Yuka Kato
Organizing a social event like a wedding or a birthday party can be challenging enough in itself. However, ensuring your guests RSVP to your invitation can take it to another level. It can be frustrating, to say the least, when your guests fail to respond in a timely manner. That’s where an RSVP reminder can come to your rescue.
An RSVP reminder can not only help you to get an accurate headcount for your event, but it also shows your guests that you care about their presence and want them to have a good time. A good RSVP reminder message should be polite and respectful while conveying the importance of a timely response.
In this article, we will take a look at some of the best RSVP reminder email templates that you can use during your next event, whether it is a wedding, birthday party, or corporate gathering. We will also discuss why RSVPs are important and the best time to remind guests to RSVP.
RSVP reminder email
A good RSVP reminder email should have three essential characteristics. It should be polite, clear, and concise. The main goal is to ensure that the recipient understands the importance of responding promptly.
Of course, depending on the event, you will need to modify the content of your reminder message to RSVP. Let’s look at a few RSVP reminder email templates for different types of events.
Get responses to your RSVP reminders
Know who has and hasn’t read your emails
Wedding RSVP reminder
Late RSVPs or wedding guests not responding to your invitation is the worst nightmare for any bride, groom, or their wedding planner. Unfortunately, there are times you need to chase after your guests to get confirmation of their attendance during the wedding planning process.
Sending a wedding RSVP reminder for wedding invitations can help in such situations to get an accurate headcount for your event.
Here is an RSVP reminder email template for wedding invitations that ticks all the boxes and should get you a response right away.
“Subject: Your RSVP to John and Jenna’s wedding reception
Hello [Name],
We hope this email finds you well. We are getting closer to our big day, and we wanted to follow up and remind you to RSVP online if you haven’t already.
Your presence would mean a lot to us on our special day. Please take a moment to let us know if you can attend by filling out the online RSVP form at our wedding website or replying to this email with your response by the end of this month.
You can always contact us with your questions or concerns.
Thank you so much for considering our wedding invitation! We hope to hear back from you soon.
Warm regards,
John and Jenna”
As you can appreciate, the email above is clear to the point and offers the recipient clear choices to respond to a wedding invitation before the RSVP deadline passes.
Now imagine a situation in which your RSVP deadline has come and gone. Unfortunately, some wedding guests still have not yet responded. In that situation, you can be a bit more direct without being rude or abrasive.
Here is an email template you can use for reminding such guests during your wedding planning process:
“Subject: RSVP to Jim and Jenna’s wedding invitation
Hi [Name]!
Hope you are doing great. We just wanted to ensure you got the invitation to our wedding reception on May 18th. The day is approaching fast, and our caterer wants an accurate final headcount to prepare for the occasion. Can you please let us know whether you can make it by the end of this week?
Thanks,
John and Jenna”
The second template is more direct while still being polite and respectful. It asks the recipient to respond with a clear “yes” or “no” and conveys the urgency of getting the response.
RSVP reminder wording examples for birthday party
So, you planned a great birthday party, and people have not sent their RSVPs yet. The day is getting closer, and you are stressing out. It is a far too common scenario, and sending an RSVP reminder email might help you get the ball rolling in most cases.
Here is a great RSVP reminder email template for a birthday party that you can use:
“Subject: Jim’s Birthday Party – Have You RSVP’d Yet?
Hi [Name],
We wanted to remind you about our son Jim’s upcoming birthday party and to let you know we haven’t received your RSVP yet.
Jim is super excited and really looking forward to celebrating with all of his friends, and we want to ensure we have an accurate headcount for the party. Please let us know as soon as possible if you will be able to attend so we can finalize the preparations.
The party will take place at [location] on [date and time], and there will be [list any special activities or details here]. We hope you can make it!
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thank you so much, and we can’t wait to see you at the party. It’s going to be a hoot!
Best regards,
[Jim’s Parents]”
The RSVP reminder wording ideas for a birthday party above does two things right. Firstly, it is clear and direct, and secondly, it reminds the recipient about the location and the planned events for the party. Providing such details increases your chance of getting a quick reply.
