When preparing the wedding guest list, the question always remains, whether to invite the other half of friends, acquaintances and colleagues? Would it be impolite or even unacceptable not to, and under what circumstances is it acceptable? How to balance your wedding budget with your desired guest list, and which significant others it's polite to leave behind. LĪGAVĀM put together tips to consider when planning your guest list.

Married people must be invited with a companion

Ja aicināt uz savām kāzām viesi vai viešņu, kas ir precējies, tad neatkarīgi no tā, vai personīgi pazīstat vai nepazīstat viņa/viņas dzīvesdraugu, būtu nepieļaujami neielūgt viņu uz kāzām. So invitations sent to married couples should always state that the arrival is with Mr./Mrs. This will show your respect for both the person in question and their family as a whole. The exact same rule applies to those couples who are engaged or in a long-term relationship lasting more than a year. In many parts of the world, it is considered the norm to invite bridesmaids and groomsmen's best friends, regardless of whether they are in a serious relationship or not. Since these people have most often been with the new couple throughout the wedding preparations, including organizing hen and stag parties, it would only be polite to invite them along with a companion. Even if one of them comes alone, they will still appreciate the gesture as such.

We live in an age when it is common that our friends and loved ones do not live around us within a radius of 100 kilometers. If you have decided to invite someone close to you to the wedding, who, for example, lives on the other side of the world and does not know any of your guests, then it would be only polite to indicate in the invitation that the arrival can be accompanied by a companion. Moreover, regardless of whether this person is in a serious relationship or not. Considering that the guest does not know anyone, he will probably feel much safer if he takes someone close to him with him.

Do you invite work colleagues?

Now let's turn to those wedding guests who will probably understand if they are not invited with a companion. First of all, these are people who are not currently in a serious relationship or have been dating for a very short time. In this case, it is not mandatory to indicate the companion in the invitation, but, of course, if the wedding budget and possibilities allow - then go ahead!

Work colleagues are one of the categories that might be the most thought-provoking. If you work in a large team, couples often choose not to invite any colleagues. If, however, you choose to invite some and not some, it should be done as correctly as possible - especially without talking about it much during work and without advertising it. It is the same with the other halves of colleagues - in this case it would be permissible to invite colleagues without companions, but if you specify in the invitation that the arrival can be accompanied by a significant other, then such a rule should be applied to all invited colleagues, unless one is specifically singled out. If you have a good relationship with your boss and invite your colleagues, then it would only be polite to invite him as well (in this case with a companion), but even if you don't, he will most likely understand and not be offended.

On the other hand, those friends of yours who are not in a serious relationship and know the other wedding guests well, will definitely not get over the fact that their invitation does not indicate the arrival with a companion. For your friends, it will be nice to be together and have a great time with your friends, because you can definitely not worry about them not having anything to do.