What is an RSVP? Well, it’s a fancy abbreviation for the way you ask guests if they’re coming to your wedding or not. Usually, an RSVP card is mailed together with each invitation. After you send the mail, you only need to sit back and just wait for your prospective guests to reply. That’s pretty exciting, right?
The problem with sending RSVPs and invitations, however, is tracking and managing responses. Remember that it’s important to have an accurate final count for the number of guests so that you can keep things on track as you prepare for your big day. You have to provide the list to your venue organiser and caterer on time.
If you’re wondering how to track RSVPs for events, like a wedding, here are useful tips for you to ponder upon:
If you’re going to be using online RSVPs, you’ll have an efficient way of getting RSVPs back from guests. This will allow you to track the response of guests in your database, as well as enable you to know where the people who didn’t respond to your invitations ended up. Basically, online RSVPs go a long way in doing the heavy lifting when you need to track your guest count. Platforms for online invitations and RSVP tracking, like Greenvelope, have existing systems that you can use to see who’s coming and who’s not.
Also, the good thing about online RSVPs is that you can format them. That means you’ll have the freedom on how you want to design, manage, and organise your invites.
Using RSVP online services is a very good alternative to the traditional way of making and sending announcements and invites. The advantage of these services is that they’re very cost-effective and don’t require the host to be physically present at the guest’s place just to hand the invite in. Physically mailing the invites won’t also be necessary anymore. This helps cut down on expenses and make the whole event cost-effective.
Also, most of these online services are reliable because of their tracking systems. Therefore, if you’re planning to hold an event and you’re looking for an innovative way of announcing it, then, this option would be the best way to go.
Another way to track RSVPs effectively is to create a spreadsheet containing the contact information of all your invitees. The spreadsheet should also contain the date when each wedding invitation was sent. Most importantly, it should indicate whether or not each guest has already RSVPd.
If you’re not opting for an online RSVP system, then, it’s very important to have an RSVP tracking spreadsheet. It will help in keeping everything organized. Having a spreadsheet will also ensure that you’ve accounted for all guests. Of course, since it also contains delivery and deadline dates, you’ll know exactly who you should follow-up with when your set deadline passes.
If you want to track RSVPs correctly and effectively, sending out clear requests is very important. Firstly, try to avoid making your invitations too general and vague. There should always be some sort of clue as to what the theme of the event is and how many people are being invited. Next, make sure that the response cards include a blank line for the guest’s name. There should also be spaces where you can put ‘Will not attend’ or ‘Will attend’ boxes that guests can just check off.
Note that your request should also include the set response deadline. It’s also a good idea to include a pre-stamped, self-addressed envelope (if you’re not using online invites) so your guests won’t have any excuse for not dropping the response card back right away through the mail.
RSVP deadlines are important to manage and handle RSVP requests and attendance effectively. You have to set a deadline for when the RSVP should be received in order for guests to confirm their attendance. An RSVP deadline is typically set a few days before the event date to ensure that all attendees would respond well on time.
Keep in mind that it’s best to select a date that’s going to give you ample time for following up with individuals who haven’t RSVPd yet. Setting the correct deadline is essential because it will allow you to pass along an accurate number of guests to the appropriate vendors on time, especially to your catering company. The RSVP deadline you’ll choose shouldn’t put yourself under pressure.
A guest returning the response card without even writing their name is a frequent occurrence. Some even have illegible handwriting. One clever trick you can use to deal with this is to assign a number for each guest before mailing the invitations out. You can write the assigned number discreetly on the response card’s back. There are even invisible inks available that you can use when writing the numbers.
People who don’t respond after receiving an invitation will always be there. Whether their reason is rudeness, laziness, or forgetfulness, getting in touch with them is crucial once the original set deadline has already passed. Note that the higher the guest count you’re expecting your event to have, the more likely guests won’t RSVP on time. That being said, it’s important to follow-up with those who haven’t RSVPd.
Ideally, once it’s already past the deadline, text or call the guests who haven’t RSVPd yet immediately. Don’t wait for more than a day before following up with them. Tackle this situation with a follow-up plan. After the due date and a particular guest hasn’t RSVPd yet, will you send an email to them or text them? That should be made clear in your follow-up plan. The deadline extension should also be specified; be sure that follow-up times are accounted for as you choose your RSVP date.
There are several daunting tasks that one has to deal with when it comes to wedding planning. Some of them, of course, is tracking, collecting, and managing RSVPs. To receive a response, you have to hunt down some of your guests. If you get lucky, some will send the RSVPs in right away. Whether it’s a wedding that you’re organizing or any other event, the tips on how to track RSVPs discussed in this post should help you tackle the challenge efficiently.