Are Budgets and Weddings Always a Compatible Pair?

         To some people, 'Budget' is a dirty word- meaning that someone has just enough money to squeak by, and they're restricting themselves from the finer things in life in order to squirrel away funds. To others the word has an everyday use, is as familiar as the feeling of sliding between the sheets at the end of a long day or waiting in line at the grocery store. Those on a budget relish the feeling of having a .99 cent coupon for Dunkin Donuts iced coffee (I, having been among those people, can honestly say I feel like it tastes better when it's a treat- even though I will indulge when I have extra money. I can't lie about that.), and having the opportunity to buy a brand new pair of jeans instead of scrounging the racks at Goodwill (again, I can relate).

     Today I read a post on Facebook by a local radio station that posed an interesting question by one of their listeners. What to do when invited to a wedding and the invitation says 'Don't bring a guest'? One of the suggestions was unsurprising, a man leaping right into the 'bring your boyfriend anyway',  because the writer of said question had stated the shared displeasure of herself and her significant other that he wasn't invited. It brought to mind the idea of a child's birthday party and being left out, the petulant child being upset that they weren't invited because their best friend was, and the parent of the 'poor left out child' calling to ensure their precious bundle was included in the festivities. This reaction of 'bring him anyway' was, in my opinion, that of a bull in a china shop who wouldn't hesitate to do as he pleases without taking a moment to wonder why it was asked of him to do the opposite.

   I'd like to hope that the woman who posed this question took things into consideration, wondered why the couple having the wedding weren't allowing people to bring a plus one. I believe the post mentioned something about 'limited food', so I assume the invitations may have alluded to same. The average budget is probably significantly less than once upon a time, and weddings are so often DIY to save money- so while I can't honestly know what the couple's intentions are, it's not so unlikely that their reasons are due to lack of funds. And in that case, what are people to do except forgo the celebration of their wedding- and as that's considered a day to share with family and friends...why should they be criticized for requesting limited attendance?

   I think the real frustration behind this is the reactions people had. No, the receiver has probably never received an invitation like this before, but I'm sure the sender has never had to send one. And why, honestly, can't the receiver put aside their feelings about attending without their significant other for one day and go alone? This more or less goes with my current thoughts about significant others being unable to do things without their spouse- but while many decline to leave their husband or wife at home while they go to dinner or a basketball game...this is a wedding. If the happy couple doesn't know the boyfriend, why should they have to have him come? And it's their day, not the guest's day, so if that's the request they make...why can't feelings be put aside in favor of them?

   It's an interesting thought, with a lot of variables that are probably missing from the equation, and also riding on the assumption that budget has something to do with it. Maybe in this case it doesn't, and there could be ulterior motives. However, if the invitations are all the same and everyone is requested to not bring a date, I'd think that's because there's a limit somewhere, and this one person isn't being singled out.

    Where is it that pride should be set aside, if money is on the line? And if pride can't be ignored, is that just another way of budget-shaming others?