Reply to Evite wouldn't let me RSVP--limited number of guests

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[quote=Anonymous]We were having this discussion at school the other day.  I know this thread is old but it comes first in the Google search, so I thought to share some ideas.  Since evite doesn't have a feature that allows you to close the guest list at any point, the "guest limit reached" feature sometimes serves that purpose.

First, a cautionary tale:
Back when my kid was small, we had a face painting birthday party.  We wanted to make it special so we hired a face painter to do elaborate, full face, amazing designs on the kids (as opposed to the small designs or half-face designs that you see everywhere).  I sent the invitations a month in advance and a reminder 10 days before explaining that I needed a head count.  Some people replied and some didn't.  I gave my face painter the headcount 7 days before the event and she said it would take 2 to do the kind of job we wanted given the number of kids. No problem.  Two days after the event, more people reply they are coming. One day before the event, even more people reply.  At that point I contact the face painter and she kindly explained that her third partner was not available and that she has another party booked immediately after ours.  So we couldn't go with the original plan. We had to switch to simpler designs to make sure they could paint all faces in the two hours.  I went with it.  And I regret it to this day.  It was not what we had intended and our special treat was ruined. 
Fast forward...and  this time it was a balloon-character party.   Once again I sent invitations and reminder explaining I needed a headcount.  However, as soon as I gave the balloon guys my headcount, I decided to do something different:  I set the event as "reached guest limit."  It was altogether a much better outcome.

Ultimately, the party is an experience for your kids to enjoy with their friends and family.  If you have room and you are willing, accept late replies.  If not, that is ok too. It is your decision and it is not a big deal. Until evite has another feature, the "guest limit reached" is generally used to indicate that the guest list is closed.  It doesn't always have to do with venue size but often times it will also have to do with other plans the host may have for their party.

It is good manners to reply to an invitation in a timely manner.  It allows your host to plan accordingly. If you are a "maybe," keep in touch with the host and let them know by when you will know for sure. Replying last minute is very inconsiderate. Especially since kids notice when not everyone receives the same kind of goodies or that some kids got the nicely decorated cupcakes and others the "plain looking" ones, just to mention a few examples.

Ultimately, sending a birthday invitation is nothing more than asking someone whether they would like to celebrate with you.  If they ignore your invitation and reminders/pleas for headcount, that is their choice. However, if they reply a couple of days before the event, they should do so knowing that you may have not take them into account in your planning of the event.  An invitation is not a contract: just as invited people are not under the obligation to attend, the host is not under any obligation to accept late replies.

If you decide to use the "guest limit reached" feature on evite, parents can always reach you to further inquire.  Be polite and let the parent know why you are not accepting more replies. Most parents will understand. You can always offer to have a playdate at a future date so that the two kids have a chance to get together.  [/quote]

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