RSVPs are useful for so many reasons. Yes, they let you know which of your guests will and won’t be attending your wedding, but RSVP cards or digital invitations help you give an accurate meal count to your vendors, enable you to create table assignments, and can even tell you where guests are staying and which peripheral wedding events they’ll be attending. This means not receiving all of your RSVP can cause a huge headache.

Here are some methods for you to remind your guests to RSVP.

Put it on your wedding website

Your wedding website is a digital hub where all of the details about your big day will live and tell your guests  everything they need to know – including RSVP details. If you want to give your friends and relatives a reminder that the RSVP deadline is coming up, think about adding it to your homepage or bolding the information on your FAQ page. Keep in mind that this is the most subtle approach, so you may want to double down and opt for one of the other suggestions, too.

Set Automated Reminders

If you’ve opted for digital invitations, you can also track your responses and set automated reminders that can gently follow up guests on your behalf! This takes away any emotion or awkwardness, while also saving you a bunch of time and stress. Chances are, a gentle reminder is all that’s needed to snap your guests into action.

Send Out reminders Through text

While this may be the easiest way, it’s certainly not the best way for all of your guests. Reserve the text message for your closer friends and family.

Send Out Emails

You can keep things digital and send out emails to all of your guests who have yet to RSVP. You don’t have to write out a lengthy letter to remind your guests to RSVP to your wedding, simply a short reminder along with a link to your RSVP page (if you’re handling your guest list online).

Phone Call

Not the most practical method but for close friends, family, and loved ones who don’t use the Internet, a phone call can also be used to remind your more closer invitees to RSVP.

In Person

Use the in-person method when you happen to run into someone. I wouldn’t recommend setting an in-person appointment with someone to figure out if they’re coming to your wedding or not.

Social Media

Use social media at your discretion. If you have a close friend or family member who you regularly communicate with via Instagram or Facebook Messenger, then that would be an acceptable way to remind them to send in their RSVP. 

If They Still Dont Respond

If you have now done everything in your power to let your potential guest know that you need an answer and they still haven’t respond by the later date you have set for them, you can totally cross them from the list and move on.

Unexpected Guests

Even if you never heard from them, there’s still that chance that a guest or Party may decide to drop in unannounced. Plan for a couple unexpected guests who, for whatever reason, didn’t RSVP. You are certainly justified for wanting to let them know that just ‘showing up’ is an inconsiderate gesture – but why not save that for a dinner date and a laugh later, instead of during the reception?

Final Advice

Etiquette says that invitations should be sent eight weeks before the wedding. That gives four to five weeks to respond, so you can make your RSVP date three to four weeks before the wedding. The timing is crucial—if you give guests more time than that, it’s likely the invitation will get put aside in the “things to deal with later” pile. If it doesn’t seem urgent that they RSVP, they won’t. But less time than that won’t give you time to track down the delinquent guests, or time to give a final number to your caterer by their deadline.