With your wedding planning kicking into high gear, your life is suddenly crowded with choices. The cake. The dress. The venue. The food. The seating arrangements. The music.
One of the more basic choices that will guide the rest of the wedding is your choice in RSVP cards.
Here’s a complete guide to everything you need to know before you order your RSVP cards so that you can ensure your RSVP cards are a small but important part of your wedding.
RSVP Cards Wording
What should RSVP cards say? What do you put on an RSVP card, anyway? If you’re like many freshly engaged couples, these questions might as well be riddles.
Your wedding RSVP wording can be as fun and creative or as straight-laced and traditional as you want, but it does need to follow a few basic rules. Your guests need to know basic information, like when and where the wedding will occur, who is invited, and how to respond.
That’s why many RSVP cards examples contain the same basic script. In general, all RSVP wording examples include:
- RSVP date
- A space for guests to write their names
- A checkbox for accept or decline
- Entree preference (if you’re serving a plated meal)
The good news is that the RSVP card, unlike the invitation, is pretty straightforward. All the RSVP card really needs is a clear indication of whether or not a certain guest is coming.
What Should RSVP Cards Say?
There is no right or wrong way to word RSVP cards. However, keep in mind that your RSVP cards need not be as inventive as the invitation. They’re just a card that will be mailed back to indicate a guest’s presence.
A standard RSVP card will include a “Kindly Respond by _____________”, the deadline for guests to return their RSVP. After that, there’s a line which reads “M____________” which guests will fill out.
At the bottom are two checkboxes, with options to “accept with pleasure” or “decline with regret” and a line for guests to write the total number of guests who will attend with their party. This will help you and your wedding planner get an accurate headcount to order food and make seating arrangements.
Should You Order Plain Cards?
Printable RSVP cards are available for couples who want something a bit more unique for their wedding. This is a great choice for couples who want the creativity afforded by custom RSVP cards, or couples who want less traditional wording.
You can even get a calligrapher to turn your blank RSVP cards into a beautiful statement piece.
Keep in mind, however, that while blank cards give you more freedom, they’re also more expensive in the long run, since you’ll need someone to do custom work on the cards. If you’re on a budget, it’s better to save that money for a custom invitation.
RSVP Cards Size
Now for another basic question: what is the size of RSVP cards?
The standard RSVP card size is A6 with an A6 envelope, which is a 4×6 RSVP card and 4×6 RSVP envelope size.
If this seems small in comparison to your invitations, keep in mind that the RSVP cards are much more basic. They don’t need to fit half as much information as the invitation — they just need to give you the necessary planning data. Your guests will have more than enough space to respond in a 4×6 card.
It is possible to order larger or smaller RSVP cards with custom sizing, but this will be more expensive than standard sizing since a printer will have to do the order custom for you. If you’re on a budget, standard sizing is the way to go — it can fit everything you need and still deliver the personality of your wedding.
RSVP Cards For Weddings
All of that helps you figure out the basics of wedding response card wording, but there’s a bit more that goes into a wedding invite response than a few lines.
After all, when you send out your wedding invitations with RSVP cards and envelopes, you’re sending out the first representation that your guests will receive of your wedding. You want to make sure that every detail of your invitations and RSVP cards is perfect for the occasion.
Before you break out all the wedding RSVP card examples on the Internet, here are two basic factors to keep in mind.
Know Your Style
While your invitation is the more expressive element of the package, it is important to know your wedding style when you select your RSVP cards, even if you order cards pre-designed.
Are you vintage? Glamorous? Preppy? Elegant? Bohemian? Romantic?
Even if you order pre-made cards, the little details will communicate the personality of your wedding. A brown RSVP card, for example, would look out of place in a wedding that’s the pinnacle of country club contemporary elegance, but it would look right at home in a country or alternative wedding.
If you need to, work with your wedding planner to find a style that works for you. There are plenty of pre-made options to choose from — you just need to find one with the right details.
Envelopes
We’ve mentioned wedding RSVP envelopes, but we haven’t yet addressed a more basic question: whether or not you should get envelopes when you order your RSVP cards.
This is a question of convenience versus creativity. If you’re ordering pre-made cards, you can order envelopes separately if you want something with a bit more personality, like an envelope in a different color or with custom printed wording.
On the other hand, you want to make sure the envelopes look good with the RSVP cards. Even though the card will travel back to you through the mail, you want your guests to open the invitation and get the right impression. Plus, if you’re doing a lot of DIY and need it taken care of, ordering RSVP cards and envelopes at the same time will take care of two tasks in one go.
What Does M Mean On RSVP?
We mentioned earlier that RSVP cards traditionally have an “M__________” line. What is the M for on an RSVP card?
The M simply stands for Mr., Mrs., or Ms. This is the line where guests can write down their names (so you know who’s responding). M grants you enough leeway that you can send out several identical cards without addressing Mr., Mrs., or Ms. individually, and the M keeps guests from getting confused about what the line is for.
Basically, the M is the first letter of your title. A married couple, for example, would fill in the line “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith”, while a single person would fill in the line “Mr. Thomas Hill” or “Ms. Lily Harris”.
Alternatives to M on RSVP Card
Because M is traditionally a matter of etiquette, standard wedding RSVP cards will include it. However, if you want custom cards (or just don’t like using M) you’ll have to come up with an alternative that fulfills the same role gracefully.
The most straightforward solution is to put, “Names: ___________________” instead. This will indicate what the line is for, ensure that you know who’s responding, and keep the whole card tidy. Those will usually require a custom order, though, which makes them more expensive.
Ready to Print Your RSVP Cards?
If you’re ready to order your RSVP cards, we’re ready to deliver the cards you’ve been looking for. We offer five unique RSVP card options, as well as the option to order each design with envelopes.
And if you’re looking for options for your invitation, don’t forget to check out our available cardstock. Because when it’s the most special day of your life, you shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best.