A bride has sparked a heated debate after sending a bill to guests who RSVP’d “yes” to her wedding but bailed at the last minute.
Weddings are stressful. They’re also ridiculously expensive. So, when an Australian bride found herself covering the cost of ten guests who backed out just days before the big day, she decided enough was enough—she wanted them to pay.
Speaking on the podcast She’s on The Money, she explained:
"It’s now one week out from the wedding, and I’ve already given final numbers to the venue and paid the outstanding amount—$18,600 in total. Now, ten guests, who originally said they were coming, have backed out last minute, saying it’s too expensive to travel."These last-minute cancellations left her scrambling to cover an extra $2,000 in costs. Frustrated, she posed a controversial question:
"Is it reasonable to ask them to cover their share?"According to the bride, she gave guests plenty of notice—one and a half years, to be exact. The RSVP deadline was months ago, and most of them confirmed they’d be there. But now, just days before the wedding, the excuses started rolling in.
One guest messaged her:
"So sorry, I know we RSVP’d yes and the wedding is next week, but we just can’t afford to travel interstate at the moment. Hope you understand, would love to have been there!"Understand? Maybe. Frustrated? Absolutely.
Social Media Weighs In
After the bride shared the situation online, opinions came in fast—and they were divided.
Many people backed her up, saying it was unfair for guests to flake out at the last second.
"No one books flights for an interstate wedding a week before. The guest is 100% at fault here. It’d be different if they got sick or had an emergency, but this? Nope."Another person, who had also planned an interstate wedding, agreed:
"If you’ve had over a year to plan, why wait until the last week to decide it’s ‘too expensive’? You had time to budget for this!"However, others strongly disagreed, calling the bride’s actions “rude” and “tacky.”
"If you can’t afford for people to cancel, maybe have a cheaper wedding. The couple invites guests—it’s their cost to cover, not the guests’ responsibility."Another user chimed in:
"I had guests cancel because they caught COVID. Never in a million years would I have asked them to pay. Friendships aren’t worth a couple of hundred dollars."Some pointed out a middle ground—saying the reason for canceling matters.
"If it’s an emergency—illness, job loss, family issues—that’s one thing. But if someone just didn’t budget properly and expects the bride to eat the cost, that’s not cool."One final comment summed it up perfectly:
"It’s annoying, but invoicing your friends is a sure way to lose them. If they offer to pay? Great. But if they don’t, you have to let it go."So, what do you think? Was the bride justified in asking for money back, or did she cross the line? Let us know in the comments!
