Newlyweds draft invoice to send to guests who did not show up to destination wedding

‘Whether rich or poor, no one wants their money wasted,’ groom says

Couple invoices individuals who did not show up to destination wedding (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A pair of newlyweds have sparked a conversation about wedding etiquette after sharing an invoice they created to send to guests who did not show up to their nuptials.

On 18 August, Dedra and Doug Simmons, from Chicago, Illinois, married at Royalton Negril Resort and Spa in Jamaica in front of 101 people.

However, 109 guests had RSVP’d “yes” to the couple’s wedding invites, according to NBC Chicago, which noted that the newlyweds had already paid roughly $120 each for the seats.

The no-shows prompted Doug to draw up an invoice to send out to each of the eight individuals who did not show up to the wedding, which has since gone viral on social media.

In the invoice, which Doug shared a photo of on his Facebook, it charges each no-show guest $120 for the missed reception dinner for a total of $240 per couple, with the due date noted as being 18 September, one month after the wedding.

In the notes section of the invoice, Doug wrote: “This invoice is being sent to you because you confirmed seat(s) at the wedding reception during the final headcount. The amount above is the cost of your individual seats.

“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.”

The groom concluded the invoice adding: “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!”

In the caption of the post, Doug also warned those who did not show up that he would be sending the notice via email and “certified mail” to ensure the invoice was received before adding the hashtag #pettypost.

The post has since gone viral on Facebook, where it has been shared more than 6,000 times, and where people have jokingly applauded the couple’s handling of the situation.

“I don’t blame you one bit,” one person commented, while another said: “Love it! Hold them accountable.”

Others encouraged Doug to take the guests to small claims court, with someone else adding: “You did what needs to be done.”

However, according to the couple, who appeared on Fox5, the invoice was mostly just created to make a point during a “teachable moment”, and they never intended to actually send it to the missing guests.

While Doug didn’t actually send the invoice, he told the outlet that he and Dedra heard from some of the guests who missed the wedding after they saw his viral Facebook post.

According to Dedra, some of the guests didn’t have an explanation for their absence, while another couple was “extremely apologetic” and offered to give her and her husband the money, which she said they declined because “that wasn’t the purpose of the invoice”, as she noted it was intended to just to be “sarcastic” and “make a point”.

While speaking to the outlet, Doug also pushed back against some of the criticism they faced over the invoice, adding: “Whether rich or poor, no one wants their money wasted.”

The Independent has contacted Doug Simmons for comment.