Below is RSVP wording you can copy and use today: lines for a printed reply card, wording for an online RSVP, and the careful phrasing for the questions people find hardest to ask, such as plus-ones, children and meal choices. Each set is grouped by tone. Pick the one that sounds like your invitation, change the date, and you are done.
A quick note on dates: the examples use a reply-by date around four weeks before the wedding. Swap in your own.
The request line: "please RSVP," "kindly reply," or "the favor of a reply"
The request line sets the tone of the whole card. "The favor of a reply" reads formal and traditional. "Kindly" is polite without being stiff. "Please let us know" sounds like a friend asking. Choose the line that matches the invitation it travels with.
The favor of a reply is requested on or before the fifteenth of September
Kindly reply by September 15
Kindly respond by the fifteenth of September
Please RSVP by September 15
Please let us know by September 15 whether you can join us
We'd love an answer by September 15, so we can save you a seat
Formal RSVP card wording
Formal cards leave a line for the guest's name and two options to mark. The "M" at the start of the name line is there so the guest can complete it as Mr., Mrs., Ms. or Mx.
The favor of a reply is requested on or before the fifteenth of September M ______________________________ ____ will attend ____ will not be able to attend
Kindly respond by September 15 Name(s) ______________________________ ____ Gladly accepts ____ Sends warm regrets We have reserved ____ seats in your honor
Please reply by the fifteenth of September to Mr. and Mrs. Alan Brooks, 14 Linden Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut Guest name(s) ______________________________ ____ Accepts ____ Regrets
Casual and modern RSVP card wording
Casual cards can ask the same questions in plain speech. They work well when the invitation itself is relaxed, or when the couple is hosting rather than their parents.
Can you make it? Reply by September 15 Name(s) ______________________ ____ Wouldn't miss it ____ Will be there in spirit
Save us the guessing. Tell us by September 15. Who's coming ______________________ ____ Count us in ____ Sadly, can't make it
RSVP by September 15 ______________________ is / are ____ ready to celebrate ____ celebrating from afar
Let us know by September 15 Your name(s) ______________________ Will you be there? Yes / No A song that will get you dancing ______________________
Online RSVP wording
When guests reply on a link, the wording moves into two places: the line on the invitation that points to the RSVP, and the short text on the reply page itself. Here are lines for both.
On the invitation, pointing to the RSVP:
Please reply online by September 15 at [Link]
Kindly RSVP using your personal link by September 15. It takes under a minute.
Your RSVP is waiting for you at [Link]. Please reply by September 15.
On the reply page itself:
We've saved a place for you. Let us know by September 15 if you can make it.
Tap your answer below. You can come back and change it until September 15 if your plans shift.
Wording for the reply-by date
A named date is easier for a guest to act on than "soon" or "at your earliest convenience." If you need final numbers for the caterer, the reply-by date is the place to say so, gently.
Please reply by September 15 so we can give our caterer a final count
Kindly respond no later than September 15
We'll be finalizing numbers on September 15. Please let us know before then.
Replies received after September 15 may not be able to be included, so please reply by then
For help picking the date itself, see our guide on when to set your RSVP deadline.
Plus-ones and seat counts
The kindest way to answer "can I bring someone?" is to put the number on the card before the guest has to ask. These lines do that.
We have reserved 2 seats in your honor
We've saved ____ of ____ seats for you. Please fill in how many will attend.
Please include the name of your guest ______________________
This invitation is for you and a guest. We'd love to know who's joining you.
We've saved one seat for you, and we can't wait to see you there
Adults-only wording
If children are not invited, say so politely and once. These lines put the reason on the celebration, not on the children.
We love your little ones, but this celebration is adults only
We've reserved ____ adult seats in your honor
We hope this evening gives you a night off. Our celebration is for adults only.
Our wedding will be an adults-only celebration, with the exception of our immediate family
Dietary and meal questions
Ask for meal choices and dietary needs on the RSVP itself, while the guest is already answering. It saves a second round of messages later.
