Plus one

PaperTigersx

i know there's several other recent posts about this but my situation is slightly different. 
Our wedding is in October. Invite list has already been settled. 
at the time of creating the list as well as sending out save the dates, my friend was single. 
Its a small wedding and we aren't  extending plus ones to those not in relationships (a grand total of 2 other single persons)
As of now, the guest list just fits inside my parents house. 
My friend entered into a relationship about a month ago and I was trying to determine where to cut costs to extend an invitation to the two of them. This would mean having to now rent a tent outside for just one extra person. I have already scaled back on our minimal wedding to accommodate another person who wasnt originally on the guest list  (not complaining, it's worth it) 
last week she told me she's no longer interested in him and wants to break up. 
im concerned about extending her a plus one because it will be a significant added expense for just one person. She won't be the only single person attending (although the persons are older).  

Honestly, the only places to scale back on at this point is the food, which I really don't want to do. Also, I've already placed a deposit down. (The whole idea of the small wedding was to be able to have an intimate wedding as well as offer great food and not spend a bunch of money on a one day event)

I've already cut back on flowers (no real flowers, no extra flowers, no bridal bouquet. Just a couple fake flower centerpieces). There's no dj, no alcohol, no guest favors, etc. literally all there is is good food, rented chairs for the ceremony, an already purchased gown that was under 500$.

is  it rude of me to not extend her a plus one? I still have time before invites go out. I just feel like it's silly to spend an estimated 500+$ on a tent rental (I've been researching) for one extra guest who may or may not still be in a relationship by then. 

If i send an invite to her and specifically him, if they break up and she enters a new relationship, am I required to let the new boyfriend come? 
If they break up before the invites go out and she enters a relationship after, am I required to then send an invite to the current boyfriend? 

scrunchythief

So what I've generally heard here is that everyone in a relationship at the time invitations are sent gets invited with their SO.  (Not a true plus one, since they're not transferable)  If you send your invites at 8 weeks and she starts a relationship two weeks later, you're technically off the hook.  (Though if possible, it's nice to extend the invite.)

This situation is why many posters recommend padding the guest list to include a guest for every single person.  That way you've already planned in case they do enter a relationship, and if they don't, then you save money.  But that's mostly for lurkers at this point.  

What kind of business is the deposit with?  Do they have a restaurant that you could use their private room?  Is there a different configuration in your parents house you could use to squeeze more people in?  DH's family has 50+ people in his parents' kitchen/open living room using long tables for Christmas Eve dinner.  You could probably rent, buy or borrow those pretty cheaply.  

JediElizabeth

PaperTigersx said:

i know there's several other recent posts about this but my situation is slightly different. 
Our wedding is in October. Invite list has already been settled. 
at the time of creating the list as well as sending out save the dates, my friend was single. 
Its a small wedding and we aren't  extending plus ones to those not in relationships (a grand total of 2 other single persons)
As of now, the guest list just fits inside my parents house. 
My friend entered into a relationship about a month ago and I was trying to determine where to cut costs to extend an invitation to the two of them. This would mean having to now rent a tent outside for just one extra person. I have already scaled back on our minimal wedding to accommodate another person who wasnt originally on the guest list  (not complaining, it's worth it) 
last week she told me she's no longer interested in him and wants to break up. 
im concerned about extending her a plus one because it will be a significant added expense for just one person. She won't be the only single person attending (although the persons are older).  

Honestly, the only places to scale back on at this point is the food, which I really don't want to do. Also, I've already placed a deposit down. (The whole idea of the small wedding was to be able to have an intimate wedding as well as offer great food and not spend a bunch of money on a one day event)

I've already cut back on flowers (no real flowers, no extra flowers, no bridal bouquet. Just a couple fake flower centerpieces). There's no dj, no alcohol, no guest favors, etc. literally all there is is good food, rented chairs for the ceremony, an already purchased gown that was under 500$.

is  it rude of me to not extend her a plus one? I still have time before invites go out. I just feel like it's silly to spend an estimated 500+$ on a tent rental (I've been researching) for one extra guest who may or may not still be in a relationship by then. 

