Yes it’s fairly common, often up to one third of guests don’t reply on time, so here are a 5 pointers to prepare your RSVP to give you the best possible chance of reply.
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TIMING
Send invitations out 3-4 months from your wedding date, choose an RSVP date at least 6-8 weeks from the wedding day. If your vendor has given you a date they need information for, pad it an extra week to allow for late replies. It’s a balance - too much time to RSVP can mean your invitation being put aside for later, too short & you may end up putting pressure on your own wedding planning.
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MAKE THE RSVP DATE PROMINENT
If you’ve chosen to put your reply date on your details card, ensure it is clear to identify & we usually like to put it at the beginning to make sure it isn’t missed. Human nature is to remember the first & last things we read.
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WORDING
Sometimes guests & especially those that haven’t planned a wedding before, often don’t realise the importance of an RSVP on a timeline . Sharing the ‘why’ of why you need their reply confirmation can be helpful, for example “please promptly return your reply so that we can organise necessary buses & dietary requirements. We hope that you can join us!”Notice I used promptly there? A little stronger wording can also emphasis an action politely.
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MAKE IT EASY
By this I mean for you and them. Giving your guests an online option, whether it be a wedding email or website to RSVP to is convenient & time saving. At the back end, you’ll also find all of your rsvps in one place so you’re not having to flick between channels. If you want to stay traditional & send RSVP cards, make sure your envelopes are self addressed & stamps to make a reply easy.
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FOLLOW UP
Regardless of how hard you try there will always be a handful of guests you need to chase up, it is absolutely ok to to remind them. “Did you receive our invitation, we hope you can join us” or following up with “Hey, I’ve got to get a final head count to my caterer by Friday. Just wanted to check to see if you will be able to make it!” should be enough to get things moving.
Best of luck!
Much love,
Kim
Creative Director and Founder
Smitten With Love
Photography by Kate Roberge