Disney Bride Stephanie M is planning a Walt Disney World wedding at the Wedding Pavilion and California Grill for July 2018.
One of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding is seeing the RSVPs start to return. While the big day is truly all about starting a life together with that special someone, there is also something nice about sharing that moment with the people you care most about, letting them partake in the payoff of all the months of hard work and preparation (we didn’t work to drop those last few stubborn pounds for nothing, right?).
Unfortunately, the joy of returned RSVPs also opens us up to the stress that is waiting for the RSVPs that just won’t come!
While you might be carefully trying to finalize guest counts, calibrating seat arrangements, putting together guest favors, and/or figuring out just how the budget is coming along; your guests are living their lives and missing out on all the behind the scenes magic. While you’re praying for any sign of whether or not you’ll be feeding them at your wedding, they’re “meaning” to get your RSVP back to you….eventually.
It’s nobody’s fault. It’s simply a collision of misaligned expectations. You want to plow ahead with your wedding and prep. They know they still have another month or so until the RSVP due date.
To save you the heartache of wait, here are a few tips to help with those RSVP blues.
Tips & Tricks for Getting Your RSVP Cards Back Quick
- Getting Your Guests Thinking Early (Save the Dates):
While some might see “Save the Date” cards as a waste of paper, they really serve a plethora of functions. It’s another exciting way to announce your engagement and upcoming nuptials. Your future guests may also appreciate the chance to consider their schedules and availability. It’s easier to arrange trips, time off, etc. with a few extra months of planning time. Most importantly for this article though, that extra planning time also means they’ll have a pretty good idea of whether or not they’re attending your wedding by the time the official invite comes along.
- Set an RSVP Deadline that you’ll be happy with:
We can’t expect everyone to respond the second they receive their invite, so setting a reasonable RSVP deadline is especially important. You want to give your guests enough time to respond, but not so much time that you drive yourself crazy waiting around for their answer or wondering when/if you’ll ever hear back. Our recommendation? Give your guests about a month to answer. We gave two months and that felt like one month too long (for Steph’s anxiety).
- Make the RSVP Process as Simple as Possible:
It might be a little more costly, but if your return envelopes already have postage attached, it makes life easier for everyone. Your guest won’t have to track down postage or more realistically, keep forgetting about postage until crunch time. With a stamp already affixed, the process becomes as easy as a quick check “yes” or “no” and sticking the envelope back in the mailbox. Another way to make things easy is to provide the option to RSVP online. While some people are better with concrete actions, others prefer to make a few clicks. Most of your potential guests will be visiting your wedding website already, so why not leave an RSVP link there too?
- The Gentle Nudge
Nobody wants you to constantly badger them about your wedding invite. As tempting as it may be, there is no need to call three day after you’ve sent out your invites, asking if everyone has received it, and if they’ve made a decision yet. However, as you encounter people naturally (as one is likely to do with friends and family), it’s okay to drop gentle reminders. Your wedding planning will probably come up, so that’s a good opportunity to gauge people’s availability. It’s only as the final deadline really approaches that you should start dropping not so subtle hints, but even then you want to stay calm and polite. Don’t forget, you invited these people for a reason. Don’t scare them off by letting your wedding crazy show too much.
- Be Patient and Remember What Your Special Day is Really All About:
Unfortunately, no matter what you do, there is still a good chance there will be guests that wait until the last minute to confirm their attendance. Honestly, you might have a few people who alter their availability a few times leading up to your wedding day. Take a deep breath. Relax. Patience builds character.
Really though, no matter how excruciating waiting might be, remember that whether you’re surrounded by everyone you’ve ever met, including that cousin you didn’t even remember having, or whether it’s just you and your betrothed, your wedding day is YOUR WEDDING DAY! No matter what happens, you’re starting your life with the one person you love the most and you can’t top that!
