Guest + 1

I get asked quite often whether or not you need to invite your single guest plus a date. The answer is there is no etiquette law, which requires you to invite a guest plus his or her date du jour. Now if your guest is living with someone (whether you like them or not) or been dating for a while now, then yes etiquette says you invite them. If someone is married you ALWAYS invite the spouse.

That being said my advice is, if you are having a mingle cocktail type reception, then don’t worry about inviting “dates” of friends. Your guests should not have a problem standing around and talking to people without a date on their arm. But, if you are having a party reception, with lots of dancing and drinking then I say invite the “+ 1”. I know this will cost you more money, but if you want your single friends to stay at your wedding reception and not cut out the minute you cut the cake, let them bring someone to dance and party with. Your girlfriends are not going to appreciate sitting at a table alone all night watching you and your “couple” friends dancing the night away. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have couples so that one can be the designated driver for the night. I know you are saying well the groomsmen can dance with the single ladies. Yeah right, first of all I see very few groomsmen get up and dance unless it is with their date. The chance of them getting up and asking your high school buddy who they don’t know from Eve to dance, is right between slim and none. The chance that she will actually dance with him if he does is even slimmer.

Now this brings up a reminder for the guests at a wedding. If your invitation only lists your name, then ONLY you are invited. Don’t call and ask if you can bring someone else and don’t just think “I’m sure she meant for me to bring a date”. She didn’t. Also, once you get there, it is NOT alright to rearrange seating cards, so that you sit with your friends. A lot of thought and effort went into the seating plan and it is not up to you to rearrange it.