Early rsvp

Well the response is pretty much what I would have expected. Some people who know their schedules well in advance may be OK with committing to an event in 7 months. Other people won't be as accepting of that, for various reasons. In addition, you may find that the answers change over the course of the next half a year. No head count done at this point is likely to be accurate in the much longer term. What if someone gets into a relationship? Will their partner be added in? What if people initially say no but then find out they can go? Or/ what if people say yes but then their plans change and they can't? How will you establish a second headcount closer to your wedding?

Save the dates are usually sent at about this time, with formal invitations 6-8 weeks before. RSVP's should be due a couple of weeks before the catering deadline.

I know if I had to RSVP that far out I’d have no choice than to send regrets. Bottom line, not just improper but a bad idea. Also, no reputable caterer requires numbers that far ahead of time. All the things you want to do ahead of time can easily be done within the standard window.

One other thing that occurred to me about the optics here, asking for RSVP's that early can look like you're B-listing.

If you've already picked out your venue, then you've already ascertained the number range of guests and tables that can fit comfortably in that space, e.g. 150-180 guests at 18-22 round tables. There's no need to get to hard specfics too early because any good caterer will only request final guest numbers and orders 1 week or at max, 1 month ahead of wedding date. For rentals, a common 60" round table can sit 8 guests with suitable elbow room, and 10 guests more tightly. If you are doing full service with bread plates, water glasses, etc. I suggest 8 per table. I don't think it too difficult for rental agencies to add or delete a table that last month of your order. Always order extra flatware, glasses, tablecloths, and napkins. It's best to budget 100% of acceptances, and any declines will result in happy extra money at the end that you could add for secondary wishes. I used mine to add uplighting.

You and your partner are the hosts and directors of the event. Although there are moving parts, you can't force guests to meet your arbitrary deadline so you can finish early. Much of the planning such as booking vendors occurs early on, and there are months of waiting/ living the rest of your life. Guests should not be forced to commit early because life happens (examples above), and any changes would put your guests into the painful position of explaining their regrets to you. You put yourself into a bad position because too much control on tight numbers leads to conflated expectations which always leads to disappointment. It's okay to be flexible and take each day at a time in wedding planning. A Save the Date without RSVP is effective on its own. Your celebration will be in the minds of many.

Just be prepared for people to change their RSVP as the date gets closer. Seven months out is super early for invites, I think of that time frame more for save the dates would being sent. Sending an invitation now I think there's a good chance people's schedules will change or they just won't RSVP at all. Good luck with the move.

Sending out invites with an early RSVP deadline is a practical approach, especially considering your move and the need for precise planning. It allows guests to plan ahead and provides you with ample time to organize details. Communicate the reasoning clearly to ensure understanding, emphasizing the benefits of early notice for both you and the guests.

Not all jobs are the same. I couldn't guarantee anything 7 months in advanced. My husbands job starts at 2 months out. So if the rsvp was due 7 months out, I would decline because I couldn't guarantee my I would be there and I wouldn't want to risk changing my rsvp too close to your date. You will also probably need to send reminders, that's more than half a year to remember a date for a wedding. You may be causing more stress that you wanted to avoid. This is why it's recommended rsvp's are due 1-2 weeks prior to final numbers so you can reach out to everyone who may have forgotten to rsvp, got lost in the mail, etc.