RSVP: meaning and response
RSVP means: please respond.
The abbreviation comes from the French répondez s’il vous plaît. On a wedding invitation, it asks you to reply by the stated date, whether you are coming or not. Below you will find how to respond, wording examples and what organizers need from the replies.
Simplified demo: Emily and James's invitation for Jana and Petr
What organizers use from the response
- At the table
- 2 seats
- For the kitchen
- 1× vegetarian, 1× meat
- Dietary restrictions
- Petr: nut-free
Dear Emily and James,
thank you for the invitation; both would love to come. Jana chooses the vegetarian menu, Petr meat. Petr has a nut allergy.
We look forward to seeing you!
Jana and Petr
Meaning
What RSVP means on an invitation.
Pořadatelé čekají odpověď v obou případech: když pozvání přijímáte i když se omlouváte.
U zkratky bývá datum a kontakt, případně odkaz nebo QR kód na formulář, třeba „RSVP do 15. 5. přes odkaz níže“. Datum není zdvořilostní doporučení. Podle něj pořadatelé hlásí počty kuchyni, rozsazují hosty ke stolům a potvrzují pokoje.
Varianta „regrets only“ znamená, že se ozvete jen tehdy, když nepřijdete. Když si nejste jistí, co pořadatelé chtějí, odpovězte i tak.
Česky stačí napsat „Prosíme o potvrzení účasti do 15. 5.“. Spojení „prosím o RSVP“ je vlastně zdvojené, protože prosba už ve zkratce je. Rozumí mu ale každý.
How to reply
A response people can plan from.
A short response is enough. It must say who is coming and include the details requested in the invitation.
Check who is invited
The names on the invitation determine who is invited. “Jana and Petr Novák” means two people. “With a plus-one” means one additional person, whose name the organizers need. Children not listed on the invitation are not automatically included; ask.
Reply by the date through the requested channel
If the invitation includes a form or link, use it. A message someone must copy into the list can easily be lost. If you are unsure by the deadline, say when you will know.
Attendance, menu and dietary restrictions for each person
Reply separately for everyone: who is coming and who is not, their menu choice, and any dietary restrictions or allergies. The kitchen cooks for individual plates, not households.
When plans change
Let the organizers know straight away, even after the deadline. Cancelling a week before the wedding is awkward, but an empty chair and a paid meal without a guest are worse. The reverse also applies: if you can attend after all, ask whether it is still possible.
Examples
Wedding invitation response examples.
Copy the example that fits and adapt the names and details. You do not need to give a reason for declining.
Milí Terezo a Matěji,
thank you for the invitation; oba. Jana si vybírá vegetariánské menu, Petr masové. Petr má alergii na ořechy would love to come.
We look forward to seeing you!
Jana a Petr
Milí Terezo a Matěji,
thank you for the invitation. Unfortunately, we cannot make that date. We wish you a wonderful day and would love to celebrate with you later.
Jana a Petr
Hello,
děkujeme za pozvání na vaši svatbu. Účast bohužel potvrdit nemůžeme. Přejeme vám krásný den.
S pozdravem
Jana a Petr Novákovi
Milí Terezo a Matěji,
děkujeme za pozvání pro nás i pro děti. Přijdeme ve čtyřech: Jana a Petr si vybírají masové menu, Ema (7 let) a Tomáš (3 roky) dětské. Pro Tomáše prosíme o dětskou židličku.
We look forward to seeing you!
Jana, Petr, Ema a Tomáš
Milí Terezo a Matěji,
omlouváme se, že odpovídáme až po termínu. Pokud to ještě jde, rádi přijdeme oba; Jana si vybírá vegetariánské menu, Petr masové. Pokud už ne, plně to chápeme.
Jana a Petr
For organizers
Set up RSVP to collect what you need.
Most follow-up work is determined before invitations are sent.
Work backwards to set the response deadline
Start with the date the kitchen needs final numbers. Allow time for seating and follow-ups. For example: the kitchen needs counts 10 days ahead, seating takes a week and follow-ups another week. The response deadline falls roughly four weeks before the wedding.
Ask only for what you will use
Attendance, menu and dietary restrictions for each person. Ask about accommodation or transport only if you are arranging them. A question you will not act on just makes the form longer.
Names and contact details in the response
Guests enter their own names through the invitation link or QR code. Ask for each person's name and an email or phone number, so you can match the response to people on the list. For a multi-day wedding, ask separately about each part: Friday evening, the ceremony and Sunday breakfast.
Remind before the deadline; call afterwards
Expect some guests not to reply in time. Two or three days before the deadline, remind those still waiting. Call them after the deadline and record late responses in the same list, not in messages.
RSVP in the Kruspin app
From form responses to the guest list.
Build the form from questions linked to guest list columns. Guests reply separately for each person. Approved responses sit on guest records, ready for the seating plan and kitchen document.
Questions linked to the guest list
For an attendance or menu question, see which column receives the answer after approval. Edit the form text in Czech and other languages.
Responses awaiting approval
Form responses wait for approval. Add new guests in one click, including all at once. If a name or contact matches someone on the list, the response is marked “Needs review”: select an existing guest for each person or add them as new. You or the client can approve responses.
Response deadline
The form closes automatically after the date you set. Enter any late response manually in the guest list.
Links and reminders
Copy the form or guest website link with a QR code and send it through your usual channels. The QR code works well on printed invitations. Filter guests who have not replied in one click and remind them of the deadline.
What you will find in the app
Questions linked to the guest list
For an attendance or menu question, see which column receives the answer after approval. Edit the form text in Czech and other languages.
Responses awaiting approval
Form responses wait for approval. Add new guests in one click, including all at once. If a name or contact matches someone on the list, the response is marked “Needs review”: select an existing guest for each person or add them as new. You or the client can approve responses.
Response deadline
The form closes automatically after the date you set. Enter any late response manually in the guest list.
Links and reminders
Copy the form or guest website link with a QR code and send it through your usual channels. The QR code works well on printed invitations. Filter guests who have not replied in one click and remind them of the deadline.
Continue planning
Formalities run alongside invitations.
Formalities and documents
Marriage questionnaire, documents and deadlines for your situation.
Wedding coordinatorsSearch by region or wedding venue and send one inquiry to your selection.
Planning your own wedding? Your coordinator or wedding venue invites you to the app.
Collecting responses for your clients? Kruspin for wedding coordinators
Frequently asked questions
Replying to an invitation.
Did not find an answer? Write to us through the page support.
When should invitations go out, and when should responses be due?
Invitations usually go out two to three months before the wedding, with at least four weeks for guests to respond. Set the deadline around the catering cutoff, not by guesswork. Send an earlier save the date to guests abroad or for a peak-season wedding.