Wedding RSVP: Our Complete Guide to Invitation Responses

• Wedding RSVP
• What Does RSVP Stand For?
• What Does RSVP Mean?
• When Do You Send Out Wedding Invitations with RSVP?
• When Should Guests RSVP by for a Wedding
• When Should RSVP be Due for Wedding
• When Should RSVP Deadline be for Wedding in the UK and US
• When Should Guests RSVP by for a Destination Wedding
• Questions to Include in a Wedding RSVP
• How to Create a QR code for Wedding RSVP
• How to Ask People to RSVP & the Benefits of a Wedding Website
• Should You Include a Physical Wedding RSVP Card?
• What Percentage of Wedding Guests RSVP Yes
• Local Weddings Typically Have a Higher Attendance
• Destination Weddings Are More Exclusive
• A Large Guest List Sees Less Yes's
• An Intimate Wedding with Just Close Friends and Family
• Benefits of a Free Invitation and RSVP Tracker
• Summary

When Should Guests RSVP by for a Wedding

When considering how far in advance to set the RSVP deadline for your wedding, it's important to give guests time. Time to receive your invitation in the mail. Time to look over all the details you've provided. And time to make sure they are definitely free to attend. The last thing you want as the wedding date draws near is to be frantically calling multiple guests to chase up their RSVP status. Give loved one's time and they'll reply.

When Should RSVP be Due for Wedding

Assuming that you've sent out your invitations at least 8 weeks in advance, then it's reasonable to ask guests to reply within 4 weeks of the wedding date. Any later than 3 weeks and you'll really start to delay the final arrangements with certain vendors. Your seating chart should also be finalized way before the 3 week deadline to ensure guests are placed appropriately.

When Should RSVP Deadline be for Wedding in the UK and US

The RSVP deadline for UK weddings is the same as it is in the US and many other countries, around a month. 4 weeks should allow your guests enough time to consider and post back their replies, without impacting your schedule. If you are concerned about the tight timeline of your wedding preparations, or the reliability of certain guests... Provide an alternative to the traditional RSVP by including a QR link to your RSVP online. That way, they can instantly reply to your invitation and avoid a trip to the post office.

When Should Guests RSVP by for a Destination Wedding

If you intend to tie the knot on a beach in the Bahamas, or get hitched in a cute chapel in Northern Italy, you will need to know guest numbers a little more in advance than you would for a local celebration. A destination wedding is another scenario that would benefit from online wedding RSVPs, as time really is of the essence when getting married abroad. Collating information quickly and effectively online will help streamline wedding planning, and make coordination with your coordinator a lot easier. As they'll have deadlines themselves for when numbers need to received and signed off by.

Our rule of thumb would be to double the standard RSVP timeline and ask guests to RSVP within 8 weeks of the wedding date. That should allow all parties enough time to prepare themselves.

Design Your Custom Online RSVPs

Questions to Include in a Wedding RSVP

There is, of course, one critical question you need to include in your wedding RSVP - 'are you coming to our wedding?!'. But there are lots of other useful things you could quiz guests about before the big day. For instance, if you're offering guests the option to bring a plus one, you could ask for the name of their guest, or guests. That way you'll have a final guest count early and be better prepared when creating your seating chart.

It's not typical for every guest to be able to bring a plus one, and this can prove awkward during the invitation process. To help avoid any anxiety around that subject area, our RSVP tool gives you the option to only show certain guests, certain questions. Ideal if you know some friends and family members will likely feel excluded.

Your catering team may also need to know the precise number of entrée plates to prepare, and whether any of your guests have allergies or intolerances to certain ingredients. Using an online RSVP form such as ours to request this type of information, is often a lot quicker and easier for guests to use over scribbling on paper and pen. Plus, you get the details you need straight away, and avoid anxiously waiting around the mailbox each morning!

It's wise to also ask guests for their contact details, just in case plans change or someone has to be contacted in an emergency. Guests' email addresses and phone numbers are usually enough, but you could ask for their postal addresses too. Especially if you would like to send something more formal in the mail or a thank-you card following the celebration.

Not every word on your RSVP needs to be formal, or included to obtain necessary logistical information. Online RSVPs and posted invitations can also be fun! Our favorite invites are the ones that infuse personality into them and get guests excited about the celebration to come. And your RSVP is a great place to do that.

Why not get some requests for the DJ? Or ask for quotes to include in the vows or wedding aesthetic. Perhaps some wedding or marriage advice from your loved ones would be cute too? If you'd rather not get too mushy before the big day, why not just ask your guests if they're ready to party?! Injecting fun into a semiformal invitation isn't always easy. But it's good to help guests feel like they're part of an occasion, rather than just a spectator. Our RSVP tool is so easy to use that even your less than tech-savvy guests will not struggle to answer whichever fun questions or requests you pose.

When you open your wedding website for the first time, you'll find we've already laid out a few of the most popular RSVP questions for you. Making it so straightforward to start gathering responses online. But the best part about using our platform for RSVPs is that you don't need to manually keep track of responses. As your guest list is automatically updated with all the information your guests provide. All you have to do is accept their RSVP when it arrives in your inbox, the rest is done for you.

How to Create a QR code for Wedding RSVP

The majority of your guests likely live on their phones and would find the idea of travelling to their local post office a bit of a chore. By adding a QR code to your save the dates and/or wedding invitations, you're ensuring that everyone can confirm their attendance conveniently on their phone.

