200 wedding invitations have gone out to your nearest and dearest friends, family and coworkers. A few weeks later your RSVP deadline arrives with little – or no–reply.
We all know weddings take a lot of work to organize. Your wedding planner needs a head count for the venue and your caterer needs to know how much food to plan for and prepare in advance. Perhaps you and your bridesmaids want to personalize the favours for each guest.
No matter the reason, placing an RSVP note on an invitation means you expect a response. R.S.V.P. is a French phrase for “répondez, s’il vous plaît,” which means “please reply.” Since you were courteous enough to invite someone, they should at least have the courtesy to let you know if they’re coming, right?
Here are a few Helpful Tips for Getting Guests to RSVP
- Send Wedding Invitations Out On Time
If you send your wedding invitations too late, guests may not have time to RSVP. Also, if you send them too early, guests may not RSVP because they do not know what they will be doing.
As a rule of thumb for getting guests to RSVP, you should send your invitations at least eight weeks before the wedding. This gives your guests up to five weeks to respond and you have a few extra weeks to plan on the RSVP numbers.
- Include all the Event Details
By including as much detail as possible in the invitation, you reduce the chances of guests needing to track you down to ask questions before they can respond.
Stick to the traditional Who, What, Where, When and Why components to avoid any back-and-forth or follow up emails. This is also a good tip for getting guests to RSVP promptly.
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- Emphasize the Deadline
For getting guests to RSVP, include a specific deadline within the invitation to make sure that recipients see the date upfront and either mark it on their calendar or respond upon receipt.
It’s also a great idea to include a reminder of “why” you need your guests to RSVP. Let them know on the invitation that you need a head count for food and beverage so their RSVP is kindly requested at their earliest convenience.
If the recipient knows that a confirmed head count is imperative, they’ll better understand the importance behind their response and get back to you.
- Provide Options
I recently received a wedding Save the Date via text and all I had to do was click to RSVP.
Now, as a wedding planner, 5 years ago I would have thought this was the tackiest thing ever. Sending a wedding Save the Date by text?! But as I sat lazily on my couch after a busy day and made a quick move to hit the reply link, I thought to myself, “this is genius!”
While mail-in cards are still the traditional choice, not everyone uses the mail as they once did. You should also list a phone number, email address or wedding website that guests can also RSVP.
For getting guests to RSVP in a timely manner, provide options. The more ways your guests can say yes or no to the wedding, the more likely you are to receive all your replies on time.
- Follow Up
You love your family. The way aunt June gives warm hugs, the way your nephew’s smile lights up the room, the way your grandfather gives a hearty laugh when he hears a good joke—but your family and your friends are also busy people.
Although you are thinking about your wedding day and night, they are not. Many of your guests will need a gentle reminder that the RSVP deadline is coming up. Email or text is a great way to reach out to them.
Collecting RSVPs requires a patient and organized approach. You will get there! The most important thing is not to panic.
Do your guests always RSVP on time? Share your tips in the comments section below.
