Bringing a “Plus One” Guide for Brides

By Roxana Oliver

Wedding preparation is truly an amazing experience, but, in all honesty, it can get pretty stressful as well. Therefore, you have to be very careful when organizing even the smallest details. Obviously, you should try your best to enjoy the whole process. However, if you happen to find some tasks annoying or troublesome, trust me that you’re not the only one. When organizing such an important event, this is merely normal. For example, one of the main issues during the wedding prep is the question of guest lists, or, more specifically, the “plus one” etiquette. If you happen to find yourself in this particular dilemma, keep on reading.

Determine the number of guests

One of the first tasks in your wedding prep, if not the first, should be putting together a guest list. After all, the number of guests will also affect the choice of your wedding venue together with the catering service and wedding favors. Obviously, the biggest factor in creating a guest list for the majority of people is their wedding budget. Basically, you have to take everything into consideration, including your personal preferences, in order to create an adequate guest list. This is not something that you should put off for long since you need to send out the invitations quite some time before the big day.

Plus one – yes or no?

This can be really tricky when it comes to creating your guest list. Inviting people you know is already difficult enough, more than you may expect in my experience, but when you add the “plus one” to the mix, the whole process can really stress you out. Therefore, it’s very important that you decide how big your wedding is going to be before you start your preparations. This will help you decide on how you’re going to deal with the “plus one” option.

Small vs. big wedding

If you’re planning to hold a small and very intimate wedding, there’s no need to follow through with the “plus one” etiquette. Moreover, your guests will understand your choice perfectly well if you make it a point to notify them that the wedding is going to be for the closest family members and friends. On the other hand, if you have no problem organizing a really big wedding, you can easily add a “plus one” option for your single guests. Unfortunately, it’s not very often that couples can afford to throw such a big wedding without any concerns.

Use invitations

Your guests won’t know whether they’re allowed to bring someone else with them, unless you explicitly state so on your invitations. It’s considered rude to ask about this so they won’t be able to do that either. You don’t want anyone to be confused for your wedding day, so make sure that everyone invited knows the situation. What’s more, you can personalize the invitations. If some of your friends are married or in a relationship for the longest time, make sure that their invitations say that it’s alright to bring someone else to your wedding. On the other hand, if you don’t want strangers on your wedding, you can also notify other guests that there won’t be a “plus one” possibility.

Try to get confirmation

Not many people do this, but in my opinion, this is something that can make your life a lot easier and less stressful. Basically, try to get a confirmation from your guests so that you know how many people will come to your wedding, as well as the number of their “plus ones”. That way you can even organize a comfy bus charter in Sydney for transport and finish up the preparations accordingly. There are probably those kind of services wherever you live. Of course, don’t stick to the exact number. However, knowing approximately how many people will attend your wedding will be very useful for the seating arrangement and wedding ceremony as well.

Even if you’re a people-pleaser, you have to remember that your wedding day should be all about you and your spouse-to-be. With that in mind, feel free to choose how big your wedding will be and deal with the “plus one” etiquette the way you see fit.

Roxana is a travel enthusiast and lifestyle consultant from Sydney and she loves to write about her adventures. She is all about the healthy lifestyle, loves to run with her husband and dogs and has fun cooking exotic meals for her family. Being a typical Aussie, she often hits the waves and loves beaches and sunshine! You can find out more about her writing following her on twitter and facebook. She is also one of the editors at Highstylife Magazine.