There are several things to consider when turning down an invitation. It is important for people to
think about what the host will think when an event invitation is declined. Many times people are not
concerned with how the host will feel and end up doing long-term damage to their relationship.

When possible people should respond to an invitation quickly. When the host sends an invitation to a
person they are trying to make sure they have a general idea regarding the number of people who are
going to be at an event. Speaking to the guest is something that people usually don’t have time to do
prior to a function.

Individuals should think about if they have declined other invitations from a host before. If someone
has declined an invitation recently, they may want to reconsider the idea that they can skip the present
event. Many times people are only thinking about the immediate future and not considering when they
might need help themselves in the future.

Sometimes, it is important to call a host to verbally explain the reason why a person will not be
attending an event. Some people are not comfortable with receiving an invitation rejection in written
form. Individuals who are very proper usually expect to speak to a person who is not going to be their
function.

It is important to consider how a potential guest would feel if they were in the shoes of the host. When
rejecting an invitation people must think about how the other person may feel when receiving the
rejection. Being willing to admit that being rejected is not easy is the first step to consider when making
a decision regarding whether or not to attend a function. Many times people don’t take everything into
consideration until it is too late.