What are some ways to encourage your guests to respond?

In most cases, a response card is enclosed with the invitation. Typically, a small envelope that has been printed with your address is also provided (this should be included in the price of your response cards). There are several things you can do to motivate your guests to actually fill out and return these cards. One of the most important is to indicate that you would like the response cards returned whether the guests plan to attend or not. This is done in the wording of the response, as shown below:

The favour of a reply is requested

before December 30, 2014

M_____________________________

Number of persons ______

Unable to attend ______

For guests who plan to attend, this wording informs them that you need to know how many people to expect. For those who cannot attend, the final line indicates that they should send the response card back anyway. (The specific wording of the response card should be adapted to fit your particular situation...we'll be happy to help!) If your response cards are folders (as opposed to single cards), another way to encourage responses is to tuck the back part of the folder into the response envelopes. This seems to make people aware that there actually is a response envelope, and that they should fill out the card and send it back. It sounds odd, but it does seem to help (and it can't hurt). And don't forget to put a stamp on the response envelope! If you are preparing your response cards in advance, make sure that the rate for a first class letter will not be changing before you mail them out (this is true for your invitations as well, but also check the price for additional ounces, as most invitations require at least one extra stamp). One final tip...don't mail your invitations too soon (or set the response date too early). This may sound counterintuitive, but people often don't know what they will be doing months in advance, and are likely to set your response card aside until they find out. And they are just as likely to forget to do so. Response dates are typically two to three weeks before the event, and invitations are usually mailed about a month before the response date. A response date of four weeks prior or earlier is not recommended unless there is a specific reason (e.g., a destination wedding) for the earlier date.  

In situations where there isn't enough time for a mailed response, a telephone or email response may be appropriate, although it is a more informal alternative. This information is usually added at the bottom left of the invitation, although other formats are available. Remember to include the area code(s)! The response wording will vary depending on the situation and the time remaining before the event. Some possibilities are:

Note: R.s.v.p. is the abbreviation for the French phrase "Repondez s'il vous plait," which translates to "Respond if you please" in English. So the phrase "R.s.v.p. please" actually means "Respond if you please, please." While you might actually be this eager to receive responses, it's not really an appropriate wording. Incidentally, this is also why the letter "R" is typically the only letter capitalized in "R.s.v.p." As it represents a phrase, only the initial word is capitalized.