Our Thoughts on Online vs Traditional Wedding RSVPs
Sending invitations and receiving responses is sometimes one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning. It’s all really happening! While some of our Boston Brides prefer to go the traditional mail route, more couples are going entirely digital when collecting RSVPs. It can seem like a no brainer when crafting every detail of your wedding website to take it one step further and include RSVPs as well. Here are some questions to consider when making this decision.
Is tradition very important to you?
Paper response cards are the more traditional and formal choice. While it is possible to have a black tie or formal invitation while also using a digital response, if you are someone who is very focused on doing things according to proper etiquette then you should opt for the physical response card route (with a pre stamped envelope to make things as easy as possible for your guests).
Which method will get your guests to respond most efficiently?
Nothing is worse than tracking down guests for their responses and food choices at the eleventh hour. As wedding planners in the New England area, we see this more often than you’d expect. While digital RSVPs are technically instant, that’s only the case if your guests are tech savvy enough to know how to use them. On the flip side, sometimes response cards end up sitting on people’s desks for a while, forgotten in the mail pile. Sometimes, guests respond with their food choices and forget to write their names! Make the decision based on the demographic of your Boston wedding guests.
Are you looking to cut costs?
Switching to online RSVPs will save some money, but nothing too significant. You will still need to insert some type of instructions for responding into your invitations, although you will save on return postage. We know that the Boston wedding market is expensive, but unfortunately this cost savings will not be the difference between a fingertip and a cathedral veil in your wedding budget.
As with most wedding planning decisions, your response type is highly personal to you as a couple. If you do end up going the online response route, we recommend using the built in features on wedding websites from Minted or Zola. As always, we are happy to help.
Happy planning!
Elle & Team
