Your wedding invitations are super important! They not only set the tone for your wedding but they also give guests all the information that they need for your wedding AND they include RSVP cards so you will know everyone who will be attending your big day. RSVPs can be a pain for wedding couples since you may have to track down RSVPs and those responses will help you with your seating chart. Here are a few tips to make sure you don't have to struggle too hard with getting those RSVPs back!
Include All Relevant Info In Invites
When you send out your invitations and RSVP cards, make sure you are including ALL of the relevant information that guests will need to know to make a decision on if they will be attending or not. If you don't include all of the information that your guests will need, then it can delay your guests RSVP responses while they try to find that information so they can make an informed decision. The must know information your guests will need are: wedding date, ceremony start time, ceremony and reception location, meal preferences, attire, hotel blocks, and any pre/post wedding events. While it's tempting to leave a lot of this information off of your invites and link your wedding website instead, that just makes an extra step for your guests and can delay them filling out their RSVPs. You can still link your wedding website so guests can get even more information but that must have info should be on the invitations.
Number Your RSVP Cards Before You Send Them Out
RSVPs have a spot for your guests to write the names of the people attending, mark is they will be attending or not, and their meal preference. Even though it seems like common sense to write your name on the RSVP card before you send it back, you have no idea how many people forget to do this! Nothing is worse than getting a RSVP back in the mail and having to guess who it came from! To combat this, when you write out your guest list, give each guest a number. When you send their invitation to them, write their number on a back corner of the RSVP card. This way, if a guest forgets to write their name, you can reference the number to your master list!
Set A Realistic RSVP Deadline
While you MUST set a deadline for your guests to get their RSVPs in, you will need to make sure you give them enough time to check their schedules and travel booked. While you won't want your deadline to be too far out from when you send your invitation or too close to your wedding date, you will want to give them adequate time to make the proper travel plans. Keep things like holiday travel, school schedules, and work schedules in mind when setting your RSVP date.
Follow Up With RSVPs
Once the RSVP deadline has passed, you don't want to automatically count any non responders out. They may have forgotten or just need a couple more days to figure out their schedule. Give a small grace period of no longer than 1 week and then send each non responder an email or text to gently remind them that you need their RSVP.
Work On Seating Chart With Full Guest List
You need your RSVPs so you can work on a seating chart, order favors, and make sure you have a final headcount for your venue, caterer, and bar staff. One thing you can go ahead and do is work on your seating chart with your full guest list while you wait for the RSVPs to come in! This can save you a lot of time! Once you receive an RSVP, you can confirm the guests seat or remove them from the seating chart and tweak the tables a bit. This will be easier than waiting for the RSVPs to come in and then try to get them on the chart. You will want to wait to make escort and/or place cards until all your RSVPs are accounted for so you don't have to re-print cards if things change, but starting on the seating chart now is a great idea.
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