DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’ve been given a budget to take some out-of-town folks to dinner the day before a conference. I emailed an invitation to everyone, and received back a lot of replies indicating that they were accepting -- and bringing a spouse.

I was a little surprised. Now I’m over budget, and I think I’m in trouble. Is this really my fault? Did I not word the invitation properly?

I’m at a loss for how to word an invite without sounding like I’m assuming they could bring someone unless I told them not to. What should I do next year -- demand the budget be expanded to cover extra people, just in case?

GENTLE READER: Where is your boss in all this?

Miss Manners asks because, while she is happy to get you out of this mess, she wants you to understand that this is a business operations

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