Tracking RSVP's

jmcclure7

I am wondering the best way to track RSVPs. Is it best to send it in the mail with postage already on it and have them mail it back and just physically count them, is there a way to put it in an excel sheet that you can just put +1 each time you get one back and then have it total for you? Or would you suggest using the wedding website for RSVPs, does that have a very successful outcome and does it count them for you or do you just get an email response and you count them yourself. I worry about this for the older folks that are that techno savy.

I am also in somewhat of a delema becuase we are having a beach wedding in California and a big reception back home in Nebraska so some of our friends and family are invited to California and Nebraska.

hz80408

IMO, definitely send a "hard" copy (ie paper) RSVP.  If you send one, you need to include the proper postage amount on it for guests to easily return it.

Some people lightly number their RSVPs in the bottom corner and then assigned the numbers to names on the guest list; that will allow you to know keep track of who has/hasn't turned in their RSVP if someone forgets their name (if you dont' pre-type their names for them).

I used Excel to keep organized with all of my wedding planning, especially the guest list.  I'd recommend it!

TiffannieF

Definitely put your postage on the RSVP AND put your address (return address is not needed).

For me, I had an excel sheet that had everybody's name and address on it, how many people expected, yes, no, how many people rsvp'd (kind of redundant), then a I left an area for "comments". 

I would also suggest to put a small number on the back of the rsvp and record who that number belongs to (i.e. #1: Joe and Jane Smith.  #2: Josh & Judy Black)...some people MIGHT send their rsvp with out putting their name on the rsvp or their return address...if you number them then you'll do know it belongs to!

tenofcups4me

We also used a combination of reply cards and excel, with a number on the back of each reply card corresonding to the excel number. I used one excel sheet to track everything: names, whose guest it was (mine, his, my parents, his parents), addresses, engagement gifts, engagement gift thank yous, invited to shower, attended shower, shower present, shower thank you, wedding invitation sent, response received, number attending and thank you sent.

Made it very easy to see who had responded and if we needed to follow up with anyone.


For yours, you could have one column for response to California and another for response to Nevada.

We used the actual response cards to create our table arrangements -- just moved around the actual cards into groupings to create tables.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I also used excel. I listed the names of the people attending, their address, their phone number (for follow up), then I also kept track of if/what their gift was, and when a thank you note was sent.

I also had columns for "number invited" and "number attending." One of our GMs was invited with his wife and daughters (4) but only he could attend (1). Then I SUM-ed the numbers at the bottom so it would tell me the new total whenever I got a new RSVP and added another response.

rlavach

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_tracking-rsvps?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f2dc08d1-3db6-4b2c-ab54-469b872b25c7Post:32400461-26b4-4ac2-a36e-dbe67f727f62">Re: Tracking RSVP's</a>:
[QUOTE]Definitely put your postage on the RSVP AND put your address (return address is not needed). For me, I had an excel sheet that had everybody's name and address on it, how many people expected, yes, no, how many people rsvp'd (kind of redundant), then a I left an area for "comments".  I would also suggest to put a small number on the back of the rsvp and record who that number belongs to (i.e. #1: Joe and Jane Smith.  #2: Josh & Judy Black)...<strong>some people MIGHT send their rsvp with out putting their name on the rsvp or their return address...if you number them then you'll do know it belongs to!</strong>
Posted by TiffannieF[/QUOTE]
OOOH! I was wondering why people did that!<div>
</div><div>I'm using Google Docs spreadsheets for most of my items because it is easy for both my FI and I to access it and make edits, without having to send it back & forth between us. I also have about 10 Google word documents with various lists. Oh how I love Google...</div>

andreamarie77

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_tracking-rsvps?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:f2dc08d1-3db6-4b2c-ab54-469b872b25c7Post:aa6089b8-757b-400d-95a8-18fb65266167">Re: Tracking RSVP's</a>:
[QUOTE]I also used excel. <strong>I listed the names of the people attending, their address, their phone number (for follow up), then I also kept track of if/what their gift was, and when a thank you note was sent. I also had columns for "number invited" and "number attending." </strong>One of our GMs was invited with his wife and daughters (4) but only he could attend (1). <strong>Then I SUM-ed the numbers at the bottom so it would tell me the new total whenever I got a new RSVP and added another response.
</strong>Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

This.
If you have the whole list in Excel, all you do is find their name when the reply card comes back, enter the # attending in the correct column, and it totals the new number of attendees at the bottom. You're done.
Then you also have a column for gifts received and a column for thank you cards sent so that you can keep track of everything later.
We are doing the same exact thing.