When it comes to your big day, no detail is too small. Right from dress and decoration to catering, every aspect is essential and important. However, if there’s one element of weddings that is always overlooked, it’s the RSVP. Make no mistake, the number of guests attending impacts your wedding highly. So, be it a traditional printed wedding card or an online wedding invitation, it is essential that you understand how RSVPs work. Read on to learn why they should be on top of your to-do list.
What is RSVP, and why is it important in weddings?
RSVP stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît,” which is French for “please reply.” In the wedding context, it means asking your guests to let you know whether or not they will attend your wedding.
Wedding RSVP is crucial for several reasons:
1. It gives you the total headcount necessary to make arrangements for food, drink, seating, and more
2. You can personalize the guest experience by learning their meal preferences or special requests
3. Importantly, you can calculate the overall cost and stay within your budget
Yes, RSVPs can save you from last-minute surprises or setbacks. Trust us, when your guests bring unexpected guests of their own, food, drinks, or chairs are the last thing you wanna run short of.
What are the various RSVP options?
Wedding response cards – These are sent along with the traditional printed wedding invitation, with their own envelope printed with your postal address. Guests fill in their attendance and dietary preferences, if any, and post them back to you.
Phone – This is when you designate someone for RSVP management and mention his name and the number on the wedding card. The person effectively tracks and updates the planning team on the confirmations and declines.
E-mail – Alternatively, create an email address to consolidate all RSVPs in one place. The person designated to track confirmations and declines will keep the planning team updated on the total guest count.
Digital RSVPs – This one’s the easiest. In your online wedding invitation video, mention the RSVP link provided on the wedding website or event management website. Top wedding video invitation maker, such as Selfanimate, allows you to customize wedding cards easily without prior video editing experience. Just browse through our curated collection of editable wedding video invitations, select an invitation video template you like, edit it with photos, wedding details, and music, and of course, add the RSVP details. Create a special video invite for your wedding in just a few minutes.
Check out the Selfanimate wedding invitation video templates and the RSVP section of the online wedding invitation.
Advantages of RSVP in an online wedding invitation
1. Online RSVP in the wedding invite video, where you provide a name and phone number, enables guests to respond with their confirmation immediately.
2. Selfanimate, as part of our customization services, offers an interactive RSVP feature in the wedding video invite. With the touch of a finger, the guest can click an RSVP button in the video and confirm their attendance without mailing a physical card or calling someone.
3. RSVP helps track who has responded and who hasn’t so that you can send follow-ups. It saves time and avoids stress related to manual tracking.
4. With the accurate number of guests, you can plan budget allocation & management and avoid overspending.
5. Effectively manage the special needs of guests, including dietary preferences, accommodation, transportation arrangements, and seating. Plus, it’s eco-friendly too.
Elements to include in your wedding RSVP
To make the process efficient and effective, consider asking for these responses from guests:
• Guest name – Name of the guest(s) attending
• Guest name – Name of the guest(s) not attending, in case you need to know if someone important is missing your function
• Number of attendees from the family – total count
• Meal preferences – vegetarian/ non-vegetarian/ special diet
• RSVP deadline – clearly mention the deadline with methods of response (Online, e-mail, or phone)
• Sprinkle some fun on the big day – encourage guests to suggest fun wedding entertainment ideas. It makes them feel included, engaged and excited.
An important aspect here is to choose an invitation maker online that’s easy to navigate, edit and make your custom online wedding invitations. We at Sefanimate offer numerous user-friendly designs and themes, including floral, traditional, vintage, motif-based, caricature, and more, that you can edit in a breeze. While our standard templates allow you to mention RSVP phone numbers alone, you can include interactive wedding RSVP links when you opt for customization. It redirects you to RSVP portals or websites, where the responses are recorded and managed online.
Tips to encourage RSVP participation from guests
1. Set a clear deadline
2. Keep the RSVP process simple with clear instructions
3. Provide multiple options (online, phone, and email) to let guests choose a mode
4. Personalize your wedding invitation with a note or video message and mention how valuable their presence is to you
5. Announce early-bird prizes to those who reply early
Wrapping up
Most importantly, instead of having RSVP as a section in some corner, make it a noticeable part of your invitation that’s hard to ignore. So, choose Selfanimate templates that come with an RSVP built-in feature. Opt for customization if you wish to include more elements, such as online RSVP links or additional questions. It ensures you have an accurate headcount for budgeting and helps organize a well-planned & memorable day for everyone.
