Everything You Need to Know About Digital Wedding RSVPs

There's no doubt about it: The excitement you feel about your upcoming wedding only becomes more palpable once your invitations are in the mail. That's what makes waiting for the RSVPs to come back feel even harder. Want to speed up that wait time? Instead of asking guests to respond with traditional paper RSVPs, include an insert in your invitation suite that directs them to an online platform for digital responses. Not only will it help you get more immediate replies, but you'll save on return postage, and digital RSVPs are often easier to keep track of. That begs the question: Is the etiquette of digital RSVPs different than that surrounding paper responses?

Lauren Grech, CEO and founder of LLG Events, says, "Digital RSVP etiquette and time frames are similar to stationery. You want to give your guests ample time to reply, but you also want to ensure that you have your final guest count at the proper time during your wedding planning process."

While modern couples like the speed and ease associated with gathering digital replies, it's important to note that the traditional etiquette of when to send the invitations still apply. Grech continues, "We recommend the RSVP by date be six weeks prior to your wedding date, or if you're having a destination wedding, we recommend the RSVP date be three months prior to the wedding date."

No matter how you plan to ask guests to send in their RSVPs, creating a spreadsheet is a great way to keep track of all of the replies—some digital RSVP programs help do this for you. "If you don't have a planner, we recommend collecting your guest emails by reaching out via text or phone call, and then listing them all in a central spreadsheet. Couples should divvy up outreach between them, each taking control of collecting the information for their family members and friends who are invited to the wedding" Grech says.

View the full feature in Martha Stewart Weddings

LLG EventsFebruary 25, 2020