Lodge Birthday trip!

[Freespirit24]

Hi all,

I was on here yesterday (for those which remember, thank you for comments), asking about how much wine is needed for 40 people for a party. Having since looked at your feedback and also realising that it would be a massive job organising all of that myself, I have went off the idea.

I thought that instead of inviting 40 people for a party in a lodge, I just could invite our closet friends to come and stay there for 2 nights and we can do a small holiday birthday celebration together.

This is what brought me here. There is five bedrooms so five couples including me and my husband. The lodge is £1440 for 2 nights! (I know crazy money).

Should I a) Invite each couple and its a free holiday for them. Also organise all the food and drinks etc for all 10 of us.

b) Invite them and say the lodge is free but if they can contribute some food and drinks for the duration of the stay.

c) ask each couple to pay the cost of their room (288) at the point of invite and make it clear that they are invited but they need to pay. If that happened then I would provide all the food and drinks.

Like what is acceptable in this type of situation?

Just wondering before I book this!

Watching because I have a similar dilemma. Next November, a big birthday and I want all my immediate family (ie, my five kids and their partners, my brother and his wife and his four children, plus a cousin). I thought I'd pay for the accommodation and just ask for a kitty for food. That way I know the accommodation is booked and secure, in case people start dropping out.

Also a rota for cooking...

All depends on the situation of the couples. If you know that they are all comfortable and it's not a huge sacrifice then it's ok but you don't want to put people in the position of awkwardness. If you can afford it then paying and saying you'll all contribute to food and drinks is better

Ps if one couple doesn't drink be very sensitive to a split the food and drink equally arrangement too. Not worth falling out over, happens too often on mn!

How much time and cost would travel be for the invitees?

If you seek to split accommodation costs what would you do if fewer than capacity number of people agreed to attend and pay?

Food/drink for that many people is hard to co-ordinate / cost split.

I think this very much depends on how easily you can afford it and what is the norm in your group of friends to be honest.

If you can afford to host properly then that is obviously the ideal.

Will your friends want to go away for 2 nights in a group? Are you a group or is different sets of friends? Will they need to arrange childcare?

Personally I would be tempted to do a dinner where I could pay for everything and people didn't have to stay over of if they did it was a their own expense.

I would go with A or B
Personally I wouldn't be comfortable with C.

B

personally i would hold a party at a pub with a function room that does catering or lets caterers do a buffet much easier if i was asked to pay £288 to attend a birthday weekend i wouldnt go