InviteBatch teamIn this guide
- 1What should a wedding RSVP card say?
- 2Formal wedding RSVP wording
- 3Modern and casual wedding RSVP wording
- 4How do you ask for meal choices on an RSVP?
- 5How do you word an RSVP to show how many people are invited?
- 6How do you word plus-ones on a wedding RSVP?
- 7How do you say adults only on a wedding RSVP?
- 8Online wedding RSVP wording
- 9Polite RSVP reminder wording
- 10Wording for the RSVP envelope or return address
- 11Make replying take ten seconds
- 12Related guides
The short answer: good wedding RSVP wording has four parts: a reply-by date, a line for the guest's name, an accept or decline choice, and how many people are coming. The classic version is "Kindly reply by May 22, 2027 · M ______ · Joyfully accepts · Regretfully declines". Add meal choices only if your caterer needs them.
Below are examples for every kind of wedding, from formal cards to online replies, plus wording for the awkward lines: plus-ones, adults-only and reminders. Copy them as they are or mix and match.
What should a wedding RSVP card say?
Every RSVP card needs the same four things, whatever the style:
- The reply-by date. Usually three to four weeks before the wedding. See when wedding RSVPs are due for how to pick yours.
- A name line. The traditional "M ______" lets guests write "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms." themselves.
- Accept or decline. Two short options guests can tick or circle.
- Number attending. Either a blank ("____ will attend") or the number you reserved for them.
Optional extras: meal choice, dietary needs, a song request, or a line for a short message to the couple. Keep it to what you will actually use. Every extra question is one more reason to put the card off.
Formal wedding RSVP wording
Formal wording uses full sentences, spelled-out dates and no contractions.
- The favor of a reply is requested by the twenty-second of May, two thousand twenty-seven. M ______ accepts with pleasure ______ declines with regret
- Kindly respond on or before the twenty-second of May. M ______ will attend ______ will not attend
- Please reply by the twenty-second of May. Number of guests ______. Joyfully accepts ______ Regretfully declines ______
Modern and casual wedding RSVP wording
Modern wording is shorter and sounds like you.
- Kindly reply by May 22, 2027. Name ______. Can't wait! ______ Will celebrate from afar ______
- RSVP by May 22. ______ Count me in ______ Sadly, I can't make it
- Will you be there? Let us know by May 22. ______ Yes, wouldn't miss it ______ No, but sending love
- Save us a seat? Reply by May 22. ______ Heck yes ______ Sadly no
- Please RSVP by May 22. We can't wait to celebrate with you.
Funny wording works when it fits the couple. Keep the accept and decline options obvious, so nobody has to guess which box means yes.
How do you ask for meal choices on an RSVP?
List the options with a blank or initials line next to each, so households with several guests can mark more than one.
- Please indicate your entrée: ____ Beef ____ Salmon ____ Vegetarian
- Kindly initial your dinner choice: ____ Chicken ____ Fish ____ Pasta (vegetarian)
- Allergies or dietary needs: ________________
On a printed card, initials tell you who chose what. With an online RSVP, each person in the household picks their own meal, so the caterer's totals add up without you matching initials to names.
How do you word an RSVP to show how many people are invited?
Say how many seats you reserved. It's polite and much clearer than leaving a blank:
- We have reserved ____ seats in your honor. Kindly reply by May 22.
- We have saved 2 seats for you. Please reply by May 22.
- ____ of 2 will attend
Fill in the number by hand before you mail the card, or print it per guest. It works best together with clear names on the invitation itself, for example "Sarah & James Smith" rather than "The Smith Family". Our guide on how to write guest names on wedding invitations covers every case.
How do you word plus-ones on a wedding RSVP?
If a guest may bring someone, say so and leave room for the name:
- Name ______ and guest ______
- We'd love for you to bring a guest. Their name: ______
If a guest has no plus-one, don't mention plus-ones at all. Address the invitation to that guest only and reserve one seat ("We have reserved 1 seat in your honor").
How do you say adults only on a wedding RSVP?
Keep it short and warm, and put it on the RSVP or details card rather than the main invitation:
- We love your little ones, but our celebration will be adults only.
- While we adore your children, our wedding will be an adults-only event.
- Please note that we are only able to host guests 18 and over.
Address the invitation to the adults by name, so the RSVP line confirms what the envelope already says.
Online wedding RSVP wording
If guests reply online, the printed card only needs to point them there:
- Kindly reply online by May 22, 2027 at [your link]
- Scan to RSVP by May 22 (next to a QR code)
- Please RSVP by May 22. Your personal reply link is in your invitation message.
A personal link per guest is easier than a shared form: guests don't type their names, every person in the household answers separately, and you can see who hasn't replied yet. That's how electronic wedding invitations with RSVP work on InviteBatch. If you add a QR code, keep it at least 2 cm (0.8 in) square. More in how to add a QR code to wedding invitations.
Sage Botanical
Wedding
Polite RSVP reminder wording
Send one reminder about a week before the deadline, only to guests who haven't replied:
- Hi Emily! Just a gentle reminder to RSVP for our wedding by May 22. It helps us so much with planning. [link]
- Hi David, we're finalizing numbers this week. Will you be able to join us on June 12? A quick yes or no is perfect.
- Hello Aunt Linda, we'd love to know if you can make it to our wedding. Could you let us know by Friday?
Keep reminders short, friendly and personal. Never send a group message that shames people who haven't answered.
Wording for the RSVP envelope or return address
A printed RSVP card that goes back by mail needs a stamped, addressed envelope. Put your own (or the host's) address on it, and add the stamp before mailing the invitations. Without one, many replies never come back. If you'd rather skip mailed replies entirely, use online RSVP and leave the envelope out.
Make replying take ten seconds
The best wording in the world won't help if replying is a chore. With InviteBatch every guest gets an invitation with their own name on it, plus a personal online RSVP where each person in the household answers, with meal choices and dietary needs. You see live totals, remind only the guests who haven't answered, and still get print-ready PDFs for anyone who wants paper.