Planning a wedding involves dozens of small details. The to-do list seems endless, from deciding your theme and colours to how many guests and your venue. However, one crucial component to zero in on relatively early is your wedding stationery, including your RSVP cards or save-the-date cards. But what are they, and what are their benefits and drawbacks? We’ll outline them below.
Defining RSVP Cards
The point of sending out RSVP cards to your potential guest list is to see whether they will attend your wedding. So, your wedding stationery printing company must design them with space to answer this checklist. The most common way to do this is to have checkboxes, but you can also leave room to get a more formal written reply if this is your theme or style.
The RSVP cards should also have a space for the guests to write their names and their plus one or partner’s name if they want one, meal preferences and a deadline to return it. Adding a pre-addressed envelope with a stamp so your guests can quickly drop it into the mail is something to consider. The more cards you get back, the easier it’ll be to decide on venue size, seats and the plates you need. In turn, you can better estimate your budget for food and beverages.
Benefits of Save-the-Date Cards
Even though paper wedding stationery may seem more traditional and dated, it’s still a way to make a statement and help set the mood of your big day for all your guests. Several benefits come with sending them out, including the following:
Aesthetically Pleasing
If you want to perfect every detail for your wedding, including RSVP cards is a great way to get picture-perfect stationery photographs. These cards help complete your wedding invitation suite. If you work with a professional wedding stationery printing company, they can be unique, creative and a stunning reflection of your theme or colours.
Easier for Some Guests to Use
Depending on your average demographic for your wedding guests, traditional paper RSVP cards can be easier for them to use. And, less tech-savvy guests could get into trouble if you choose the digital route. Paper save-the-date cards ensure that everyone can fill them out and drop them into the mail without any issues.
They’re Traditional
One of the biggest reasons why it’s appealing to send out RSVP cards with your wedding invitation suite is tradition. For many people, it’s important to follow historical practices surrounding the big day, and this card dates back decades. Plus, what’s more exciting than waiting for the cards to come back?
Save-the-Date Card Drawbacks
Along with the benefits, there are a few drawbacks attached to using RSVP cards. The biggest ones include but are not limited to the following:
Slower Response Times
Having an online RSVP card that requires a click of a button to answer will streamline your response times and help ensure you get answers right away. Paper cards take time to get to the recipient, and then they must remember to fill them out and mail them back to you. This can take weeks before you get your response, which can delay figuring out your guest list.
Less Control
Traditional wedding invitation suites give you less control over what the guests do. For example, they can cross out the plus one and add a few names, indicating that the guest plans to bring children or people you didn’t invite. Many digital programs won’t allow your guests to add more than one person to their RSVP card, which increases your overall control. You won’t have to scramble to get more plates or seats for surprise attendants.
Let Baileys Print Help Create Gorgeous RSVP Cards
If you’re looking for affordable but elegant RSVP cards or wedding stationery, contact us. We’re happy to help you design the perfect invitations to suit your wedding theme or colours.
