RSVP - How to Determine deadline date?

Our deadline was exactly 1 month before the wedding. Wedding April 11th, deadline March 11th. It was what was suggested by the lady we bought our invitations from. We don't need our numbers for the caterer until 2 weeks before so that is giving me 2 weeks to track any missing ones down.

We mailed invites on March 2 and set an RSVP deadline for April 1 (didn't care what day of the week it was, we just thought the date sounded easier to remember) before our May 30 wedding. We wanted lots of buffer room.

Sending invites out tomorrow. RSVP deadline is April 24th.

My venue is asking for a final count 2 weeks before the weekend. I am asking for a deadline exactly a month before the wedding. That way, it will leave an extra 2 week window for any stragglers.

Leave yourself lots of time to figure out seating charts (if you are doing one). Our wedding is September 19, and our RSVP is due June 30

1-2 weeks before your final numbers are due (which is usually 2 weeks before the wedding). Proably July 25th for you.

If you do earlier than that, you'll get a lot of stragglers/inaccurate numbers because people don't know their plans that far in advance, including work schedules. Seating charts are not difficult/time-consuming and you do not need almost 3 months to create one.

1) When does your caterer need a final headcount? Give yourself at least a week before that to call stragglers.

2) When does your hotel block discount expire? This is the date I used, so I can remind people about the discount and prompt them for a final RSVP.

Thanks for asking this! I'm almost finished making my invites and was just wondering about that.

You need time to track down people that didn't respond and still give numbers to the venue. my wedding is May 1st, cut off March 31st (so about a month before). My hotel block cut off is March 31st, so I just made them the same.

My venue needs numbers 10 days ahead. I am putting my RSVP date as 4 weeks before (Aug 29th) because I know I'm going to have to hunt people down and that'll give me enough time to do so.

I didn't really put much thought into this...I ordered the invites back during a black Friday sale and just randomly put May 16th...3 weekends before. And didn't think to ask our venue when the final numbers were needed. And I settled on May 16th because the weekend after is Memorial Weekend and I didn't want to spend it hunting down RSVPS. Turns out Memorial Weekend is when we will met with our venue and give final numbers....invites are also going out this weekend!

Ours are due a month before. This way I have time to track down all of the missing ones and get an answer.

ETA: we selected ours based on how far out we had to give a head count to our vendors, and how long I thought it would take to hunt people down.

We did a month before as well. I'm still looking for 22 people...

Our rsvp's are due August 6, as this is the cut off for our hotel block. It is about 7 weeks before our wedding but our caterer needs numbers a month in advance and we all know there will be late rsvps. Plus August is super busy for me work wise, so I would like to have as much done as I can before then.

I think 4 to 6 weeks before the date is a good time frame. As others have mentioned you may need time to locate people and do seating arrangements. Also, I would make it before your hotel block expires, just in case those same last minute guest have not booked a room.

Give yourself at least a month.

@Sarah we're getting married the same day, and I didn't plan to mail my invites out until about the last week of June. Why are you having your RSVP deadline 2.5 months in advance?

Wow everyone has to submit their numbers so early !

Our venue/caterer doesn't require final count until 4 days before. So out RSVP deadline is on the 29th of this month. That gives us 2 weeks from the actual day of, and 10 days to call people who didn't send theirs in. We're doing the seating chart as we get "accepts", so it will be done quick.

Oh, I didn't even think to check the date that the discount for the hotel block expires! Jeez...I really have to track people down? Not looking forward to that!!

I did mine almost 2 months before. I wanted time to track people down, do a seating plan, and make place cards....I didn't want to do it too soon to the date because I didn't want the stress of having to rush around too close to the date. Most people I know would rather know earlier than later. And if I screw up the place cards somehow, I'll need time to figure out a plan B lol

Most people we know would like to know sooner than later so they can book off work etc