Need 40th Birthday Advice ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Sarah:
NO, you can`t ask for separate checks and you can`t ask your guests to pay. There is no easy way around this. You can`t invite people to a party and then expect them to pay. Etiquette says...you invite, you pay. If you really want it at a restaurant, you have a couple of choices -- (1) trim your guest list; or (2) go to another less pricey restaurant. Another option is to have something at your home -- a catered dinner, a backyard bbq? Is you home too small for all the guests (or you don`t want that many people in your house?), check out local parks. Where I live there are lots of parks with pavillions and other buildings that are rented out for parties. Good luck!