The Journal · 7 min read

RSVP Wording for Weddings (UK): Examples for RSVP Cards, Wedding Websites and Polite Reminders

By Beth, founder of Graceful Studio · Updated 20 October 2026

The short answerGood wedding RSVP wording asks for three things: who is replying, whether they can come and a reply-by date. Add menu choices, dietary requirements or a song request if you need them. Keep the tone the same as your invitation, from “accepts with pleasure” to “Yes, we can’t wait!”, and give an online option too.

Grace wildflower RSVP card asking guests to tick ‘Yes, we’ll be there!’ or ‘We’ll toast from afar’, beside a square details card and the main invitation for Charlie and Jessica on a dusty pink envelope, with peach silk ribbon and ivory wax seals

RSVP wording is the smallest card in your invitation suite and the one that does the most work. Get it right and replies arrive on time with everything your caterer needs; get it wrong and you’ll spend June texting cousins about the chicken. This guide gives you RSVP wording for every kind of wedding, from formal to funny, plus the questions worth asking, how to word an online RSVP or QR code, and how to chase the last few replies without awkwardness.

What to put on a wedding RSVP card

Every RSVP card needs three things. Everything else is optional, and every extra question is one more thing for guests to forget, so only ask what you’ll actually use.

Ask only what your venue, caterer or planning genuinely needs.
On the card	Do you need it?	Why
Guest names	Always	So you know who replied, even if the envelope gets separated
Accept or decline	Always	Two tick boxes are quickest for guests
Reply-by date	Always	Without one, replies drift for months
Number attending	If plus ones or families are invited	Avoids surprise extra guests
Menu choices	If your caterer needs choices in advance	Your place cards and caterer depend on it
Dietary requirements	Almost always	Allergies matter far more than preferences
Song request	Optional	Fun, and gives your DJ or band a playlist
How else to reply	Worth adding	An email or website for guests who lose the card

Grace wildflower RSVP card with a names line, tick boxes for ‘Yes, we’ll be there!’ and ‘We’ll toast from afar’ and ‘Please kindly reply by 16.03.2025’, beside the main invitation and a details card on a pink envelope — Names, two tick boxes and a reply-by date: the essentials on the A7 RSVP card from our [Grace wildflower set](/shop/wedding-invitations/grace-wildflower-wedding-invitation-set).

Keep the RSVP card for replies only. Accommodation, dress code and gift list belong on a details card, which our details card guide covers in full.

RSVP wording examples for wedding invitations

Match the RSVP to the tone of your invitation. If your invitation says “request the pleasure of your company”, a jokey RSVP will jar; if it says “come and party with us”, “declines with regret” will feel stiff.

Formal RSVP wording

Formal

The favour of a reply is requested
by Saturday the first of May

Name(s) ______________________
☐ Accepts with pleasure
☐ Declines with regret

Traditional (no reply card)

R.S.V.P.
[Your name]
[Your address]
by 1st May 2027

Strictly traditional British etiquette had guests write their own reply by letter, so very formal invitations simply print “R.S.V.P.” and a return address in the bottom left corner. It looks elegant, but most guests now expect a card or an online option, so we’d only use it for a small, formal wedding.

Classic RSVP wording

Classic

R.S.V.P.
Please let us know whether you’re able to join us

Name(s) ______________________
☐ Joyfully accepts
☐ Regretfully declines

Please kindly reply by 1st May 2027

Relaxed and modern RSVP wording

Relaxed

Can you make it?
Name(s) ______________________
☐ Yes, we’ll be there!
☐ We’ll toast from afar
Let us know by 1st May 2027

Warm and simple

We’d love to celebrate with you
Name(s) ______________________
☐ Wouldn’t miss it
☐ Sadly can’t make it, but sending love
Please reply by 1st May 2027

Wildflower invitation suite for Isabella Davies and James Lewis with an ‘It’s all in the details’ card and an RSVP card offering ‘Yes, we can’t wait!’ and ‘Sadly can’t make it’, on peach silk ribbon with wax sticks and a ring box — “Yes, we can’t wait!” and “Sadly can’t make it”: relaxed RSVP wording that still reads clearly.

