I’m guilty of it. I’ve forgotten to RSVP for events. And until you plan your own event or wedding, you don’t realize how important an RSVP is.
Think about it this way….
You invite your BFF to dinner. You straight up say, “Hey, let’s to to dinner on Tuesday. I can’t wait to see you.” And then about Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. you still haven’t heard from your BFF. Are they coming? Are they not? Did they even get your message? Do you even show up?
That’s kinda like not getting your RSVPs back for your wedding. Are they coming? Are they not? Did they even get the invite? Should I plan on their meal just in case?
Now, I haven’t figured out the magic formula (yet) on how to make guests RSVP, but I have put together 3 things you should do that will make your life easier and perhaps increase the chances of your guests sending back their RSVP.
1. Give them a deadline.
If you don’t have a deadline to RSVP on your RSVP card, your guests will not know when they actually need to let you know. Like the morning of your wedding? Too late. Two days before? Still, too late. I recommend first, checking with your caterer to see when they need their final guest count by. Then, add in a few fluff days so you have time to follow up with those who are dragging their feet making a decision. Usually, deadlines are anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks before wedding day.
2. Put a stamp on it.
Maybe Beyonce shoulda put out the second version of Shoulda Put a Ring On It with this version. Put a stamp on your RSVPs! Don’t make it even more difficult for your guests to send back their RSVP. Even if you’re giving guests and option of sending in an RSVP card or going online to RSVP, put a stamp on the card. It just makes things easier for your guests.
3. Be specific with your guest counts
One fabulous line I’ve used a lot lately on RSVPs is:
We have saved ______ seat(s) in your honor
This is something that you fill in before you put the RSVP out to your guests. This line is perfect if you’re not inviting children to your wedding or if not everyone is getting a plus one. Yes, it’ll say on the envelope who is invited but trust me, that will get by people. Make one final stop sign for your guests and point out that only “2” are invited to the wedding (aka leave your 4 kids at home).
If you’re not too worried about this, then another good idea is to have them tell you who is coming. If that’s something like
____ adults attending
____ kids attending
or
_____ people attending
so your guests can fill that in and you know exactly the number of people showing up at your wedding. Again, this helps with head counts for your caterer.
There you have it, 3 things you need on your RSVPs that will make wedding planning smoother AND could increase the chances of your RSVP coming back to you from your guests.
