Invitations and Stationery

How Do I Handle Late RSVPs?

The RSVP date for our wedding came and went, and we still haven’t received responses from 25 of our guests. Should we call them?

Absolutely! You’ll need to give your caterer a final guest count about a week before the wedding, and in order to do that, you need to know whether these tardy RSVPers really plan to attend.

If, after the first round of follow-up calls, you still don’t receive an answer from those misguided souls, let your parents or fiancé make the second call. Whoever does it can communicate a message to the effect of ”We’re so sorry you won’t be able to make the wedding, and we hope to see you soon.” Guests who were planning to attend are likely to respond right away (”We thought you’d just know we were coming,” is a common refrain). The others—who are probably feeling bad they’ve decided not to come and didn’t want to tell you—will realize they’re officially off the list, and off the hook, a bonus for all involved.