Skip to content
Dear Help Center home
Dear Help Center home

Managing RSVP Responses

When your guests receive their invitations, they can respond to let you know if they’re attending. Dear tracks all RSVP responses so you can see exactly who’s coming to your event. This guide explains how to view and manage responses.

Understanding RSVP Statuses

Each invited attendee has an RSVP status that indicates their response:

Pending (Gray)

Meaning: The guest hasn’t responded yet.

This is the default status when you add an attendee to an event. They might:

  • Not have received the invitation yet

  • Received it but haven’t decided

  • Haven’t gotten around to responding

Attending (Green)

Meaning: The guest has confirmed they’re coming.

They’ve clicked through their invitation and selected that they’ll attend. This is the response you’re hoping for!

Not Attending (Red)

Meaning: The guest has declined the invitation.

They’ve responded to say they cannot or will not attend. While disappointing, at least you know for planning purposes.

Maybe (Yellow/Orange)

Meaning: The guest is uncertain about attending.

They’re not sure yet and want to leave their options open. Follow up closer to the event to get a definitive answer.

Viewing RSVP Responses

From the Dashboard

Your dashboard shows recent RSVP activity:

  • Latest Responses widget shows recent RSVPs across all events

  • See who responded, which event, and their status

From an Event Page

For a specific event:

  1. Go to My Events and select the event

  2. View the Attendees section/tab

  3. Each attendee shows their current RSVP status

You can often sort or filter by status to see:

  • All attending guests

  • All pending responses

  • All declines

RSVP Statistics

Event pages often show summary statistics:

  • Attending: X guests confirmed

  • Not Attending: X guests declined

  • Maybe: X guests uncertain

  • Pending: X guests haven’t responded

When RSVPs Come In

When a guest responds to their invitation:

  1. They click their unique invitation link

  2. They view your event details

  3. They select their RSVP status

  4. They add any plus-ones (if allowed)

  5. They submit their response

You’ll Be Notified

Dear sends notifications when guests respond:

  • Check the notification bell in your account

  • Notifications show who responded and their status

  • Click through to see the full response

Managing Individual RSVPs

Viewing Response Details

Click on an attendee’s record to see:

  • Their current RSVP status

  • When they responded (if applicable)

  • Any plus-ones they’ve added

  • Notes or additional information

Manually Changing RSVP Status

Sometimes you need to update an RSVP manually, for example:

  • Guest called to confirm instead of using the form

  • You need to record a response from a conversation

  • Guest changed their mind and told you directly

To manually update:

  1. Find the attendee in your event’s guest list

  2. Edit their record

  3. Change the RSVP status

  4. Save the changes

Adding Notes

You can add notes to an attendee’s event record:

  • Dietary requirements mentioned in conversation

  • Special accommodations needed

  • “Confirmed via phone call”

  • Any other event-specific information

Tracking Plus-Ones

When guests add plus-ones through their RSVP:

  1. The additional guests appear linked to the original attendee

  2. Your total headcount updates accordingly

  3. You can see exactly who each person is bringing

Counting Totals

For headcount purposes:

  • Attendees marked “Attending” - Count these

  • Plus their plus-ones - Add these to your total

  • “Maybe” responses - Consider these uncertain

  • “Pending” responses - Follow up to get answers

Following Up on Pending RSVPs

As your RSVP deadline approaches, you’ll want to follow up with guests who haven’t responded:

Sending Reminders

  1. Create or use a “Reminder” message in your event

  2. Filter recipients to “Pending” RSVPs only (if available)

  3. Send the reminder

  4. Wait for responses

Manual Follow-Up

For important guests who haven’t responded:

  • Call or text them directly

  • Ask if they received the invitation

  • Record their response manually if they confirm verbally

RSVP Deadline

Setting an RSVP deadline helps:

  • Give guests a clear timeframe

  • Let you plan for catering, seating, etc.

  • Create urgency to respond

After the deadline:

  • Guests can usually still respond (the form stays open)

  • But you’ve communicated when you need to know by

  • Follow up aggressively with pending responses

Tips for Managing RSVPs

Check Regularly

Make a habit of checking RSVPs:

  • Dashboard shows recent activity

  • Event pages show overall status

  • Stay on top of responses as they come in

Don’t Wait Too Long to Follow Up

If guests haven’t responded:

  • Send a reminder at the halfway point

  • And another reminder near the deadline

  • Personal reach-out for VIPs

Plan for Uncertainty

“Maybe” responses and pending RSVPs create uncertainty:

  • Have a rough estimate for catering (maybes as 50%)

  • Be prepared to adjust numbers

  • Confirm with uncertain guests directly

Keep Records

Notes help you remember:

  • Who confirmed by phone vs. online

  • Special requests or accommodations

  • Changes to responses over time

Troubleshooting

Guest says they responded but status shows Pending

  • Check if they completed the full RSVP process

  • Have them try responding again

  • Manually update if confirmed via conversation

RSVP numbers don’t match what I expected

  • Count both attendees AND their plus-ones

  • Check for duplicate attendees

  • Verify all attending guests are counted

Guest wants to change their response

  • They can resubmit through their invitation link

  • Or you can update manually

  • Note the change if needed

Didn’t receive notification of a response

  • Check your notification settings

  • Look in the Latest Responses widget

  • Responses are still recorded even if notifications fail

Related Articles:

Powered by Plain