What age gets to bring a date?

LizzyRB

We are having everyone bring the S/Os and giving all single guests a plus one.

At what age (the kids still living at home) do you get a "plus one" or are considered in a relationship? Do my 16 or 17 year old high school cousins get to bring boyfriends if they have them? Is that too young? Would you say dates for only people out of high school or that don't live at home?

We really aren't sure how to handle these older teens we will have at the wedding.

LizzyRB

So if the 18 year old is a senior in high school you would still let them bring  someone?

kmmssg

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_what-age-gets-to-bring-a-date?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:4b458aa5-e351-44f0-b404-f37ab9b9e5b8Post:f137ef21-7516-460b-8a55-47ecd77dfdf1">Re: What age gets to bring a date?</a>:
[QUOTE]So if the 18 year old is a senior in high school you would still let them bring  someone?
Posted by LizzyRB[/QUOTE]

<div>I would be careful about this because then you are going to have other cousins who are close in age say "so and so got to bring their boy/girlfriend!! Why can't I?"</div><div>
</div><div>Blame it on being a cranky MOB or something but I am firmly of the opinion that a teenage cousin still in school,  can and should attend a famiily wedding sans date.</div>

Mrs.B6302007

I'm thinking like KM on this one.  I would think that despite being 18, if you're still in HS, you're a "kid" so you go with your parents to a family wedding.

adamar15

I didn't let H's cousins bring boyfriends.  I can't remember if they were over 18, but if they weren't they were close.  We were limited on space and there was plenty of family there that they knew.

aragx6

If you've got room for them I think it's nice to let the teens bring their SO if they have one, but if not I think out of high school is a better line than 18.

random4180

We went with over 18/in college. The one exception might be his sister who just graduated HS, although I'm not sure she'll even take us up on the offer.

ootmother2

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_what-age-gets-to-bring-a-date?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:4b458aa5-e351-44f0-b404-f37ab9b9e5b8Post:c9f9d7e3-c361-44b3-8e9a-9504bb9b73a0">Re: What age gets to bring a date?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: What age gets to bring a date? : I would be careful about this because then you are going to have other cousins who are close in age say "so and so got to bring their boy/girlfriend!! Why can't I?" Blame it on being a cranky MOB or something but I am firmly of the opinion that a teenage cousin still in school,  can and should attend a famiily wedding sans date.
Posted by kmmssg[/QUOTE]

ditto

I wound up in deep sh!t for not allowing the four 19 - 21 year old cousins bring dates.
FOB had over 100 nieces and nephews w/SOs that we had to choose the closest.
My family had about 12 and we invited them all.

Two of the cousins did have "flavor ot the month" but if we included them, it opened a whole new window.  We could only invite 200 guests. The four came with their families as did the similar cousins on the groom's side

MrsL2014

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_what-age-gets-to-bring-a-date?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:4b458aa5-e351-44f0-b404-f37ab9b9e5b8Post:845d544d-acf8-4b6f-909e-4116a6ecae7e">Re: What age gets to bring a date?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm thinking like KM on this one.  I would think that despite being 18, if you're still in HS, you're a "kid" so you go with your parents to a family wedding.
Posted by Mrs.B6302007[/QUOTE]

I would normally agree with being in HS going to events with the family. But last fall I was 18 and a senior in HS my aunt and uncle had gotten married and I was very happy that they invited my now Fiance to the wedding. We were pretty serious in our relationship at this point and it was pretty clear to the family that he wasn't going anywhere so they invited him.

But they also had the room for him, I guess it all depends on what the numbers are looking like. Yes I was happy they invited him, but if the numbers were tight I would understand and wouldn't feel hurt at all.

dramaqueen91087

I think you have to know the relationships. At 18 I had already been with FI for two years. We were clearly serious and he had attended many family events. I would have been offended if he was not included. At the same time, we are not including my 17 year old just graduated HS, cousins GF. He has a new GF every month and doesnt bring them to family events. So he is coming with his family.

Summer2011Bride

I would probably not invite SOs of 16 or 17 year olds, unless you have the money/space to do so. I went to a few weddings in HS and I think I was dating someone for one of them. I was invited with my parents and didn't think a thing of it; it was just the norm in our family to do it that way. I think my cut-off would be 18 yo and out of high school, but if you have the means to do younger and you want to, it wouldn't be a problem.

brilibby4

I invited my teenage guests with their SOs but thats because I only had 4 that fell into this category (my brother and three cousins).  They really appreciated it though and I think it made them feel grown up

pokepoke27

I appreciated my cousin inviting my then boyfriend to her wedding. I think I had just graduated from HS (although it may have been a few months before that - I can't remember). Either way, he and I had been dating for years already at that point, and now we're married. 

I think if you can squeeze a few more in and let htem bring their S/O then that's great, and they will really appreciate it. If you can't, it's NBD. I probably wouldn't give them plus ones though. 

HandBanana

In Response to Re:What age gets to bring a date?:[QUOTE]In Response to Re: What age gets to bring a date?:So if the 18 year old is a senior in high school you would still let them bringnbsp; someone?Posted by LizzyRBI would be careful about this because then you are going to have other cousins who are close in age say "so and so got to bring their boy/girlfriend!! Why can't I?"Blame it on being a cranky MOB or something but I am firmly of the opinion that a teenage cousin still in school, nbsp;can and should attend a famiily wedding sans date. Posted by kmmssg[/QUOTE]

I agree completely. We gave dates to teens out of high school for the same reason. It gets difficult to draw the line at an age. For example, one cousin turned 18 a month before the wedding, another wouldn't be 18 till the end of summer. It gets confusing where to draw the line.