalton Negril Resort & Spa in Jamaica and cost $120 per person.

While some believed this invoice was a joke, the bride and groom, Doug Simmons and Dedra McGee from Chicago, confirmed it was real. They explained to the press that guests not attending as promised upset them.

Doug first shared the invoice on his Facebook page. The couple noted on the invoice, “You received this bill because you confirmed seats at the reception during the final count.” They continued, “You did not inform us you wouldn’t attend, so you must pay us for the seats we paid for in advance. Payment can be made through Zelle or PayPal. Please contact us to select a payment method. Thank you!”

This led to various opinions on whether their request was reasonable. One person said, “I wish I’d done this. A third of our wedding guests didn’t show, and we paid for lots of unused food, though much cheaper than $120 per person.” Another disagreed, saying, “You mean so much to us that we invited you to our wedding. But now we’ll end our relationship over $240 because you couldn’t come and see us in person. Yet, we’ll probably invite you to our baby shower, so bring a gift or get ready for a collection agency.”

A Twitter user suggested they would just return the invoice.

The groom admitted they were being “a little petty” but clarified, “I’m not the type to bill someone for no reason.”

Simmons, who owns a small business in Chicago, said it wasn’t about the money but about feeling disrespected by no-shows at their wedding. They had invested a lot of effort and money in planning a wedding for over 100 guests.

He explained, “We confirmed four times if guests would attend, and each time they said ‘Yes.’ We had to pay upfront for the destination wedding in Jamaica,” expressing his frustration.

However, when they did the final guest count, they realized not all who confirmed had arrived. “No one messaged to say they couldn’t make it. That was all I wanted. If you had told me, I would have understood. But paying for you and your guests without knowing? That felt personal,” he said.

The couple didn’t say what they would do if the payment wasn’t made, but it seemed many relationships could be affected.