I'm not sure if this has already been posted, but it is too good not to be. It was on Ask Amy in the Chicago Tribune (maybe in other papers too, I'm not sure).
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/tribu/askamy/ct-ae-0425-amy-20120425,0,1818772.columnCN: A wedding guest wrote in to ask about a friend's wedding. He and his wife recieved an email stating that they'd been signed up for "clean-up committee" after the reception because they are responsible and married (thus, won't be otherwise indisposed having a drunken wedding hookup after the wedding), and because "you are kind of bossy and I like that." Oh but, they can totally feel free to turn it down, no hard feelings....
Hilariously awful.
Dear Amy: My wife and I are attending a wedding next weekend. We are friends with the bride and groom, but not best friends. We received an email stating that we and another married couple have been "signed up" for the clean-up committee.
The bride is catering her own wedding and using a rental kitchen. She just sent us an email saying she had assigned us to move tables and chairs, take out garbage and sweep the floor after the reception has ended.
The part that really gets me is where she gave reasons for asking us to do this task: "You are responsible; you are part of a long-term committed relationship (so I won't be preventing an inebriated wedding stranger hookup); and I trust you to wrangle others to help — you are kind of bossy and I like that."
She also says, "Feel free to decline this assignment with no hard feelings. Just let me know."
How does one respond to such an email? Also, have you ever heard of a bride even doing such a thing?
— Unsure of a Response
Dear Unsure: This is a new one. The bride's primary mistake, at least in my mind, is the tone of her request. I think she is trying to be wry and funny. But, as I have learned, comedy is best left to the professionals.
When you are asking people to literally take out your trash, the best way to do it is to throw yourself on their mercy and basically implore them to forgive you for the request. Instead, she went another way — insulting you by calling you bossy, etc.
You could call her on this by responding, "Wow. What a lovely offer. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to take out your trash?"
She is also giving you the opportunity to decline. I could supply you with the answer I once received when I asked a guy I didn't know well to attend a wedding with me: "Oh — I'd love to, but I don't think I have the right shoes."