If i send an invite to her and specifically him, if they break up and she enters a new relationship, am I required to let the new boyfriend come? 
If they break up before the invites go out and she enters a relationship after, am I required to then send an invite to the current boyfriend? 

Wait to address her invitation. 

If they're together, invite him by name on the envelope. If they're not, only put her name. Do not write "and guest." If she's with him, she can bring him, but it sounds like she won't be and the situation will resolve itself. If she breaks up with him and she asks to bring another guest, tell her that the invitation was only for him because he was her SO, and you can't accommodate another guest.

To the second bolded, I believe the etiquette requirements are only SOs who are in relationships at the time the invites are sent, though I may be wrong about that.

PaperTigersx

scrunchythief said:

So what I've generally heard here is that everyone in a relationship at the time invitations are sent gets invited with their SO.  (Not a true plus one, since they're not transferable)  If you send your invites at 8 weeks and she starts a relationship two weeks later, you're technically off the hook.  (Though if possible, it's nice to extend the invite.)

This situation is why many posters recommend padding the guest list to include a guest for every single person.  That way you've already planned in case they do enter a relationship, and if they don't, then you save money.  But that's mostly for lurkers at this point.  

What kind of business is the deposit with?  Do they have a restaurant that you could use their private room?  Is there a different configuration in your parents house you could use to squeeze more people in?  DH's family has 50+ people in his parents' kitchen/open living room using long tables for Christmas Eve dinner.  You could probably rent, buy or borrow those pretty cheaply.  

to the bolded,I'm over their party room limit. The original plan was actually to have the ceremony at my parents house and then reception at the restaurant. 

i I wish I had budgeted for extra people (technically I did and others ended up being added to the guest list after the first list finalization. about 5 more people ended up being included when all was said and done) 

downtondiva

If your wedding is in October, you probably won't be sending invitations out until August. I'd wait and see how things play out with your friend and her boyfriend. If she is single by the time invitations go out, you do not have to give her a plus one.

thisismynickname2

For planning purposes, if I were you, I'd suck it up and add the tent. Best case scenario is you get declines and the tent money is 'wasted.' Worst case scenario you don't get the tent and you offend friends with SOs by not inviting them and you violate fire code. 
If you're already at the limit, that's a crowded room with 100% attendance. It's probably more comfortable to get the tent. I'm sorry that's what you probably don't want to hear, as it sounds like you are trying to stick to a strict budget, but it's the wiser thing to do. 

drid

If one person is going to make or break the "do-i-or-do-i-not-need-a-tent", just get the tent because guaranteed that house is going to be jam packed, hot and uncomfortable. And your wedding will forever be remembered not by how sweet it was, how great the food was or how great of a party, your guests will remember being extremely uncomfortable. And if you don't get a tent, you still have to factor in the space that a chair for every butt is going to take up as well. I think all around, a tent is a much, much better idea when it comes to hosting your guests properly in this situation. 

aurianna

Your wedding isn't until October. Invites in August.
That's two months away.

You said you had two other single guests... any chance they might also enter in relationships before then? If so, I'd just get the tent now.

SP29

Yes, it's relationship status at the time invitations go out (which will be August for you).

If they are still together, yes, invite him by name. If they've broken up and Friend is single, no you don't need to give her an "and guest". If she starts dating someone new after invitations are sent, no you are not obligated to accommodate this person, but it would be a nice gesture.

I agree, if one more person will make or break your venue plans, I'd get the tent. What if those two other single guests start relationships? What if you make a new friend in the next month or two that you instantly connect with and what to invite them?

MyNameIsNot

I agree with PP. If adding one more body into the room requires you to rent a tent, you need the tent. 

Look for a rental that's refundable. If you end up getting several declines, you can cancel and save the money. 

MrsAitch

Your wedding is in October so you have a while before you need to send invitations anyway.

ei34

Another vote for getting the tent.  If one guest is causing such an issue, imagine if day of your wedding, some of your invited guests bring extra people?  Or the other two single guests enter relationships before your invitations go out in August?  The tent is the safest bet.

