When should your RSVP deadline be? Is there an easy wedding rsvp date calculator to use? Good news: we’re sharing everything you need to know in this blog post including exactly when guests should rsvp by for a wedding. Read on for more and subscribe now for the latest to your inbox!
How soon before wedding should guests RSVP? This is a frequently asked question and a great one to know BEFORE you order invitations. One of the essential wedding invitation parts is the RSVP card. You cannot overlook an RSVP (aka response) card. A classic RSVP card looks something like this:
You can do RSVP cards by mail (in your invitation assembly) or encourage guests to respond online via your wedding website with RSVP online.
The RSVP card — which stands for Repondez, s’il vous plaît in French and means Respond please — is how guests inform you whether or not they can attend your wedding day. An RSVP card confirms a guest’s attendance. The card can also indicate which meal he or she would like, depending on if your catering is set up for individual entrees.
Multiple Event RSVP Cards
Some RSVP cards are now set up as multiple-event responses, so you can see if guests are able to attend other pre-wedding events. (Good idea!) These multi-event RSVP cards are especially helpful when figuring out when guests should RSVP to a destination wedding. If you’re planning a welcome event, cocktail hour, a goodbye brunch, etc., this is the type of card to use for your wedding rsvps.
RSVP on Wedding Website
If you’re collecting RSVPs on your wedding website, you’ll use a card like this:
Standard RSVP for Wedding
The RSVP for a wedding is a very important timeline to follow. Why? Today we’ll tell you why the RSVP date for a wedding matters, what you need to do as soon as you receive the response cards, and exactly when guests should RSVP by for a wedding with an RSVP date calculator.
Let’s get started!
Although it seems simple, making sure you follow a proper wedding RSVP date calculator is important for the flow of your final wedding planning tasks. Here’s why making sure guests respond to a wedding on time is important. You’ll have a headcount — the number of expected guests — which will tell you how much you need for the following.
1. Food
Once you reach the wedding RSVP date, you’ll have an accurate headcount for your wedding. This is the number you’ll give to your caterer so he or she can ensure they have the proper amount of food, drinks, and desserts for your guests.
2. Favors
If you underestimated the number of wedding favors, now is the time to get additional favors, if needed, to have enough for all guests.
3. Ceremony Programs
If you expected fewer guests to attend the wedding, perhaps you didn’t order enough ceremony programs. Now is a great time to order a handful more!
4. Seating Arrangement
Now is the time to create your seating chart for the reception. Figure out where to seat guests and at which tables; write these down because you’ll be using the table numbers and names for the next point: place cards, escort cards, or a seating chart.
4. Place Cards / Escort Cards / Seating Chart
If you’re having place cards and/or escort cards, you’ll now have the names of confirmed guests. You’ll need to write their names (or have your place cards printed) ahead of the wedding day. Write names on escort cards with a table number (and place these cards at the entrance of your reception). Upon entry, a guest will find his or her name and see the table number in order to know where they should be seated.
If you’d like, use a seating chart instead of an escort card. This is a large sign that displays the tables in columns, alphabetically, so guests can easily find their name and table assignment.
(Not sure you want to assign seats? Watch and read this!)
Now that you know why guests should respond to a wedding by a certain date, and what that means for you, let’s discuss when wedding guests should RSVP.
When Should Guests RSVP By for a Wedding
As a rule of thumb, the RSVP date should occur between three to four weeks before the wedding date. Here’s an easy schedule to follow, in case you’re wondering!
Wedding RSVP Date Calculator
Wedding Date | RSVP Date Example
January | RSVP date should be in November or December
February | RSVP by date for wedding in December or mid-January
March | Late January to February
April | February to March
May | Late March to Mid-April
June | Late April to Mid-May
July | Late May to Early June
August | Mid-June to Early July
September | Late July to Early August
October | Mid-August to Early September
November | Late September to Early October
December | Mid-October to Late November
See? It’s easy!
First things first: you’ll need RSVP cards with your invitations. You can browse beautiful response cards for invitations at Minted here.
Hope it helps!
xo
Emma
This is a sponsored post.