Here is another version that is equally effective and polite:
“Subject: Randy’s Birthday Party on May 15 – Please RSVP
Dear [Name],
I just wanted to remind you about Randy’s birthday party on 15th May at Golden Leaf Celebrations on 10th Street.
Randy would be thrilled to have his [relation to Randy] join him to celebrate this occasion. We kindly request that you RSVP by the 5th of May so we can make the necessary arrangements.
We hope that you will be able to join us to celebrate Randy’s special day.
Thank you and hope to see you at the party!
Best regards,
Jason”
Reminder to RSVP for an event
Planning a business/corporate event for your customers or clients can be stressful. You want everyone to show up and have a great time. However, arranging for things like food and seating can be difficult without an accurate headcount.
Sending a reminder to RSVP for the event might help you get a more accurate picture of the expected attendance.
Here is an effective RSVP reminder email template that you can use for your next business event:
“Subject: Reminder: RSVP for Timberland Media LLC’s Corporate Event
Dear [Name],
I wanted to follow up regarding the upcoming business event organized by [Organizer] on [Date] at [Location]. I hope you are still planning to attend. The event will be a valuable opportunity for you to network with other professionals in our industry.
Can you please confirm your attendance by replying to this email or filling out our online RSVP form?
Thank you, and we hope to see you at the event!
Best regards,
Kevin James”
The email reminder works as it is polite, professional, and takes a direct approach. It jogs the recipient’s memory about the event and also conveys the value of attending it.
While the email does point out what the recipient will gain from attending the event, it is not overtly salesy or pushy in its approach.
RSVP reminder wording ideas for a baby shower
Baby showers are intimate events; you don’t expect many people to attend. However, it can be frustrating when even the invited few fail to RSVP. Sending a gentle RSVP reminder can do the trick.
Here is an RSVP reminder wording for a baby shower that you can use in your message.
“Subject: Please RSVP to Our Baby Shower on March 2
Hi [Name],
I just wanted to send you a quick reminder about the baby shower for Aaron, which will take place on 2 March at 6:00 pm at our home. We are thrilled to celebrate this special occasion with our friends and family.
As the RSVP deadline is quickly approaching, we kindly request that you let us know if you can attend by 15th February. We would be thrilled to host you on this happy occasion.
We hope to hear from you soon, and thank you for your time and consideration.
Best regards,
Angela and Damon Smith”
The wording of the RSVP reminder is simple, warm, and inviting. You also provide the necessary details about the event making the email quite effective.
Final RSVP date reminder
It is not uncommon for people to forget to RSVP to your invitation. However, if you really want them to attend your event, you can send a final RSVP reminder as a last-ditch effort.
Just ensure you don’t sound rude or angry in the wording of your message. Here is a useful template you can use:
“Subject: Quick Reminder – Please RSVP!
Hi [Name],
I hope you are doing great! I just wanted to follow up regarding your attendance at my daughter’s birthday celebration, which will be held on February 2nd at 5:00 pm at our home.
With the celebration only a few days away, I wanted to remind you that the RSVP deadline has passed. However, we would still love you to join us and celebrate this special occasion.
If you can still attend, please let me know as soon as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements. If you cannot make it, we understand and hope to see you soon.
Thank you for your time.
Best regards,
Melanie”
Reminder to RSVP: How to write a polite RSVP email?
The one thing that’s crucial while writing a reminder to RSVP for an event is to be polite and cordial.
Here is what an ideal RSVP reminder email template should contain:
A friendly greeting
Always begin your RSVP reminder email with a friendly greeting such as “Hello” or “Hi” depending on your relationship with the recipient. It sets a positive tone for the entire message.
A personal greeting also makes the recipient feel valued and appreciated.
Remind guests about the event
An RSVP reminder message that jogs the recipient’s memory about the event will likely get a response. Make sure to include details such as the event’s date, time, and location.
If you are writing an RSVP reminder for a business event, try including a few details about the program itself. It might remind guests why attending the event might be useful to them.
Express gratitude
A few sentences expressing gratitude to the recipient for considering to attend the event can go a long way when drafting an RSVP reminder email. Everyone appreciates when the event organizer considers their time valuable.
For instance, include a few lines about how you understand why the recipient might have missed their RSVP deadline. It shows that you are considerate and understanding of their situation.
