I was invited to a wedding recently. After the big weekend passed and someone was mentioning the stunning photos the photographer took, Meg asked me if I’d attended. “No,” I said.
Meg: “Did you RSVP that?” (Can you tell Meg keeps track of my calendar and social obligations?)
Again, I said, “No.”
With that LOOK on her face, Meg said, “Mom, you have to RSVP even if you aren’t attending.”
Well, I seriously didn’t know that. I thought you only sent in an RSVP if you WERE attending.
Here are the proper rules regarding RSVP. Am I the only one who didn’t know that?
What does RSVP mean?
The term RSVP is a shortened version of the French expression “répondez s’il vous plaît,” meaning, literally, “please respond.” When you see RSVP on an invitation, it means that you should let the hostess know whether or not you plan to attend her event. A common misconception is that you only need to respond if you will be attending. But good manners dictate that you should respond either way. Then the hostess will know that you received her invitation and whether or not you can attend. She’ll use the information to get an accurate head count for her event so that she can plan for seating, food and drinks, party favors, and more. It’s also the perfect opportunity to thank her for the invitation even if you can’t attend so that she won’t cross you off her list for future invitations.
On the other hand, if you see “regrets only” on your invitation, that means to let the host know only if you won’t be attending the event. Continue reading →
