What does RSVP mean?
RSVP is short for the French "répondez s'il vous plaît", "please reply". A guest who sees it on an invitation lets the named person, or the given link, know whether they'll come. At a wedding with a seated meal, the final number decides the seating plan and the catering order, which is why the RSVP matters. In Turkish invitations you'll see the same thing written as LCV.
How to write the RSVP on an invitation
On a printed invitation the RSVP usually sits in a lower corner in small type. Three pieces of information are enough:
- Who to reply to: one or two names. If everyone gets the same number, that phone won't stop ringing until the wedding; a contact for each side splits the work.
- How to reply: a phone number, WhatsApp, or the QR code and link on the invitation.
- By when: a reply-by date. Without one, replies drift into the week of the wedding.
When picking the date, ask your venue and caterer when they need the final number, and set your reply-by date about a week before that. The week in between is for chasing the guests who haven't answered.
RSVP wording you can copy
RSVP to [name] · [phone] Kindly reply by [date].
RSVP Bride's family: [name] · [phone] Groom's family: [name] · [phone] Kindly reply by [date].
[Parents' names] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter [bride] to [groom]. RSVP to [name] · [phone] by [date]
Kindly let us know by [date] whether you can join us, by scanning the QR code below or using your invitation link.
Invitation and reminder messages
Most invitations now go out by phone. A short message that addresses the person by name and carries a single link gets the most replies.
Dear [name], we're getting married on [date] at [venue] and would love you to be there. You can tell us whether you can come in two taps here: [link] [couple's names]
Hi [name], we haven't had your reply for our wedding yet. We're finalising the seating plan on [date]; could you let us know here? [link] Thank you.
This invitation is for [name] and [name]. When you reply, you can also choose how many of you are coming.
We're celebrating our wedding with our adult guests. Thank you for understanding.
Dear [name], we're getting engaged on the evening of [date] at [place] and would love to share it with you. Could you let us know by [date] whether you can come? [link]
Thank you so much for letting us know. We'll miss you on the day, and we'll share the photos with you afterwards.
Common RSVP mistakes
- No reply-by date. Replies trickle in and the final number is left to the last week.
- Leaving the party size vague. The whole family, or two people? Say clearly who the invitation covers.
- Asking about the menu later. If there's a choice of meat, fish or vegetarian, ask with the RSVP so you don't need a second round of calls.
- Keeping replies in three places. A "yes" lost between a notebook, a contact list and messages throws off the seating plan.
Collecting RSVPs in one list online
With an online invitation each guest gets a personal link. They're greeted by name, see the date, time, venue and directions, and choose whether they're coming, how many of them (1–8) and their menu choice, with an optional note. If plans change, they update their reply from the same link.
Replies gather in one list on your dashboard: how many are coming, how many haven't replied, the menu split. A reminder list for WhatsApp is ready for those who haven't answered, and guests with a registered email get an automatic reminder. The list downloads to Excel in one click. See the online invitation and RSVP page for details.