RSVP necessary? ??

How will your catering staff know how much food and beverage to supply without you telling them how many guests? How will you know how many seats to have (among other things) if your invited guests don't RSVP?

So how do you know how many are actually coming, in order to make sure you have enough food? Typically, food gets charged per person, so you don't want to pay for a lot of people who aren't coming.

Where are you from??

I've never heard of that. IMO RVSPS are definitely necessary. How will you know how much food, tables, chairs, ect. you will need? Doesn't your caterer require a headcount?

Well like i said we just give them a pass for a certain amount of people... we make a guest list we give it to security at the door snd he takes care of it... latino style, worked so far in my quinceañera and my parents wedding. But my fiance is white and well different situations

@Jennifer: But how do you figure out how much food to have? RSVPs aren't usually for security. They are usually so you know how much food to have, without paying extra for food that will be wasted.

Yea...that sounds okay for a birthday party but a wedding a lot more complicated. You are going to want exact numbers for your catering, rentals, favors, etc....unless of course you have an unlimited budget and will provide all these things for the maximum number of people that could attend, but even then if they don't you will have a lot of leftovers and empty seats. This really odd.

I dunno

Usually they serve you dish per person

I got my venue package for 150 people. Whatever isnt served is given to us to take home. If there is more guests showing up they just serve them and i guess we pay for it. My question is more of a do people need an rsvp card? Would it be weird for them to not see one? Would it be too confusong for them with just the invitation and the reception pass ?

Yes. If I got an invite without an RSVP card or instructions to RSVP on a website I would be really confused. A reception pass also kinda seems like a ticket to a concert or something. Very odd feeling to convey for a wedding, at least to me.

Yeah. Wait i dont know who to respond lol. But okay yeah i see everyones point of view and i appreciate all the answers. I am latina. We dont really do that in fact with my side of my guests 90% wont know what rsvp is for... but for his side im sure they will... i was thinking maybe adding a website or email but i dont know where to find them to keep track of them i found evite but didnt work.

I'm with everyone else! I'd hate not knowing whose gonna come and who won't! All about planning and budget! !

You can use the tools here on WW for websites and RSVP. But you really are going to want to know how many people are attending at some point. What if you invite your 150 people, but only 100 can attend? That is a lot of wasted money and effort.

Also consider that some caterers are not allowed to let you take food that has been sitting out (buffet), etc. Do you really want to have spent the money just to throw it away?

Did your caterer mention anything about a deadline for providing your final headcount? Most caterers are going to require you give them a final headcount in the weeks before the wedding that is based on the number of guests who RSVP'd yes.

Huh?

I've never heard of packing up extra food and sending it home with you? I thought that was against the health laws, in most states.

Between our 4 no-shows the day of and extra centerpiece, that couldn't be cancelled with the 3 guests who cancelled the week before, we wasted almost $1000. Providing tables, chairs, linens, chair covers, centerpieces, etc. for only an estimated number of guests, adds up quickly.

The only time I could see not having rsvps is for just an open house reception. Just snacks and people coming in and out to wish you well and then leave.

The day I get an invitation with "passes" in it...

Sounds like a bad idea. What if there isn't enough food or tables? Or what if half the people show? Then your paying for two times the amount of food. And your having security at your wedding? Never heard of such a thing...

Your side of the family would be ok with it, as they are familiar with the passes. However future husband's Side of the family may need those RSVP cards.

Jennifer, I am Mexican and my FH is Irish. I'm pretty sure the STDs and RSVPs I sent out were the first time my side of the family had seen anything like that. My side of the family is very much used to being invited to a party and just showing up. I think a wedding should be different. I had to call about 10 family members and ask for their RSVP since I have to give a final head count to my venue. FH and I are paying per person and I want to make sure everyone who RSVPd has somewhere to sit and enough food and drinks. A few of my family has made comments that my wedding is "too American", which is fine; they can decline if they want. Please don't hand out passes and just expect people to show up with the # of guests you invited. Some might show up with more.....