Plus One? Or Not?

When planning your guest list, you may be wondering whether to invite your single friends alone or “plus one.” Obviously, your guests’ spouses are included, (yeah, even the annoying ones) and the same for fiances and long-term signifigant others.

But what about your single friends? Should they bring a date?

If you ask your single friends to bring a date, you’re encouraging all that flirting and meeting new people that make weddings fun. By adding a plus-one, you’re tipping the ratio between friends and great-aunts in your favor. But you could also put a single friend on the spot by asking him or her to come up with a date for your big day. And, you’re also inviting (and paying for) someone you and your intended may not even know.

Emily Post (of Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette) says that “allowing single guests who aren’t attached to significant others to bring dates is a thoughtful gesture, but one that is certainly not required and often not realistic.”