OliveOilsMom

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

PaperTigersx

OliveOilsMom said:

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

We are already moving the furniture out of the room dinner is being hosted. unfortunately, we have an indoor pool in that room that can't be moved. 

To  the persons saying I need a tent anyway: I could technically fit another person or three without a tent. (There are 3 dinner tables) But then there would be no space at the table. I was hoping to avoid the tent because everyone has room to move around the tables/push chairs out/have elbow room to eat. It's not squished by any means. 

The other single persons I'm fairly certain would not enter into any new relationships. (I know I don't know the future) 

im going to look into tent rental places cancelation policies. If I can get most of my money back or just lose a small deposit, I would be okay with that. 

At  this point, I'm really struggling with spending more money. we ran into some pressing financial things recently that wiped out our extra savings (all of honeymoon money and most of our wedding cushion money as everything had already been allotted for and we had a "just in case" fund) 

Would it ever be okay to scrap the wedding and just do a tiny wedding with just our parents? Save the dates have already been sent. I'd be worried about offending his family tho- I don't have a relationship with my family and I think friends would be more understanding about a cancelled wedding (I would not be having a PPD after this, no worries) 

Im weighing all my options from tent rental to court house wedding. 

When we started planning this wedding, we were both in awesome financial positions. Now we are not. Hence my drama over a tent. 

Thank you for all your opinions/directions thus far. 

PrettyGirlLost

PaperTigersx said:

OliveOilsMom said:

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

We are already moving the furniture out of the room dinner is being hosted. unfortunately, we have an indoor pool in that room that can't be moved. 

To  the persons saying I need a tent anyway: I could technically fit another person or three without a tent. (There are 3 dinner tables) But then there would be no space at the table. I was hoping to avoid the tent because everyone has room to move around the tables/push chairs out/have elbow room to eat. It's not squished by any means. 

The other single persons I'm fairly certain would not enter into any new relationships. (I know I don't know the future) 

im going to look into tent rental places cancelation policies. If I can get most of my money back or just lose a small deposit, I would be okay with that. 

At  this point, I'm really struggling with spending more money. we ran into some pressing financial things recently that wiped out our extra savings (all of honeymoon money and most of our wedding cushion money as everything had already been allotted for and we had a "just in case" fund) 

Would it ever be okay to scrap the wedding and just do a tiny wedding with just our parents? Save the dates have already been sent. I'd be worried about offending his family tho- I don't have a relationship with my family and I think friends would be more understanding about a cancelled wedding (I would not be having a PPD after this, no worries) 

Im weighing all my options from tent rental to court house wedding. 

When we started planning this wedding, we were both in awesome financial positions. Now we are not. Hence my drama over a tent. 

Thank you for all your opinions/directions thus far. 

If what you are saying is true, I don't see how fitting an additional person at a table would cause overly cramped quarters, and thus you wouldn't need the tent.

However, as other PPS have mentioned, I'm still concerned that here's not actually going to be enough room for your guests to mingle inside the house, if the addition of this guest in question has you considering renting a tent.

How many people are you inviting and what is the square footage inside that we are dealing with?

A tent outside in October can be dicey, depending on where you live.  You would likely need the kind that has a floor and sides  that can be put up or down depending on the weather, you may need it to be heated or cooled, etc.  That all adds up quickly.

SP29

PaperTigersx said:

OliveOilsMom said:

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

We are already moving the furniture out of the room dinner is being hosted. unfortunately, we have an indoor pool in that room that can't be moved. 

To  the persons saying I need a tent anyway: I could technically fit another person or three without a tent. (There are 3 dinner tables) But then there would be no space at the table. I was hoping to avoid the tent because everyone has room to move around the tables/push chairs out/have elbow room to eat. It's not squished by any means. 

The other single persons I'm fairly certain would not enter into any new relationships. (I know I don't know the future) 

im going to look into tent rental places cancelation policies. If I can get most of my money back or just lose a small deposit, I would be okay with that. 

