Free RSVP Card Templates

An RSVP Card is an informal note prepared by the event organizer or party host and completed by the potential guest to let the former know the latter will or will not join the celebration or religious ceremony referred to in the card.

Alternate Names:

• Reply Card;
• Response Card.

An indispensable part of the event planning, this document will help you arrange the seating of guests and manage the budget of the party depending on how many people respond.

For a full list of RSVP Card templates please check out our library below.

How to Fill Out an RSVP Card?

Once you have determined the guestlist for your event, it is time to compose and send RSVP Cards to find out whether these people are able to join the ceremony or party. Follow these steps to complete an RSVP Card:

1. Indicate the name of the person or people formally in charge of the event - it can be the individual celebrating their birthday, the owner of the house, or the engaged couple on the day of their wedding ceremony.
2. Refer to the recipient by their full name and say it will be your honor to see them at the upcoming event - briefly describe the ceremony or party if its name is not enough.
3. Ask a direct question - "Are you accepting the invitation?" and leave free space the addressee can use to respond. There may be a box to tick or a field to share a longer reply.
4. Record a deadline for the reply - the RSVP Card wording must be clear to let the recipient know that even if they express the desire to attend but reply too late, they will not have a chance to come to the event.
5. If there are any rules the guests will be obliged to follow, make sure you include them in the card - for example, "This event is only for adults" or "Dress-code: formal". To give every recipient a chance to learn more about the party, add your contact details - a phone number or e-mail address so they may contact you to specify the unclear points.

How to Reply to an RSVP Card?

Here is what you need to do when you receive a Reply Card:

1. Whether you are going to attend the event in question or not, do not wait too long to reply. Even if the celebration or ceremony is going to take place in a few weeks or later, there is a reason the invitation came so early - the event organizer needs to know how many people will show up to calculate the expenses and plan the seating chart. Reply in three or four days not to waste the time of the sender. If the event will be held within a week, the reply should be even quicker - respond as soon as you can following the instructions on the card.
2. If you are ready to go to the party, express your gratitude to the sender, say you appreciate their consideration, and explicitly state your intention to come to the event - for example, "The Smith family accepts your invitation to the pool party on the 3rd of June 2022".
3. If you decide to skip the ceremony for any reason, notify the sender about it. You may explain the reason behind your decision or simply say "Unfortunately, I have prior commitments on the day of the celebration." In this case, it is recommended to prepare and send a gift to the venue where the event will be held - it can be an item from a wishlist the sender has made public or a traditional present like flowers.

What Size Should an RSVP Card Be?

The RSVP Card size should correspond to the size of the invitation to the event whether it can be detached from it to be sent back or is simply enclosed to the letter received by the person you want to see at the party or ceremony. If you plan to make just an RSVP Card believing separate invitations are not necessary in your case, a standard RSVP Card size is 3x5 or 4x6 inches - usually, it looks like a postcard so you will not have to purchase or order tailormade envelopes to send these cards to guests.

The orientation of the card is your choice - most event organizers opt for horizontal orientation but it is up to you to decide on the final RSVP Card design. If you want to save time and money, consider inviting guests to your event via e-mail - an electronic Response Card will do the job just the same, and it will be easier for you to monitor the replies.

Still looking for a particular template? Take a look at the related templates below:

• Appointment Card Template;
• Invitation Template;
• Wedding Card Template.