Wedding Etiquette Forum

Admission tickets... a cultural thing?

I was very surprised when I researched for the etiquette of giving admission tickets to a wedding, and I couldn't find anything. In my Country, it's normal etiquette to include as many tickets as the people you intend to invite. For example, if it's a family of 5, but you are just inviting the parents, then you include 2 tickets. Or if it's a single friend but he/she can bring somebody, then you include 2 tickets on his/her invitation. What is the etiquette in the United States?

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Re: Admission tickets... a cultural thing?

  • Tickets? I've never known anyone to actually give out tickets to their wedding.

    Generally, you send someone an invitation, you line out who is invited on the invitation, and that's your number. If a guest is not dating someone, you can let them know there's an extra spot for someone they might want to bring, but it isn't required.
    --

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    out.

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  • The etiquette is you list who is invited on the invitation.  If you're only inviting the parents you only address the invitation to the parents.  No tickets.



  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    edited September 2014
    Maybe you're thinking of RSVP cards with the notation "____ seats have been reserved in your honor" where you fill in the blank with the number of guests actually invited?

    You can do that, but in Canada and the United States, tickets are not included in invitations.  The idea is that only those persons whose names are listed on the invitation envelope are invited.  If you're not inviting children or plus-ones for single people who are not in relationships, you do not list the children's names, "and family," "and guest," or any other uninvited persons.
  • That would be considered very rude and tacky in the US. 
  • Kind of seems like a last ditch effort where people weren't following the etiquette of names on the envelope as the invitees
  • What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?

  • I thought this thread was going to be about something else entirely! (I am glad it is not the thing I thought it was--offering tickets for purchase).

    I agree with PPs that if you're getting married in the US or Canada, tickets are unnecessary and including them could cause confusion at best, and be perceived as tacky at worst. 

    If you're getting married in your country and these tickets are in fact normal and simply the way your culture "reserves" seats for those invited, then it's possible The Knot isn't going to have very good advice on this, since it's not a common thing for most people who post here. 

    Am I understanding correctly that the tickets are just "plus ones" for whomever you invited by name? (So, Aunt Susan could bring any two people with her two tickets?) Or are the tickets meant for family, spouses, significant others, etc.? If that's the case, I think it's just as easy to invite people by name.
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  • OliveOilsMomOliveOilsMom member
    Tenth Anniversary 5000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    edited September 2014
    I'm wondering what country you are from???? ____________________________________________________________________________________ How a wedding invitation is addressed lets the guests know how many is included on the invitation. For example, want only Aunt Gertrude & Uncle Bill to attend, you address the invitaiton to Mr. & Mrs. William Doe. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Want the whole family of 5? Mr. & Mrs. William Doe (next line - TK won't let me) John, Sarah, and Susan ______________________________________________________________________________________ For a single guest to bring anyone they want? Ms. Jane Doe and Guest
  • I've never heard of admission tickets before.
  • Is this a case where the venue requires tickets to get in? I'm thinking high school prom where I had to give a ticket to get into the venue or a movie theater or something.

    In the US, the invitation tells the guest who is invited and you get the number from that when they RSVP. I think that's what you mean?

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  • Maybe the OP knows my niece's African in-laws.  Better have tickets for anything you invite them to or their whole block might show up with them!
    Happiness is an inside job
  • edited September 2014

    What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?
    Admission...

    Especially in graduation parties, but I've seen them in most weddings too. If it's a big count, it's a tool to keep control of who has access to the event.

    If you don't have a ticket, you are probably a party crasher!
  • I'm wondering what country you are from???? ____________________________________________________________________________________ How a wedding invitation is addressed lets the guests know how many is included on the invitation. For example, want only Aunt Gertrude & Uncle Bill to attend, you address the invitaiton to Mr. & Mrs. William Doe. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Want the whole family of 5? Mr. & Mrs. William Doe (next line - TK won't let me) John, Sarah, and Susan ______________________________________________________________________________________ For a single guest to bring anyone they want? Ms. Jane Doe and Guest
    I'm from Mexico, from the second largest city in the country (so I know it's not just like a village custom).

