When you are planning a wedding, it is very important to get an accurate head count of your guests. Traditional DESIGN YOUR WEDDING etiquette says that the proper way for your guests to let you know whether or not they will attend your wedding is with a handwritten note. When meal choices are offered, brides will usually ask that the guests indicate their preference on the response card, as well. But really, the true reason for the popularity of response cards is that people simply do not trust their guests to do the right thing without help.
If you have come to the decision to use response cards, you then need to carefully design the wording and the style. Sometimes couples will try to save money on the response cards by using a postcard instead of a card and envelope, which will reduce the cost of the stamps.
The standard form for a response card is M_________ will/will not attend. #of guests attending_____. A more effective form of response card is to personalize each one with the name of the guests invited. Either print the cards on your home printer using a card stock that matches your invitations, or have the stationer create the cards, except for the names. You can hire a calligrapher or ask a bridesmaid with excellent handwriting to personalize each response card with the names of the guests design your wedding.