RSVP? To What? by Theresa Cahill Copyright 2004 All Rights Reserved I'm so excited, I've been invited to a wedding! Or have I? Not the wedding itself, but the "reception" to follow it turns out - but it gets even better. On August 4th, I received a mailing with the subject line: Theresa, I need your RSVP. Okay, I bite, basically because I thought it was true. I read: "Did you get the invitation to my wedding reception last week? Because I haven't received your RSVP yet..." Yes, I did panic a bit at first thinking I'd overlooked a good friend's invite and... well you know that feeling. Then I read on... ! Turns out I'm one of 1,500 complete strangers invited to this "well-known" person’s "wedding reception." It also turns out I'm expected to foot part of the bill for a seat at said "wedding reception." Now, how strange is that? I thought weddings and the like are supposed to be filled with only your nearest and dearest? Those invited should be the ones willing to wish you well, even against the greatest of odds (marriage) with the divorce rate at an all time high. These same people usually truck on over to your reception afterwards, don't they? Or am I just old-fashioned? Recently I attended two weddings, and both receptions, free of charge I might add, except for our personal gifts and the like. I went for the reason I stated above, to wish them well and "be there" for their happy moment. Now, I guess you could say with the "offer," oops I mean "invitation," I might be getting a pretty good deal since I'd be able to hob-nob with this person's "wealthiest friends" (email words not mine). But come on, give me a break. Your friends and relatives come to your reception. Complete strangers with money in hand do not qualify as your nearest and dearest. Okay, maybe it's just me. "I have to warn you... Even though I've rented out the BIGGEST ballroom I could find, I still only have room for 1,500 guests... And while that might sound like a lot, this invitation is going out to over half a million people! So your chances of getting a seat are less than 1 in 500!" Whatever.... LOL! Honestly, I'm positive this "invitation" has to rank right up here as one of the greatest "sales moves" of all times! And more power to him/her! This person is sure to have some among the 1/2 million just chomping at the bit to meet these "wealthiest friends." Maybe they are willing to do anything to get that chance, even if they have to pick up the tab at a "wedding reception." But, frankly, it just struck me in a truly funny way. And I sit here still, marveling at the complete audacity of this internet "guru." I'm invited to a "wedding reception" and expected to pay for the privilege... and I thought I'd seen everything :) ================================================= ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Theresa Cahill is the owner of My Wizard Ads (http://www.mywizardads.com) and would like to offer you fr'ee resources filled with mark'eting tips! http://www.mywizardads.com/ArticleLibrary.html