    And no, tickets are not just for +ones, they are for everybody!  You normally have just one envelope (not two), and it's addressed to the family name (which in my country is also different: family name is composed by the father's last name and then the mother's last name).  Then you include the number of tickets for the people you want to invite (if it's two, just the parents are invited, if it's more than two, then some or all of the children are invited).  I'd say it's kind of implied.

    I'm glad I asked this forum, because I am getting married here in the US and definitely don't want to be weird doing something that is not known or used here.

    Thank you all for your comments!!



  • What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?

    Admission...

    Especially in graduation parties, but I've seen them
    in most weddings too. If it's a big count, it's a tool to keep control
    of who has access to the event.

    If you don't have a ticket, you are probably a party crasher!

    Or you're just someone who lost your ticket sometime in the prior 2 months or simply forgot it at home.
    *********************************************************************************

    image
  • I just need to say, I grew up in SoCal and know a lot of people with Family in Mexico, and this is the first I've heard of this ritual.
  • I received a wedding invitation a few weeks ago and it says on it "Admission is granted to the holders of this ticket". I thought it seemed weird, but I didn't ask about it and I just made a mental note to take my invitation with me just in case. The bride is from Mexico so it makes a little more sense now.
    image
  • I've heard of tickets for Black Tie events before, and you have to bring the ticket in order to get into the event, but I have not heard it done for any weddings I've been to.  
  • I received a wedding invitation a few weeks ago and it says on it "Admission is granted to the holders of this ticket". I thought it seemed weird, but I didn't ask about it and I just made a mental note to take my invitation with me just in case. The bride is from Mexico so it makes a little more sense now.
    See? I'm not crazy!!  :P
    I swear is something beyond normal in Mexico.  That is actually the etiquette!

    I'm so glad to learn different points of view and different customs on different countries!

  • What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?
    Admission...

    Especially in graduation parties, but I've seen them in most weddings too. If it's a big count, it's a tool to keep control of who has access to the event.

    If you don't have a ticket, you are probably a party crasher!
    Or you're just someone who lost your ticket sometime in the prior 2 months or simply forgot it at home.
    That's why it's important to keep them and bring them with you. Otherwise you won't be accepted into the venue or you will cause a big inconvenience to the hosts in order to authorize the venue to let you in.

  • What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?
    Admission...

    Especially in graduation parties, but I've seen them in most weddings too. If it's a big count, it's a tool to keep control of who has access to the event.

    If you don't have a ticket, you are probably a party crasher!
    Or you're just someone who lost your ticket sometime in the prior 2 months or simply forgot it at home.
    That's why it's important to keep them and bring them with you. Otherwise you won't be accepted into the venue or you will cause a big inconvenience to the hosts in order to authorize the venue to let you in.
    Why not just hire a door man and have him check off people's names as they enter the venue?  That way you eliminate anybody forgetting or losing their tickets, which is pretty easy to do in the two months between when you receive the invite and the wedding.


  • What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?
    Admission...

    Especially in graduation parties, but I've seen them in most weddings too. If it's a big count, it's a tool to keep control of who has access to the event.

    If you don't have a ticket, you are probably a party crasher!
    Or you're just someone who lost your ticket sometime in the prior 2 months or simply forgot it at home.
    That's why it's important to keep them and bring them with you. Otherwise you won't be accepted into the venue or you will cause a big inconvenience to the hosts in order to authorize the venue to let you in.
    Why not just hire a door man and have him check off people's names as they enter the venue?  That way you eliminate anybody forgetting or losing their tickets, which is pretty easy to do in the two months between when you receive the invite and the wedding.
    Yeah, it would be kind of like a guest list.
    But... is that normal or used here in the U.S.?

  • What are these tickets supposed to be for exactly?
    Admission...

    Especially in graduation parties, but I've seen them in most weddings too. If it's a big count, it's a tool to keep control of who has access to the event.

