Enjoy your just-got-engaged glow while it lasts—as a newly minted bride-to-be, you still have a guest list to write. Navigating wedding plus-one etiquette for your big day is no easy feat. Wedding Plus-One Etiquette Rules for the Bride and Ukraine dating etiquette. How do you notify your guest about whether or not they have to fly solo?
Very traditional wedding invitations have an outer and inner envelope. If it’s your name alone, they are not offering a plus-one. This is not always the case, particularly with more modern invitations. If you’re only including one envelope or sending an online invitation, be sure to address all invitees clearly and up-front. If the couple is in a relationship, list both guests by their full names. The rules about cohabitation, dating, and marriage go out the window when it comes to plus-ones for your wedding party.
Not only does a happy wedding party make a happy couple, but allowing a bridesmaid to bring her new boyfriend, for example, is a small token of appreciation you can offer in exchange for her efforts and support, suggests Harrison. Guests who do not receive a plus-one may reach out about bringing a guest. We would love for you to bring a guest, but this is a very intimate affair. It might feel rude and hard to say, but just remember: You had that conversation with your partner and family ahead of time. By sticking to your guns, you become one step closer to the wedding that you want—not one that guests have dictated. They may not be happy with your decision at first, so it may be best to communicate and explain why you made the decision you did. Draft a seating plan that fosters a comfortable dynamic for solo guests.
For singles, there are fewer things more awkward than being sandwiched between an old married couple or a PDA-heavy pair. Instead, place them between outgoing and friendly couples who they’ll likely get along with. That’s sure to create a more communal feel to the event, and it’ll help them meet people organically. There are also good wedding plus-one rules to to follow as a wedding guest. Keep these guidelines in mind after receiving your invitation. Even if a plus-one has been named or offered on your invitation, be sure you actually want them to attend before you RSVP. Just because you’re given a plus-one doesn’t mean you have to use it.
If your relationship is on the outs or you would actually rather go solo, just inform the couple when you reply. If your plus-one backs out just before the big day or you break up with your significant other before the wedding, that’s not an open invitation to invite someone new at the last minute, particularly if the original guest was named on the invitation. Your gift should reflect the fact that the couple was generous enough to offer you a plus-one. Return the generosity in a way that feels right to you. Old wisdom states the gift should equal the value of your attendance, but Harrison says most people no longer follow that rule.
And if you’re bringing a guest who doesn’t know the couple, don’t ask them to contribute to the gift. If you receive an invitation and your name is the only one in sight, it is not okay to ask the couple if you can add a plus-one. The couple has most likely already had a major discussion about whether they are able to offer you a guest. If they aren’t, it’s probably for a good reason, Harrison says.
