I am having a birthday barbecue in a few weeks and have started letting people know as and when I see them. I invited my colleagues (small office) last week. I don’t expect most of them will come, but as there’s only 8 of us I feel like I should invite all or none.
One of my colleagues asked who else I was inviting (which I think is a weird question in the first place) and I said just friends, family, some of my husband’s friends and some people from my running club. The colleague then says something like ‘that’s loads! You’re obviously wanting lots of presents.’
Another colleague then says snarkily ‘or maybe she just has lots of friends?’, and colleague 1 says ‘there’s nothing wrong with wanting presents’.
As it happens, I’ve told people when I invite them that there’s absolutely no need to bring gifts, so I think I’m in the clear anyway. But is it cheeky to invite lots of people to a birthday party?! Despite the no-gifts rule I expect some people will bring things, so am I going to look like a grabby cow for inviting loads of people? Especially as some of the people I’ve invited I don’t know especially well (I.e. some running club people who I only know casually but are all part of the same group iyswim).
I’m probably overthinking it because the people I’m not especially close to will probably not come anyway, but I don’t want to look like a greed madam when actually I just like a party and didn’t want to exclude anyone!