Funny RSVP wording for weddings

A little humour on the RSVP is a lovely way to show your personality, as long as the reply options are still obvious at a glance. These are all ours to borrow:

Funny: dance floor

☐ Count me in, I’ve been practising my moves
☐ Can’t make it, but I’ll dance in my kitchen in your honour

Funny: cake

☐ Accepts, and has already earmarked a slice of cake
☐ Declines, and is sorry to miss the cake

Funny: honest

☐ Delighted to accept
☐ Will celebrate from the sofa

Dietary requirements ______________________
(allergies, please, not just a dislike of sprouts)

If your caterer needs meal choices in advance, the RSVP card is the place to collect them. The clearest layout gives each guest a line and asks for an initial against each dish, so a household of three can reply on one card:

Menu choices (initials)

Please write each guest’s initials beside their choice
Starter: Tomato soup ___ / Chicken liver parfait ___
Main: Roast beef ___ / Wild mushroom risotto ___
Dessert: Sticky toffee pudding ___ / Lemon tart ___

Dietary requirements

Please let us know of any allergies or dietary requirements
______________________

Children’s meals

Children attending (names and ages, for the children’s menu)
______________________

Wedding RSVP questions to ask guests

Beyond yes or no, these are the questions couples most often add, with wording for each. Pick one or two; a card with six questions on it is a form, not an RSVP.

Song request

I promise to dance if you play ______________________

Song request (alternative)

Which song will get you on the dance floor?
______________________

Number attending

We have reserved ___ seats in your honour
Number attending ___

Plus one

You’re welcome to bring a guest
Their name ______________________

Evening guests

Name(s) ______________________
☐ Will join you for the evening
☐ Sadly can’t make it
Please reply by 1st May 2027 so we can plan the evening food

Adults only

We have reserved 2 seats in your honour
As much as we love your little ones, our day will be adults only

Transport or accommodation

Will you be taking the coach from the hotel?
☐ Yes ☐ No

The “seats reserved” line is the politest way to make it clear who is invited without spelling out who isn’t. For more on the wording around children and evening-only guests, see our guides to adults-only wedding wording and evening invitation wording.

RSVP wording for a wedding website or QR code

Online RSVPs are quick for guests and easy for you to total up. You can still include a printed RSVP card for grandparents and anyone who prefers post; just make sure both carry the same reply-by date.

On the RSVP or details card

Kindly reply by 1st May 2027
online at www.[your-wedding-website].co.uk
or by scanning the code below

Printed card and online

Please return this card by 1st May 2027
or reply online at www.[your-wedding-website].co.uk

On the website’s RSVP page

We can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Please reply by 1st May 2027, one form per household,
including everyone named on your invitation.

A wedding RSVP QR code doesn’t need a full wedding website: it can link straight to a simple online form. Whatever it links to, print the web address underneath for guests who’d rather type, and scan the code on your proof and on a printed copy before you post anything.

RSVP on the invitation, a separate card or online?

Option	Best for	Watch out for
Separate RSVP card	Most weddings, and guests who like to reply by post	You’ll need return envelopes and, ideally, stamps
RSVP line on the invitation	Small or relaxed weddings with no inserts	It crowds the invitation, so keep it to one line
RSVP on the details card	Suites without an RSVP card	Say clearly how to reply: email, phone or website
Website or QR code only	Guests who are all comfortable online	Some older guests will still phone you

If there’s no separate card, one line at the foot of the invitation or details card is all you need:

RSVP wording on the invitation

RSVP by 1st May 2027 to [your email address]

Pastel wildflower wedding invitation for Thea and Harry at Rosedew Farm beside an ‘It’s in the details’ card with accommodation, an RSVP section asking guests to reply by 16.04.2026 with any dietary requirements, and a wedding website — No separate RSVP card? Put the reply-by date and how to reply on the details card, as on our [pastel wildflower suite](/shop/wedding-invitations/pastel-wildflower-wedding-invitation-suite).

Wording your RSVP deadline

Set your reply-by date a week or two before your venue needs final numbers. Our wedding invitation timeline explains exactly how to work it out. Then pick the phrasing that suits your suite:

Formal: “The favour of a reply is requested by Saturday the first of May.”
Classic: “Please kindly reply by 1st May 2027.”
Relaxed: “Let us know by 1st May 2027.”
Firm but friendly: “Please reply by 1st May 2027, as our venue needs final numbers soon after.”

RSVP envelopes and postage

If you want replies by post, each RSVP card needs its own small envelope, addressed back to you. Our Grace wildflower and watercolour wildflower sets include an A7 RSVP card with its own envelope, and you choose the return envelope colour along with the rest of the suite.

