I've been amazed at the change in attitude toward these four little works and really, the complete lack of attention they get. You still see them printed on wedding announcements, shower invites, birthday party invites, etc. But does the lack of response ever surprise anyone? I'm sure the people didn't take the effort to print them on the invite for no reason.
I was surfing the Internet and came across this little "tip" that kind of struck home with me this week:
"I hope that this week's tip will benefit hosts and guests alike, because there seems to be a lot of confusion about the meaning of the above term.
Lack of RSVPs - A Growing Problem
I hear more and more often, and have found in my personal experience, that hosts often do not receive firm indications whether guests plan to attend their parties, even if RSVP is clearly printed on the invitation. This could mean either one of two things. First it could mean that rudeness is a growing trend in our society. Or, as I would prefer to believe, people no longer understand what the term means. Assuming the best, and that the decline in RSVP's can be attributed to ignorance and not rudeness, I will clarify this for the record.
What RSVP Means
The term RSVP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". If RSVP is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.
Why It's Inconsiderate to Not RSVP
An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.
So the next time you see RSVP on an invitation you receive, please call your host and respond promptly."
I think it is interesting how common things like this are going by the way side these days.
4 comments:
haha this is exactly why I didn't put an RSVP on the shower invite for your shower! People don't do it! I thought about this the other day when I called to RSVP to your shower last week. (that i missed)
Interesting post!
I never put RSVP on shower invites either. Um...are we supposed to RSVP to your wedding. I am just assuming that you know we are coming...but you know what happens when you assume something...
I am with Amy o the RSVP to your wedding. I assume you know we are coming, but I guess we all know what happens when we assume. So Brad and I will be there with bells on.
RSVP drove me nuts for my wedding as well. I had to call most people to find out if they were coming. Some people said they were coming and never showed up. So I had to pay for them anyways. Someone told me it's a Utah thing.
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