RSVP postage? *rant*

I agree with Amy O. You definitely should have been budgeting for postage. Although most of our guest list using the internet/computer daily we are not doing an online RSVP. I have never even heard of it until coming on this forum to be honest. I guess you need to take a look at how many people on your guest list are from an older era first. I know that most of my parents and FH's parents' friends would NOT be too happy about having to RSVP online or send back the response card and put a stamp on it themselves.

You gotta do it or you'll be tearing your hair out. Or do a dedicated google phone number just for rsvps.

I agree with AMY O. Too many things are going to "Technology" and it's kinda tacky. Weddings should be put higher than any ordinary party. I will definitely be sending out invitations through the mail and will be adding the postage.

it's the only way to get my family to send it back anyway. I got no rsvps from anyone from the engagement party.

I've gotta go with Marie and Amy on this one. Put postsge on your RSVPs for all of the Aunt Bessies and Aunt Sues out there. If you don't want to spend the $0.44 on the postage, send RSVP postcards instead.

Marie S is a hoot w/her 'Bessie story above. LOL! I do believe that this is why the post office is in the 'red'. I would pay the 44 cents and put a note in there that says "Seriously, mail this back!" Humor has a way of working things out.

This issue is almost as hot as the open bar debate. We are sending STD post cards, with our web address. The guests who chose can RSVP there, and we will also provide our phone numbers and email addresses. When the real invites go out, they will have an RSVP postcard--with a stamp on it. We are trying to use very affordable invitations, so that post card stamps will not be an issue--come on, a hundred invites? What is $28 to give people on the other hand an easy option to RSVP. That isn't very much. Just sayin...

Julie - I'm glad someone else is doing RSVP postcards. I have those chosen also at the moment.

I'm hoping to keep my invitation to 44 cents mailing.

I don't think the wedding gods are going to strike you down or anything. It's your wedding, do what you please. I just don't feel like this is one of those things that is "rude" if you do. But that's my opinion

Call me old fashioned but I am all about the RSVP cards and stamps. I don't want to have to keep track of the 20 different ways of someone RSVP'ing. Sure postage was wasted because I didn't get all the cards back but I like the idea of getting a card back instead of an email or text message.

Me too Meghan. I think the invite and the website will have enough info so that I won't need to include a "reception card" and tip myself over the 44 cent mark. But, with inner and outer envelopes and sealing wax, I may go over anyway. Someone posted a while back to take a sample invite envelope stuffed with all enclosures to the post office to be sure so you know exactly what you're looking at for postage well in advance.

DH mentioned last night that postage is going up another penny soon. I think it's next year, but not positive. just some food for thought while talking about postage....

I honoestly think it's rude to send an RSVP card that you expect to get back and ask your guests to foot the postage for it. If you dont' want to spend the money on postage don't include the RSVP cards. Give them the option of responding online or by phone.

Celia---I like the Google number idea in addition! Great suggestion!

From experience, send the postcard with a dang stamp. People don't really snail mail a whole lot anymore so they may not have stamps available.

I totally thought I would send all the people who have facebook an online/phone RSVP card and that would work. I was wrong. For the people who got an actual postcard with a stamp, I had a 75% response. For the online/phone only people I got a 25% response. It is a lot easier to check a box and throw the postcard in the mailbox on your way out the door than it is to go to a website, enter a password (potentially), find the link that says RSVP, type in your name, wait for it to find you, click the box, enter your email address and click submit.

And seriously, if you do the postcards you are talking about $30 for 100 invitations. Are you that hard up?

This is why we used the online RSVP function. We still have a chunk of the guest list that hasn't responded for our post-DW celebration in 3 weeks. Next week, I start hounding again, but at least I am not out the postage (and they can't say they lost the card, either!!).

...and we loved going to the mailbox everyday to see if we ha an RSVP in there!

RSVPs are always the most irritating part of wedding planning. But asking guests to buy their own stamps is about as tacky as asking them to buy their own drinks.

People already don't bother to RSVP. If you cant afford stamps, simply do your RSVPs on your website/via email/phone.

We sent out 150 actual invitations. I probably got AT LEAST 125 RSVP cards back in the mail. I don't know if its the postage or not, but you CAN get good response rates.

Well, USPS delivery where I live SUCKS, to be honest. I get about 1/3 of my mail, my neighbors get about 1/3 of it (and many travel for work, so who knows when I'll see it), and then the remaining 1/3 gets lost in the stratosphere, I guess. Between the lack of responses (waste of $ on buying the cards, waste of $ buying the stamps, waste of paper and ink that ends up in the trash, etc.) sent, and the fact that I wouldn't even receive all that were sent? No friggin' way. I am much happier having people call or email me to enter them myself online than dealing with mailed cards. I'm glad it's worked out for some people, but to me, I don't care if it's tacky to do it online, b/c the mailed cards are, to me, almost a total waste. (It's the environmentalist and hate-to-waste-$ in me.)