It was a nice gesture and show of friendship on your DH's part to show up and on such short notice. If I had been told it was only to collect $ and they really didn't expect anyone to show, I'd be both embarrassed and annoyed.

Reading all these posts lately, I just don't get what's up with people and invitations and the 'gimme gifts' attitude that's becoming so out of hand.

Unbelievable !!! it's like a slap in the face to be told that.

If your DH had an envelope for the graduate, I sure hope he didn't give it to him.

This just takes the cake when I thought I'd heard everything about rudeness!

Unbelievable. This one is off the charts poor form.

Beyond tacky.

You know, I feel badly for the graduate, who evidently was lead to believe that all he had to do was send out invites and the gifts would come rolling in. Such great parenting - NOT!

I think it was so nice that your DH went. Too bad he couldn't use the line "Oh, and my presence was my present". Certainly no gift required. But your DH shouldn't feel badly, because he clearly has manners and did the right thing, when they did the WRONG thing.

I sent a gift card ahead of time because I didn't want to risk it getting lost at the graduation or DH forgetting to give it to him. DH said the son wasn't going to send out invites, it was his father who told him to do it. DH didn't want to punish the boy for it, besides he couldn't attend the ceremony without a gift. That would be tacky too.

When my sister's son graduated she wanted to send invitations to relatives 3000 miles away, even those she's never even seen, 2nd cousins and all that. I told her not to and she argued with me that all she wanted was to let them know how proud she was that her boy graduated. She couldn't see the forest from the trees so I laid it out as plainly as I could...if you do that they'll think you're bucking for money because they have no relationship with you and they're too far away to attend. Better to send a letter after the fact and mention it in passing, skipping the formality of the invitation. She never bothered which is what I expected she'd do.

Have you ever received an invitation very,very close to an event (like a wedding) and then wondered if you were on the second-tier guest list? They wait to see how many respond in the first round before sending invitations to the 2nd class folks!

Nope never heard of that being done. Kind of feel badly for the son. What a total a$$ the dad is. Talk about how not to role model. The whole thing is kind of sick. I mean when you DH showed up, the guy should not have told him that he wasn't meant to come but only his check.

I think I have heard it all and then someone else posts an "experience" and the bar is set at a new low.

Wow. Just Wow.

A family member had a wedding like party for her sons first Bday. It was at a wedding type place with a huge dance floor and about 100 people with a clown, magician, face painter, and balloon person I think. They got tons of gift cards with money and presents.

I invited only close (immediate to me) family to my sons first party and asked for no gifts. I really just wanted to have a nice BBQ/pool party with family and to enjoy the day. Of course some brought gifts anyway.

You start to wonder if there is something wrong with you for not throwing these big parties for every little occasion. I felt bad I didn't invite that family member to my sons party but I wanted to enjoy the day in a more intimate setting and actually spend time with the people attending.

Did your DH get an invitation to a party to be held at their house or one of those spiffy school graduation announcements? Your DH was the only person that showed up to the graduation? Sorry, I'm confused!

I recently received an invitation to a baby shower the day before the shower, when of course RSVP was already past due, for someone out of state that I don't really know.

Wow.

Another moment of choking on my morning tea.

I continue to be amazed at these stories!

Just really sad and greedy.

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

We recieved a professionally printed invitation provided by the school for the kids to send out. It gave the date, time, and location of the school. There was no mention of an after party by the family on a seperate piece of paper, only a hand written note by the graduate asking us to please come. I wasn't able to go because I have an invalid pet at home who requires one of us be here at all times, and I explained that to him in the card I sent on ahead so he would understand how much I would have liked to be there.

I receive "announcements" of graduations all the time. I do get annoyed when I receive an announcement for a graduation for a relative's child who I have never met and who wouldn't know me if I fell over him/her. I think them expecting a gift from me under those circumstances is kind of "cheeky."

Over the last few years I've gotten several of those invitations for both high school and college graduates. The first few times I wondered why I would be invited to a graduation for a niece who lived 3000 miles away. Then I realized these were not invitations per se, they were an announcement.

As was previously mentioned, this is what is provided by the school or the company where you buy the cap and gown, ring, etc.

I can see where this would be confusing to someone who doesn't have a recent graduate.

It was very nice of your husband to attend, and if it were at my kids' high school, a $10.00 ticket would also be required to get in !!!!!

My daughter graduated from High School this year and she sent out actual announcements to family and close friends. I used a Kodak Gallery template and it was a nice 5 X 7 photo card with her graduation picture and a nice verse announcing the graduation. No address or time included.

She didn't send this to any coworkers or casual acquaintances and most did send a gift.

It sounds like your husband handled a bad situation very well.

Over the years we've received an awful lot of graduation announcements. If we attend a party or know the grad well, we send a card with a gift. If we don't know the grad well, we consider it a thoughtful gesture to be informed of the event and send just a card of congratulations to the grad.

We have even sent a gift or two to a couple kids who didn't send out announcements, but we know and love the kids so sent a gift. Our own kids did not sent announcements.

Ah, I got it now.

I can't believe there was a hand written note in there and they really thought NOBODY would show up. How ridiculous. If they were fishing for gifts... (not saying it's right) the announcement alone says that IMO. It's sad that the father thinks this was fine and even laughable.