Questions for a wedding RSVP: menu, allergies, companions and children

When a couple prepares the confirmation form, the question is usually not whether to ask for RSVP or not, but what exactly should be asked to organize the wedding without turning the answer into an interrogation. In Spain, this decision affects catering, placement, buses, children's menus and the way those who respond late are followed up. A good RSVP doesn't ask for everything: it asks for what is necessary, in the correct order and in a friendly tone.

The practical reference is simple: each question must serve to make a real decision. If the data doesn't change anything, it probably doesn't deserve its own field. Menu, allergies, companions and children are common categories because they impact the day's operations, but it is advisable to treat them differently. When the questions are ambiguous, clarification messages arrive later on WhatsApp. When they are too open, responses arrive that are difficult to classify. The balance is combining operational clarity with a comfortable guest experience.

What questions should be included in your wedding RSVP

Before writing the form, think about what decisions you are going to make with the answers. For many weddings in Spain there are four blocks that usually deserve a specific question: attendance, menu choice, food needs and composition of the invited unit. If you also celebrate several events, organize transportation or have brunch the next day, it is advisable to separate each confirmation so as not to mix up those who come to everything with those who can only attend the ceremony and dinner. The more similar the form is to your actual plan, the more useful it will be later.

That approach also helps you stay calm when the volume of responses rises. Knowing how many people come is not the same as knowing how many need a children's menu, how many have severe allergies or how many will only attend the party. If every piece of information is in the right place from the beginning, it is easier to review information with suppliers later and avoid last-minute interpretations.

• RSVP with a visible, easy-to-understand deadline.
• Ask for the menu choice only if the catering needs a prior decision per person.
• Separates allergies, intolerances and food restrictions from simple dish preference.
• Clarify if the invitation includes a companion or if the response corresponds to a specific family.
• Indicate if you need to know how many children will attend and if there will be a children's menu, high chair or special logistics.

How to ask about menu, allergies, companions and children without bothering

Writing matters as much as content. Instead of asking “Do you have any allergies?” In a single free field, it often works best to separate “menu selection” from “allergies or dietary needs.” This way you avoid someone writing “vegetarian” where you were really collecting an alert for the kitchen. Something similar happens with companions: if the invitation is already defined, the clearest thing is to show the names or the number of places allowed, not to ask an open question that invites you to negotiate the list.