Contribution to firework party

[BBtie]

So am interested in thoughts. Invited a group of three sets of parents and children, from children’s school, with whom we are pretty good friends, around for fireworks and some food. Catered the children and grown ups with a nice meal and said we will have some fireworks so bring selves, booze and sparklers and, don’t worry about fireworks. Of three families invited one bought a nice firework to contribute (lovely for sure but not obligatory) plus sparklers, and two turned up with booze for parents and nothing else including sparklers for their kids. When sparkler time came though, all out ready for sparklers so the two families who contributed (us plus the other family who came with sparklers and a firework) ended up giving ours to the other 2 families who bought nothing. I guess the fairest way to deal with would be to call kids whose families brought them sparklers forward but we felt a bit bad and now feel it’s a bit rude that some families turned up worth sod all but took other families’ hospitality for granted. Sparklers cost 2 quid max. My feeling is to turn up, eat a nice meal, watch fireworks and then also take others’ sparklers, bringing nothing to contribute for is rude. Thoughts?

You invited them around for food and fireworks and expected them to bring their own? Jesus

You told them to bring booze, they did but they forgot the sparklers. I’d have bought sparklers for all the kids.
Let it go.

Why all the angst about sparklers? As you say they're a couple of quid?

If you invited people round for fireworks and food I would expect guests to turn up with a bottle of wine and possibly some Fruit Shoots or something for Dc. It wouldn’t cross my mind to bring sparklers but I wouldn’t expect them to be provided either. It’s a bit of a non issue really, it sounds more like a miscommunication rather than anything else

You should have supplied everything and expected nothing.... anything brought round is a bonus... you are hosting!

They probably forgot the sparklers, or wouldn’t normally have bothered with them. It’s not really a big deal. My sparklers came as a pack of 10 so if several couples brought some surely there were spares anyway?

YABU. You remind me of a neighbour I used to have who would invite people around for a firework night party, and tell people to 'just bring some fireworks with you, and some booze, and some food . (Burgers and buns and crisps and snacks etc...)

So she would have the glory of being the 'host,' whilst her DH and several male guests cooked all the food on the BBQ, and everyone else brought and lit the fireworks. Absolute cheek!

I wouldn’t of expected them to bring sparklers if your shelling out £££ on fireworks a few quod for sparklers is nothing it’s not like they turned up empty handed they brought the booze

So they forgot to get sparklers, it’s honestly no big deal! As you say they’re only a couple of quid so if you were already shelling out for fireworks you could’ve got them yourself.

Don’t make a thing about this, you honestly sound quite ridiculous to even be annoyed about such a non-issue.

If you couldn’t afford to host and provide food drink and sparklers then why offer?

Thanks all I have clearly got knickers in a knot over this one

I'd have come with drinks for adults and kids but wouldn't have bought sparklers because I don't like the kids to have them. You can't even buy them in our area. I'd have been a bit annoyed if someone gave my kids sparklers.

How many sparklers does each kid need? If 2 of the 4 families present had bought a pack, surely each kid ended up with a minimum of 2?

Ideally they would have brought some. They didn’t. But presumably overall you all had a nice night. So that’s good.

To me, sparklers would be a party basic for this gathering for all the kids.

Booze you pick up everywhere. Sparklers is more effort to source - and if you’ve not gone to the right shop at the right time you haven’t managed it.

Whereas if you’re hosting the party and buying fireworks anyway pick up a couple of packs?

Of course all the kids want to join in. Calling up just the children of the families that bought sparklers would be hugely mean.

In a group of kids you have as much fun - if not more fun! - if there’s loads of you with 2x sparklers each than if there’s half of you with 4x sparklers each and half without.

If you wanted sparklers to be mandatory for admission say so. Otherwise, share with good grace and don’t moan!

They forgot sparklers or it’s not something they would buy. The other couple didn’t bring alcohol. So what?!

You were hosting. Sparklers cost next to nothing.

Were there enough sparklers for every child to have one each? And was your invitation clear you wouldn’t be providing them?

Agree you should have catered for sparklers for everyone – they count as fireworks imo and you were supplying the fireworks. Plus as others have said, you’re hosting a party! Covering food, booze and the theme is up to you.

You were hosting, you should have got enough for all, and if you didn't want to do that, they are cheap but can also be a nightmare to get hold of.

They probably forgot the sparklers, or wouldn’t normally have bothered with them. It’s not really a big deal. My sparklers came as a pack of 10 so if several couples brought some surely there were spares anyway?

This ^

I understand if you'd asked if each family could bring some fireworks, and they hadn't. that would have shred out the main cost, but sparklers are neither here nor there. If 2 families brought them, then there were enough for everyone anyway, surely ? Don't sparklers always come in multiples?
It seems an odd thing to be hanging on to.

You chose to host. You chose to take on 99% of the spend by saying you would get the fireworks. It seems odd to then moan afterwards that your guests were happy to come along and be treated by you.

Such a non issue. Sparklers aren’t that easy to get hold of where we live so not something you can just pop out and buy before a party.

Its just a sparkler.

You've said yourself they're only a couple of pounds a pack. Each child only needs one or two. As the host, you would have a couple of packs in for all your guests to share. What's the issue here?

Are you one of those who invite guests for Christmas lunch and then present the with a bill?

The guests listened to your instructions of 'don't worry about the fireworks' so assumed it would be supplied. Your duty as host was to make sure all the kids had a sparkler. You failed as a host. End of.

But harsh responses here!

Sounds like the fireworks parties we used to bring and yes, if you ask ppl to bring drinks and sparklers, then drinks and sparklers is what they should bring! Right thing to do was what you did to share out the ones you had but yes it wouldn’t have broken the bank for them to pick up a pack on the way over.

Maybe they weren't fussed about sparklers but were then offered some. Tbh I would have provided sparklers and think it's weird expecting people to bring a firework. It doesn't sound like a safe and planned display where you know exactly what you're lighting if you're willing to set off fireworks other people have bought along.