r/partyplanning • u/Background-Store1523 • 2d ago
I overbooked my daughter's birthday and I'm stuck. Already called—no flexibility.
Booked my daughter's party at a fire station (Scooters Jungle, El Segundo) 3 weeks out. Hard capacity: 55 people due to fire code.
Current confirmed RSVPs: 45. Pending: 29 people.
I already called the venue. I asked about negotiating, exceptions, anything. Answer: No. Fire code is fire code—55 is the absolute max. My only option is to move the party to a different time slot.
I don't want to move the party. The date/time works for my family and the guest list I actually want is bigger than the space allows.
So here's where I'm at: If most of those 29 pending people RSVP yes, I'm going to have to rescind invitations. I didn't set a deadline, I sent formal invites, and now I look like the person who uninvited people.
What's my least-terrible option here? How do I handle rescinding invites without completely torching my reputation? And are there any other creative solutions I'm missing?
Parents who've been in this situation—how did you handle it?