Wedding Invitations & Paper

Online RSVP

Has anyone used an online RSVP system?? If so, which online system would you recommend. I'm thinking that this may be a nice alternative (would still give people the option to mail) for those who are tech-savy!! Thanks!!

Re: Online RSVP

  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_online-rsvp-8?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f1159c94-e71f-495c-b77a-4f98f3cfab73Post:d0a9a781-b5bc-45c4-aab0-d70c684f74fd">Online RSVP</a>:
    [QUOTE]Has anyone used an online RSVP system?? If so, which online system would you recommend. I'm thinking that this may be a nice alternative <strong>(would still give people the option to mail) </strong>for those who are tech-savy!! Thanks!!
    Posted by raidervolleyball14[/QUOTE]

    To the bolded, you'd still have to send a stamped RSVP card/envelope to each guest anyways. How would you know who would want to RSVP on the computer and who wouldn't? So it would be a real waste of postage. Sending them to guests unstamped is pretty rude.

    Either do all email/phone-in RSVP, or all snail-mail. A combination will likely cause you headaches/stress, IMHO.
  • Honestly, I would probably opt for the printed and mailed RSVP cards. Reason being (and I'm a graphic designer, so I'm tech-savvy) is because a lot of people don't get the online RSVP thing; I didn't. My cousin and his wife did the online thing, and my entire family was late in RSVPing because we didn't know how to do so. I ended up sending him a Facebook message saying that no one knew what the heck to do, but that we would all be there. It wasn't until after the fact that someone let us know that there was an online RSVP thing!

    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_online-rsvp-8?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f1159c94-e71f-495c-b77a-4f98f3cfab73Post:d0a9a781-b5bc-45c4-aab0-d70c684f74fd">Online RSVP</a>:
    [QUOTE]Has anyone used an online RSVP system?? If so, which online system would you recommend. I'm thinking that this may be a nice alternative (would still give people the option to mail) for those who are tech-savy!! Thanks!!
    Posted by raidervolleyball14[/QUOTE]
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I agree -- it's too complicated for many.  Just stick with the tried and true mail option.
  • I think you definitely need to keep the traditional paper RSVP, but maybe include the online RSVP on your website too? I actually would like to do it online because it's a pretty far drive for me to go to the post office, so I always put off sending RSVPs back until the last minute haha! 
  • An online RSVP system is okay, but don't make it your only means for people to reply to you.

    For example, my BF's mother doesn't have a computer or Internet connection.  She's very tech-phobic.  He lives with her and has to use his cell phone and public computers for email and the Internet.  Such people need non-electronic means of RSVPing to your invitation.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_online-rsvp-8?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f1159c94-e71f-495c-b77a-4f98f3cfab73Post:586e2b3f-4924-4f69-83d0-ec3daf78849a">Re: Online RSVP</a>:
    [QUOTE]I think you definitely need to keep the traditional paper RSVP, but maybe include the online RSVP on your website too? I actually would like to do it online because <strong>it's a pretty far drive for me to go to the post office,</strong> so I always put off sending RSVPs back until the last minute haha! 
    Posted by FruitSnack84[/QUOTE]

    Where do you live? Antarctica? You don't have to take mail to a post office to be mailed, silly...that's what your mailbox is for.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_online-rsvp-8?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f1159c94-e71f-495c-b77a-4f98f3cfab73Post:4173c2d4-7ad7-4fd8-8367-346e48673db4">Re: Online RSVP</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Online RSVP : Where do you live? Antarctica? You don't have to take mail to a post office to be mailed, silly...that's what your mailbox is for.
    Posted by itzMS[/QUOTE]

    Some remote locations don't offer door-to-door mail services. The only option is to have a PO Box at the local office. It's actually pretty common for mountain and other rural communities.
  • My son and his wife used mywedding.com.  It was uncomplicated.  It was their only method of R.S.V.P.  They did need to follow up on a few people who did not respond.  The lack of response was a result of poor etiquette, as opposed to the delivery model.  

    My daughter also had to follow up on several people who did not respond, and she used the traditional mail reply system.


  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_online-rsvp-8?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f1159c94-e71f-495c-b77a-4f98f3cfab73Post:119de651-0c83-437e-9bf2-64de62a99d39">Re: Online RSVP</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Online RSVP : Some remote locations don't offer door-to-door mail services. The only option is to have a PO Box at the local office. It's actually pretty common for mountain and other rural communities.
    Posted by Wheels987[/QUOTE]

    Okay. But if you're going there at least once a week to pick up your mail...it's not hard to drop off an RSVP. Just saying <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" />
  • edited February 2013
    Since our wedding will be semi-formal I made my invitations and opted to forgo the traditional reply card/stamp to save paper and postage.  Instead, I put in small font at the bottom of the invite to RSVP online (at this address) or call (my phone #) by (this date).  I think people know how to use phones at least by now!

