Today, we’re all talking about plus-one guests at weddings! What is it, who should get one, and who shouldn’t? Let’s dive in!
What is a Plus-One?
If you haven’t heard the term “plus-one” before, it is a date or additional guest brought to a wedding by a guest. Usually, this refers to a spouse or romantic interest/partner. However, it could include someone who is assisting an older family member or a friend of a guest.
Who Should Get a Plus-One?
If you have an unlimited budget with a large venue, then you may be able to give all adult guests a plus-one. However, that is not realistic for most people. Usually, budget and venue capacity will give you some restrictions on who can have a plus-one. We will get into all of the details on this below!
Couples who are married, engaged, or in a serious relationship
It’s always best to invite married couples, as well as those who are engaged or in a serious relationship. This still applies even if you don’t particularly like the spouse or if you haven’t even met them. Think about it this way… how would you feel being invited to a wedding without your spouse?
As for judging what is a serious relationship, you should use your best judgment. If a couple has been dating for over a year or lives together, it’s safe to say that they are in a pretty serious relationship. However, people can definitely be in a serious relationship without living together or when dating for under a year. In these cases, you can use your best judgment!
Out-of-town guests who don’t know anyone
Let’s say that you’re inviting your childhood best friend who now lives across the country and is single. Aside from you and your parents, she doesn’t know anyone else at the wedding. And let’s face it… you will all be too busy to be able to spend much time with her throughout the night!
In cases like this, you may want to give the guest a plus-one. This way, they can bring a date or friend with them so that they can feel comfortable during the wedding and will have a good time. This especially applies if they are traveling for your wedding and will have to be in town for a couple of days!
Your wedding party
Finally, it is usually best to extend a plus-one to members of the wedding party, regardless of if they are in a serious relationship or not. The reason for this is that they have likely done a lot for you throughout the wedding planning process and spent a decent chunk of money on it. Extending a plus-one to each of them is a nice gesture if you are able to do so!
Who Doesn’t Need a Plus-One?
With all of that being said, who doesn’t need a plus one? If you have an adult guest who is single but will know a lot of other people at the wedding, then you don’t necessarily need to give them a plus-one.
Another example is co-workers. If you are inviting a small group of co-workers, and not all of them are married, then you don’t necessarily need to give them each a plus-one. They will have each other to sit with and enjoy the wedding with!
Finally, another example of a guest who don’t need a plus-one is ones who are just casually dating. If someone is technically in a relationship, but they just started dating, then you don’t need to give them a plus-one. As with everything else, use your best judgment!
Our Pro Tip
When it comes down to it, our best tip for handling this is to have an A-list and a B-list of guests. Your A-list is your absolute top people that must be invited to your wedding – family members and best friends. Your B-list will consist of anyone that you would love to be able to invite, but it isn’t necessary – i.e. coworkers, friends, etc. The B-list could also include plus-ones of guests on the A-list, such as your 16-year-old cousin’s significant other.
Invite your A-list guests first. As people from this list start declining, you can begin to invite people on the B-list. Keep in mind that this can get tricky – guests on the B-list might find out that they were invited later than everyone else and could be offended. Just be prepared to explain the reason to them – budget and venue capacity restrictions!
At the end of the day, while it would be nice to give everyone a plus-one, sometimes it just isn’t possible. Use your best judgment! Some people may get offended, but it is your wedding, and you have to do what’s best for you.