How to collect wedding RSVPs (and get everyone to reply)
RSVPs decide the head count, the tables and the shuttle buses. Collecting them well is simple: a clear deadline, the right questions and one single place where replies arrive.
When to ask
Send the invitation, with the RSVP inside, two to three months before the wedding, and set the deadline four to six weeks before. That is the margin caterers and bus companies usually need to confirm numbers; if many guests are traveling from far away, move it earlier.
What to ask (and what not to)
Every extra question is a reason to put it off. The essentials:
- Whether they are coming, answered with one tap.
- Who they are coming with, with each companion’s name: a “+2” is no use for a seating chart.
- Each person’s meal, if there are options, and any allergies or intolerances.
- Whether they need the shuttle bus or will join the pre-wedding party, only if you have them.
Allergies are health data: only ask if the caterer will use them, and say why you are asking.
One single place to reply
If some guests reply on WhatsApp, others by phone and others through your mother, you will end up with three lists that don’t match. What works is one form inside the invitation: each guest answers for themselves and the reply is saved under their name, with nothing to copy out.
WhatsApp reminders without nagging
A week before the deadline, message only the people who haven’t replied. A short, personal message works better than one to the whole group: “Hi Marta, we still need your RSVP to confirm the catering. Are you coming? Here’s the invitation.” With the link right there, replying takes thirty seconds.
What to do with the replies
With RSVPs on a dashboard, the numbers add up on their own: confirmed guests, meals by type, allergies by name and bus seats. From there you seat each guest at a table and download the PDF each supplier is waiting for. See it working in the dashboard of a 200-guest wedding.
A clear deadline, four questions and one place to reply: that is how almost everyone answers the first time.
Start with the invitation
The RSVP lives inside the invitation, so the first step is creating it: here are the steps, and you can start now in the editor for free and without signing up. If you want to see how a guest receives it first, open the sample invitation.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should you ask for wedding RSVPs?
Usually the invitation goes out two to three months before, with an RSVP deadline four to six weeks before the wedding.
What do I do about guests who don’t reply?
A one-to-one WhatsApp reminder a week before the deadline. If they still don’t answer, call them: at that point it’s the quickest way.
Do companions have to reply separately?
No. Whoever replies adds each companion’s name, and each one appears on the dashboard with their meal and table.
How much does it cost to manage RSVPs?
Nothing. The invitation, the RSVP form and the dashboard to manage replies are free, with one invitation per account.
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