    If you don't have a ticket, you are probably a party crasher!
    Or you're just someone who lost your ticket sometime in the prior 2 months or simply forgot it at home.
    That's why it's important to keep them and bring them with you. Otherwise you won't be accepted into the venue or you will cause a big inconvenience to the hosts in order to authorize the venue to let you in.
    Why not just hire a door man and have him check off people's names as they enter the venue?  That way you eliminate anybody forgetting or losing their tickets, which is pretty easy to do in the two months between when you receive the invite and the wedding.
    Yeah, it would be kind of like a guest list.
    But... is that normal or used here in the U.S.?
    Not normally, unless for some reason it is due to the venue requirements, but I would be less weirded out by giving my name at the door then I would by being given tickets to a wedding.

  • I've never heard of anything like that, and it seems kind of unnecessary. Are you really expecting crashers? I am not worried about this at all. My friends and family would notice if a rando showed up.
  • edited September 2014
    I've never heard of anything like that, and it seems kind of unnecessary. Are you really expecting crashers? I am not worried about this at all. My friends and family would notice if a rando showed up.
    Hmm... let me rephrase.  More than crashers, it would be the "uninvited guests" that somehow are related to "invited guests": additional family members, +1's, etc.
  • I've never heard of anything like that, and it seems kind of unnecessary. Are you really expecting crashers? I am not worried about this at all. My friends and family would notice if a rando showed up.
    Hmm... let me rephrase.  More than crashers, it would be the "uninvited guests" that somehow are related to "invited guests": additional family members, +1's, etc.
    But what if you intended only to invite the adults and Dad can't come so Mom decides to bring little Susie with her second ticket?
    image
  • I've never heard of anything like that, and it seems kind of unnecessary. Are you really expecting crashers? I am not worried about this at all. My friends and family would notice if a rando showed up.
    Hmm... let me rephrase.  More than crashers, it would be the "uninvited guests" that somehow are related to "invited guests": additional family members, +1's, etc.
    But what if you intended only to invite the adults and Dad can't come so Mom decides to bring little Susie with her second ticket?
    It's an exception, but you already accounted for 2 people to come on your guest count.. so it wouldn't matter, because Mom still wants to go, but doesn't want to go alone.
  • edited September 2014
    I'm wondering what country you are from???? ____________________________________________________________________________________ How a wedding invitation is addressed lets the guests know how many is included on the invitation. For example, want only Aunt Gertrude & Uncle Bill to attend, you address the invitaiton to Mr. & Mrs. William Doe. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Want the whole family of 5? Mr. & Mrs. William Doe (next line - TK won't let me) John, Sarah, and Susan ______________________________________________________________________________________ For a single guest to bring anyone they want? Ms. Jane Doe and Guest
    I'm from Mexico, from the second largest city in the country (so I know it's not just like a village custom).

    And no, tickets are not just for +ones, they are for everybody!  You normally have just one envelope (not two), and it's addressed to the family name (which in my country is also different: family name is composed by the father's last name and then the mother's last name).  Then you include the number of tickets for the people you want to invite (if it's two, just the parents are invited, if it's more than two, then some or all of the children are invited).  I'd say it's kind of implied.

    I'm glad I asked this forum, because I am getting married here in the US and definitely don't want to be weird doing something that is not known or used here.

    Thank you all for your comments!!
    Since you are marrying in the US and it's common back home, I would place the tickets only in the invitations you are sending to guests from Mexico.  But still do your best to address invites properly.  When it gets closer, you can come back here and we can help!
    I second this approach. 

    In Latin culture, etiquette dictates that an invitation to an individual can be extended to the rest of the family and the individual's friends. They are not 'crashers' and are considered welcome. It's not commonly known or practiced here in the US because of the adaptation to American culture but it's not considered tacky at all in those countries. If anything, it can be considered rude to be too exclusive. Weddings, sweet 16s/Quinceaneras, baptisms, etc are all considered community events and it is normally expected that all neighbors, family and friends will be invited. I suppose the 'admission ticket' is a sort of way to compromise and keep control of the guest count.

    I agree that this is not customary, therefore unnecessary, for a wedding in the US. As pp suggested, I'd include the admission tickets for your guests from Mexico and include the RSVP cards for the guests from the US. The day of the wedding, you won't have to worry about any confusion or need a bouncer. Your Mexican guests will arrive with the guests according to the admission tickets and your US guests will arrive according to the guests on RSVP card. 

    ETF words

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