So, you’ve worked through your wedding invitation wording, and now it’s time to choose your RSVP card wording. I’m going to break down each of these lines.
- Request Line
- RSVP Deadline
- Names
- Reply Options
- Optional Lines
1. Request Line
Just like on your invitation, this line asks your guests to do something.
We typically use,
The favor of a response is requested
If you used “honour” on your invitation, you’ll also want to use the word “favour” to stay consistent.
2. RSVP Deadline
Next, you’ll want to include your deadline for receiving RSVPs. Guests need this or they may forget and never respond. People need deadlines! To decide on a deadline, you should consult your other vendors (especially your caterer). I recommend no later than 4 weeks before your wedding. This will give you time to track down any missing responses and create your seating chart.
Just like on your invitation, spell out the date in word form. The year and day of the week don’t need to be included on your RSVP card.
For example,
by the twenty-eighth of May
3. Names
In order for you to know who is attending your wedding, your RSVP card wording needs to include a place for guests to fill in their names.
What’s the “M” for on RSVP cards anyway? This line is for your guests to fill in their names beginning with their titles.
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
However, some people are confused on how to fill out a wedding RSVP this way. So, some couples are going a little more modern by putting Name(s)____
Pro tip: Unfortunately, some guests will forget their names completely! Number your guest list and write in that number very small on the back of the RSVP card. You’ll thank me when guests forget to fill in their names.
4. Reply Options
Above all, your RSVP card wording needs to include a space for your guests to tell you whether or not they’re attending.
You can leave this section as simple as using “accepts” and “regrets”, but there are many other options. Typically, we like to use “happily accepts” and “regretfully decline”, or you can change it up completely with something like “can’t wait to celebrate” and “we will be there in spirit.”
5. Optional Lines
Number of guests attending – This can be helpful if you need to know who’s bringing a guest, or if you want to make it very clear how many people are invited from their household.
Here are a few examples of how to do this:
___ Number of guests attending
We have reserved ___ seat(s) in your honor *You fill this out before mailing
___ of ___ guest(s) attending *You fill out only the second space before mailing
Meal Choices – Keep your meal options simple. For example, use “Chicken”, “Steak”, “Fish”, etc. There’s no need to include detailed descriptions or sides because that gets too cluttered on such a small card. I recommend having your guests initial by their selection. This way, you’ll know exactly which guest wanted what.
Dietary Restrictions – You can include a line asking for dietary restrictions with or without including meal selections. This way, even if you’re having a buffet, you can accommodate anyone with an allergy. It’s great to be accommodating for your guests, but a lot of people will say this line is opening it up for guests to request things that are only preferences.
Online RSVP Card Wording
It’s becoming more and more common to ask for online RSVPs. You can keep this card pretty simple. The first two lines will be the same as a mail-in RSVP card.
Example wording:
The favor of a response is requested
by the twenty-eighth of May
via our wedding website
www.blakeandhannah.com
An RSVP card may be small, but it holds a lot of important information. Ultimately, include the info YOU need to get from your guests to make your wedding planning easier.