The purpose of RSVP

Formal invitations usually have an RSVP at the bottom. RSVP is from the French phrase Respondez Si’l Vous Plait which is translated as “please respond” in a way to confirm your attendance. The main purpose of RSVP is for the host to get a clearer estimate on the number of guests for the occasion or event. This is usually important for weddings where the budget is computed on a per head basis. When the reservation is 200 and there were only 100 guests who attended then the expense will be based on the 200 persons that were reserved.

Formal occasions require not only the formal attire but also the formal communication regarding attendance. In this digital age, it is very convenient to send a reply since the RSVP indicates the phone number or the email address and even the social media account. That makes the reply very easy.