RSVP wording by wedding type
Pick the kind of day you are having. You will get a reply card, a reminder and a date, written for that wedding only.
The reply for one kind of wedding: the invitation line, the card, a reminder to send after the date, and what to leave off. The date itself comes from the caterer's headcount deadline, not from a round number.
The host line lives in wedding invitation wording. Set the date with the RSVP deadline calculator. Timing is in when to send invitations.
traditionalTraditional wedding RSVP wording you can copyA formal reply card asks who is coming, and nothing else. The date sits about ten days before your caterer's deadline.
casualCasual wedding RSVP wording you can copyA relaxed wedding still needs a date and one place to reply. Plain sentences beat a joke that guests have to decode.
destinationDestination wedding RSVP wording you can copyGuests need more time, and you need names for rooms as well as meals. The reply date sits earlier than a local wedding.
adults-onlyAdults-only wedding RSVP wording you can copyThe names on the envelope are the guest list. The reply card should not reopen a decision you already made.
backyardBackyard wedding RSVP wording you can copyA home wedding still has a headcount, parking and a lawn that can only hold so many chairs. The reply should collect what the garden needs.
courthouseCourthouse wedding RSVP wording you can copyA short guest list and a tight room. Name every person, and do not leave a blank for extras.
brunchBrunch wedding RSVP wording you can copyA daytime wedding changes the meal line, not the need for a date. Ask what people eat, not how late they will stay.
eveningEvening wedding RSVP wording you can copyWhen some guests are invited to the ceremony and others only to the evening, the reply has to say which invitation they hold.
cocktailCocktail reception RSVP wording you can copyStanding food and a bar still need a headcount. The card should not promise a seated dinner you are not serving.
plus-onePlus-one wedding RSVP wording you can copyIf you offered a guest, ask for that person's name. A plus-one without a name becomes a place card problem later.
named guests onlyNamed-guest RSVP wording, with no plus-oneThe envelope is the guest list. The reply card should not include a blank that invites a second name.
kids welcomeKids-welcome wedding RSVP wording you can copyIf children are invited, ask how many will come, and whether they need a meal. A high chair is a seat in the headcount.
bilingualBilingual wedding RSVP wording you can copyTwo languages, one date, one meaning. Repeat the reply lines, do not mix them into a single sentence guests have to parse.
websiteWedding website RSVP wording you can copyA printed date plus one link is clearer than a QR code with no sentence. Say what happens when they open it.
postcardPostcard RSVP wording you can copyOne side is the address, the other is the reply. There is no envelope to hide a long questionnaire in, so keep it to a name, a yes or no and a date.
rehearsal dinnerRehearsal dinner RSVP wording you can copyA smaller list, an earlier night, and often a different host. The reply should not look like the wedding card.
Yes, I Do
Every guest, every reply
Paste a list from anywhere and it becomes names. Replies, plus-ones, dietary notes and tables stay in one place, for both of you.