At  this point, I'm really struggling with spending more money. we ran into some pressing financial things recently that wiped out our extra savings (all of honeymoon money and most of our wedding cushion money as everything had already been allotted for and we had a "just in case" fund) 

Would it ever be okay to scrap the wedding and just do a tiny wedding with just our parents? Save the dates have already been sent. I'd be worried about offending his family tho- I don't have a relationship with my family and I think friends would be more understanding about a cancelled wedding (I would not be having a PPD after this, no worries) 

Im weighing all my options from tent rental to court house wedding. 

When we started planning this wedding, we were both in awesome financial positions. Now we are not. Hence my drama over a tent. 

Thank you for all your opinions/directions thus far. 

At this point, I would say take a deep breath and think on this for a bit. Get some options lined up (can you find refundable tent rentals in your area? If yes, OK *phew*, if not, then think about another option).

As for cancelling and re-planning the wedding. Yes, this can be done. You would send announcements to your guests who received STDs that the planned wedding on X date will not be taking place. The new wedding plans should be much different than the original- such as you are now planning a small private ceremony/reception. I think keeping it to immediate family (parents, grandparents, siblings) would be fine.

Think on this though. What does your FI want? As long as you aren't cancelling the wedding to re-invite half the original guest list for the same venue and date, there isn't anything for them to be offended about.

PaperTigersx

PrettyGirlLost said:

PaperTigersx said:

OliveOilsMom said:

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

We are already moving the furniture out of the room dinner is being hosted. unfortunately, we have an indoor pool in that room that can't be moved. 

To  the persons saying I need a tent anyway: I could technically fit another person or three without a tent. (There are 3 dinner tables) But then there would be no space at the table. I was hoping to avoid the tent because everyone has room to move around the tables/push chairs out/have elbow room to eat. It's not squished by any means. 

The other single persons I'm fairly certain would not enter into any new relationships. (I know I don't know the future) 

im going to look into tent rental places cancelation policies. If I can get most of my money back or just lose a small deposit, I would be okay with that. 

At  this point, I'm really struggling with spending more money. we ran into some pressing financial things recently that wiped out our extra savings (all of honeymoon money and most of our wedding cushion money as everything had already been allotted for and we had a "just in case" fund) 

Would it ever be okay to scrap the wedding and just do a tiny wedding with just our parents? Save the dates have already been sent. I'd be worried about offending his family tho- I don't have a relationship with my family and I think friends would be more understanding about a cancelled wedding (I would not be having a PPD after this, no worries) 

Im weighing all my options from tent rental to court house wedding. 

When we started planning this wedding, we were both in awesome financial positions. Now we are not. Hence my drama over a tent. 

Thank you for all your opinions/directions thus far. 

If what you are saying is true, I don't see how fitting an additional person at a table would cause overly cramped quarters, and thus you wouldn't need the tent.

However, as other PPS have mentioned, I'm still concerned that here's not actually going to be enough room for your guests to mingle inside the house, if the addition of this guest in question has you considering renting a tent.

How many people are you inviting and what is the square footage inside that we are dealing with?

A tent outside in October can be dicey, depending on where you live.  You would likely need the kind that has a floor and sides  that can be put up or down depending on the weather, you may need it to be heated or cooled, etc.  That all adds up quickly.

That's my big concern. It will definitely need to be heated and floored. 

The  way the tables are now is enough room. Add another person and elbows are probably going to be knocking. 

there is plenty of room in the house. It's just that the only room that would fit dining tables nicely without being in separate rooms is the pool room. We host parties there a lot. Just never anything that's been a formal sit down dinner. 

There are 30 people total including me and FI. I have no idea the square footage. People can mingle in the pool room, in the living room/dining room or either deck after dinner. 

PaperTigersx

SP29 said:

PaperTigersx said:

OliveOilsMom said:

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

We are already moving the furniture out of the room dinner is being hosted. unfortunately, we have an indoor pool in that room that can't be moved. 

To  the persons saying I need a tent anyway: I could technically fit another person or three without a tent. (There are 3 dinner tables) But then there would be no space at the table. I was hoping to avoid the tent because everyone has room to move around the tables/push chairs out/have elbow room to eat. It's not squished by any means. 

