Is it rude to just invite a single person and no guest?

@kelsey - I'm doing my rsvps online, so they only have the option to say yes or no to the invites provided. This happened with one of my friends, I just took her ex off the list without replacing him. She'll know plenty of other people. Another friend who went through a divorce also got her ex removed, but I added a guest in his place in case she wanted someone to help with their toddler. She ended up declining the guest and her son and is coming solo (but will also know other people there).

So my answer is no, you don't have to automatically give them a plus one - but if they rsvp with one it might be nice to let them have it since they *did* just go through a breakup and it's a wedding.

It's not rude at all. You are not required to give plus ones, even if they're in a relationship. We decided that if they haven't been together for a year and we haven't met their SO, then the SO isn't invited. I have a big family, and that's how my cousins all did their plus ones for couples, because giving everyone a plus one would have our guest list over 300. At the end of the day it's your wedding and you invite who you want. If you're worried that a single person won't know anyone then give them a plus one, but if they're family or friends with your other guests they'll have a good time without a plus one.

This has been a big topic among my friends. So, at the face of it, we are NOT doing 1s for singles. We are using the venue size as the reason, when we are in a position to explain this, and that seems to be a very acceptable rationale.

In reality, we are giving 1s to a few singles. We have carefully chosen who, though. For example, one of my BM's, and a couple of old friends. You see, we trust their judgment in who they will bring. For our close social circle, though, none of those single friends will be receiving 1s. They all know each other and are friends, so we'll seat them together. We have some peripheral friends who are really just drama and we don't like to be around, so this is one way to keep them from being there. Plus, you know, it would be awkward to have one of them happen to show up with someone that either FH or I had some kind of "thing" with in the past. lmfao - that sounds terrible, but you never know who they'll bring and I'm not about to "screen" the 1s.

ETA: apparently the plus sign doesn't show up in the comments. oops

Amanda, don't give advice when you're a newbie clueless about etiquette. Yes, you ARE required to give people in relationships an invite and it's rude AF to judge the seriousness of someone's relationship by how long they've been together.

Kelsey, I would let your 35-year-old cousin bring a guest.

Don't listen to Amanda. Social units HAVE to be invited together.

You do NOT have to invite plus ones. My fiancé and are are not inviting anyone we both don't know.

Eh- I don't think it's rude. We invited a couple of single people because they knew a lot of the people that would be attending the wedding anyway. We only gave plus ones to guests who were engaged, had been dating the same person for years, or if they literally knew no one at the wedding.

I only gave plus one to singles if they are coming from out of state

Tina, that's rude AF.

I'd be careful and consistent with giving some people a plus one and not others. You're pretty much saying that one couple is more legitimate in your eyes than another. If someone is going to show up not have anyone to talk to, I'd give them a plus one.

I can't speak for other people, but I personally felt like weddings are sweet and loving events and even those that may be single would better enjoy the company of a close friend. I have a 19 and a 20 year old brother, both of which have never had a girlfriend. But when we built the guest list draft, I gave everyone a plus one so I wouldn't over book my venue. That way, if a year from now they are seeing someone, they can look forward to sharing the event with their person too. I thought it was just the nice thing to do. Your invites should help decide the final numbers

It is encouraged but not mandatory to give every single people plus ones. Plus ones are only for single people, if someone is in a relationship (regardless of if they are married/engaged/dating or for how long) is treated as a social unit and are invited together. What Amanda and Mary are doing is wrong and extremely rude, how would they feel if their fiance wasn't invited or some decided that only couples who are married for 5 years are both invited?

We're only giving singles in our wedding party a plus one

You do not have to offer truly single guests a plus one. However - I would still give this option to everyone in your wedding party, and if there are any guests who don't know any other guests it's courteous to extend them a plus one!

If you know for a fact that they are single and won't be with someone, then it is fine; my grandma whose husband is deceased will not get a plus one, but my future aunt-in-law who has been off-and-on dating will get a plus one. It's better to plan for too many people than not enough!

I didn't for my first wedding, and several people called me up to either ask for a +1 or inform me of a new relationship I hadn't heard about yet. It turned out to be a pain, so this time around I'm just offering a +1 to any single people we invite.

It’s terribly rude.

Okay, “just starting to date someone” does NOT qualify for a plus 1.

If they are seriously involved, then invite the SO.

Invites are non-transferable. This means if they break up with the SO, a new person is NOT to be brought in their place.

This is akin to someone being invited to your home or out to Dinner. This means that YOU are paying. This was a deciding factor in co-workers NOT being invited to my event.

I hadn’t met one lady’s husband, but I didn’t want his cheating behind there hitting on my other guests.

View Quoted Comment

Miss, this post is two years old. But I am curious: You are not inviting a friend's husband because he is a cheater? That, my friend, is rude. And if someone breaks up with a SO and meets someone new the new person can't come either? Wow!

I didn’t invite her because I’d have to invite him. That’s only one reason that I didn’t invite her. There were 2 other reasons.

No, you cannot just switch an invite to a new person. I don’t know them. Do you take strangers out to dinner?