Money

One Couple's Absurd Behavior Proves Expensive Wedding Culture Needs to Stop

September 30th 2015

When Minneapolis resident Jessica Baker bailed on a kid-free wedding last minute after babysitting arrangements for her children fell through, the couple sent her an invoice for $75.90.

"This cost reflects the amount paid by the bride and groom for meals that were RSVP'd for, reimbursement and explanation for no show, card, call or text would be appreciated," reads the note, which Baker provided to local news station KARE 11.

Baker, who intended to go to the gathering with her husband, could not believe her eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me," she told the news outlet. "It listed, we would have had two herb crusted walleye and there was also a service and tax charge."

Wedding cancellation invoiceKARE 11 via Facebook - kare11.com

Baker says she is not going to pay them back and that she doesn't know how best to go about this kind of situation.

"I guess I don't know what the right answer would have been," she said.

Regardless, it's likely that any relationship she had with the couple prior to their wedding is now over.

After KARE 11 posted about Baker's story on Facebook, many users sided with her and said the couple should have factored no-shows into their budget:

Facebook commentsKARE 11 Facebook page - facebook.com

Weddings are expensive for couples and guests alike, so it is not entirely surprising to learn that one couple wanted their money back for two empty seats. According to The Knot, the average wedding costs $31,213, and this year's American Express Spending & Tracker Survey found that wedding guests spend an average of $673 per ceremony. This is a 14 percent increase from 2014 and nearly twice as much as the 2012 average.

 

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