Répondez s’il vous plaît.  It sounds lovely in French, doesn’t it?  Lovely, but at the same time serious.  On an invitation it politely requests a gracious response.  We can all agree the hosts deserve the kindness of a reply-whether or not you will attend.  They need to know how much food and liquor to order; how many tables and cloths to request;  how many chairs will be required to seat the bottoms of tired, hungry guests.  When only a few reply and many arrive, the numbers slide out of sync; although many positive replies and few guests can be just as annoying.

 

How about letting someone know if you will attend WEN?  And after you respond, making a serious attempt to attend is greatly appreciated.  Then, as they say in New Orleans…Laissez les bon temps rouler!!

Your Mannered Friend, Zadie