Address the RSVP envelope to yourselves before you post the invitations. An address label is quickest.
Do you put stamps on RSVP envelopes? It isn’t compulsory, but it’s a kind touch and makes postal replies far more likely. Remember it doubles your stamp count.
Size: an A7 RSVP card in its envelope sits comfortably within Royal Mail’s Letter size, so a standard first or second class stamp is right.
Number your RSVP cards lightly in pencil on the back and keep a matching list. When a card comes back with an illegible name, you’ll still know who sent it.

Grace wildflower invitation suite stacked in layers with the RSVP card at the front, the ‘It’s in the details’ card behind and the invitation for Charlie and Jessica at the back, held with a gold clip on a pink envelope — Invitation, details card and RSVP layered and held with a gold clip, so the reply card is the first thing guests see.

For the outer envelopes, we can print each guest’s name in the same font as your invitation, which also makes it obvious who the RSVP card is for.

Two fanned stacks of dusty blue envelopes printed with guest names in a calligraphy-style script, with white hydrangea petals, brass inkwells, vintage stamps, a dip pen and wax seal stamps

How to remind guests to RSVP (with wording)

However clear your RSVP wording, a handful of replies will be late. Give it two or three days after your deadline, then send a short, friendly message. Most late repliers have simply forgotten, so keep it light and make it easy to answer.

Text message

Hi Sarah! Hope you’re well. We’re finalising numbers for the wedding this week.
Will you and Tom be able to join us on the 14th?
No worries either way, just let us know by Friday x

Subject: A quick one about our wedding
Hi both, we’re getting our final numbers to the venue and wanted to check
whether you’ll be able to join us on 14th August.
You can reply to this email or on our website. We’d love to see you there.

When the venue deadline is close

Hi James, our venue needs final numbers and menu choices by Monday.
Could you let us know by Saturday whether you can come, and which main you’d like?

Final, gentle nudge

We haven’t managed to catch you about the wedding, so we’ll assume you can’t make it this time.
If plans change before Friday, just let us know. We’d still love to see you.

RSVP wording mistakes to avoid

No reply-by date, or a date after your venue’s final-numbers deadline.
Different dates on the RSVP card, the details card and your website.
A names line too short for a family of four.
Asking menu choices without saying which guest chose what.
A QR code that hasn’t been tested on a printed proof.
Forgetting to address the RSVP envelopes before posting the invitations.

Invitation suites with matching RSVP cards

Every suite is personalised with your own RSVP wording, and you’ll check it on a digital proof before anything is printed. Our Grace wildflower set and watercolour wildflower set include an A7 RSVP card and envelope, and the full suite of our autumn floral barn owl invitation includes an RSVP card. Want to see the card size in your hand first? A sample pack shows the invitation, details card and RSVP together.

Frequently asked questions

What do you write on a wedding RSVP card?

Guest names, a choice to accept or decline, and a reply-by date. Add menu choices, dietary requirements, the number attending or a song request only if you need them, and an email or website for guests who lose the card.

What does RSVP mean on a wedding invitation?

RSVP stands for “répondez s’il vous plaît”, French for “please reply”. It asks guests to let you know whether they can come, ideally by the date printed on the card.

How do you word an RSVP on a wedding invitation without a separate card?

Add one line at the foot of the invitation or details card, such as “RSVP by 1st May 2027 to [your email address]” or “Kindly reply online at [your website] by 1st May 2027”.

How do you ask for menu choices on an RSVP card?

List the dishes for each course and ask guests to write their initials beside their choice. That way one card covers the whole household, and you know exactly who ordered what for the place cards.

Do you put stamps on RSVP envelopes in the UK?

It isn’t compulsory, but stamping the RSVP envelope is a courteous touch and makes postal replies more likely. An A7 RSVP card in its envelope normally needs a standard Letter stamp. Online replies cost nothing.

Can I use a QR code for wedding RSVPs?

Yes. A QR code can link to your wedding website or a simple online form. Print the web address underneath too, and test the code on your proof and on a printed copy before posting.

How do you politely remind guests to RSVP?

Wait two or three days after the deadline, then send a short, friendly text or email saying you’re finalising numbers and asking them to let you know by a specific day. Keep it light; most late guests have simply forgotten.

What is a good funny RSVP wording for a wedding?

Keep the options clear and the joke gentle, for example “☐ Count me in, I’ve been practising my moves” and “☐ Can’t make it, but I’ll dance in my kitchen in your honour”.

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