Is a response card necessary?
R.S.V.P.
With today's rising cost of weddings and the down turn in the economy everyone is looking for ways to save money. One of the areas that has come under review has been the use of a response card. The importance of the response card will depend on the event you are hosting and the type of invitation you have sent out. Certainly, in an event like a wedding, where you pay for the meal by the plate or by the head, you want to know as closely as possible so you are only paying for those guests that attend. There are ways however to cut the cost of the response card without eliminating it. The traditional response card is one that has it's own envelope and the return postage included. For this type of response a first class postage stamp is required.
Here, we have samples of traditional response cards that have an envelope. In both samples we provided the guests names. An alternative to the traditional card is to do a postcard size response card. The card size can be anything from a 5.0" x 3.5" card to maximum size of 4.25" x 6.0" card. These cards only require a postage rate stamp which is half the cost of the first class stamp. You also save because you eliminate the envelope. This response card has become the one of choice for most of our brides.
These response cards are postcards where the return address is printed on the reverse side. In these samples a line is provided for your guest to fill in their name or you can have the name inserted like the samples above. Another alternative is to have people respond via email. To date I have had only one person use this method but they were only serving cake so the numbers weren't as important to them. I don't have feedback to know how well it works but my biggest concern would be there is no way to remind someone to respond unless you have an email per guest or to call them. My other concern is there is a whole older generation out there that is not computer literate and won't know how to respond. It may end up being a lot more work trying to follow up with your guests. When someone has a visual such as a card they are more likely to remember to respond. Regardless of which method you use, you will still have guests that won't respond. In those cases it is completely etiquette to call them. A good way to approach them is to say, "We noticed we haven't received a response from you and would like to make sure you got the invitation. We want to make sure we include you in our festivities if your planning to attend." I hear all the time, but I don't feel right calling my guests. Including response information in your invite gives you the right to call and ask if they are attending. The success of your event will depend on how prepared you are and how well you figure what is needed, so don't hesitate to call. Most of your guests will be embarrassed that they forgot to response. On less formal invitations, it is acceptable to include a contact number or email response and a respond by date. Again, it is perfectly etiquette to call you invited guests if they haven't responded by the respond date.
repondez s'il vous plait
French for "please respond"