Wedding Etiquette Forum

+1 Etiquette

I am a little curious as to how plus ones work, and who you are obligated to extend them to.  I understand that obviously friends who are engaged, married, or in long term (or otherwise serious) relationships obviously have their SO invited, but what about friends who are constantly in and out of relationships?  One of my close friends assumes she's getting a plus one, but the trouble is, she has had three "boyfriends" in the past three months.  I don't want to make her feel as though her SO doesn't deem an invitation, but our mutual friends (who are single) are now thinking (and have voiced) that they will also be extended plus ones because they might get a boyfriend at some point prior to the wedding.  I clearly don't want to exclude the SO of someone who is in a committed relationship, but at what point do you determine the relationship serious enough that you know you won't have paid for a slot that no one will take?  Please feel free to take me to the cleaners if I'm out of line in asking this question, but I've only ever been to one wedding, so I don't know the rules for invites and the like.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Re: +1 Etiquette

  • Significant other (SO): You want to invite Casey and they are in a relationship (doesn't matter how serious). You must invite their SO. When you address the invitation, you address it to "Casey and SO." If Casey breaks up with their SO, they can't just bring a random date (SO was invited by name, and the invitation is non-transferrable).

    Plus one (+1): You want to invite Casey, who is single. You do not have to let Casey bring a date. Either address the invitation to "Casey" alone, or, if you want to let them bring a guest, "Casey and Guest." Casey can bring whoever they'd like to bring.

    This is all at the time of the invitation (about 2 months before the wedding). So if Casey starts dating someone 3 months before the wedding, then invite Casey with their new significant other.

    You don't get to be the judge of whose relationship is serious enough. At the same time, though, it's a little less stressful: you don't HAVE to make that call.
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  • Ditto @phira, who is spot-on. Also, once you send out STDates, anyone who starts a relationship is not allowed to demand their SO be invited under the SO rule. It's 'in a relationship' at the time the invites are mailed, 6-8 weeks in advance.
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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • Ditto @phira, who is spot-on. Also, once you send out STDates, anyone who starts a relationship is not allowed to demand their SO be invited under the SO rule. It's 'in a relationship' at the time the invites are mailed, 6-8 weeks in advance.
    Wait, what? I'm somehow confused about what you're saying here. 
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  • @ashleyep I think she means once you send the INVITATIONS out.
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  • ashleyepashleyep member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary
    edited November 2013
    phira said:
    @ashleyep I think she means once you send the INVITATIONS out.
    Oh okay. I wasn't sure if I was somehow misinterpreting it. It would be pretty sweet if we didn't have to extend invitations to SOs if they started dating after STDs go out though.
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  • Ditto PPs, if they aren't dating when invitations go out, they don't have to be invited.

    Also if you would want to, the only acceptable "b-listing" is if you get enough declines to allow all single guests to bring a date, you can extend a +1 invitation verbally to your single guests.  Since they aren't named guests they were never on a b list, which is why the exception holds muster.
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