Please share any dietary needs or allergies ______________________
Kindly select a dinner choice for each guest: ____ Braised beef ____ Roasted salmon ____ Wild mushroom risotto
Is there anything we should tell the kitchen? ______________________
Vegetarian ____ Vegan ____ Gluten-free ____ No restrictions ____
Multi-event weddings
When the wedding runs across more than one event, such as a welcome dinner, a ceremony and a reception, ask for a reply to each one separately. Guests who can only make one day can still say yes.
Please let us know which celebrations you'll join: ____ Welcome dinner, Friday ____ Ceremony, Saturday morning ____ Reception, Saturday evening
Kindly reply for each event by September 15. You're welcome to attend any or all of them.
Mehndi, Thursday Yes / No Wedding ceremony, Friday Yes / No Reception, Saturday Yes / No
We'd love to see you at the rehearsal dinner too. Will you join us? Yes / No
When a guest writes the reply: formal response wording
Some guests reply in their own words rather than by marking a box, and some invitations ask for a written reply. If you are the guest, these are safe to copy.
Mr. and Mrs. James Carter accept with pleasure the kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Brooks for Saturday, the twelfth of October
Ms. Priya Nair regrets that she is unable to accept the kind invitation for Saturday, the twelfth of October, and sends her warmest wishes
Thank you so much for including us. We'll be there, and we're already planning what to wear.
We're heartbroken to miss it, but we'll be raising a glass to you both from home
When replies come through a link instead of a mailed card
A printed reply card has to work with no help: a blank for the name, a box for the number, a stamped envelope. A personal link changes what the wording has to do. Here is what you can leave out, and what you can add.
| On a mailed card | On a personal RSVP link |
|---|---|
| "M ______" line for the guest's name | Not needed. The guest's name is already on their link. |
| "Number attending ____" | The seats you gave that guest are set, so you can say "we've saved 2 seats for you" and mean it. |
| Return address and postage | Not needed. The reply arrives the moment the guest taps. |
| One reply for the whole day | A separate yes or no for each event. |
| "Please reply by" as a request | The reply-by date can close replies on that day. |
| Room for one or two questions | Room for meal choices, dietary needs, a song request, a shuttle seat. |
That last row is where online RSVP wording earns its keep. Because there's no card size to fit, you can ask the specific questions that save you phone calls later, as long as each one is short. We cover which questions are worth asking in custom RSVP questions.
The other change is tone. A link-based RSVP can use verbs a card can't: "tap your answer," "you can change it later," "it takes under a minute." Those small lines lower the effort of replying, which is the whole point of the wording.
Collect these replies in one place with Link Invitation
If you'd like the reply-by date, the seat count and the meal question to run themselves, Link Invitation gives each guest a personal invitation link with their name on it and an RSVP built in. Replies land on a live RSVP dashboard as guests make them: who's coming, which events they'll attend, and dietary needs. You can send each guest their link on WhatsApp, one tap per guest, with your own message that includes their name.
Essential is US$29 and you build it yourself, free to build and preview before you pay. Excellence is US$99 and is designed around you. Both are a one-time payment per invitation with unlimited guests. See pricing for what each plan includes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between "RSVP" and "kindly reply"?
They ask for the same thing. RSVP comes from the French "répondez s'il vous plaît," which already means "please reply," so "please RSVP" repeats itself, though it's widely understood and fine on a casual card. "Kindly reply" and "the favor of a reply is requested" are the more traditional choices if your invitation is formal.
Should the RSVP card list a meal choice or just dietary needs?
That depends on your dinner. If the kitchen is plating set meals, list each option and ask guests to pick one per person, because the caterer needs those numbers. If it's a buffet or family-style dinner, a single line asking about allergies and dietary needs is enough, and it keeps the card short.
How do I word an RSVP for a guest who is invited to only some events?
Only list the events that guest is invited to, and ask for a yes or no on each. Avoid writing "you're invited to the reception only," which draws attention to what's missing. On a printed card that means printing separate versions. On a personal link, each guest can be assigned their own events, so they see only the ones meant for them.
Can I put the RSVP wording on the invitation instead of a separate card?
Yes. A single line at the bottom of the invitation works well, for example "Kindly reply by September 15 at [Link]" or "RSVP to Anna at 555 0142 by September 15." On an online invitation the reply happens on the same page, so a separate card would only add a step.