Wedding invitation etiquette can get daunting and that’s why we’re focusing our advice on one of the most common questions. Take a peek and start sending out your RSVPs soon!
Readers Ask
“Do we have to invite plus ones?”
Our Answer
You sure don’t, at least your single guests you aren’t obligated to do. If you have friends or family members who aren’t in serious relationships nixing the plus one option is completely okay. This is especially true if you’re looking to create a very intimate setting for your wedding.
All you have to do is send an RSVP card without the “And Guest” portion. Your loved one will get the hint that it’s meant for just them.
Other Expert Answers
Wedding Wire
“Granting plus ones is not a first amendment wedding right. They are in fact, at the couple’s will pending your relationship with them. “Many couples lose sleep over who to invite and who to cut from their invite list,” explains Amy Greenberg of Amy Greenberg Events in Los Angeles, California. “Ultimately, the couple should not feel pressure to invite people they potentially don’t know over people that they do,” shares Greenberg. “Plus-ones should simply be invited on a case by case basis as determined by the couple.” – Wedding Wire
Inside Weddings
“It is not required that you give the option to truly single guests. No matter what your third cousin might say, it is not uncouth to limit your guest list. If you feel disinclined to allow your unattached friends or relatives to bring a date, per financial or personal reasoning, simply address the invitation to the invited person only: friends and family should be aware that this means they cannot bring someone along.” – Inside Weddings
Easy Weddings
“Choosing who can and who cannot bring a plus-one to your wedding can be a painful decision, especially if you’re on a tight budget – and are already desperately culling your guest list.
In addition to having to cut friends and family, you actually want at your wedding, you’re also faced with, potentially, raising the ire of guests whose significant others may not be as significant to you as they are to your guest.
Yep, it may be a harsh statement, but it’s also a very true one.
Obviously, you can invite whomever you please, but the rule of thumb is, generally, this: extend a plus-one to those guests who are in established relationships. It shouldn’t matter whether or not you’ve met their partner.
If the relationship is a committed one, you should always extend a plus-one to your guest.” – Easy Weddings
Other Helpful Resources