A few of you mentioned wanting an update to the giant bachelorette party I was planning. Short recap - Joint "destination" bachelor/bachelorette weekend, 24 in wedding party, 41 originally invited (heart attack was had). 25 accepted. Trouble finding location to accommodate all, settled on a lake in western Maryland. Trip is this weekend. Co-planning with co-MOH who is also the sister of the bride.
Anyway, things had been going pretty well. After our initial headcount, we divided out costs to include a fudge factor of one person dropping out (mistake, perhaps?). A few weeks later (early June), a cousin of the bride asked if she could bring her boyfriend and what she should pay for him (since we had already divided out the cost/person). I told her to just pay the same amount for him and we'd use it for household expenses (TP, Paper Towels, Beer, disposable cutlery). So then we had a fudge factor for 2 people dropping out. Sure enough, 2 backed out a couple weeks ago (after having earlier reaassured us they wouldn't, nice). We didn't give them too hard a time b/c we were still breaking even, though we did try and recruit 2 more people who had shown a bit of interest in joining the trip (no luck, though). Yesterday, I get an e-mail from the cousin that now her boyfriend can't make it and she wants to know if she can have some of the $ back. I feel bad, b/c he wasn't initially in on the head count so really he isn't the reason we'd be short on the rental, but with the 2 people that backed out weeks ago, we don't have any $ to give back. So I don't really know what to do about that.
To complicate things, co-MOH has come down with Hand, Foot, & Mouth disease, and apparently a pretty bad manifestation of it. She was told Thursday she could expect it to take up to 10-14 days for her symptoms to subside. And until they subside, she was instructed to stay away from people. The wedding is 14 days after the trip, so chancing it isn't really an option. So now she stands to miss out on the trip too. Even if I can collect some extra $ from people for the cousin, if co-MOH can't come I wouldn't feel right collecting for the cousin & not her too And it's all so last minute I dunno how much luck I'll have w/ that. Furthermore, I also don't know if it's necessarily fair to do that to everyone else b/c it's not their fault/problem these people can't come at the last minute(WDYT?) I feel really bad for co-MOH & hope she starts clearing up soon, I know she's going to be so so bummed to miss out!
Re: Giant Bachelorette weekend update.
Wow, I remember you posting about this before. I just wanted to chime in on the HF&M, it is SERIOUS, and very, very, contagious. A strain of it has been going around (not sure where she is located) but our pedi said it's bad. I wouldn't mess with her coming and getting the bride and members of the wedding party sick. It is not fun at all (think sores in mouth and throat so you can't eat), and there is no medication for it.
I probably wouldn't refund the cousin, and maybe just have everyone chip in for household items if possible to defray that cost, and even though it sucks MOH should probably still have to pay too, even on the off chance she is totally cleared up.
That's a tough one! The 2 people that backed out should have had to pay their portions regardless of backing out or not. If they had paid maybe they wouldn't have backed out?
I think you should refund whatever the cousin gave you for her boyfriend to come, it's only fair. If the MOH doesn't come, I'd hope she would offer to pay her portion, but since the other people that have backed out didn't have to pay, she shouldn't be required either. It would just be nice of she did. Good luck!
Do you think you can collect any money from the people who backed out?
Good luck.
I agree that the people who backed out should definitely pay. That is so crappy that they backed out after the payment deadline when they didn't pay. I think you should try to get some money from them.
Also for household stuff, could you ask each of the people to bring some items to help out (Toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, etc.). That might go farther than having people contribute to buy all of those items.
GL with this mess! Definitely keep us posted!
Terp, I bet you are ready for this to go ahead and happen so you don't have to worry anymore. Props to you for getting it together! Let us know the details and don't you think that TerpKitty needs new artwork soon?