RSVP Follow-Up

At what point will you call them?

ETA: I wouldn't mark it off as declined for certain until day of final count.

Goodness, people are rough with their rsvps today...

OP, I would wait until you absolutely need your final numbers. I don't think anyone will want to catch up with you after getting that text...

I plan on doing two rounds of calls, if necessary.

Round one, 2-3 days after RSVP deadline has passed: "Hi Aunt Sally! Just checking in to see if you will be able to make it to the wedding on XX/XX. Give me a call!"

Round two, 2 days before final numbers are due to the caterer: "Hi again Aunt Sally! I need to turn in the final numbers to our caterers tomorrow. If you are planning to attend please give me a call by noon tomorrow so I can order a meal for you. Otherwise, I will mark you down as a decline and hope to catch up with you soon!"

I know there are deadlines for a reason, however some may still want to go but are waiting to get approved time off or seeing if they can get a sitter or a rental car or whatever the reason may be. I would not say anything until the final counts are needed and at that point I would say something along the lines of

"We would really appreciate if you would be able to RSVP in the next two days as final numbers are needed. If you are able to do so we will have to unfortunately have to mark as a decline."

I would call and say this or leave as a phone message, not text.

In my OP, I mentioned we will be following-up with the stragglers this weekend. By that I mean we will be calling them. Venue and caterer would like numbers 3 weeks prior to the date, so I'm just trying to get those together.

I like the idea of letting them know when vendors need numbers by, gives it a little bit more of a sense of urgency and that it's not just me wanting to know! Thanks!

I vote for 2 touches like StPaulGal posted!! The first is a "hey, can you come? / did we miss your RSVP?" and the 2nd is a "we need to know by x date or we'll mark you as a no"

I'm not going to wait until my venue needs final numbers. That would only leave me a few days to make a seating chart and get my escort cards printed. I think if you have texted, called and emailed and they aren't responding then you just mark them as a decline.

Ugh, I don't really get why we have to adult for other people. How hard is it to slip a response in the mail/answer a text/etc.

We will be contacting them twice. Once as a hey are you coming a few days after they are due, and then another one 5 or so days before the catering and venue need to know just so I can make my placecards. I refuse to wait until last minute to get everything printed all because they couldn't rsvp in the 4 weeks we are giving them.

I'd wait three days after the first follow-up, since your wedding's coming up so soon and I'm sure you don't want to wait until your venue/caterer needs a final count because that's probably a mere week (or maybe two) before the big day.

I'm actually such an anxious mess about these things that I'll be following up with people who haven't RSVPed three days BEFORE the deadline (07/28) just to remind them, and then the day after the deadline.

I see no reason to contact people twice- people who have already ignored or otherwise missed the rsvp date. If people want to come but are still awaiting a vacation approval, they should have contacted you with that information and told you they needed an extension.

I would contact them by phone, text, email - whatever works best.

"I'm contacting you because our venue needs our final numbers and we have not received your rsvp. If you are unable to commit, we understand but will have to consider you a no and will miss you at the wedding."

If you ask them to reply by a certain date, you will only end up having to contact them again.

We made our RSVP deadline a little earlier to have some wiggle room with the stragglers. This week is: "hey friend, don't forget to send in your RSVP card" week. Ill admit i'm getting really anal about getting those back.... I'm trying to avoid verbal RSVP's as much as possible.

Next week, we will actually call and follow up with those who have not sent RSVP's in. We will say that we need a final count by x day and to please let us know if you are able to make it or not. If we don't get an answer , we will probably follow up one more time and then assume they are not coming if there is no response or communication about why they haven't RSVP'd yet

We have the vast majority coming in from out of state. I plan on following the protocol you mentioned, reaching out via phone and if they aren't sure depending on the exact circumstances, then listing them as a decline. I figure most should know or will have already made travel arrangements.