    I'm using The Knot's free wedding website.  It has a page for online RSVP.  I know darn well people are looking at it bc they tell me how awesome our site is and even sign the guest book page, which is RIGHT NEXT to the RSVP page.  Not too complicated, right?Still, some haven't RSVPed. 

    As with my bridal shower, younger people seem to risregard the importance and consideration of RSVPing to parties. When I say younger, that includes folks my age - 34.  Where have manners gone?

    10 days from now, I will be calling the non-responses to ask if they are coming.  It puts me in an awkward position to have to check up on people like children :(

    Also, a friend of mine lives on an indian reservation, 3 hours away (a treacherous mountain drive) from her post office. That can be a hassle for some with the RSVP cards.
  • How do you set up RSVP for multiple events on The Knot?  It seems like people can only RSVP to the wedding and I have multiple events for people to RSVP. 
  • I would love to know if there is an answer to this as well.  Any luck ccbrockmeyer?
  • Rather than using a website, I would request an email RSVP.  A lot of the free websites (such as TK) are known to have glitches and problems, and it would be silly to pay for something.  With an email, you know it works and you know people know how to use it.  

    As long as you offer it in addition to mailed RSVPs, it's fine.  
  • My fiancée and I have decided to put our phone number and an email address we created for the sole purpose of RSVP for the wedding.  Many people use email nowadays and those that don't well, they know how to use a phone!!  Our wedding is a pretty casual bbq type wedding so sending fancy invites with fancy returns just doesn't make sense to us!! Saves me from having to pay for double postage too!!
  • We did the whole online RSVP thing, DON'T do it. It was a mess..Honestly, that was one of the things I wish I would have changed.
  • We also did a combo. I did include RSVP cards with SASEs, but also offered the option to RSVP online on the Knot. We're now 2 weeks before the respond by date and have about 100 people who haven't responded at all, and most people have responded with the cards so far. A few people even did both! (interestingly, those were the people who have also fairly recently gotten married and know how important it is to get those responses back asap!)
    I'm not looking forward to calling all the non-responders - if we don't get a pretty big influx in the next week or so it's going to be an awkward couple of days on the phone. 
    I will admit that in my young adulthood, I got a few invitations to a few weddings that I don't remember rsvping to at all. Karma biting me in the a$$ now, I guess!
  • We gave our guests the option to RSVP by mail or website.  90 percent of our guests, even the younger ones, used the traditional mail option.  If you do decide to offer both, I would use www.weddingwire.com, rather than The Knot.  We found Wedding Wire very easy to use and reliable, whereas there are constant posts on here about brides experiencing RSVP glitches with TK's website.
  • OtterJOtterJ member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    I did not do traditional card reposes, but had people RSVP either online or by Phone.  One of my invitation inserts gave the phone number, and web address, and a date to respond by.  The answering machine for the phone number was always on, and gave extremely simple instructions.  For the website, I used the Knot, which meant that I had an entire website with our story, photo, additional details, RSVP and guest book.

    This is why:  We had a very small budget, and a pretty casual wedding over all, so I really wasn't too bothered with being perfectly formal.  We didn't cater, so we didn't need an exact number of heads.  Before hand I heard from a bunch of former brides, and the general rule of thumb was:  some people won't RSVP no matter what method you use.  And this is the truth!  For whatever reason, some people just don't do it, even when all it means is checking a box, and dropping it in the mail.  I figured I didn't want to waste over $100 on nothing but cards, envelopes, and stamps just to have people not use it, so I went the free route! 

    This is how it went:  Most of the people that did respond DID use the website.  Plus, it meant that people were visiting it, leaving us messages, reading our story, and getting additional details.  Even some of the people from the older generation went with it.  It was so much fun to check my e-mail and see that people responded, or left us a message! 

    A good portion of our guests didn't RSVP (maybe 20%), which we had already been told to expect.  Most of the non-responders were "courtesy" invitations that we sent, but weren't really expecting them to come.  It would have been fine if they did, but we weren't expecting it. 

    One advantage that I hadn't thought about is that it's instant.  Some people waited until literally the day before to RSVP.  This would have been bad if we needed exact numbers for food, but we didn't.  Since there was no "wait" time for the response to be mailed, we got the message instantly.

    A lot of people didn't use either method to RSVP.  Some people sent us facebook messages, told us in person, or called us on our cell phone - not the home phone that had been set up with an answering machine message.  This was totally fine, because we didn't waste any money sending them pre-stamped envelopes.  If we had spent the money on a system, and they chose not to use it, I might be upset.  But with this method it was totally fine to just go on the knot (which we went to regularly anyway), and RSVP for them, to help us keep track of the number.  Not a big deal at all. 

    This is what I recommend:  If you're fine with being on the more casual side of things, go with it.  I was really nervous about doing it before hand, but I was pleasantly surprised on the great response that I got from it.  You can also use it as an option to save money, by skipping on the mail responses.  I would however, couple it with one other option - like a phone call for people that don't have internet access. 

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