Organizing the wedding is a tougher job than you could expect beforehand. You must take care of every single thing from finding the perfect venue, DJs, wooden wedding flowers, and other decorations to making sure that every guest shows up happy and ready to celebrate. However, crafting a perfect wedding guest list takes a lot of time and compromises from both partners and sets of parents. Apart from obvious problems, you must also decide if you are allowing plus-one to your wedding. Here are some tips on how to decide if you should/could let your friends take a plus-one to your wedding.
Know Your Budget
On average, you can count that an extra person at your wedding would cost you $100. That might not seem too much at first, but when every single friend starts bringing their plus-one, your costs might jump to thousands of dollars, which you could spend on other things like hiring a professional photographer, or purchasing stunning wooden roses bouquets. On top of that, you must know how many people can fit at your wedding venue so that everyone would still feel comfortable and free to move. We don't recommend inviting more people than your wedding venue can accommodate. And the easiest way to shrink your wedding guest list is to get rid of all plus-ones. That sounds cruel, but you have to know how to set priorities.
Do You Really Know Them?
Traditionally, there is no place for you at the wedding if the bride's mom doesn't know you. However, these days weddings are getting bigger and fancier, so it is acceptable to invite guests that you know very little or haven't seen for years. That said, you are not obliged to invite a complete stranger that your college buddy is dating at the moment, especially if that stranger will most likely be gone from your buddy's life in the upcoming few months. Moreover, always think if all the plus-ones are appropriate for your wedding and if you genuinely want to meet them.
Separate Spouses From Dates
If you still have a few extra spots to fill and want to hand some plus-one invitations, prioritize spouses. After all, when you are inviting a married couple, you know that those people are more likely to stick together, hence be part of your after-wedding social life. The same could not be said about someone who was dating your friend for the last few months.
Don't Be Ashamed
It is the biggest day of your life, so you should only have the people you love by your side, surrounded by wonderful wooden bouquets, eating the most delicious wedding cake in the world. There is no shame in choosing not to invite certain people to your wedding. Everyone will understand that you had your own motives and did your best. That said, always look at the situation from many different angles. For example, if you are having a massive wedding with 300+ people and don't allow your best friend to bring his new date, that might come as an offensive move. But if you are having an intimate wedding with only a few close friends and family members, your best friend would understand your reasoning for not sending a plus-one invitation.
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