Social quandary: How to avoid offending uninvited guests

Have you found yourself in an awkward situation? Has someone irked you and you’re not sure how best to proceed? If so, you’re not alone! Every week, we feature a reader-submitted quandary so that you can weigh in with your best advice. What would you do in their situation? If you’d like to submit your own quandary, click here.

We just moved into a new house and we're really excited to host our first dinner party for our friends. My husband Steve, the cook, has planned a formal four-course menu. There's four couples we're good friends with and though we'd like to have everyone over, our dining table only sits eight people maximum — that's three couples, plus my husband and I.

Deciding who not to invite was actually pretty easy — our friends Karen and Josh squabble often and when drinks are involved, they usually end up leaving in a fight. It's uncomfortable for everyone watching the ordeal. But we're not sure how to avoid inviting them without hurting their feelings. What's the best way to handle this?

Please comment below and help this reader with your feedback. Check our Facebook page this weekend to view more reader comments!

Read our previous social quandaries here.