Attending the celebration of a loved one is always exciting. But being a coveted guest involves loads of expectations and etiquette. Responding to an invitation is among the most critical etiquettes of a guest.
What Is Proper Invitation Etiquette?
The way you invite your guests defines your choices and the tone of the party you are hosting. For instance, if it’s a formal event, that style must be conveyed in the type of paper, layers font, and envelopes chosen. On the flip side, if it’s a casual party or a relaxed celebration, playful fonts and color codes shall offer a hint of what you have planned for.
- You shouldn’t get too wordy unnecessarily.
- You don’t have to include directions, arrangements, or a place of registration.
- If you want to add those details, they must be placed on another attached card.
- You mustn’t forget to set the RSVP date, preferably around weeks after the guests would receive the postal invitation.
What is Proper Etiquette For RSVP?
No matter whether you are invited to the wedding of your best friend or a success party of your niece, you must respond to the invitation much ahead of the due date. The last thing you should do is become the guest who they have to chase down thousand times. You cannot afford to forget unintentionally or procrastinate in such cases and action your RSVP as early as possible.
If you are wondering what is proper invitation RSVP etiquette then it’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t request another guest. If a plus one has been allocated, then it will be clearly mentioned in the invitation card. If it’s not mentioned, you must be courteous enough to not ask for an exception. There could be venue or budget restrictions and you should be completely understanding.
How Far In Advance To RSVP For A Birthday Party?
You must RSVP to a birthday party within the stipulated time. Usually, it implies within a couple of days of receiving the invitation, if you cannot do it within a day.
Everything involved in hosting a birthday party or any social get-together for that matter is about numbers. They have to figure out everything from how many chairs to be arranged to how many kids will attend the party.
In case you are not sure of your schedule and time is running out and you are almost nearing that date, you must contact the host and let them know that you will confirm or decline and when you are able to inform them of your final decision.
When Should Save The Dates Go Out For A Party?
The general rule of thumb is to send Save the Dates at least 6 months before the wedding. And in case you are planning for a destination wedding, it should be around 8 to 12 months before the ceremony.
Your guests should be given enough time for planning and saving to attend such a huge show.
With a timely Save the Date card, you can not only announce the date but also the destination where you plan to tie the knot. When you are sending out Save the Dates card, you must consider the important seasonal events that can have an impact on the people you are sending the cards to.
For instance, if you are sending out Save the Date cards during the Christmas holidays and celebrations, chances are that your invites may get lost among hordes of cards and emails that arrive at the point of the year.
When To Send Invites Out For A Birthday Party?
When planning what is proper invitation RSVP etiquette, it is important to send out invitations at least three weeks before the birthday party.
But if you want, you may send it as early as 6 weeks so that your guests can plan accordingly. Unless it’s absolutely urgent, you should avoid sending invitations two weeks or less before the celebration. When this happens, your guests may not be able to arrange everything within that short span and make it to the birthday party.
How To Remind Guests To RSVP?
There are few effective ways to remind your guests and invites them to RSVP.
- For instance, you may drop a text message to your close friends asking them to respond.
- You can use email for older people and your colleagues.
- If there’s someone invited who is not that tech-savvy, a warm phone call may serve the purpose. You may also use social media to remind your guests to drop in their RSVP.
Also, the perfect reminder is very tricky. You shouldn’t sound too pushy with everyone but you need to have your answers. There is definitely an etiquette about it.
Some people are prone to procrastinating thinking that you will feel terrible that they are not able to make it to your celebration. But you should be understanding and the same must be reflected in your RSVP reminders.
How To Confirm RSVP?
Generally, it comes with a date within which you must respond but make sure you do it at the earliest. This is because it doesn’t take any effort for an RSVP to skip your mind amidst many preoccupations.
The invitation cards typically come with an RSVP card along with an envelope with the address mentioned. You may just have to write your name and choose from various options and include a note for your host.
If you receive an invitation via email, then all you have to do is to hit reply and type out whether you are going to attend it or not and also drop a message showering love and best wishes.
Does No RSVP Mean Not Coming?
It’s very difficult to guess what does NO RSVP mean as it may have different meaning to different people. If you haven’t heard from a person you have invited within a reasonable timeframe, it’s best to give them a call or drop an email to be sure about their plans.
For instance, there could be people who cannot make up their minds whether or not they want to attend the party and they wait to see what the others are doing. Others may be too busy to respond to the RSVP and suddenly arrive at the party at the mentioned date and time.
It’s true that some people face the difficulty of declining the invitation and they are too shy to state a proper reason why. But it cannot be deduced that the people who have not responded will not come.
Imagine a situation, where your friend has invited 20 people to his birthday party of which only half have sent the RSVP. So what should the host do here? Plan for dinner for the people who have confirmed yes and leave those who haven’t? Then what if anyone who has not sent an RSVP turns up? It’s really an awkward situation for the guest as well as the host.
Is It Rude Not To Respond To An RSVP?
Not responding to RSVP is downright rudeness. Unless you are faced with an unusual circumstance, you shouldn’t miss out on filling out an RSVP card.
After all, it is the work of the host to invite people and tend to their hospitality. They shouldn’t be running after people trying to figure out who will come and who wouldn’t. If you are not able to decide whether you can attend the party, you can at least choose the option marked ‘Maybe’.
Place yourself in the shoes of your host. How would you feel if you pay for the food and drinks of 100 people with only 60 people turning up? So, whenever you receive an invitation, you must send an RSVP at the earliest.
What To Do If Guests Don’t RSVP?
If your guests are not sending an RSVP, you need to follow up with them. Many people consider emailing to be the best way to reach out to their guests, but sending a group email to everyone is not worth it.
You can rather compose a personalized message to every guest so that it doesn’t embarrass any of them. Keep the tone friendly and try to highlight how much the presence of the person would mean to the celebration. Also, make sure you notify them that you require a final count of guests at the earliest.
Final Thoughts
When you have to throw a birthday party, it’s obvious to think about what is proper invitation RSVP etiquette. And perhaps the most critical part of getting started is sending out emails for invitations. Based on the kind of party you are hosting, Christmas, birthday, or wedding party, you must plan the invitation properly so that everything goes seamlessly.
