how common is it for guest not to turn up?

If any of my day guests just didn't turn up on the day without prior warning/notice/explanation... i would be really p!ssed and those people would be cut out from my life in an instant...I think its disgustingly rude and I have zero tolerance or respect for people that do this and certainly anyone that could do this to me is certainly no 'friend' or 'family' of mine. It's 2012 how hard is it to pick up a phone, send a text or email?? no excuses unless your dead or a coma...

Things happen and i completely understand so if people let you know in advance you can maybe bump other guests so food etc doesn't go to waste or reallocate jobs to other people (if needed).

Our wedding was 3 weeks ago today! Unfortunatly 9 people didn't turn up to ours. No explanation, no text even. I was a little miffed to say the least ( never mind the money wasted paying for them!) but my husband got it right really ( still sounds funny saying husband!!!)

He said that if they can't be bothered to turn up its their loss not ours. And we had an amazing day without them!!!

I would have appreciated an apology though!

All of our day guests turned up and 6 of our evening guests didn't turn up - 2 had an excuse and the other 4 had no excuse. We'd be warned that evening guests have a habit of not turning up, so we under catered for our evening food by 20% (evening guests only).

We got married last year and luckily all of our day guests turned up (there were only 18 of us so would've really been annoyed if for some silly reason they didn't make it!!).

We had a few of the evening guests not turn up without telling us, even though some had been in touch or we'd seen them the day or 2 before and had said they were definitely coming. One was a family of 5, who we did think may not turn up as one of the son's ended up in hospital, but the others did make us feel like they obviously can't be bothered with us. We did eventually get apologies from a couple of people, saying that things had come up, etc. Although 2 people we have cut out of ours lives, as after inviting them we found ourselves always being the one's to contact them, them always being busy, then their reply after the wedding, was that they couldn't end up coming because they took a last minute holiday that they booked 2 days before. That was the end of that!

My sister got married a couple of years ago, a couple & baby didn't make it due to baby getting chicken pox, but they did get in touch beforehand, although an uncle didn't turn up on the day (his wife - our mum's sister & their daughter did turn up), he had apparently gone to pick up a new car and would be gone all day, plus all evening. He still hasn't apologised to my sister himself, even though there have been other family meet ups! We are due at a family wedding 2 weeks today and the same uncle, aunty and cousin have declined the invitation with an rsvp card saying 'we won't be coming to your wedding as we could go abroad for the same costs, not that we're going abroad this year anyway, but we would prefer to go abroad than pay to go to your wedding' ?

Without sounding harsh, if any of my guests don't turn up and don't give a good reason then they will be getting a bill for the food!

OMG!!!! How rude! Really bad that they did not turn up at your sister's wedding - if I were the next relative in the family to get married would so not invite them!

Reckon on some evening guests not turning up but not bothered as I didn't really want any evening guests (they're mainly H2B's workmates who are not important enough to have day invite) We're not doing eve food so no loss. Can't really imagine any of my day guest not turning up but judging my some horror stories, ought to prepare myself!!

We got married in Sydney, where ALL guests go to the ceremony & evening function- not split into day/night guests.

I had an elderly aunt pull out on the day due to a back injury. For weeks she wasnt sure if she'd make it, so wasnt surprised she didnt go, but wish she'd have decided beforehand so I could have asked someone else.

We only had 1 guest ( a friend of OH) not show up or appologise. He had only be invited last minute due to someone else cancelling, but even so, it was a bit annoying.

I must admit that OH & myself didnt turn up to a wedding once. We had a very stressful few weeks packing & moving our house & organising to move abroad. We drove over 2 hrs to the hotel we were staying at for the wedding. The wedding was held nearby. After unpacking, we both ended up falling asleep. When we woke up, it was 9pm that night & FAR too late to go to the wedding, which had started in the afternoon.

I was mortified & felt terrible, even though they were work friends of my OH & I've never me them. We sent them an appology card & a very generous wedding gift.

We had one not turn up to the day- Very annoying as she "couldn't get the day off work" We sent the invites out 8 months in advance.

To the evening I can think of 4 people who didn't show- one because there was not a room for them to stay in the hotel...they called me the day before to ask me where they were staying, I politely told them that as adults I was fairly sure they could sort out accommodation themselves...they decided not to come because of it. Twunts.

My husband's nan decided 20 minutes before she wasn't coming!!!! Fuming was not the word!!

I would hope that everyone who rsvp-ed would turn up - particularly for the day but I'm not so concerned about the evening - our venue has said to undercater for the evening as most people only eat a few bites anyway.

That said I know when my niece got married two years ago they were chasing a cousin and his wife for a definite yes or no. As it turned out they declined anyway but only after they had been chased!! Pretty ignorant behaviour in my book!!

Swampy