When Should RSVP Be Due For Wedding

You must know when should RSVP be due for wedding, which is three weeks before the wedding day. And as a guest, it’s best to reply as soon as possible. 

We will discuss the RSVP etiquette in more detail below, including how to remind your guests if they still haven’t responded to the RSVP. You should also check how early is too early for wedding invitations to know the best time to send your wedding invites. 

When Should Rsvp Be Due For Wedding

 

When Should Wedding RSVPs Be Due

The wedding RSVP due date should be two to three weeks before the wedding day. This will help you get a definite number of guests for the event to know how you’ll make the seating arrangement and also give the caterer a headcount. 

As a wedding guest, please respond to the RSVP as soon as possible. It wouldn’t look good if the couple had to track you for an answer because they are probably already overwhelmed with other wedding preparations. 

Speaking of preparations, here are the questions to ask when planning a wedding to avoid any hassles. 

 

How much time should you allow for wedding RSVPs before following up?

You can give the guests four to five weeks to RSVP, assuming that you’ve sent the invitations six or eight weeks before the wedding. This way, the people can finalize if they can attend, especially with schedules and travel arrangements. 

However, your RSVP deadline should be two to three weeks or two to four weeks before the wedding for your convenience. If it’s only two weeks before the wedding and you still receive no response from certain guests, it’s time to follow them up. 

 

When should RSVP be due for the destination wedding?

The RSVP deadline for a destination wedding should be two months before the wedding date. The deadline is earlier than a wedding that won’t require an extended travel duration to give way to the flights and accommodation arrangements. 

The guests will have enough time to plan for the trip, and if the couple shoulder the costs of the travel and accommodation, they can prepare their budget much better. If you’re having a destination wedding, read what to include in a destination wedding invitation to inform your guests effectively.  

 

How To Remind Guests to RSVP 

Do you need to give guests a grace period before asking them for their RSVP? Then, if it’s less than two weeks before the wedding, you can forget about the grace period and start contacting the guests who haven’t responded yourself. 

This will prevent any potential issues with the headcount, especially with the catering and other elements in the wedding where you must know who and how many will attend. As soon as the two to three weeks of the deadline before the wedding pass, you can start asking people regarding the RSVP.  

 

What do you do when guests don’t RSVP?

But what do you say to people who didn’t RSVP? There’s no need to sound aggressive and annoyed, as you’ll get a better response if you’re gentle when talking to your guests.

Ask them first if they received the wedding invitation, then confirm if they’re attending since you haven’t heard from them. They might’ve forgotten about it, or they’re still unsure, so give them a deadline for their decision within 24 hours, or else they’d be counted out because you need the final guest number for the wedding vendors.

Again, be careful with your wording to avoid unnecessary tension with people and stress on your wedding. The guests will most likely understand why you need their response quickly, but it’s acceptable if you consider them not coming if they didn’t answer after you go out of your way to ask them. 

 

How Does Wedding RSVP Work?

RSVP is an abbreviation for the French phrase, “Répondez s’il vous plaît.” It means to respond if you please, and it’s often a part of the wedding invitation to help the couple know which guests are coming to anticipate the number of people who’ll attend. 

The wedding invitation typically has a special RSVP section or a separate card that the guest will send back to the couple. It will also have other details like the name of the invited person’s plus one and meal options for the guest (e.g., what’s the meal preference of the guest.)

Some couples might also just put their mailing address or email address where you can respond, ideally as soon as possible or three weeks before the wedding. RSVP is essential to finalize the guest list when talking with wedding vendors and preparing their budgets. 

 

How do you politely cancel an RSVP?

Sometimes, an unforeseen circumstance may require your plans of attending the wedding to change. However, if you’ve already responded to the RSVP you’ll attend, you need to reach out to the couple. 

Explain your reason well because they might’ve already made arrangements for you. And if they haven’t, it would help the couple not count an extra head early on.  

 

Conclusion

And that’s it! We learned when should RSVP be due for wedding, and it should be two to three weeks before the wedding day. 

For destination weddings, the RSVP due date should even be much earlier at two months before the wedding. It’s essential to set a deadline for the RSVP to give the final guest number to your wedding vendors early and know your expected expenses.

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