RSVP vs Invitation
The difference between invitation and RSVP is very easy to understand as RSVP is a request to respond to an invitation that you can use for an event you are organizing. Have you received an invitation lately to a wedding ceremony or any other important function and did you make a cursory glance at the entire card? If yes, you must have seen printed in capitals, the letters RSVP, below which you see a phone number. Not many people pay any attention to the word RSVP or the phone number/numbers printed below this acronym. Let us find out what it means and what to do if you get an RSVP invite.
What is an Invitation?
Invitation is a formal or an informal request that you make to another person asking him or her to attend to an event you are organizing. At a formal level, invitations are printed out as cards. At an informal level, an invitation can be just a verbal invitation. Whatever method you use, the purpose is to invite someone to an event. Printed invitations are absolutely necessary if you are attending an event held at a high-security area or in a prestigious hotel. However, for an informal invitation, like a birthday party of a friend, you do not need to have a printed invitation that proves you were invited for the event.
One problem the organizers of events face when they invite people is that some people do not show up and as a result there is a loss of money and a lot of waste. A loss of money is there because the organizer has already paid for the food and other refreshments or gifts the event gives to the guests. That is not fair to the organizer. Especially, in weddings that take place in hotels, the organizers want to know exactly how many people are coming as if they order more food than necessary there will be a loss for the organizers and also waste of food and other things. So, as a way of letting the organizers know the number of people actually attending an event, RSVP was introduced.
What is RSVP?
RSVP is an acronym that comes from French words ‘repondez, s’il vous plait.’ This when translated to English literally means reply if you please or simply, please reply. The sole purpose of RSVP is to let the person throwing a party know in advance whether the invitee is attending the party or not, so that there is no wastage during the party. So if you get a card in which you are invited along with your family, and you know that you have problems attending the function, the proper way is to let the person know that you are unable to attend the function. In fact, there is a growing trend to include a separate RSVP card along with the invitation that the invitee has to mail in case he or she is unable to attend the party. On the basis of the received RSVP cards, the person can calculate the number of guests attending the party and make arrangements accordingly to avoid wastage. RSVP cards have a phone number at which you can make a return call and inform that you are unable to attend the party. These days, people even put their e-mail addresses as the contacting way for the guests. That is because most people use e-mail on a daily basis.
What is the difference between RSVP and Invitation?
• Definitions of RSVP and Invitation:
• Invitation is a method of asking someone to participate in an event.
• RSVP is an addition to an invitation requesting a response to that invitation.
• Meaning:
• Invitation means the act of inviting someone for an event.
• RSVP is a French phrase, Répondez, s’ilvous plait. The meaning of this phrase is ‘please reply.’
• Use:
• Invitation is given to the guest to inform him or her that he or she is invited to an event.
• RSVP is printed on the invitation card, to ascertain the number of guests attending the party.
• Types:
• Invitations can be formal or informal.
• RSVP appears in formal invitations. These days there is a trend to send separate RSVP invitations that invitees have to mail back if they are not attending the function.
• Method:
• Invitation can be written or verbal.
• RSVP is always given in the written form.
Images Courtesy:
- Invitation via Wikicommons (Public Domain)
- RSVP via Pixabay (Public Domain)