Top Tips For Managing RSVPs
Image: Weddings By Martin S
Your date and venue is booked, it is an exciting time to be sending out your invitations and waiting for those RSVP's. Who is coming and who isn't! What may not be so exciting is managing all those RSVP's so here are a few tips to help you.
MAKE IT EASY FOR GUESTS TO REPLY
Your RSVPs will be designed to fit in with your wedding style. However they are designed, they should have a blank line for your guests names and a simple check box, I can, cannot attend your wedding. There are many fun ways to create these with humour thrown in (if you wish) so do spend time checking out a few ideas and personalise them to suit you. Include a self addressed stamped envelope to make it easy for your guests to pop the RSVP in the mail.
ADD A DEADLINE
Depending on the lead time for your wedding you will need to let your wedding planner and catering know the final guest count at least two weeks before your wedding. The sooner you have this information to hand the easy your wedding planning will be.
Ideally we always suggest with a year time line you should have most of your RSVP's back 3 months beforehand. This gives you time to plan your table seating arrangements and chase out any guests who haven't responded. Even if you are having informal catering they do still need to know how many plates, cutlery, napkins, etc to provide as well as food and drinks.
KEEP TRACK OF REPLIES
It is important to be organised and to stay on top of this. If you leave the RSVP's piling up, what was a small job will become a weekend's work of sorting through them!
The best way is to create an excel spreadsheet, if you have a wedding planner then they will be able to provide you one. A good RSVP excel sheet should have the clients name, date they replied, any food allergies they may have and a meal choice, if there is an option on your RSVP to select their meal. You may also wish to include a table number they will be assigned to, this will help you later when finalising your table seating plan.
CHASE OUT NON RESPONDERS
Don't despair, its probably rare that a couple or their family haven't had to chase out a few guests. Whether they are busy, just forgot or it is on their list to do, just pick up the phone and call them.
A CLEVER TIP
When you are sending out your RSVP's number them discreetly on the back and also assign this number to your guest list. If Mr Johnson let's say is Number 3 on your excel sheet, also write a small 3 on the back of the RSVP card. This way if someone forgets to fill in their name or you just can't fathom out their handwriting you know who that RSVP is from. Maybe try this with invisible ink so that guest doesn't see the discreet number.
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