How to collect RSVPs when your guests are all over the world

Chasing RSVPs by phone and WhatsApp across five time zones is a special kind of misery. It doesn't have to be. Here's how to gather clean numbers with almost no chasing.

1. Ask per event, not per wedding

If you have a traditional, a church service and a reception, ask separately for each. A guest might come to the reception but not the ceremony, and you need those numbers apart to brief your caterer and venue properly.

2. Collect everything you'll need on the day

• Name, and whether they're coming.
• Plus-one, only where you're offering one.
• Meal choice, if you're doing plated options.
• Dietary needs and allergies, in their own words.
• A song request, if you fancy a livelier dance floor.

3. Put it online, with times in their timezone

An online RSVP saves everyone the awkward phone call and saves you the spreadsheet. Show each event's time in the guest's own local time, so relatives in Toronto or Lagos aren't doing timezone maths and turning up an hour out.

4. Set a deadline and one reminder

Give a clear RSVP-by date, a few weeks before you must confirm numbers. Send a single friendly reminder as it approaches. Watch your live headcount climb without lifting the phone.

5. Export and hand over

When numbers are in, export the list and hand meal choices and dietary needs straight to your caterer. One clean document beats twenty screenshots every time.