Etiquette: RSVP

                                                                             RSVP

The term comes from the French expression “Répondez, s’il vous plaît,” or, “Please reply/Please respond.” This little code has been around for a long time and it’s definitely telling you that your hosts want to know if you are attending. Reply promptly, if possible, within a day or two of receiving an invitation.

Whether it is to a wedding, a dinner party, shower or gala event, an invitation comes with some important obligations.

If RSVP is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.

An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to meeting minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.

So the next time you see RSVP on an invitation you receive, please respond promptly.