Response cards vs. phone/e-mail RSVP

ebitsTTU

I am making my own invitations, and I am stuck on the response cards. Do I do the traditional snail-mail response cards enclosed in the invitation, or do I do the more modern phone/e-mail RSVP?  I like the fact that the call/e-mail is more environmentally friendly than the response card, but it might be easier to mark a card and stick it in the mail than write an e-mail explaining why they might not be able to make it. Some friends suggested having the option to choose from both, but that would be confusing on my part and would be a waste of postage for some.

Which should I choose?

Pirata13

I say response cards.  I also like the eco-friendliness of calls and emails, but it is just easier and more traditional for the response cards via the mail. Plus, I don't know if you or someone else is handling the RSVPs (my mom is since she is retired), but think about getting 15 calls in one day when you are in the middle of work, at dinner in a restaurant etc.  It really made me think about how frazzled that could make someone.  We will allow a week from RSVP date to call anyone who has not replied to confirm if they are coming or not, in case the RSVP got lost in the mail, which can happen.

MyNameIsNot

It depends on your wedding.  If you are having a really casual backyard BBQ style event, an email/phone RSVP is fine.  If you are doing something semi-formal or nicer, you really need to go with the traditional response card. 

Using sends a message that it is a super casual event, and that an RSVP isn't totally necessary, so don't go that route if you need an exact head count ahead of time, or you will end up tracking down a lot of people.

I <3 Seabass

I would do a traditional response card. You could use postcards to save on postage and on paper.

desireedp

I did the phone/email RSVP and have only rec'd two back and my RSVP date is on the 6th. Most of my RSVP's are family/friends that have just told me in person that they are/aren't coming.

MOBinFLA

It depends on the style of your wedding.  If your wedding is super casual (think people in shorts/jeans, wearing flip-flops) the phone call or e-mail is okay; not great but okay.  If your wedding is even slightly more formal, then you should use the written response.

I handled the responses for my daughter's wedding and if someone had called me when I was in the middle of grocery shopping, I never would have remembered who it was and if they were coming or not by the time I got home.  Heck, I probably wouldn't have even remembered that someone had called!

Save yourself a lot of headaches and have it in writing as to who is and who isn't coming.