You may have anticipated some tricky trade-offs when creating your guest list, but have you thought about plus-ones yet?

One of the first big steps in creating that budget is putting together a guest list that works for your venue—plus-ones included. So how do you tackle this hot topic? Start by going back to the basics: Each head count costs money, and venues hold only a certain number of people. You’ll need to tread carefully and follow these tips so everyone will have a wonderful time at your wedding.

Anyone Who’s Engaged, Lives Together or is in a Long-Term, Serious Relationship

Any couples who are engaged, live together or who have been dating over a year should get a plus-one. In this day and age, lots of couples live together before they get married—or never get married at all—so acknowledging their commitment is the right thing to do. While you can use your judgment with couples who’ve been dating over a year—say, your 16-year-old cousin and his girlfriend—you and your partner should be able to tell if it’s a serious relationship. If not, err on the side of caution and give them a plus-one.

Your Wedding Party

Extending a plus-one to everyone in your wedding party is a courteous move they’ll definitely appreciate. This doesn’t mean you have to force each bridesmaid and groomsman to bring a date to your wedding if they don’t want to (there’s a chance they’ll decline anyway), but it’s important to make the offer because they’ve been there for you from the start. Shopping, planning your bachelorette party, fastening the 150 buttons down your wedding dress, ushering your grandparents down the aisle, calling the limo company last minute—the list is endless, which proves just how much these friends have mattered throughout your wedding prep process. It’s important to remember they’ve not only given you their time, love and energy, but they’ve also spent a lot of money on attire, lodging and transportation, maybe for multiple events. Trust us on this one—they deserve a plus-one.

read more - https://www.theknot.com/content/plus-one-etiquette-guide