Online RSVPs

decka1121

Hi all, I was wondering your thoughts on this: I made a cute wedding website through The Knot and it does have a place where guests can RSVP. Would it be tacky to have all guests RSVP in this manor? We don't have a large budget, and the more ways to save money the better! This would eliminate the cost of printing out RSVP cards, the envelopes, my precious time of addressing all of them back to us, and of course the dreaded cost of stamps. Your thoughts? Also: I will be looking into this but if anyone knows of the top of their head that would be helpful: When RSVPing online is there a section to add & guest? We have a lot of those that will be written on the invites.. Thanks ladies!

spuccio

If I were you, I wouldn't do it. One thing that I have found is that not as many people check out your website as you would think. Sure, some people complimented me on mine, and others enjoyed reading it, but not everyone does it. I am not talking about elderly grands, either. People with internet capabilities still dont all check it out. I put directions and lodging lists on my site, instead of the actual invite, and people still called me wondering how to get there. Irritating, but I guess not unexpected.So relying on the net for RSVPs seems like a risk to me. You might end up making way too many phone calls to people after the RSVP date, wondering why you havent heard from them.

spuccio

Oh, also I should add that we did our invitations on a low budget too. I bought a DIY kit from formal invitations.com and they came to under a dollar per invite. Pressed floral cotton paper, gold seals on the outside, etc. Very nice. Also, you could always do postcards for RSVP to save on postage

kebmtm071605

I wouldn't use the online rsvp through the knot. That being said...if you really want to save $$ and your wedding is fairly casual...print your email address and phone number on the bottom of the address to RSVP instead of RSVP cards.  I caution that some people see this informal type of response as not quite as binding as an RSVP card.

junelley

I think (and hope) that it depends on your group.  Both FI and I think that our families and friends would be the kind that would check our website (they are online all day long) and we are planning on using online RSVP exclusively.  It also depends on the number of guests you have.  We are not having a huge wedding so even if we had to make phone calls, it would not be so bad for us.  As a guest, I would totally RSVP online.  All that said, I am a bit surprised by pp's post that not many people would RSVP online.  I'll have to relay this info to my FI.  Can't help you with the website part.  My FI is designing it from scratch.

jenwindy

I offered online RSVP as a convenience to guests, but also sent formal paper reply cards. Some folks used the online version, some used the paper, and some used both. I would not recommend using only online RSVP's because none of our older guests (age 40+) used it.

foolforfood

If you're doing online rsvps, maybe you should also give guests the option to call in their rsvp.  My Persian friend says that's how they do it in their culture - even with a BT event for 500 guests. 

cazzysmith

I ditto spuccio - you might be surprised at how many people don't visit the site.You at least have to include response cards for those old folks who don't or can't go online.I expected people w/ net access to rsvp online but a lot have sent the cards back anyway.  What I did was just put return postage on the envelopes for those people I knew don't have or don't use the internet.  (then my cousin w/ internet still called my mom complaining there was no return address or postage - she didn't see the large font on the rsvp that you could rsvp online - ugh.)I just tested the guest thing, and it's annoying, no, there doesn't seem to be a place to enter an invitee's guest's name.  In fact, my maid of honor only rsvp'd for 1 although she is bringing a guest because she could not find a place to enter his name.  (Perhaps I did my guest list manager wrong, though...I don't know.)  However, the guest's name can be entered on the site, and when the Knot doesn't find a match on your guest list, the person rsvp'ing sees a page where they can enter their (and their date's) name, email address & entree choice.  Then the Knot will send you an email that they could not find a match for the person's name, but their info will be included in the email, then you'll have it.(did that make sense?)

decka1121

Thank you all for your help and comments! I think I'll go with the postcard idea, but still leave a link to the website for directions and such to the ceremony. Thanks again!

Scarlet856

I agree with the pps. I wouldn't do an online rsvp. I actually got a wedding invite in the mail this week that had no rsvp options. Then a day or so later we got a text message asking us to text back our meal choices. What would Emily Post say. Other than to roll over twice in her grave of course.

choppinbroccoli22

I have my website on the knot, too. It suits me fine. I haven't allowed guests to RSVP on it though because I don't trust it to keep track. The knot has been down for updates too often in the last year.

2dBride

We are doing online RSVPs, and haven't had difficulties.  However, we are using a site NotFroofy developed, rather than a commercial site.  One of the advantages is that every invitation has an invitation code.  When it is used, it pulls up the name of each person invited on that invitation, and asks whether s/he is coming or not.  That way, it is not possible for someone to say, "Oh, yes, I'm coming and bringing my 18 grandchildren!"