An RSVP deadline isn't just for the guest, it's for you. Catering will want the final number 14 days out, the venue around 21 days out, seating roughly 28 days out. If your deadline is a single point in time, all three of those handoffs get stressful.
Set a four-week deadline
The default tends to be two weeks. That's too tight. Asking four weeks out means you've got two weeks to chase the slow responders before finalisation actually bites. Print a concrete date on the invitation, like "Please reply by July 12, 2026". A date works better than "four weeks before".
Chase in three steps
- Step 1 (3 days past deadline): short template SMS. "Hi, just confirming: are you coming to the July wedding? Thanks!"
- Step 2 (5 days later, still nothing): direct phone call, not a message.
- Step 3 (7 days later, silence): treat as a no and move on.
Keep the form short
The fewer fields, the higher the response rate. Three is the sweet spot: are you coming (yes / no / maybe), how many of you, any dietary needs. "Plus-one's name", "song request" and "arrival time" all add friction and lower the reply rate. Ask those in a second round, only of the people who already said yes.
How Weddly handles this
Each guest gets a personal RSVP link with their name pre-filled. They tap once and pick a reply. Status updates live in your guest list, and you can export the no-reply rows with one click so the SMS chase is straightforward.