What Is the Normal RSVP Time for a Wedding?

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Planning a perfect wedding is not a cup of tea. Lots of important things need planning, such as setting up a suitable date for the event, taking care of all the arrangements in time and sending out wedding invites at appropriate time so that people can plan accordingly. Clear instructions should be given regarding RSVP time to minimize the chances of confusion and last minute upsets.

If you are wondering what is the normal RSVP time, here are a few tips and guidelines which we hope will definitely help you out.

What Is the Normal RSVP Time for a Wedding?

In order to get your wedding arrangements fully organized without any hiccups, make sure to give a final headcount to your wedding vendors and caterers at the suitable time. In order to accomplish this very important task, you should give out save-the-dates 6-8 months before the wedding date and sending out invitations at least 6-8 weeks in advance so that your friends and family members can confirm if they will be able to attend your wedding. 

The RSVP date should be at least two to three weeks before your big day as it will give you enough time to finalize your guest list. It is imperative to mention that even though you send the invitations early and ask clearly to RSVP as soon as possible, there will always be a few invitees who won’t reply on time. Not only is this practice annoying but can also affect the quality of your arrangements such as changing the list of head counts for caterers or a need to pay extra expenses while adding people at the last moment.

In case the RSVP date has passed and you still haven’t heard from some of your guests, feel free to make a phone call and ask them about their plans so that you can give a final list of people to your caterers and venue management on time.

What About Destination Wedding?

Wondering what is the normal rsvp time for a wedding event taking place at a certain destination? Here is what you should know:

The rules for setting RSVP time for a wedding differ slightly for a destination wedding. You need to give more time to such guests. Usually three to four months before the wedding date invitations must be sent so that people will be able to get leave from their work and plan traveling. The RSVP time should be two months before the wedding ceremony. In case you are paying for their travel fare or arranging a hotel for them then you must send a destination wedding save- the- date so that you can know about their traveling schedule and other necessary information required to book hotels and making other arrangements for them.

Setting a Perfect RSVP Date for an Ideal Wedding

Here are some more details on how to set perfect RSVP date in order to get responses on time.

As said above, an average RSVP time for a wedding is 2-3 weeks before the ceremony and if you are having guests out of town/country then you should send invitations 6-10 weeks before the wedding date as it will give them enough time to check their schedules and book cheaper and convenient flights. Or you can even send out invitations a few months before your wedding date as it will give enough time to your guests, BUT make sure to limit your RSVP deadline and there is nothing wrong in hurrying up your friends and relatives to confirm their arrival to your event. RSVP via social media is a great source to get replies within hours however some people still may not be very responsive on social sites therefore one must count on multiple options to get RSVPs.

Some Tips While Considering What is the Normal RSVP Time for a Wedding?

Regardless of setting a perfect RSVP time for a wedding, there are chances that you will face problems in getting the responses from your invitees. Here are some tips that may help you out.

  • Send invitation at least three months before your wedding date to the guests living in another country.

  • Send save-the-date-cards!

  • Still didn’t hear from guests? Give reminder via call, message or email.

  • Make a wedding website and add that web address on invitation card and ask guests to look for more details over there.

  • Be very specific and ask politely to your guests to send RSVP on email or website by desired time-frame.

  • Some people would like to respond through text messages while some will find emails or online wedding websites easier. Therefore, be flexible and give multiple options to your guests.

  • Be organized! Make a list or spreadsheet of guests who have RSVPed and who have not. In this way you won’t miss anything.

  • Plan ahead and don’t send reminders when there are only two days in sending the list to the caterers. Decide a date for first reminder and also for when you should start calling.

  • Some people don’t understand RSVP so it’s better to use simpler words such as please respond till (date).

  • Few people think that they only need to reply if they are coming to the wedding. Therefore, it’s better to make it clear in your message that they have to inform either they are coming or not. For example “please do let us know by (Date)”

  • Make interesting response cards.

  • Sometimes close friends and relatives don’t send back RSVP cards because they think it’s pretty obvious to you that they will come. If you haven’t heard from them yet, just call them and remind about sending back the RSVP card in a light way. You can say “hey! You are coming to my wedding, right? Hoping to get your RSVP card back soon!”