Create your wedding website with us, and you'll be given a free QR code link to your site. A unique link that takes guests straight to your wedding website where they'll find not only your RSVP, but also any other information about your wedding you'd like guests to know. Your QR code can be instantly downloaded in various formats and easily sent to your wedding stationer, or invite designer.

How to Ask People to RSVP & the Benefits of a Wedding Website

With all the will, planning and deadlines in the world, some guests will not reply on time. You probably know which ones won't be prompt before even mailing their invitation suite...! The best way to deal with these types of guests is to make things as clear as possible. Place your RSVP deadline clearly on your wedding stationery or online RSVP form and give them an incentive to reply. Meal choice is the best example, as 99.9% of guests would rather choose what they're going to eat on the big day, rather than be given whatever is leftover! Song requests also offer a fun way to incentivize guests to kindly reply, while also helping them feel part of the celebration.

Taking wedding RSVPs online is also a good way of ensuring all bases are covered. By giving guests the choice to rapidly accept or decline your invitation via an online RSVP form, such as ours, you're avoiding the procrastination and avoidance many younger guests will likely display when faced with a paper RSVP. In a couple of clicks they can respond to your RSVP on your wedding website, and you'll be instantly informed of their availability via email notification. Along with meal choices, allergies and any other information you've chosen to request.

A handful of guests will still need a nudge to reply on time, or even before the big day. The best way to do that is with a simple, personalized reminder. Our guest list manager allows you to quickly download guest information, filtered to display just the details you require for RSVP reminders. Whether that's phone, email, or social media handle. Whichever communication method you know certain guests will respond best to.

Don't feel like you have to wait until the deadline has passed before sending out reminders. Feel free to contact guests with a low-pressure reminder in the weeks leading up to the deadline, just to let them know there are a couple of weeks left on the clock.

If guests do miss the deadline, then you will need to be a little firmer in your communications. Remind loved ones that your caterer needs a final headcount, or that your venue requires a complete list for safety reasons. Most will claim that their RSVP got lost in the mail and, if given the option, will use your wedding website to RSVP almost instantly. If not, and they do not respond after a couple of days, give them a call. Avoid sending a text as they can be missed, avoided or misinterpreted. An actual conversation on the phone, or even better, in person, will always feel more personal than an SMS or snail mail.

Get Started with Online RSVPs

Should You Include a Physical Wedding RSVP Card?

If you've set up a URL for your guests to RSVP on, and you're 100% confident that everyone is capable of using an online form, then don't include a postage reply option. Grandparents and older relatives are typically pretty good with technology these days, and our online RSVP form is so easy to use, it's difficult to imagine anyone struggling. But, if you are concerned about one or two 'technophobes', include a line on your invitation about replying by phone. That way grandma doesn't have to fret about going online, and you get to have a catch-up call with her! Win-win.

What Percentage of Wedding Guests RSVP Yes

The percentage of your wedding guests that'll RSVP with a 'yes' really depends on the size and location of the event. Not to mention the relationship your guests have with you. Our general rule of thumb is that about 70-85% of invited guests typically RSVP 'yes' to a wedding. But as we said, your wedding may differ depending on the factors below.

Local Weddings Typically Have a Higher Attendance

If most guests live nearby, the percentage of 'yes' RSVPs tends to be higher, around 85-90%, compared to weddings that require travel plans.

Destination Weddings Are More Exclusive

As long-distance travel and accommodation is typically required for destination weddings, the percentage of yes RSVPs is usually lower, often around 60-70%. Which is sad, as many guests would love to celebrate with you, but just can't. But on the flip side, having less guests creates more of an intimate, exclusive atmosphere. As all the guests present will have made a really made an effort to be there.

A Large Guest List Sees Less Yes's

When couples plan larger weddings, they tend to invite more distant acquaintances than those planning smaller celebrations. This often means that positive RSVPs are closer to 70-75%, as guests who do not know the couple well are generally less likely to attend.

An Intimate Wedding with Just Close Friends and Family

A guest list made up of primarily close friends and family will typically see a much higher percentage of 'yes' RSVPs than a larger affair. Above 90-95% depending on just how small the wedding is and the timing of the event.

So if you're looking for a 100% yes rate on your RSVPs, we'd suggest getting married locally and only inviting your very nearest and dearest!

Benefits of a Free Invitation and RSVP Tracker

One of the biggest challenges in event planning is juggling various tools for sending invitations and tracking responses. Our free invitation and rsvp tracker combines both tasks under one platform, reducing the hassle of switching between different services. When you use an online rsvp tracker, you’ll be able to gather guest replies in real time, making it easy to adjust your plans as needed. Opting for a free rsvp tracker ensures you don’t spend unnecessary funds on software, so you can allocate your budget to other aspects of the event. Ultimately, a reliable rsvp tracker keeps you organized and stress-free, ensuring that every detail of your event goes off without a hitch.

Summary

We hope our advice on what to include on your wedding RSVP has helped answer a few burning questions, and maybe inspired you to take your invitations online! We would love you to try out our free wedding website builder and start creating your own RSVP. You'll be amazed at how fast and easy the process is! Soon you'll be crafting the dream guest list using our intuitive tool and sharing your one-of-a-kind wedding website with all of them.

Every tool in our wedding planning suite is available completely free, with no sign up. So there's no reason why you can't start planning your celebration today!