Etiquette Question - Please help!!!

[Darth_Kitten]

I'm organizing an anniversary dinner for my parents. Everybody (mostly family members, nothing huge)

I want everybody to pay for their own dinner. I'll pay for my parents.

How do I word this on the invites? This is family and I can be informal, but I don't want to be tacky

What?

Please, gifts aren't necessary, but bring your wallets?

Everybody pays for their own family?

What?

help. :(

[Katina]

1. How about saying

"lets all celebrate mom & dad's anniversary by treating them to dinner at their favorite restaurant." The message is then that everyone will be chipping in to pay the bill. If that is too subtle, and it is family, you may have to be a little more up front or even blunt.
Another way to do it is to figure out where you are going first, talk to the restaurant and ask if there is a price fixe menu so you can divide the cost and let people know on the invite. Of course, the price you tell everyone to share should be based on those you can absolutely count on to foot their share of the bill. If more people pay in, then the price goes down.

[judaspriestess]

2. How about something like this

as much as I'd like to pay for everyone, I'm (can)only paying for Mom and Dad. Everyone who is coming is gonna pay for their dinners/drinks. Great(whew), now that I got that out of the way, here is where the dinner will be etc....

something to that effect.

[Darth_Kitten]

6. thanks guys!!!

I'm just going to be straight.

tell them the estimated costs of the meals there and just let them know that gifts are optional, but everybody just pays for their own meal and drinks.

[Darth_Kitten]

3. I'm thinking.........

this is an example:


cost per person: approximately 20-30 for meal plus tips -

Note: Everybody pays for their own meal. :)



blah blah blah.......

I'm just organizing this thing, I ain't paying for everyone. :)

[judaspriestess]

5. thats great

see you didn't need our advice after all :P

[ElboRuum]

4. How 'bout a poem?

On this special day,
You might dine on knishes,
But make sure you bring dough,
Or you're washing the dishes.

Sorry, guess that wasn't very helpful.

[Floogeldy]

7. Write something like . . .

"I want to upstage all of you and buy my parents' anniversary dinner. You obviously don't have the money and/or do not love them enough to buy their dinner so I guess I'll have to do it but you can buy your own, if you want."

;)

[Darth_Kitten]

8. Or you want to eat? It's on your dime, fella......

:D

I'm just going to be blunt. I don't care if it's considered tacky or not.

I kind of remember my aunt and uncle's anniversary about 10 years back. I think everybody paid their own way, what's 20 or 30 bucks for an evening out?

[Floogeldy]

9. You're a good daughter and your parents love you.

I was just messin' with you. ;)

[Darth_Kitten]

11. I could tell everybody I don't care if they eat or not......

that I don't give a rat's fat ass if they do or not, I'm just not being stuck with the bill.

:)

[judaspriestess]

10. ok how about

listen bitches, pay your own way!! word

[Darth_Kitten]

12. Oh, I could get started.....

with my selfish, ungrateful siblings who never even thought of doing something like this.

this is not my thing, organizing anything like this. But it's just going to be an informal, casual kind of thing, I'm guessing anywhere from 7-20 people (depending on who can/will show up)

I'm tentatively planning it for a new restaurant with entrees ranging from about 20 - 35 dollars, depending on what you want. Nothing too pricey......

but I cannot afford hundreds of dollars for one night out, I'm just a working gal.

Gifts will be optional, just pay for your own meal/drinks please. :)

[tyedyeto]

13. Consider the words "No Host"

I'm a banquet manager of a restaurant and that is what we will call it when individual guests are asked to pay their own way for parties.

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. Be Clear... I'd just say it. Pay your own way please.

I got stuck with a $350 bar tab for my best friend's bachelorette party because people said (yeah, right) it wasn't clear. How many bachelorette parties have you been to where the maid of honor pays the tab. I had to use my rent to pay for it.

Have fun!

[Missy Vixen]

15. The correct terminology is "no host"

I'd also make a few phone calls after sending out the invitations -- i.e., "just checking to make sure I give the restaurant the correct numbers, and reminder that this'll be no host."

The restaurant can help by offering separate checks to each table of relatives.

Julie

[calico1]

16. Maybe I am just old fashioned but if you can only

afford to pay for your parents then why not just make them a nice dinner or take them out to dinner? My feeling is only do what you can afford and if dinner for your parents is what you can afford then leave it at that.

[AirmensMom]

17. Give a range of prices from the menu.

Say something like, "$25-50 per person" ... or whatever it is. We get lots of invitations like that.

Good for you for celebrating your parents' anniversary! :grouphug: