# Party Epic Failure



## Samhain.Voodoo (May 17, 2009)

So I had been planning all month for the party tonight. Used up two pay checks on food and decorations. Spent a full two days on cooking and a full week on decorations (many of which failed lol)

So on the night of the party....tonight....After loading the counter full of goodies, lights, fake spiders etc, I sit down in my costume and wait for my guests to show up.

An hour goes by....still waiting on guests...

Another hour...still waiting....

Another hour and 10 phone calls with no answer later...still...waiting....

I'm currently STILL waiting on some kind of word from my "friends" if they're planning on comming like they had been so excitedly telling me all week.

Wow...just like my 16th Birthday Party....this is the party where absoutely no one shows up and no one cares.

Happy Halloween.


----------



## Boo Baby (Oct 7, 2008)

Awwe, I'm so sorry to hear your guests haven't shown. Hopefully everyone is running late and as I write this to you, you are all having a great time. 

I'm in a similar situation, I have gone to great lengths with much expense to throw a party next Saturday. So far out of 30 guests I know of only 3 who say they are coming. I have been inquiring to my many maybes and still not getting any answers. So I could very well be in the same situation as you are next Saturday night after all the TOT is over. 

If I lived closer, I'd come to your party!!


----------



## Zeltino (Aug 7, 2006)

. Sorry to hear that. When I had my party last weekend, it started at 8. Nobody showed - or called - until 10PM. I hope people show up to enjoy your party! Best of luck - and if nobody does then you should enjoy your decorations and food yourself .


----------



## HeatherEve1234 (Sep 5, 2008)

That is my nightmare, I just can't imagine! I'd be really upset. 

That said, our party started small and has doubled each year - we began with a few friends who just sort of got together for food & drinks, and now it's a full out theme party that takes half the year to plan, and people ask me about it months in advance. So don't lose hope - just make sure you have a small group of committed people before you go to the work again - in fact, ask people to come over early and help, when they feel involved maybe they'll be more likely to show up.


----------



## Drayvan (Sep 22, 2009)

I hope everyone is running late. Let us know how it turned out.


----------



## halloween_sucks_in_the_uk (Sep 28, 2008)

I hope your guests turned up, all that hard work you've put in. I'd tell them all off for being late and not calling you.


----------



## moocheex55 (May 8, 2009)

my heart is hurting for you. It is absolutely unacceptable the way people either RSVP and don't show to a party or just ignore an RSVP altogether. Do they not understand that food and booze and decor cost a lot of money and time and don't just appear overnight!!??

Please know that you are loved and that people do care about you...even if they don't have the kindness to answer the phone when they are late.


----------



## Samhain.Voodoo (May 17, 2009)

3 people showed 4 hours late. No one else called or showed. The three that showed were just friends that I called last minute for dinner cuz no one else was coming obviously.

This has been a really bad year. Thanks for all the support, but on top of everything else happening....I don't know how much more I can take.


----------



## GhostMagnet (Jul 14, 2009)

That is just shameful, not showing up. I'm so sorry. {{{hugs}}}


----------



## leighanne4585 (Aug 28, 2009)

I'm so so sorry! Its such a shame when people don't appreciate all of the effort that you put into something. I really hope that when people realize what they missed out on they feel horrible. If I see any of them during the zombie apocalypse I will kick them in the knee! Keep your head up & know that everyone here is feeling for you!


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

I am so sorry they did that. 

My party was tonight too. Same sort of prep and had almost everyone invited tell us they were going to show... and we got 7 people about 2 hours late. 

Crappy year. Maybe this means there is something really good coming to make up for the crappy.


----------



## MsMeeple (Aug 21, 2004)

Wow, what a crappy feeling that must have been sitting there waiting and waiting.
What a rude bunch! Hope you can shake it off and move on without too much damage.
You're welcome to borrow my signature quote if it makes you feel better!

MsM


----------



## Cadu (Sep 27, 2006)

I m so sorry that happened to you. All of us here know what it takes to put this party together. Dont let it kill your Halloween spirit.


----------



## kissy (Sep 23, 2009)

I am so sorry that has happened to you!! Thats really crappy when people can't commit to coming and when they do they show up late! Thats a huge pet peeve of mine! I'm about down to doing a party every other year since it seems like every other year is when I get a pretty good turn out!


----------



## Muffy (Sep 25, 2006)

It really saddens me when I read stuff like this. I would give anything to get invited to a halloween party. I've had very big parties in the past so I have a full understanding of the cost & what it takes to get ready. I know on the board here how many people have parties so they understand too.

Sure wish I lived closer to some of you that have parties. I would also love to have a party but these folks around here just can't make up their mind if they want to come.

So I am very sorry for you.

Muffy


----------



## Spooky Chef (Aug 14, 2008)

I'm so sorry this happened to you.  I just don't understand what makes people think it's ok to say they're coming and then not show up. At least a phone call would have been nice. My party was last night and I had no idea how much food to make because nobody ever RSVPs. Almost all of my guests were late too. I wish we could all just get together and have a huge Halloween party, at least we all appreciate it!


----------



## Terra (Sep 23, 2007)

UGH! I feel so bad for you. 

I shy away from having parties now because of scenes like this. I had one party where it was going great until one of the guest's girlfriend got so drunk that she decided to become a drama queen. She started wailing about how she wanted to kill herself in front of my 9 year-old nephew! Then, she spilled her drink all over my kitchen furniture _(sticky Margarita)._ 

I've gotten to the point that parties aren't worth the hassle.


----------



## Buzzard (Jun 23, 2009)

Hang in there. I think that a lot of people are feeling the same way about this having been a tough year. Have faith that things will get better & try to make the best out of your current situation.


----------



## Giles (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I think most of us have been there at some time or another. Don't give up.


----------



## spookylady (Sep 21, 2009)

Im so sorry this happend to you! It really sucks when people do this to others!
My party is next friday and this is something I fear! Everyone say Oh yes they are coming and cant wait but I know how people are so I am hoping people actually come!
Ive been planning mine for about a month and have spent too much already,havent even bought the food and drinks yet. I keep telling hubby how I HOPE everyone shows and he says well if they dont theres nothing you can do about it.So true but it would suck BIG TIME and Im sorry to say Id be pissed at the people who say they would come!


----------



## coffee4106 (Sep 19, 2009)

OH NOOOO< im sorry.. that happened to me last year.. my best friend and her husband showed up.. so he ran and got his 2 brothers... and a guy from work came...oh and the gorgeous sweetheart from next door... we ended up having a blast though.. watching Halloween movies

can you make up some photoshop pics of a ton of people partying away, and send them out.. LOOK AT WHAT YOU MISSED>... im evil i know.. i would SO do it!


----------



## Monroe58 (Sep 13, 2009)

I am so angry for you! People can be real jerks. Why would anyone want to skip out on an awesome Halloween party?!?! I agree with coffee4106, make them feel even worse by showing pics of people having a blast! I think people get weirdly insecure on Halloween and they decide to just stay in rather than go out in costume. Whatever.


----------



## Spyderella (Oct 9, 2008)

That SUCKS!! I had a Halloween party last year & only one person showed up. I totally understand your level of frustration, embarrassment, anger and whatever else you may be feeling. People just don't do the house party thing anymore I guess. I got every excuse in the book down to "well...the football game was on." & "I don't go to Halloween parties, but if it was a Fall Party..." WHATEVER!! All I can say is that I'll never put out the expense of a party again.


----------



## ChrisW (Sep 19, 2006)

Samhain Voodoo - that sucks.
It's what we all fear, and have experienced in one way or another. People don't RSVP, say they're coming but then either don't show, or call at the last minute and back out. I bet you had a great spread - rest assured if the people from the HalloweenForum could have come, we would have been crowded out the door.
Don't give up. Is there food or treats that can be shared with a food bank, homeless shelter or children's care center? Might as well turn it into a feel-good experience for yourself and others.


----------



## Tink (Jul 17, 2009)

Wow, that really bites! Your so called friends should feel like dirt for treating you that way. I always get so frustrated by the way people act like their time is worth more than anyone elses. 

I'm so sorry for how it turned out. They are the ones who missed out.


----------



## Demon Dog (Feb 26, 2009)

Samhain.Voodoo said:


> 3 people showed 4 hours late. No one else called or showed. The three that showed were just friends that I called last minute for dinner cuz no one else was coming obviously.
> 
> This has been a really bad year. Thanks for all the support, but on top of everything else happening....I don't know how much more I can take.


Hi. I’m also very sorry for the inexcusable rudeness of the people who had said they’d attend. Sounds like other things may be going on in your life that are weighing on you too. Life can sometimes be like that, hitting you with several sucky things at the same time. But it won't always be like that - happy times happen also. Learn what you can from this event, find others that also share your excitement about Halloween (like 99.9% of the people on this forum, for instance), and don’t let this bad experience drag you down for long. It may seem pretty hard right afterwards, but give it a little time.


----------



## Wyatt Furr (Aug 27, 2005)

It must be the year for rude friends.
Hang in there.Dont let them get you down. 


Had my party last night ,out of 45 people who rsvp'd ,35 showed up.
Not one of the missing called me until I called them and left a message.
I know I have 35 people who will get an invite next year and 10 who wont....


----------



## Booterbunz (Sep 24, 2004)

(((HUGS))) Sorry to hear about your party! That's just about everybody's worst fear when they are planning a party.


----------



## litemareb4xmas (Mar 31, 2009)

that's a bummer, I can imagine your pain, I just had my party last nite and I was a nervous nelly about an hour before it kicked off, fortunately most people invited were in our motorcycle club and we had a meeting first, maybe a third of em left after wards, but we still had a good 30 people. My big failure of the night was the lightshow pc died 10 minutes before and I never got it running.


----------



## GoolGaul (Nov 29, 2008)

Samhain,

Don't let those so-called-friends get you down. I have been there. Our FIRST halloween bash was on halloween, and of the 40 invitees, only about 10 showed. The few that showed up had fun, and told the others what they missed. The following year, I had people asking to come, and willing to contribute time and food. 

Now on our 6th Halloween Bash, and our invtees total around 70, with 77 ppl RSVP'd (yeh i know, the #'s grow if you don't manage them). Add in the usualy slew of floaters that pop-in for a while as they party-hop, we are sure to have 100 pass thru the "Gates of Hell"

I just takes time for the legend of the bash to grow...

Also, you should have either donated the food, or froze it, and tried again the following week. Casually play it off, like YOU got the date wrong somehow.


----------



## theicewitch (Oct 2, 2008)

I am soo sorry... some years are bad like that.


----------



## Pumpkinprincess (Aug 8, 2007)

OP, I'm so sorry, but you are not alone. We had a Halloween/birthday party for my son last year. 20 invities, 8 RSVPed that they were coming, 1 responded that they couldn't attend.

I asked a couple of the ones I hadn't heard from and they said they were "probably" coming. How do I prepare for that?

So I decided to set up for 15 guests. We went all out on food, decorations, etc. The day of we sat and waited. No one. Then a hour into the party we get a phone call from someone saying their golf game was running late, but they were on their way. A hour and a half into the party 2 guest show up. The golf person shows up almost 2 hours late. 

That was it. 3 people. My son was heartbroken. Luckily we have a big family so it didn't seem so empty. 

My son was so hurt by it he really didn't want to celebrate at all this year. We just went out for a family dinner and cake at home. 

People have become so rude and anti-social. 

Hang in there and have a good Halloween.


----------



## eanderso13 (Mar 31, 2009)

We feel your pain for sure! We haven't had this happen with a Halloween party yet, but we had an "ugly Christmas sweater party" last year and no one showed up until 3 hours after it was supposed to start and all the food we made was cold and pretty much wasted. This has happened with almost every party we've tried to have...except for our Halloween parties so far. people are inconsiderate and selfish and the meaning of "true friend" is the farthest thing from people's minds anymore it seems. Hang in there and if you have to, only have a very small affair from now on with people you know you can count on!


----------



## tgoodman (Sep 25, 2009)

This really blows and reaffirms my belief that manners and consideration are a thing of the past. I can't imagine being invited to a party and not RSVP'ing. I had many people fail to respond to my party invite for the 24th and they will not be invited again. I had a good turn-out otherwise, 51 people. I didn't have anyone show who DIDN'T RSVP, which kind of surprised me.

I sent the original party invite, then, I followed up with 2 "reminders" since I sent my party invite about 6 weeks early so people would have plenty of time to come up with costumes. I STILL had people refuse to RSVP, even though my invitations were done through the "Events" feature of Facebook and those people were constantly on Facebook throughout (so I know they received the invites). It boggles the mind. I even sent one saying, "The courtesy of an RSVP is requested so we'll be better able to plan food/drinks and space". Still ignored and, frankly, a good indication of just what kind of friend they are and how much they value the relationship; I consider it a blessing in disguise to discover these things about my "friends".

So sorry your party didn't work out as you'd hoped. Keep trying! Don't let this deter you!


----------



## zombiefrac (Apr 1, 2007)

So sorry to hear this. I too, like others have been writing, have experienced the no RSVPing or saying they are coming and no show/no phone call. It really is unexceptable and I am sad this happened to you. I examine every year why I put money, time, and effort into my parties and realize the common denominator is that I do it ultimately for myself. Sure, I would like to share my creations, concoctions, cheer with others but if they fail me - i don't ever fail myself. I also realized that I have to surround myself (and invite) to these parties people that appreciate the amount of effort that goes into them. There are those out there who don't, obviously. Find 1 ot 2 that are as passionate about it as you and make that your start - then from there you build your legend. Wish you the best!


----------



## Ween12amEternal (Apr 15, 2006)

Wow, so sorry to hear about this. Just ridiculous.

Hopefully, with Halloween night to look forward to, things will start looking up!


----------



## mickeyshell (Oct 26, 2009)

So sorry to hear. I admit I'm a terrible RSVP'er...I usually decline invitations because I tend to forget all the events my two kids have going on! If I accept an RSVP, I later realize I can't attend because of something they have going on. But still it's an awful plight to be in. My husband has been hiring a band and having his own little party for Halloween before I and my two friends stepped in and bought decorations and props (definately not cheap) and black lighting. We spent about six weekends decorating our polebarn last year and sent out invitations about a month ahead of time. We were so nervous that only a few would show up but we had about 70-80 people at any given time (I think we sent out about 130 invites). We kept a list of people invited and sent out the invites about three weeks ago for our party this year this past Saturday and we only had about half the crowd!!! It was still a success and even with buying the same amount of food/snacks...it was all pretty much gone but what happened with the people? People from the year prior raved about the party and 98% dressed in costume but this year I'd say only 60% dressed in costume. I have no idea why people decide to show or not show but I always cut out the people that don't show...which you should do...don't invite them again. We do our party open house style with a begin and end time. We only have food in crockpots so it can be eaten all night. And once it's gone...it's gone. The only people we had on time was family members...friends came later. We just always hope for the best and try to keep our costs low just in case we have too many no shows. Don't give up. But we have learned from some no-shows that they didn't think they would know anyone so we've began telling them that they are free to invite a couple of friends as long as they are trustworthy enough to be left alone in their own homes. Plus, I imagine that people just couldn't figure out costumes and in this economy didn't want to spend a lot of money. There's all kinds of excuses but like I said, don't give up....


----------



## hannibal (Oct 19, 2008)

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry to hear that. When we did do big birthday party's for my daughter they started off really well but then it kind of dwindled(people wise) and I told hubby I didn't want to put her through the whole people not showing and hurting her feelings. so we stopped doing them. It seems like no one has manners anymore or consideration for other people. If I lived closer we definitely would have come!


----------



## Lilbugwitch (Sep 12, 2009)

Dude thats sucks ! They missed out big time - you deserve better friends. I bet your spread was awesome and your decorations were great ( even if you think they failed i bet they were better than anything your friends could've managed to put together). 

You were trying to spread the halloween spirit and i'm proud of you and your efforts. We need more people like you. Don't let those rude idiots put you off. 

Really sorry you got stung like that - they are bang out of order. I am so angry on your behalf. 

I like what zombie frac said, ( aprox 3 messages up?) do it for yourself and a select few and let the legend grow! 

big hug to you hun


----------

