RSVP @ Your Own Risk

Tina here

Wedding RSVP cards play an important role in planning for the big day.  It helps the bride and groom know who plans to attend their wedding, and how many guests in that family or party are to attend.  And not only that, but the response card may include what the guest has checked off as their choice of entrée.

But why is there such a lack of people who RSVP?  Whether it’d be for a birthday party, baby shower, and yes, even your weddings get ducked out by RSVP notices. People say it’s rude and inconsiderate to those planning the event. In some other cases, it might be that a guest(s) can’t commit to that day, or they’ve misplaced the invitation and RSVP card. Alright, understandable. And for some, it just may be the lack of knowledge of even knowing or understanding what RSVP stands for (like me, who did her own research as curiosity struck when I once received an invitation years ago).  So for your convenience, here’s a little schooling session for ya:

According to MyWeddingPlanningTips, RSVP stands for the French phrase “Répondez s’il vous plait”, meaning “respond if you please”.  Plain and simple, right?

According to About.com, response cards weren’t part of an invitation. Once an invitation was received, it was up to the receiver to jot their response on their own stationery of whether or not they’ll be able to attend and include a congratulatory note while they’re at it.  Back then, it was probably just a few cents for postage (today from USPS: First-class stamp = $0.44; Postcard Stamp = $0.28). 

It's ok, I'm not pointing any fingers.  But don't act like you never failed to send in a response card before it's due date, at least to one invite.  I’ll admit that I’ve been guilty for forgetting to RSVP in a timely manner.  But as I was prepping my wedding guest list a couple years ago, I totally understood why it was so essential to receive these RSVP cards.

Let’s face it, sometimes we all get lazy, but just think how much it’ll help the couple keep track of who is attending or not. Let’s do our part to make that easier for them as they plan for their special day.

And brides, don’t let this stress you out in any way. Keep it easy and minimal, and don’t forget to pre-stamp the response cards. Happy Planning~