The other single persons I'm fairly certain would not enter into any new relationships. (I know I don't know the future) 

im going to look into tent rental places cancelation policies. If I can get most of my money back or just lose a small deposit, I would be okay with that. 

At  this point, I'm really struggling with spending more money. we ran into some pressing financial things recently that wiped out our extra savings (all of honeymoon money and most of our wedding cushion money as everything had already been allotted for and we had a "just in case" fund) 

Would it ever be okay to scrap the wedding and just do a tiny wedding with just our parents? Save the dates have already been sent. I'd be worried about offending his family tho- I don't have a relationship with my family and I think friends would be more understanding about a cancelled wedding (I would not be having a PPD after this, no worries) 

Im weighing all my options from tent rental to court house wedding. 

When we started planning this wedding, we were both in awesome financial positions. Now we are not. Hence my drama over a tent. 

Thank you for all your opinions/directions thus far. 

At this point, I would say take a deep breath and think on this for a bit. Get some options lined up (can you find refundable tent rentals in your area? If yes, OK *phew*, if not, then think about another option).

As for cancelling and re-planning the wedding. Yes, this can be done. You would send announcements to your guests who received STDs that the planned wedding on X date will not be taking place. The new wedding plans should be much different than the original- such as you are now planning a small private ceremony/reception. I think keeping it to immediate family (parents, grandparents, siblings) would be fine.

Think on this though. What does your FI want? As long as you aren't cancelling the wedding to re-invite half the original guest list for the same venue and date, there isn't anything for them to be offended about.

FI originally wanted a court house ceremony with a pot luck reception with his best friends and my best friend, our parents, and his grandmother. were both stressing about the added expenses of a tent. 
The wedding already is immediate family and my close friends. (He only has one friend and his wife coming to the wedding)

ILoveBeachMusic

PaperTigersx said:

FI originally wanted a court house ceremony with a pot luck reception with his best friends and my best friend, our parents, and his grandmother. were both stressing about the added expenses of a tent. 
The wedding already is immediate family and my close friends. (He only has one friend and his wife coming to the wedding)

You can do a court house ceremony with the people mentioned, but not a pot luck reception. You don't ask your guests to provide their own food at your reception!

PaperTigersx

ILoveBeachMusic said:

PaperTigersx said:

FI originally wanted a court house ceremony with a pot luck reception with his best friends and my best friend, our parents, and his grandmother. were both stressing about the added expenses of a tent. 
The wedding already is immediate family and my close friends. (He only has one friend and his wife coming to the wedding)

You can do a court house ceremony with the people mentioned, but not a pot luck reception. You don't ask your guests to provide their own food at your reception!

----------Stuck in box-----------
i do know pot luck isn't etiquette. I was just saying what FI wanted. Thank you for the clarification just in case! 

PrettyGirlLost

PaperTigersx said:

PrettyGirlLost said:

PaperTigersx said:

OliveOilsMom said:

If you clear out any furniture, will that provide you the extra room you need?  It would be much cheaper to rent a storage unit for a month than the tent for a day, assuming someone you know has a truck you can borrow to move the extra furniture out.  Or is there a basement where you can move the excess furniture too?

If the moving furniture will not help, I agree with PP and just rent the tent.

We are already moving the furniture out of the room dinner is being hosted. unfortunately, we have an indoor pool in that room that can't be moved. 

To  the persons saying I need a tent anyway: I could technically fit another person or three without a tent. (There are 3 dinner tables) But then there would be no space at the table. I was hoping to avoid the tent because everyone has room to move around the tables/push chairs out/have elbow room to eat. It's not squished by any means. 

The other single persons I'm fairly certain would not enter into any new relationships. (I know I don't know the future) 

im going to look into tent rental places cancelation policies. If I can get most of my money back or just lose a small deposit, I would be okay with that. 

At  this point, I'm really struggling with spending more money. we ran into some pressing financial things recently that wiped out our extra savings (all of honeymoon money and most of our wedding cushion money as everything had already been allotted for and we had a "just in case" fund) 

Would it ever be okay to scrap the wedding and just do a tiny wedding with just our parents? Save the dates have already been sent. I'd be worried about offending his family tho- I don't have a relationship with my family and I think friends would be more understanding about a cancelled wedding (I would not be having a PPD after this, no worries) 

Im weighing all my options from tent rental to court house wedding. 

