• RSVP cards allow a bride and groom to plan their reception accordingly.wedding cake image by Jake Hellbach from Fotolia.com
  
  RSVP cards are an important part of any wedding invitation. The RSVP card allows a bride and groom to estimate their final wedding guest head count well in advance of the actual wedding. The final list of attendees is crucial to planning seating arrangements and catering needs. This information is well worth the extra costs of stationary and stamps.
  
  

Traditional RSVPs

• A traditional RSVP card begins with wording such as, "Kindly respond by" and a date at least two weeks before your wedding date. The next part leaves a space for the guest to fill in his name with an option for "attending" or "not attending." If you are offering your guests a choice of entree, the selections would go below the options. Traditional RSVP cards are 3.5-by-5 in., which is the smallest size allowed by the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  

Internet and Email RSVPs

• The Internet and email might tempt some brides to forego the traditional RSVP card, but this is usually a mistake. The Knot recently asked brides to reveal to some of the bad advice they received before their weddings in an article titled "Wedding Planning: The Worst Wedding Advice Ever." One bride admitted to using a website instead of a traditional RSVP card to save money, but only two guests responded. Instead of saving time and money, the bride had to call every potential guest to get a final head count.
  
  

Personalized RSVPs

• Many brides and grooms like to add a little bit of a personalized touch to their RSVP cards, and there are several ways to do this. A bride and groom can take the time to add a personal note on each card or to fill in the guest's name on the card. Another way to personalize the RSVP card--and to get your guests involved in the planning of your wedding--is to add a line to the RSVP card for your guests to fill in a song request. The customized play list will help make sure that all your guests enjoy the music and provide a great starting point for your band or DJ.