Clear instructions on how to respond
When you write an RSVP reminder, always offer the recipient more than one way to respond. It bodes well for your invite that your recipient can reply immediately without leaving the email.
Asking them to reply to the email with a simple “yes” or “no” might be easier than having them redirected to a different webpage.
Ensure to keep your reminder to RSVP message brief and to the point. The last thing you want is to come off as rude, demanding, or pushy in your message.
When to send an RSVP reminder?
The ideal time to send RSVP reminders is one week before the deadline. That way, your recipient has some time to respond to the invite.
For wedding invitations or corporate gathering invitations that require significant planning, sending the reminder two or three weeks before the deadline may be helpful. You want your guests to have ample time to make arrangements.
On the other hand, a shorter period of a few days might be sufficient for a less formal event like a birthday or a baby shower to remind guests to RSVP.
The timing is really important when sending out RSVP reminder emails. You don’t want them to go out too early and risk being buried in the recipient’s inbox. At the same time, you don’t want to wait too long either.
Another thing you must consider while sending out reminders is the time of the day. Avoid sending reminders early in the morning or late at night. Most of us tend to check our emails during regular business hours or early evenings.
The time of the day is especially important when sending reminders for corporate or business events. You don’t want your email to reach your recipient after hours or when the office is closed.
Why are RSVPs important?
To pull off an event like a wedding or a corporate gathering, you must know how many people will be in attendance. When you know how many people are coming, you can plan the event more efficiently.
For instance, when planning a wedding, RSVPs allow you to determine the final number of guests. It lets you finalize things like seating arrangements, catering, and other logistical details.
RSVPs are critical for organizing the logistics of a corporate or business event. An accurate headcount will allow the organizers to plan the space, seating arrangements, catering, and any necessary equipment or materials.
It can also help prevent overcrowding and ensure everyone has a positive experience at the event.
How to send RSVP reminders with Mailsuite
Mailsuite makes it easy to send personalized RSVP reminders to several people in one go using the campaign feature. The feature allows you to send emails to multiple recipients, insert custom merge fields automatically, and track each email individually.
Sending a batch RSVP reminder with Mailsuite is as easy as sending an email.
Here is a step-by-step guide on using the Campaign feature in Mailsuite:
Step 1: Open your Gmail and start composing an email as you usually do. You will see a campaign option in the upper right corner of the dialogue box as shown in the figure below.
Step 2: Add your recipients by typing in their names or email ids. While you can send such emails individually, there is a much better alternative.
Mailsuite allows you to personalize emails that you send to multiple recipients through automation.
To make it work, you will need to import all your contacts from a Google spreadsheet. Once you do that, all the automated emails you send will be personalized according to the recipient.
The software will automatically fill the personalized merge field with the name of your contact.
Step 3: Compose the email as usual.
Step 4: Send the email by hitting the continue button on the bottom left.
Once you hit the “Continue” button, you can customize the campaign and select what alerts you would like to receive.
The best thing about Mailsuite Campaigns is that you can schedule campaigns at a later date and time.
Mailsuite makes sending an RSVP reminder to all your guests as easy as sending an email! With scheduled campaigns, your reminders can be sent to the recipients even if you forget to send them yourself.
Send RSVP reminders with tracking
Track email opens and receive automatic follow-up reminders
Takeaway: Polite and prompt RSVP reminders are the secret sauce to a stress-free event!
People forgetting to RSVP for your important event is more common than you think. Everyone is busy, and they may not have your event on the top of their mind. So, they forget to tell you whether they are coming, and yes, it is frustrating.
Sending them an RSVP reminder can be a great way to jog their memory and prompt them to respond. That said, it is important to choose the wording of your RSVP reminder email wisely.
A reminder email that is polite, friendly, and comes off as considerate will definitely get you a response.
Read more about follow-up & reminder email
How to Write Follow-Up Emails (w/Templates for Common Scenarios)
30 Follow-up Email Templates That Work and 30 Bad Examples
30 Best Follow-Up Email Subject Lines (to Get Replies!)
20 Sales Follow-up Email Templates to Unlock Higher Response Rates (2023)
Set up effective Gmail follow-up emails
