Deciding who to invite and who gets a plus one can be a tricky and delicate task. It’s important to create a balance between your desire to include everyone you care about and the reality of budget and venue limitations. To help you make the right decisions, here are five rule ideas you can follow to determine who gets a plus one to your wedding.
1. Married or Engaged Couples
If you have a guest who is married or engaged, it’s customary to invite both partners as a couple. Inviting a married or engaged couple is an easy decision because they are considered a social unit and should be invited as such. It’s polite to extend the invitation to their significant other, whether you know them or not.
2. Long Term Relationships
If you have guests who are in a long-term committed relationship, it’s also appropriate to invite both partners as a couple. When someone is in a committed relationship, it’s essential to acknowledge and respect their partner’s presence. Plus, it’s an opportunity to make your guests feel more comfortable and happy by having someone they love to share the wedding experience with. It is up to you to define how many years together is a long term relationship.
3. Close Family Members
Close family members, particularly those who are single, are typically given a plus one to the wedding. Inviting a family member’s significant other shows you care about your family and their happiness. For instance, you could extend a plus one to your cousin’s new girlfriend or your uncle’s longtime partner. It’s a thoughtful gesture to strengthen your family relationships.
4. Wedding Party
Members of the wedding party should receive a plus one to the wedding. It’s not just a gesture of appreciation for their hard work and support during the planning process, but it’s also practical. Members of the wedding party will appreciate having someone to share the day with and provide emotional support.
5. The Guest Who Doesn’t Know Anyone Else
You may end up wanting to invite someone who you know you want there, but the guest doesn’t know anyone else at the wedding. In this case, consider allowing a plus one in this scenario. You can still seat them wherever you’d like, but this allows the guest to feel more comfortable to attend your wedding knowing they know at least one other person besides you.
As a couple, you’ll need to weigh the cost of adding an extra person to the guest list. While you want everyone to feel included, it’s not always feasible, especially if you have a large guest list. The important thing to remember is whichever rules you decide to use, try to stick to them across the board. If you’d find it helpful to bounce some ideas off one of our planners, click here to get started!
