I don’t understand why someone would give me a formal, written invitation to an event from last spring. I had been invited via word of mouth but didn’t go. I don’t have much experience with sending out invitations (I don’t even send out holiday or birthday cards) but I would think that if a person wants to send stuff like that, it should be done on time or not at all. so I’m wondering if there’s something else going on here. but I don’t want to read more into it. so I thought I’d ask the hive mind–if you were on the receiving end of an old invitation, what would you think? if you had invited someone to your event but lost the card and invited the person via word of mouth (and they didn’t show up) and later found the invitation, what would you do with it and why?
I’m no Dear Abby or Martha Stewart but that sounds weird. If I got that, I’d think typo. In the end, if you don’t plan on going or didn’t go, throw it out and forget about it.
Or if you just want to have fun, send a thank you for the invite card.
ST,
Was this a case of you not being invited, and thinking at the time you probably should have been invited to this event, perhaps feeling snubbed at that time, and the host verbally inviting you at maybe the last minute? If so, this might be the host’s way, having come across the invitation recently, to prove that they had in fact intended you to be included originally. They may be just trying to make you feel better about whatever (if anything) went wrong last year.
thanks for the perspectives. I was starting to think that the host is trying to make me feel bad about not going to the event, but perhaps it is just that the host is trying to make me feel better about not getting a formal invitation. I didn’t feel bad about the lack of formal invitation to begin with though, so I hadn’t thought of that.
Some people are sticklers for formality and would be insulted by a verbal invite. So they may have thought you did not come because of the mistake. I would have wrote a note saying hay see this is the pretty invitation that was lost behind the desk, but we thought you might want to see it, we are sorry you missed the occasion. It may have been a post office mistake.
Depending on who it is and how close you are you could call and tell them that the invite strangely just came. That could start the conversation that would give you more answers. If you do not want to do that I say let it go to an error.
Huh…that is very odd. I also would give them a call or email to let them know it arrived, to give them a chance to explain. It would have been better if they had included an explanation, but maybe they are the forgetful type?
I would tend towards what Topgun and Leah said - it’s probably more about assuaging any guilt the sender has about not sending an actual physical invitation or reading into your non-attendance.
I wouldn’t do anything about it, but I’m pretty laid back about those things. However, if it really bothers you, I would ask the person about it.
thanks for the responses!
I don’t really want to ask the person about it; we aren’t close and I think opening up a discussion would lead to further misunderstanding. or rather non-understanding and lengthy explanations that get nowhere. (this has been my experience with this particular person.) the possible motivations behind the late invitation have been puzzling me, though, so the perspectives from people who aren’t involved have been helpful. I’m just going to chalk it up to assuaging guilt and wanting the pretty invitation to be seen.
I sent my grandfather a wedding invite after the event. He was a real Ahole who would have caused trouble with my grandmother (divorced) had he been there. No I never heard about it or from him.
What’s the date on the postmark of the envelope. Was it clearly sent recently? Sometimes things get lost during transit or delivered to the wrong address and then randomly show up. Well, maybe…
I would also chalk this up to a mailing error and just throw the invitation away. Since this person isn’t close, I wouldn’t assign any nefarious motive to it and wouldn’t bring it up. I once had something get lost in the mail for a long time.
The only other reason I could think of is was this an invitation to an event were a gift would be expected (i.e., a wedding or bar mitzvah)? Especially, if it were for the kid of your acquaintance. Maybe its a reminder (and a classless one at that) that they hadn’t received a gift. I agree with those from above that its best to ignore at this point…
Or it could have fallen under/behind one of the sorting machines at the Post Office and has just recently been found. If the postage on it is correct (or close since they don’t know who long it was there), they will postmark it and deliver once found.
I hadn’t mentioned it earlier, but the invitation didn’t come through the mail. so it wasn’t a postal error. heh, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought if it had arrived (very) late via post.