Do I Need to R.S.V.P...

As a planner for events from 30 to 500 poeple and anywhere from 18 to 30 events a year, it is becoming more and more difficult to receive a firm indication whether or not guests will or will not attend the party, even if we literally do everything but drive to their homes and personally ask them to R.S.V.P. So why is this? I truly think it is because people do not understand what the term means.

Clarification...

The term R.S.V.P. comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". If R.S.V.P. is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.

An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.

So the next time you see R.S.V.P. on an invitation you receive, please call your host and respond promptly.