What's Up With R.s.v.p. anyway?
History of R.s.v.p., Response Cards, and Reply Cards.
Forms of etiquette have been around for centuries; however, they also have changed along the way. With that said, let’s start with R.s.v.p. What does it mean? It is an abbreviation of the French phrase “Répondez s’il vous plaît”, which simply means “please respond”. Actually, once upon a time, people didn’t need response cards. When they received a written invitation, they would R.s.v.p. on their own stationery, offering congratulations and whether or not they would be able to attend. (Though response cards are common these days, sending your reply on your own personalized stationery is still acceptable).