A bride asked me "What do I tell my caterer? It's two weeks before my wedding and I don't have half my RSVP's back! Now some people are telling me they will "try" to come, my family tells me for sure certain relatives ARE coming, and friends tell me mutual friends are planning to be there. But none of these have RSVP'd! And NOW some that have RSVP'd are telling me they're not sure if they will come. I don't know if I'm going to have eighty guests or a hundred and twenty five guests! I don't want to run out of food, but I don't want to pay for forty-five people that don't show up, either. What do I do?

My dear, it always amazes me the number of people that don't understand what RSVP means. Besides Repondez s'il vous plait en francais, (respond if you please for those of you who took spanish instead of french in high school) it simply means-

I've got to KNOW if you are coming!

The guests that haven't responded are seriously in danger of being hunted down by the Etiquette Police; it's not a little league game you're inviting them to, but a formal affair costing mega bucks per head.

Of course you need to know exactly who is coming; there are headcounts that must be given to the caterer (and if your guests are lucky, the bartender) as well as rentals, seating arrangements, and all the other minutia that make brides crazy.

Thanks to the internet, your solution is simple; simply send an email to everyone on your guest list. Say, if you've RSVP'd that you are coming, we are so looking forward to sharing our special day with you. If you have NOT yet RSVP'd, and don't do so immediately we'll miss you, as I have to give my caterer (and liquor supplier) a headcount in the morning.
Thanking you all for your prompt attention, and kind wishes,
The princess and her prince, soon to be The Bride and Groom.

By noon the next day you'll have a headcount you can go with.

Keep calm, and carry on.