Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

Answer:

Hi Sabrina:
I would trust the RSVP option on this site! WeddingMapper has a great team of experts who make sure everything is running smoothly.
To give you some extra peace of mind, use the RSVP tool as a way to deliver answers to you, but keep a written/hard copy list of all of your wedding guests as a 'backup' that you can check off as RSVPs come in through the site. When it's getting close to the wedding date, you can then call the guests you haven't heard from yet to see if they're coming.
Lately, I've been hearing a lot about invitations getting lost in snail mail, as well as response cards, so just consider *all* forms of communication to have a very small risk of non-response, which is why your backup guest list checklist saves the day, keeps you organized and is really exciting to look at, too!

As for your donation instead of wedding favors, I think that's a great option! And guests love it when they get to be a part of something special like that. I advise printing out a very pretty announcement that you'll frame for display at the reception, such as "In lieu of favors, we've decided to make a donation to (cause), which is very special to us." And then you can place a platter or basket of chocolate truffles by the sign so that guests get a sweet little something to take home. At a wedding I attended, the bride and groom gave to Lance Armstrong's foundation and set out a basket of those little yellow bracelets, which everyone loved.