How to Ask Guests to RSVP on Invitations

Co-authored by Minoti Mehta

Last Updated: March 13, 2023 References

It can cost a great deal of time, money, and effort to throw that party you've been planning. Knowing how many people to expect at your event is an important part of being prepared.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Christina Millikin
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 11 February 2020.} But it can be difficult in today's age to get people to actually respond to an invitation with even a simple "yes" or "no."^{[2]
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Research source}^{[3]
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Research source} Even so, there are techniques you can use to improve your odds of getting the RSVPs you desire so your party can go off without a hitch.

Sample RSVP Cards

Sample Formal RSVP Card

Sample Informal RSVP Card

Sample Funny RSVP Card

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Sending an Invitation with an RSVP

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Remind your guests of the reason their response is important.^{[4]
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Research source} When an electronic invite shows up in your mail, it's easy to put it off until later or glance at it without realizing all the planning and effort that goes into a party.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Christina Millikin
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 11 February 2020.} You might communicate this to your guests by saying:
- To ensure there is enough food and drink for everyone, please send a response to this invitation.
- So that we can prepare seating for everyone in advance, please reply as to whether or not you can make our party.
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Arrange the information of your invitation clearly.^{[6]
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Research source} If there is too much text or confusing wording, your guest might misinterpret the purpose of your invitation. This may cause her to think you are only informing her of the event, and not requesting an RSVP. To keep your invitation to the point, you might:
- Limit your invitation to only necessary information, such as who is holding the event, what the event is for, where the event will be, when it will be, and why it is being held.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Christina Millikin
  Professional Event Planner
  Expert Interview. 11 February 2020.}
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Set a deadline for responses in your invitation.^{[10]
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Research source} Be sure you draw attention to the RSVP deadline on your invitation so that it can't be missed!^{[11]
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Expert Source

Christina Millikin
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 11 February 2020.} You may also want to use a "soft" deadline on your invitation, as it is common for a few stragglers to respond shortly after the deadline has passed. To draw attention to this information you might:
- Use an eye catching design to draw attention.
- Use all caps, italics, underlining, or special font.
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Verify your contact information.^{[12]
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Research source} A simple typo or outdated auto-fill settings in your web browser could result in you directing people to a surprise party at someone else's house! Check and double check your contact information before you send out your invitations.
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Emphasize "regrets only" RSVPs to prevent confusion. In many cases, a host or hostess might request the RSVP be returned only if a guest is unable to make the event. Be sure the words "RSVP regrets only" are prominent and clearly expressed so that no guest misunderstands the purpose of this kind of RSVP.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Ensuring Guest Responses

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Send invitations out well in advance.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Christina Millikin
Professional Event Planner
Expert Interview. 11 February 2020.} You might even consider sending out an email request for your guests to "save the date." This will improve the chances of your event making it into your partygoers calendars where they will be reminded of it whenever they check their schedules.
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Use strategic timing when sending out your invites.^{[14]
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Research source} This is especially useful when sending out electronic invitations. If you are sending e-vites to personal email accounts, you might wait until a weekday evening, when people are off work and more likely to see a "new email" notification.
- Sending an e-vite very early in the day or late at night is also a strategy to consider. This way, your invite will have a higher chance at being at the top of your guests inbox, making it more visible.
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Include multiple means for your guests to respond.^{[15]
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Research source} Some of your guest may be most comfortable communicating through email, while others might enjoy the convenience of a text response.^{[16]
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Research source} By considering your guest list and the media preferences of your guests, you'll improve chances of a response.
- For major events that use physical invitations sent by post, like weddings, anniversaries, and reunions, you may also want to include a return envelope with the RSVP you send.
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Prompt a response through scarcity. Studies have shown that human brains respond to perceived scarcity, and you can use this to your advantage.^{[17]
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Research source} On your invite, you may want to write:
- "Please respond so there isn't a shortage of cupcakes for your children."
- "Seating is limited in our home, so please RSVP so we can prepare to accommodate everyone at our party."
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Send a gift with your invitation. By including even a small gift with your invite, you can increase the rate at which your guests RSVP.^{[19]
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Research source} Your gift doesn't have to be extravagant for you to enjoy this effect. With a simple paper invitation you might include:
- A pin from the dollar store.
- A balloon.
- A sticker.
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Offer bribes. The prospect of winning something free can be a powerful motivating factor, and can help your event stick in the minds of your guests. Along with your invitation, you might inform guests that when they RSVP, they'll be entered into a raffle for something like:^{[21]
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- A bottle of wine.
- A $5 gift card

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I ensure that somebody RSVPs to an event?

Minoti Mehta
Event & Wedding Planner
Minoti Mehta is the Founder of Vermilion Weddings & Events, an event and wedding planning business based in San Francisco, California. Minoti grew up in the event and wedding planning space and has over five years of event planning experience. She has been invited to participate as a Delegate at five exclusive Event Planner Conferences including Destination Wedding Planners Congress and Planners Xtraordinaire and has become known as one of the Top Wedding and Event Planners in the San Francisco Bay Area. Minoti's work has been featured on NDTV India, Love Stories TV, Maharani Weddings, and WedWise India. Vermilion Weddings & Events was also awarded WeddingWire's Couple's Choice Award in 2018. Minoti has a BS in Hospitality Management and Accounting from the University of San Francisco.

Minoti Mehta

Event & Wedding Planner

Expert Answer
Question

How can I make sure that people actually RSVP to my event?

Minoti Mehta
Event & Wedding Planner
Minoti Mehta is the Founder of Vermilion Weddings & Events, an event and wedding planning business based in San Francisco, California. Minoti grew up in the event and wedding planning space and has over five years of event planning experience. She has been invited to participate as a Delegate at five exclusive Event Planner Conferences including Destination Wedding Planners Congress and Planners Xtraordinaire and has become known as one of the Top Wedding and Event Planners in the San Francisco Bay Area. Minoti's work has been featured on NDTV India, Love Stories TV, Maharani Weddings, and WedWise India. Vermilion Weddings & Events was also awarded WeddingWire's Couple's Choice Award in 2018. Minoti has a BS in Hospitality Management and Accounting from the University of San Francisco.

Minoti Mehta

Event & Wedding Planner

Expert Answer

I would always do website RSVP. It's the best way to go. Snail mail is outdated. For a corporate event, Google Forms is fantastic, especially because you can take everything and put it into an Excel file.
Question

How far in advance should I ask for guests to RSVP?

Christina Millikin
Founder & CEO, Glow Events
Christina Millikin is the Founder and former CEO of Glow Events, an event planning agency based in San Francisco, California. Glow Events is a boutique event planning firm specializing in full event production and creative design for corporate and social events. Christina has worked with clients such as Salesforce, Heroku, Okta, and Netflix. Glow Events' work has been featured in Martha Stewert Weddings, InStyle, and SanFrancisco Magazine. Christina is an advisor to the management team at Glow, as well as a business advisor for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and she has a BS in Marketing from the University of Florida.

Christina Millikin

Founder & CEO, Glow Events

Expert Answer

I suggest sending out invitations sooner rather than later. That way you won't be scrambling and receiving RSVPs at the last minute. I recommend trying to get RSVPs back one month before the event date.