Party invite responses

[ceeb21]

I know I may be completely jumping the gun here, but I sent a whole class WhatsApp party invite yesterday and have only had around 6 replies (out of 30).

Bearing in mind everyone has read it, do you assume everyone else can't make it, or do people respond later?! I know more things will get added to the WhatsApp so that invite will be long forgotten!!

Have you thought about doing a poll on WhatsApp might be easier to track and reshare?

It’s normal to respond by a week before the party unless a different rsvp date is stated. I have absolutely no idea about my availability in December right now. Those are the weekends people often have work Christmas parties so dc may be with grandparents. I personally am waiting on a surgery date in the next 2 months so can’t rsvp to anything right now as might be in hospital and who knows what Dh and dc will be doing (hospital is an hour away). It’s just simply really early.

Paper invites are much better and much more likely to get a response. I stick them in my diary until I can get around to working out if we’re free and then can respond.

I don't think you have sent too early imo (although you probably should have waited until after half term) 6-8 weeks is the norm where I am, and those who send out with only 2 weeks to go are often met with a lot of , "sorry X can't attend " as they have already made plans by this point...As shown here, you won't please everyone.

I wouldn't chase yet though, add the invite to the chat again in a few weeks and just casually ask if anyone else would like to attend the party so you can sort the catering.
What normally happens in our whatsapp is you'll get a few replying straight away, then more will reply after the chaser is sent.

I have a summer born so get the need to organise early.
When we posted our invite we had 3 people decline when it was posted and then nothing for 3 or 4 days. I was talking to one of the mum's that had verbally agreed to come separately and she said she would post that she could come and that triggered a flurry of responses.
After a week I put a reminder, I had a list of who had respond and who hadn't and got most responses.
Others post a list of names with "this is who I have, have a missed anyone" as a prompt to get the last few responses.

Personally this is my process for party invites.
Read invite and send it to my partner to check if he knows of anything that would clash.
Check the calendar
Ask daughter if she wants to go
Reply.

It can take an hour or it could take a few days.

When is the party for?
Send real invites