What Information Goes on the RSVP Cards?

Make sure you have everything you need to know from your guests.

Few things are more important than the invitation suite during the lead-up to your wedding, and the RSVP card itself is most important as it leads to your guest list.

By Emily Lasnier

tahoe-wedding-with-pine-trees-painted-on-forest-inspired-invitation-suite
Photo: Sallee Photography

Few things are more important than the invitation suite during the lead-up to your wedding. If done incorrectly, there can be tremendous amounts of difficulty in organizing your guest list for the big day. Worse yet, your friends and family could misunderstand the information you’ve provided and wind up being inconvenienced. This is why the RSVP card is so important – it may be the only piece of correspondence you receive from a guest about your nuptials. It’s also how to keep track of your attendance count, which is crucial for your venue and caterer. Responses should be in three to four weeks before the wedding; as you should send your invitations six to eight weeks prior, this gives everyone time to confirm their schedules. It’s also important and proper to include a pre-addressed envelope with a stamp – invitees should not have to address the envelope or provide postage.

What other information should be on an RSVP card? Find out below. 

-   Open with a request for a response. Options can be as simple as “Kindly Reply” or as formal as “The honor of your presence is requested.”
-   It may be obvious, but be sure to have a spot for guests to accept or decline! This can be worded as friendly or formally as you’d like, although it should be consistent with the formality of the event and the rest of the invitation suite.
-   Include a space for guest names, as you may not know who the plus one is, and there’s always the chance that not everyone in a household can make it. Start with “M” and a blank line for a traditional look as it works for most prefixes, or simply have a space after “Name(s).”
-   Of course you will need to enclose the deadline to send in the response; otherwise you may not get them in time.
-   If you are having a sit-down meal, list the culinary choices so the guests may indicate their preference.
-   It is especially considerate to include a section asking for allergy information or other food restrictions.
-   For fun, you may want to include a section where people can make a song request, or something similar.
-   You may want to include a space to mark attendance for other events, such as the rehearsal dinner, welcome party, or morning-after brunch.

Learn the dos and don'ts of wedding invitations, get wedding invitation wording examples, and find out what information goes on the save the date. 

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