Wedding invitation can i bring a date

I would say though, that if you really aren't sure you can be bothered with going, decline and free up a space for someone who cares. Decline the invitation. If you are invited to an event without the opportunity to bring your boyfriend, your presence isn't valued highly by the event-havers. It sounds like you don't value being there too much either, so it's a win-win. Don't let this invite make you question your friendship with this person. The bride is dealing with factors you may not know about, and she may have already gone the extra mile to be able to invite you.

Feel free to decline with a glad heart, just don't start feeling like the solo invite is a slight. Check with your friend. These things can be culture and subculture dependent. FWIW, I would consider that your friend is more entitled to feel slighted that you wouldn't go their wedding if you can't bring a date than you are to feel slighted that they're not able to make provision for everyone to bring a partner, if indeed that turns out to be the case.

For you it's a few hours at an event where you probably know a few people anyway, assuming of course it's not out of town or on the other side of the planet. For them it is one of the most important days of their life, which likely involves great expense and complicated logistics, and where the expense and logistical difficulty grows with the number of people they invite.

For the most part, if you're not close, consider that it's a sweet gesture by them to invite you at all. If it's not important to you to be there for their wedding, you can always make a polite excuse. Btw, the only thing awkward about asking your friend if they meant to allow for you bringing a date is the fact that you would not go if the answer is not what you'd like. Otherwise it's painless to check what's going to work for them and go with that.

Response by poster: Thanks everyone for all your insight! The reason I ended up here regarding this issue is that I assumed right off the bat that the invitation was meant for me and me alone, however, a this is a very non-traditional wedding being organized by the most laid back person I have ever met who I can't possibly imagine agonizing over her guest list, and b my close friend, who just got married in the fall, as well as another female friend, said that the "number attending" line meant that I could bring I date.

Very confusing I do care about this friend and didn't mean to make it seem like I'm not thrilled about celebrating her special day. It's just that the wedding is on a Friday and I'll have to take time off work to attend, during a time when I'm going to have a very heavy workload.

I don't feel slighted whatsoever by the idea of being invited without my significant other. I even feel like, knowing her, it might even have been an absent minded oversight, and she doesn't know his full name and maybe didn't think about it or didn't know what name to put on the invite. Anyway, I think I will end up asking her, because after some reflection, I really don't think she'll be offended by the question, as I'm fairly certain that she knows that I won't be upset about it in any way, shape or form.

Address your invitations correctly—to each guest by name, not "and guest"—and guests should understand that the invite is meant for only those mentioned. If you find that some reply with their children's names added, give them a call and explain you're having an adults-only wedding and you hope they can still attend. If there are a lot of kids in your family, you may want to consider hiring or arranging for a babysitter.

It's definitely not required, but it's a nice gesture. Just be sure to include this information on the wedding website. The easiest way to get your point across is to include a dress code in the lower right-hand corner of the invite or on a reception card. Trust us, your guests will appreciate the heads-up. Your invitation design can also clue guests in.

An ultra-formal, traditional invite with letterpress and calligraphy will give guests a hint to the formal nature of the event, whereas an invite with a playful font and bright colors would fit a much more casual style. Browse the different options on The Knot Invitations to find a design that reflects your wedding's style. Another option is to direct guests to your wedding website, where you can go into more detail about the weekend events and dress code in a more informal forum. No, you don't have to.

If a guest isn't married or in a serious relationship, it's perfectly acceptable to invite them solo. Most guests will understand that without "and Guest" or another name on the invitation,they aren't invited with a plus-one. While it's always nice to invite everyone with a guest, that can add up quickly in terms of both headcount and cost. If a guest RSVPs for two, call them and explain you're trying to be diligent about your guest list, unfortunately, you were not able to invite everyone with a guest.

If you realize that nearly everyone will be coupled up, you might want to extend a plus-one invitation to your few single friends and family members. The return address usually goes on the back flap of the envelope. Also, the return address used should be that of the person s whom you've designated to receive response cards, be it your parents or you traditionally, whoever is hosting the wedding handles response cards. Don't forget that the RSVP envelope should also be printed with this address and should include postage.

This is a tricky situation. Standard etiquette dictates that everyone who attends the ceremony or wedding shower, engagement party or wedding reception should be invited to the wedding—that means the ceremony and the reception.

By inviting guests to one and not the other, it could send the message that you want them there for the actual ceremony but you either don't want to pay for their plate at your party or don't care enough to have them there to actually celebrate your newlywed status. If you worded the invitation by having their partner's name on the envelope rather than "and guest" , you have every right to say no.

As a rule, invitations are nontransferable when people are invited by name. Explain that you're not friendly with their proposed guest and you'd prefer the wedding be limited to close friends and family. If you invited all of your single friends sans dates, let them know they won't be the only one coming solo in case that's their worry.

Main Menu. For a traditional wedding, the guest list typically includes your immediate family, close relatives, and friends, Chertoff said. Even if you know a loved one has a conflict with the date and won't be able to make it, you should still send them an invitation. The gesture of inviting them is important even if they can't attend. She also recommends that couples coordinate with their parents about who should be invited to the wedding, particularly if they're paying for the event.

Couples can give their parents a number to tell them how many of their friends and relatives they can invite. If your parents want someone there that you'd rather not invite, you should be open about it. When a couple pays for a wedding themselves, they may not have to worry about who their parents want at the event — but Chertoff still thinks it's a good idea to include parents in the process so they don't feel alienated. Read more: I'm a professional bridesmaid. Here's what happens after the wedding's over, when things can get complicated if the bride wants to stay friends.

Your wedding should be the party of your dreams, and you shouldn't feel obligated to cater the event to others. That means you don't have to let people bring their kids. More and more couples are opting for child-free weddings, as it creates more of a party environment.

But now it's , and most of the traditional wedding rules are widely considered "old-fashioned. The last thing you want to do is go to one of them with your plus one questions, so While every couple is different, there are some pretty general plus one rules that every person invited to a wedding should be following.

If the bride or groom doesn't specify what they want you to do, then your best bet is to pay attention to the below etiquette to figure out the right thing to do. These 12 rules for bringing a plus one will hopefully keep you from upsetting anyone, and also ensure that you have a great time. Because weddings might be stressful, but admit it — they're also pretty awesome. It sounds obvious, but this extremely important rule possibly the most important rule is worth repeating: no "plus one" on your invite means you were invited alone.

Being invited to a wedding does not automatically mean you were invited with a guest. Being invited on your own does not mean "bring someone if you want. You're essentially telling the bride and groom they'll be paying for one more person without even asking. Not cool, man. I get it — going to a wedding alone isn't the most fun thing in the world, especially if all of your friends are in relationships. But please avoid asking for a plus one at all costs.

It's really rude, and it puts the bride and groom in a very awkward situation. You're basically asking them to spend money on someone just for you. Unless you think they may have made a mistake — like if you're engaged or in a longterm relationship — just go on your own. Or don't go at all.

I know it's upsetting to be invited to a wedding without a guest, especially if you're one of the only single ones in your friend group.