What Does RSVP Stand For? (And What to Write Back)
RSVP stands for the French "répondez s'il vous plaît" — please reply. Here is what it means on a wedding invitation, how to respond, and what to do when there is no reply card.
The short answer
Répondez s'il vous plaît — French for "please reply." Say it plainly, in the first sentence, before anything else.
Why a French phrase is on an English invitation
Brief, genuinely interesting history. Keep it to a paragraph; nobody came for an essay.
What it means for you as a guest
You must reply, yes or no. A non-reply is not a no — it is a problem for someone counting chairs.
How to reply
By card, by link, by code, by phone. What to write in each case.
What "RSVP regrets only" means
Different instruction, different obligation.
Common variations on the card
"RSVP by," "kindly reply," "the favour of a reply is requested," "M___."
If you are the one sending the invitations
Turn to the practical: what you need back, and how to collect it without a spreadsheet. Link to the landing page.
Wedding RSVP Wording: 20 Card Examples You Can Copy
RSVP card wording for every format — formal, modern, online-only, and regrets-only — plus what the M line means, the deadline line, meal selection, and what to write when guests reply late.
RSVP QR Codes: What They Are and Where to Put Them
How QR codes work on wedding invitations, where to place them so guests actually scan, and what to print alongside them for the people who will not.
Wedding Plus-One Etiquette: Who Gets One
A rule for deciding plus-ones that survives contact with your family, how to word the invitation either way, and what to do when someone brings a guest you did not invite.