RSVP Date...should I invite more people?

Re: RSVP Date...should I invite more people?

• cutiepie12702

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  I had to invite people last minute. I was very careful as to how I did it though, because I didn't want people to feel like they didn't make the first cut. When I asked them (co-workers, brother's friends) to come I explained that I would have loved to invite them from the start but we maxed out our guest list initially and as it turned out majority of the guests from DH's side couldn't make it. My parents said something similiar to their friends they added last minute. I invited everyone with a plus one from the start, and majority didn't RSVP with a guest so that dropped our headcount lower than expected, plus DH's side really had an insane amount decline. We ended up with 137 people (6 of which were children and we just paid for them as adults) which was 3 below our minimum. Can you believe the day of we had 2 or 3 people who did not RSVP from DH's side show up? People amaze me.
  
  Depending on how far you are away from your minimum and your RSP date, I would invite people - but make sure they're not people who will be hurt that they weren't invited from the start. Also, make sure you and your parents get on the phone and call people and tell them they need to send back their RSVP because you need to give your venue the final headcount. We made those calls about a week and a half before our RSVP date and the guests told us over the phone if they were coming or not, and sent back their RSVP's right away too.

  

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• altimat873 member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  I was in the same spot, I ended up inviting another 20+ people and am still wary about meeting my minimum, I think we still are waiting on 19 people and my RSVP date was last Tuesday with the so-called B List. It sucks but I was really honest with people, saying we wish we could have invited everyone but limited space and money but would love it if they could still come but understood if they couldnt because of short notice etc. and guess what - my BList was a higher percentage of YESs. Its amazing the people you expect would come and have to invite bc they are family have 101 excuses and the people you wish you could have invited and now can are so much eager to come and happy for you. I would say start in spurts and start inviting some more people but only enough that if they all say yes you would meet your minimum and as you start getting a few NOs maybe add more? Or make an assumption that only 80% will say YES and just be prepared to pay if they all say Yes? Good luck.

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• jcg98 member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  You need to reach out to the MIA guests before you consider inviting any more.  Yes, it sucks that they didn't RSVP.  We all go through it.  Enlist your parents, FI and his parents and start making calls.  If you don't meet your minimum after that you can certainly invite more or let single guests bring dates, etc.

   
    
  

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• MCM1012

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  I agree with pp that you need to call the missing guests first. You don't want to invite a bunch of B list people to have the A list rsvp yes and you be over.

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• LADY324

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  Definitely call your missing rsvp's first don't just assume they are all no's because they haven't responded. 

  

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• cindyn9178 member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  What is your RSVP date? We had a lot of oustanding ones up until the RSVP date, and then a couple stragglers we had to call. How many more people do you need to meet your minimum? I see you have 45 attending so far...
  
  I'd wait until about 3 days after the RSVP date, then contact everybody who hasn't responded, and decide at that point.. I would suggest giving single guests a +1, but it is not guaranteed they would even want to bring someone. I wouldn't suggest inviting other people you didn't originally invite this late in the game. At a month before the wedding, they would know they are "B list". Unless you are close enough to those people that you could explain to them and they'd understand.

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• ChristineL23

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  We found the majority of our people who didn't RSVP by the date were just flaky and in fact said yes - so definately check with them before calling the B list.  We also found that most people replied within first week weeks of invites going out, and then had a few trickle in each day from there, with another big batch coming in right around/after our RSVP date.

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