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Oh the incredible frustration these four little letters tend to cause us! It seems the modern bride is facing a less than considerate generation that all too often fails to send back these essential little cards.
Not until I was a bride myself did I fully realize the importance of these embossed little bits of cardstock. Not only do they clue us in to our final guest count, but they clue us in to our final budgetary spending. If each guest costs roughly $70 for their meal, drinks, cake, champagne toast and renting a chivary ballroom chair for their little tush…the final tab needs to be known weeks before the wedding! A discrepancy of even ten people can set you back hundreds of dollars. Before I planned a wedding, I was clueless as to how much was up for grabs with an unknown guest count. Of course we hate to put it all into monetary terms… but the fact of the matter is; a bride needs to be prepared. Ergo, the invention of the darling little R.S.V.P by some Frenchie years and years ago. It simply means, “Please Answer”. Not so difficult a task when you really think of it, yet somehow getting these cards back tends to be the most stressful part of wedding planning.
It’s almost shocking when you think of how easy you’ve made it for them. It’s pre-addressed, there’s even a stamp already on it. Is a simple checkmark, lick of the seal, and short trip to the mail box really asking too much these days? Apparently so.
Perhaps catering to the shifting trends in communication is the answer for our modern brides. As communication has drastically changed from the written word, to e-mail, text messaging, and social mediums such as Facebook, it only makes sense that weddings may want to fall in suit.
Truth be told, many of the non-responders happen to be young offenders. Here are a few ideas on how to ensure that you receive a response from a more tech savvy generation:
- On your Facebook or social medium account.
- On your wedding website. (Many are free to set up, and offer and RSVP option.)
- RSVPServices.com (They offer both phone and online rsvp.)
Several of these options are fast and free to set-up, and the others have customizable plans to cater to your specific needs.
Unfortunately even by making it as easy breezy as possible, there will still be some who fail to respond. There is no way of avoiding the dreaded cold calling. We all hate it. No one likes to contact a relative they barely know to ask, “So… are you coming?”, only to have to listen to them whine and gush as they give you 200 excuses as to why they didn’t get their card in on time. It’s hardly a good use of your time, so close to W-day.
So, to all you future wedding guests (which is likely everyone reading this, at one point or another) take a little lesson out of the book of good manners, and mail that sucker back the day you get it. Don’t get caught on the other end of the telephone trying to come up with a fantastic excuse to tell the bride-to-be why exactly you cannot attend her little soiree. No one enjoys that either.
