Writing guest names on RSVP cards?

MrsAitch

My invitations should come in today! I am hand addressing the envelopes, and my RSVP cards have the wording below. What do you think of me writing in my guests' names on the M_____ line? This way, I don't have to worry about anyone forgetting to write their name, and according to my mother, the M confuses some people and they don't know what to write there. I thought it made more sense to write in names instead of coming up with a numbering system, but maybe that's silly? What do you think?

The favor of a reply is requested by the eleventh of April

M ____________________

____ Accepts with pleasure

____ Declines with regrets

____ Number of Guests Attending

Maggie0829

I don't think you should write in people's names.  Give your guests some credit.  Most people know that they need to write their names on that line.  Also, it won't stop people from adding additional guests to their invite.

I would still do a numbering system no matter which way you go.  It really doesn't have to be involved. Just make an excel spreadsheet and each invite gets a line.  Write the corresponding number of that line on the back of the RSVP card in one of the corners.

AddieCake

I wrote in people's names.

Maggie0829

The only question I have is if you write in their names (say it is a couple) and then they put that only 1 person can attend, how do you know who that person is?

Typically if I get invited with my H and my H can't attend I would write in only my name and then put a 1 in the number attending spot.  But if both are names are already written in and I put 1 then I would have to add a note specifying which one is and is not attending.  I would just seem easier to let the guests fill it in completely.

singinchick13

I actually thought you were supposed to write names...... :S

MrsAitch

Maggie0829 said:

The only question I have is if you write in their names (say it is a couple) and then they put that only 1 person can attend, how do you know who that person is?

Typically if I get invited with my H and my H can't attend I would write in only my name and then put a 1 in the number attending spot.  But if both are names are already written in and I put 1 then I would have to add a note specifying which one is and is not attending.  I would just seem easier to let the guests fill it in completely.

Ah thanks, I didn't even think of that! Leaving them blank then

Maggie0829

singinchick13 said:

I actually thought you were supposed to write names...... :S

I don't think there is really a right or wrong way of doing it.

aRachel21

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

mlg78

I hate that damn "M". I also put "Name" instead and I did not write in names. Like Maggie said, what if one person is coming and the other isn't? What if someone breaks up (that happened to me)? Of the 130-ish invites we sent out only one person added additional people.

AddieCake

Maggie, for those that that happened to me with, the people wrote a note on the RSVP who it was that was coming or just drew a circle around their name.

Maggie0829

AddieL73 said:

Maggie, for those that that happened to me with, the people wrote a note on the RSVP who it was that was coming or just drew a circle around their name.

Well that was my thought, that most people would do that, but I feel like there are a lot of dumb people in the world and they wouldn't think of doing something so commonsensical, like you and I would.

Maggie0829

aRachel21 said:

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

I was always under the assumption that the "M" is so that people can then finish filling in either Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. or Miss.  Not that their name starts with an M.

KatWAG

aRachel21 said:

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

this made me chuckle. the 'M" is for Mr. Miss. Mrs. etc.

I think your guests can figure out that their name goes on the list. What would you write for an "and guest." The benefit of the RSVP card is that the invited person can filled out the card as a way of telling you who they plan to bring.

AddieCake

Yeah, the M is for the titles, not a name.

AddieCake

Kat, for "and guest," I wrote "and guest, just like I did on the envelope.

tammym1001

@glitterwitch22 - I am doing the same thing except I'm making my own invites so I'm just going to type in the names when I create the RSVP cards. 

KatWAG

AddieL73 said:

Kat, for "and guest," I wrote "and guest, just like I did on the envelope.

Did you use escort cards for table seating? If so, did you call people to find out the names of their guests?

AddieCake

Yes, and yes. The people we didn't have names for at invitation time were just "and guest," and then the week before, when I did the seating, I contacted them for a name.

huskypuppy14

Do other people have an issue with the M line being too short for their name(s)? My last name is so long, once I do Ms. First Last it's 20 letters, and that's not including my FI. It's ridiculous! I usually have to add FI under the line. What about people who have to write 5 names on the card?

mlg78

aRachel21 said:

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

Oh, Lord... Seriously? See, my name DOES start with "M"...you never wondered why there isn't an "R" or "D" at the beginning? I'm sorry, but that's just...special.

AddieCake

Yeah, I did have to kind of write small for those people, Lauryn.

princessleia22

Maggie0829 said:

show previous quotes

aRachel21 said:

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

I was always under the assumption that the "M" is so that people can then finish filling in either Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. or Miss.  Not that their name starts with an M.

What about people with non-"m" titles, like Dr., Hon., or Sir?

aRachel21

Maggie0829 said:

show previous quotes

aRachel21 said:

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

I was always under the assumption that the "M" is so that people can then finish filling in either Mr. or Mrs. or Ms. or Miss.  Not that their name starts with an M.

Hahaha I was joking about the name starting with M! We need a universal sarcasm font.

aRachel21

mlg78 said:

show previous quotes

aRachel21 said:

I took out the 'M' and put {NAME} under the blank line.  Not everyone's name starts with 'M'

Oh, Lord... Seriously? See, my name DOES start with "M"...you never wondered why there isn't an "R" or "D" at the beginning? I'm sorry, but that's just...special.



I thought my smiley face indicated that I was joking. No more sarcasm for me on the internet... People are thinking I am special lol.

MamaAlly89

I know this isn't the proper way to do things but on our rsvp cards we would fill in the names for anyone who would be invited with a +1/guest. We didn't do an outside and inside envelope for the invites and I thought it looked really dumb to put Jon Doe and Guest on the outside envelope. I listed the "and guest" part of the rsvp card so they would know they were welcome to bring a date.

[Deleted User]

I saw on pinterest that a lot of people people left the M____ line blank or their handwriting was difficult to read.

So before sending the invites with rsvp card, the bride wrote in invisible ink on the back of the rsvp the guest name. When the rsvp was returned, if the M___ line was blank or illegible, the guest is identified on the back with a special dark light to see it. 

I bought an invisible pen with dark light from the container store, so that could be another possibility!

theartistformerlyknownas

I've been debating this myself. I realized after I ordered the RSVP cards just how many doctors FI has in his family, including one couple where they're both doctors, so the M___ totally doesn't apply. I thought "maybe if I just cross that out myself and fill it in myself it won't look so much like I'm totally dismissing their titles. :-\