The Art of Getting RSVPs
Collecting RSVPs can be one of the most stressful parts of the wedding planning process, but I promise you it doesn’t need to be! Today I’m going to give you some of my tried and true tips that I share with all my couples on how to most effectively collect RSVPs and finalize your wedding guest list easily.
First let’s cover why it even matters to collect RSVPs in the first place. Sending out RSVP cards is a great way to get a better idea ahead of time who will be attending your wedding. Once you know who will be coming you’ll be able to better determine wedding costs and communicate with your vendors about your needs. Here’s a fun fact for you – over 75% of wedding costs are directly proportional to the number of guests that will be attending! Thus if you have more guests, your wedding will cost more. Having a good guest count as soon as possible in the planning process will help you estimate a budget. If you’re looking to save money, a great place to start is by cutting down the guest list.
Now that we know why you should collect RSVPs, let’s cover your best options on how to do so. There are two main options for collecting RSVPs for a modern wedding.
OPTION 1 | ONLINE VIA A WEDDING WEBSITE
Two of my favorite options for an online RSVP are withjoy.com and theknot.com. This is a really simple option because you can enter the URL at the very bottom of your invite. Or you could even create a QR code on a separate card for guests to scan and fill out their RSVP. Online RSVPs are a very modern option and can be so much easier to track than paper cards, which can easily get lost. In the long run, an online RSVP will certainly be far more cost-effective than sending RSVP cards that need to be mailed back (I mean, imagine the postage costs alone!).
However, since this is a more modern way of conducting RSVPs, a lot of people might not have caught on to how to respond. Many people overlook a URL listing or just forget to RSVP since there isn’t a physical reminder that they need to respond to your invitation.
OPTION 2 | TRADITIONAL RSVP BY MAIL
I’m sure we’ve all seen a traditional RSVP card. They are often postcards you pre-address and stamp to your home, or a card and an envelope that is also addressed and stamped. Both options here are traditional and classy. A well-designed RSVP card can add an extra touch of elegance to your paper suite and really impress your guests when they receive your invitation.
On the flip side, some of your invited guests may lose the RSVP card before they’re able to send it in, not fill it out correctly, or it may get lost in the mail. On top of that, since you’re requiring more printed paper and stamps, the costs can add up quickly. And then, even if your guests respond in a timely manner and get the response in the mail, the card might get lost on its way to you! Ugh. But trust me, I’ve seen and heard it all.
So… what do we do?
With all of these pros and cons in mind, I want to share with you my four best tips for how to deal with guests who haven’t responded by your RSVP deadline.
Follow up 3-4 days after the RSVP deadline with unresponsive guests. Quickly communicate with them and ask them to kindly reply as soon as possible. I generally advise my couples to clearly set a final response deadline.
Start reaching out to unresponsive guests with texts or emails first, and follow up with a call if necessary. Hint: be sure to collect phone numbers from any guests you might not already have in your phonebook when you send invitations!
Create clear deadlines for yourself and your guests. Communicate well on your RSVP requirements that you will not accept any guest list changes after a certain date. More than likely somebody will ask for an exception, but try to limit those.
Once your final guest list date has arrived, send your numbers to your vendors as soon as possible! Double-check your numbers a few weeks before the wedding (remember, the exceptions) and send them to your vendors again.
Collecting RSVPs for your wedding is an essential part of the planning process but it does not need to take up all of your brain space. I promise you that together we can get your RSVPs done and move on to more fun aspects of planning your big day!
♥ The Everson Events Team