Thursday, October 31, 2013

{Wedding Planning 101} 5 Tips for More Punctual RSVPs

{Written By: Sofia Angeli, Photo Credit:  Gary Guy Photographer}

{Greetings!  Today we have a special treat as we introduce our guest blogger, Sofia Angeli!  We are pleased to inform you will be reading some blog posts from Sofia as she provides informative posts of wedding planning.  Enjoy!}

{Photo Credit:  Gary Guy Photographer}

One of the many challenging tasks in planning a wedding is getting your guests to RSVP on time. Getting invitations out to people you want in your wedding is difficult enough, but on top of that, you’ll find that many won’t bother to confirm their attendance or send their regrets.

Getting a late response or worse no response at all means the number of people attending may still change at the eleventh hour. And this signifies additional costs – last-minute orders of extra tables, favors, or even entourage apparel. To avoid this setback, you can improve the rate and timing of responses to your invitation by using the following guidelines:

1.  Send Invitations on Time
It’s the basic rule for any event to send invitations eight weeks in the advance. This allows guests to respond within 4-5 weeks, enough time for the host – in the case of a wedding, the couple – to prepare the final guest list 3-4 weeks before the event. This must not be taken lightly, because timing is crucial.

You might also want to think in terms of doing unto others what you want them to do unto you. Invite people in a timely and organized manner; and most, if not all, will notice it and will respond in the same way.

Keep in mind, too, if guests receive the invitation too early, the invite gets tossed into the “later” pile where it might not see the light of day again. In addition, less than eight weeks can be very challenging for you since not all guests can be easily tracked.

2.  Send Save the Date Notice for a Destination Wedding.
The rules may be slightly different, when it comes to weddings set outside the hometown.  It’s more advisable to send save-the-date cards or electronic messages about 9 months before the event. This will allow your wedding guests to clear their schedule, set their vacation leave, and avail of travel deals. The wedding invitation can be sent 4 months before the wedding with a response request 2 months in advance. If you are hosting your guests' airfare and accommodations, it would be fine to ask your guests personally if they can reply at the soonest possible time.

3.  Replace the term "RSVP"
Despite the term being widely used, there are still some people who don’t really know the meaning of “RSVP.” To make things clearer for everyone, you might want to simply write a polite request. For instance, you can just say “Please reply on or before {the date}” or “The favor of a response by {the date} is requested.”

4.  Make it Clear You Need Guests to Respond by a Specific Date
You will have guests who believe they only need to respond if they’re planning on attending, and don’t feel the need to inform you if they won’t be attending. You will also have guests who just don’t take the response date seriously. One way to counteract these misconceptions is to make the response date prominent. You can put it in a separate line right after the main details of the event. Do not put it in fine print or on the lower corner of the invite.

5.  Offer Alternative Ways to Respond
While Emily Post and other etiquette experts will argue there’s no room for online RSVPs, especially for a wedding, we find it more convenient.  We're not saying to not go the traditional route, but definitely offer some additional alternatives for guests to respond.. Your guests will agree with today's technology, it is easier and quicker to respond via email, wedding website and {gasp!} text!

For the purpose of receiving timely replies and having an organized event that will make you and your guests happy, go ahead and open channels like a Gmail account dedicated to your wedding invitation responses or a Facebook Event page.  You can also set up your own Wedding Website and have guests respond via your website to ensure you can keep track of all your responses.

If you’re worried about not getting your RSVPs on time, check out these guidelines. They’ll prove to be practical and effective in helping you complete your final guest list without any fuss. 

Happy Planning!

About the Author - Sofia Angeli is a PR & communications consultant for companies in various industries. In particular, she brings her writing skills and passion for travel, culture, arts and lifestyle, including wedding planning and engagement rings, to the online world.
 
www.daytoremember.net
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