Late RSVPs can be a major headache for couples planning their wedding, and it’s no secret that they’re one of the biggest time sucks during the lead-up to the big day.
Tracking down guests who are yet to respond to your wedding invitation takes up valuable time that could be better spent finalising crucial last-minute details. Understandably, you’ll want to avoid spending the weeks leading up to your big day chasing down RSVPs and feeling like a bridezilla!
RSVPs are helpful for many reasons beyond simply knowing who will and won’t be attending your wedding. RSVP cards provide an accurate meal count for your suppliers, allow you to create seating charts, and even inform you where guests are staying and which pre and post-wedding events they plan to attend.
If you’re finding it tricky to confirm RSVPs from your guests, don’t panic! With the help of our amazing invitations suppliers here at Easy Weddings, we’ve compiled some tried and tested tips to dramatically improve your response rate, so you can get the information you need without losing your sanity.
Here are six tips to help your wedding guests RSVP on time and ensure your wedding planning runs smoothly:
Tip #1: Give a clear and early RSVP date.
If you need to confirm guest numbers by a specific deadline, be super clear in the wording on your invitations or wedding website. Make the RSVP date obvious, and politely mention that you are unable to cater for late responses!
Australia-wide stationery supplier Mila & May recommends collecting RSVPs one to two months out from the wedding date. This gives you plenty of time to chase up those final responses (there are always guests who forget!) and enough time to order your on-the-day stationery like personalised menus, seating charts, and place cards.
Tip #2: Keep things simple and convenient.
To ensure your guests RSVP on time, you’ll want to provide clear and straightforward instructions about how and when they should respond. According to Perth-based Paper & Ink Studio, using a wedding website to collect RSVPs is easier for tech-savvy guests. If you opt for the traditional snail mail route, remember to pop a postage stamp on the return envelope, so they can easily post the RSVP card back to you.
Tip #3: Go digital!
Setting up a wedding website and including a QR code in your invitation suite should improve the response rate significantly, as guests can easily RSVP online. Once they scan the QR code, guests will be taken to your wedding website, where they can RSVP and provide dietary requests. State of Reverie designs beautiful invitation suites and e-invites and can also create a custom wedding website to match your stationery.
“The easiest way to stay on top of RSVPs is to set up a wedding website — this makes it really straightforward to keep track of everyone’s responses. You can also use the online form to ask about dietary requirements, whether guests need help getting to the venue, and even what song will get them on the dancefloor!” — State of Reverie.
Tip #4: Track guest responses using a spreadsheet or planning app.
Being organised will save you a major headache as your wedding date approaches, so it’s a good idea to create a spreadsheet or use a handy planning app to keep track of RSVP responses. In case you didn’t already know, we have an amazing all-in-one wedding planning app that’s super easy to use and has a built-in guest list tracker.
“Some wedding websites will allow you to export RSVP data straight from the website form, which is really handy,” explains Mila & May. “Alternatively, if you are collecting RSVPs via text or email, you’ll want a straightforward system to track who you’ve received responses from, dietary requirements, etc. Create a big spreadsheet with everyone’s names ahead of time, and tick them off as you receive responses.”
Manage Your Guest ListTip #5: Allow extra time for final numbers.
No matter how easy you make it for your guests to RSVP to your wedding, there will always be people to chase up with. Paper & Ink Studio recommends allowing yourself an extra buffer of one to two weeks to do this. If your venue needs final numbers for catering purposes three weeks out from the wedding, your RSVP cut-off date for guests would be four to five weeks before the big day.
Tip #6: Personalise your invitations.
Lastly, one of our favourite hacks to make your guests excited about RSVPing is personalisation. By putting your own spin on the wording, inclusions, and overall design of your invitations and wedding website, you’ll capture the attention of your guests, and they’ll feel more inclined to respond on time. Inject some fun, humour, and personality into your RSVPs by using playful wording, question prompts like song requests, and cheeky reminders!
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