When we started planning this wedding, we were both in awesome financial positions. Now we are not. Hence my drama over a tent. 

Thank you for all your opinions/directions thus far. 

If what you are saying is true, I don't see how fitting an additional person at a table would cause overly cramped quarters, and thus you wouldn't need the tent.

However, as other PPS have mentioned, I'm still concerned that here's not actually going to be enough room for your guests to mingle inside the house, if the addition of this guest in question has you considering renting a tent.

How many people are you inviting and what is the square footage inside that we are dealing with?

A tent outside in October can be dicey, depending on where you live.  You would likely need the kind that has a floor and sides  that can be put up or down depending on the weather, you may need it to be heated or cooled, etc.  That all adds up quickly.

That's my big concern. It will definitely need to be heated and floored. 

The  way the tables are now is enough room. Add another person and elbows are probably going to be knocking. 

there is plenty of room in the house. It's just that the only room that would fit dining tables nicely without being in separate rooms is the pool room. We host parties there a lot. Just never anything that's been a formal sit down dinner. 

There are 30 people total including me and FI. I have no idea the square footage. People can mingle in the pool room, in the living room/dining room or either deck after dinner. 

Personally I'd squeeze a single, extra person in at a table than invest the money to rent a heated tent and flooring.

Or find a way to rearrange the tables/change the types of tables in the room so that you can fit that extra person.

Are the living room and dinning room connected?  Could you seat all 30ppl in those two rooms?

If you would need to heat the tent, then I wouldn't count on people hanging out on the decks after dinner unless you have those large propane heaters on the deck, or guests are popping out for a quick smoke.

DrillSergeantCat

Of all the people you're inviting, you assume they all want to be there and will all RSVP yes. In reality, the date isn't going to work for some people or they just won't want to come. It's something like 20-25% of your invitees won't come, so this may not even be an issue. I would see if you can put a deposit on a tent and then once you start getting RSVPs back, you can determine whether you will really need it or not. 

PrettyGirlLost

DrillSergeantCat said:

Of all the people you're inviting, you assume they all want to be there and will all RSVP yes. In reality, the date isn't going to work for some people or they just won't want to come. It's something like 20-25% of your invitees won't come, so this may not even be an issue. I would see if you can put a deposit on a tent and then once you start getting RSVPs back, you can determine whether you will really need it or not. 

This is not necessarily so.  People on these boards have gotten 90%-100% attendance to their weddings.

I see what you are saying here, and yes, she will likely get declines and this might not be an issue, however it's best to always assume 100% attendance so that you don't get into over crowding, over budget, etc. issues.

DrillSergeantCat

@PrettyGirlLost I get that. I'm assuming all 100 people I'm inviting are champing at the bit to see me get married (mostly joking btw), but I don't really expect them all to show up. That's why I suggested with the rest of you to get the tent, but in her case even if just one couple doesn't show, she doesn't need to worry. 

OliveOilsMom

What if you change the shape of the tables?  Would you be able to do an extra table is you change the shape of them from round to rectangle or vice versa?  Or a bunch of smaller pub height tables with bar stool?

If you do decide to change plans to the courthouse.  Send out notices to all who have received a STD.  Stating "The wedding of Bride & Groom will no longer be taking place as planned."  It would be best if you wed on a completely different day than what has been planned.  When you do marry, you can send out wedding announcements to those who were uninvited.  "Bride and Groom were married in a private ceremony.  Date City"

short+sassy

Is there any kind of contraption that could be temporarily put over the pool?  Like maybe a short platform that has its feet on the floor, but covers the whole pool.  I could see that working for a smaller pool but, for a big one, the tent rental might be cheaper.

PaperTigersx

Thank you for all your advice!
unbeknownst to me, my parents were about to offer to pay for a tent rental! I accepted and this has taken a lot of pressure off things. 
my friend will be getting a plus one.