A newly married couple has shared the invoice they sent to wedding guests who no-showed their wedding and explained exactly why they chose to take action.
As reported by the New York Post, newlyweds Doug Simmons and Dedra McGee (now Simmons) decided to take action after forking out a fortune on their big day - only to have certain guests never show up.
Doug, 44, originally shared a screenshot of the invoice to his Facebook page, along with the caption: "DON'T BE OFFENDED WHEN I SEND THIS #INVOICE TO YOU. IT'S GONNA LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I'LL BE SENDING IT VIA EMAIL AND CERTIFIED MAIL... JUST IN CASE YOU SAY YOU AIN'T GET THE EMAIL [...] #PETTYPOST".
The couple told The Post that their big day took place in Jamaica at the Royalton Negril Resort & Spa, where they forked out $120 per guest.
However, after some guests opted to no-show, the Chicago couple decided to seek monetary compensation - invoicing the missing guests for a total of $240 to cover the costs ($120 for them and $120 for their plus ones).
A note on the bill reads: "This invoice is being sent to you because you confirmed seat(s) at the wedding reception during the Final Headcount.
"Because you didn’t call or give us proper notice that you wouldn’t be in attendance, this amount is what you owe us for paying for your seat(s) in advance. You can pay via Zelle or PayPal. Please reach out to us and let us know which method of payment works for you. Thank you!"
The invoice soon went viral over on Twitter, with some even questioning if it was legit. But after speaking to The Post, Doug and 43-year-old Dedra have confirmed that the invoice is very real.
Doug told The Post that the no-shows "made [him] feel some kind of way".
"Four times we asked, 'Are you available to come, can you make it?,; and they kept saying 'Yes,'" Doug told The Post, adding: "We had to pay in advance for Jamaica — this was a destination wedding."
The groom added that he has received no messages from the no-shows explaining that they couldn't make it. "To tell me nothing, but then let me pay for you and your plus ones? Four people became eight people. I took that personally," he said.
Over on Twitter, the reactions were divided over whether or not the invoice was the right thing to do.
"I understand being upset about no show guests for a small wedding but sending an invoice is too much," one Twitter user wrote.
A second added: "That is tasteless. If you cannot absorb or factor in the no shows then don’t have it. Simple."
However, a third sided with the Simmons, writing: "I get emergencies or last minute changes but not to say anything then I agree with the invoice. That’s a cold cowboy to actually send it though."
This was echoed by a fourth who wrote: "I don’t think it’s petty at all. Don’t RSVP to s**t that you know you aren’t going to. People are counting you in and putting money up for you to show up."
So, do you think the newlyweds are right to invoice the no-shows? Let us know in the comments!