The Social Season: How To Politely Decline An Event Invite

The Social Season: How To Politely Decline An Event Invite
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Now that the social season has officially begun with safety measures in place, there comes to be a huge dilemma that we all might be facing right now which is how to politely decline an event invite. You might be invited for a wedding or what not, but sometimes and of course, because of the strange situation we still seem to be dealing with now, we must decline those invites for whatever reasons possible. Here are three ways on how to turn down an invite with class.

The easiest way to rebuff an invite for an event that is going to have a lot of people is to say that you’re not comfortable attending such an event with a crowd. Sure, there might be good precautions in place, but when you get that feeling that you just won’t be comfortable there, then don’t go! Surely the host will understand if you tell him or her the truth. There is a massive issue going on right now anyways, so it’s totally alright to say this.

Another classy way to turn down an invite is to say that you’re busy that day. This may not come across as the best way to decline an invite, but if you really have no other reason besides being busy, that’s okay too. We all get busy with our schedules nowadays with work basically being normalized again. We all had to make a few minor adjustments, whether it’s working from home, going to work, starting a new job, or taking a break from work. Things just happen in life, and the host will understand if you’re busy, but again, if you really want to attend an event, you should make the effort to attend it though.

The best way to politely decline an event invite is to say that you’re not attending any events. There was a point in time that most of us must have done this as we had no choice with the lockdown, safety measures, or other restrictions in place. And it’s perfectly fine to say so if you’re staying at home and only going out when needed. It’s your choice at the end of the day and you’re the one that should be comfortable going to such events. If you’re not, then what’s the point of accepting such events now?

The social season might be here even though we have a pandemic going on, but there are ways to politely decline an event invite. You must be brave enough to say what you want to.

Shefali is the author of Own It! Love What You Already Have of which all book proceeds go toward good causes. She is an executive at her family’s business, and board director for two other companies. She’s an alumna of Columbia Business School in New York City and Drexel University. She lives in Dubai with her husband and continues to travel for work. To learn more, visit shefalikarani.com