Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask to bring my Partner to a Wedding

39 replies

OliveToboogie · 24/04/2026 16:32

My cousins daughter is getting married in June. Myself my sibling and cousins are all invited to the Wedding. I am the only one Divorced but have been with my partner 7 months. Every other family member will be going as a couple would it be too cheeky to ask if I can bring my partner .

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Loulou4022 · 25/04/2026 08:59

My friend was single but we gave her a plus one invite in case she wanted to bring another friend or her daughter she decided to come on her own so I made sure to seat her with another friend of mine I knew she’d get on with and gave the heads up to several other of my guests to keep an eye out for her so she wasn’t on her own. I find it quite bizarre to expect people to attend a wedding on their own!

Lmnop22 · 24/04/2026 19:54

neverbeenskiing · 24/04/2026 16:47

I think it's a bit rude to not invite a "partner" as in a long term, co-habiting relationship but I don't think it's rude not to think to include the bloke your mum's cousin has been dating for a few months.

Show quote history

Exactly this

Original poster
OliveToboogie · 24/04/2026 18:03

Thanks for all the responses.will just go on my own.

OP posts:
CombatBarbie · 24/04/2026 18:02

Clogblog · 24/04/2026 17:47

I have never seen "plus one" on a British wedding invitation - as opposed to a named invite for a known long term partner. I thought it was just an American sitcom thing!

Is this my friends being weird?

Show quote history

I done a couple of plus 1s on my invites for childhood/longer known friends who I was unsure of still seeing Brian, Gary etc or if i knew they wouldnt know many people

ForTipsyFinch · 24/04/2026 18:01

Has he met any of them?

Growingaseed · 24/04/2026 17:59

Absolutely no harm in asking OP and can totally see why you wouldn't want to be the only one without your partner. Just word it in a way that you understand either way. The evening bit is a good idea if that's doable.

The problem is that each guest can cost £200 now. I found it difficult to invite partners I didn't really know when every 5 is another grand. There's also venues with number limits and sometimes couple don't want huge disparity between numbers. E.g I had way more family than my husband, so we let his friends have plus ones but I didn't give as many of mine them.

If you ask they can also bare you in mind in case there's any last minute drop outs due to illness etc too.

Littlefish · 24/04/2026 17:56

Definitely don’t ask. If they wanted you to bring a +1 it would have been made clear in the invitation.

7 months in a relationship is a really short time. Weddings can be incredibly expensive. It’s absolutely reasonable for the bride and groom only to invite people they’re close too and know well.

Iloveeverycat · 24/04/2026 17:56

My DS was living with someone and together for a few years. Their partner wasn't invited to a wedding.

readingmakesmehappy · 24/04/2026 17:49

Has the bride met your partner? 7mo is nothing. We had a no ring no bring policy at ours unless we had met the partner several times

Notmycircusnotmyotter · 24/04/2026 17:48

Ok to ask. Not ok to be a dick if the answer is no.

UnderTrees · 24/04/2026 17:48

Presumably if they wanted him there they would have invited him/given you a plus one. You haven’t been together very long so I wouldn’t ask.

Ohgoose · 24/04/2026 17:48

10namechangeslater · 24/04/2026 17:36

I really don’t understand why people expect you to go to a wedding alone. It’s so weird.

I don’t understand why people expect an invitation for any random they happen to be seeing at the time.

Having people you don’t really know at your wedding is weird.

Clogblog · 24/04/2026 17:47

Lovelynames123 · 24/04/2026 16:40

When one of my closest friends got married she issued me a single invite with the instriction that I was tell her if I met someone - I.did and he was included as a plus one. Personally, I think it's rude to not invite a partner, I've had plus ones when I haven't even had a partner!

I have never seen "plus one" on a British wedding invitation - as opposed to a named invite for a known long term partner. I thought it was just an American sitcom thing!

Is this my friends being weird?

Ohgoose · 24/04/2026 17:46

Definitely don’t ask. Sorry but even if they were inviting partners, 7 months is not a long term and established relationship, they’re a boy/girlfriend.

I wouldn’t have invited them in the same situation unless there’s some backstory of they all know them and you’re all super close etc.

newornotnew · 24/04/2026 17:45

You can't ask, no. They haven't breached etiquette by not inviting if you don't live together, and you would breach etiquette by asking.

GCAcademic · 24/04/2026 17:42

10namechangeslater · 24/04/2026 17:36

I really don’t understand why people expect you to go to a wedding alone. It’s so weird.

The OP will have her family there so isn’t going to be alone. I don’t understand why the bride and groom should be expected to have someone they’ve never met at their wedding. That seems far more weird to me.

Random321 · 24/04/2026 17:37

I think it's rude to ask for invite to something a person wasn't invite to.

10namechangeslater · 24/04/2026 17:36

I really don’t understand why people expect you to go to a wedding alone. It’s so weird.

OneCoralGoose · 24/04/2026 17:08

Afters maybe. Ceramony and meal for a brand new partner no. If there was a way for them just to come after to have a drink and dance maybe. Not as a main guest

ChickenBananaBanana · 24/04/2026 17:06

They're not your partner, they're a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Monty36 · 24/04/2026 17:03

Depending on what type of reception they are having, a place can be costly.
Given the bride and groom have never met your boyfriend I think it would be too much to self invite. They will feel awkward saying no. But could invite someone they know instead.

Yetone · 24/04/2026 17:00

I don’t think that the bride and groom need to invite anyone they don’t personally know.

HungryHerring · 24/04/2026 16:55

Our venue had a strict limit on numbers. We have big families and friend groups and both do lots of clubs and had sociable jobs too, so we had to make some tough decisions. One of these was no partners unless married (or extremely long term with kids etc). One friend did ask if she could bring her boyfriend - I wanted to ask her which of our guests she would like us to cut out to make space for him!

TakeMeDancing · 24/04/2026 16:52

My DH’s sister did this at our wedding—the issue was that there were x number of seats at the reception venue, and we had a person in each seat already. She got really funny about it, asking why so-and-so was allowed a +1, but she wasn’t (it was because they were all established, live-in partners, and hers was new—she wasn’t the only one invited as a solo).

PinkNailPolish2026 · 24/04/2026 16:50

It would be exceptionally rude to ask for your boyfriend to go. The bride and groom will have made provision for food etc on the day for the numbers invited. We had this at our wedding and they were most put out when we said absolutely not.

Swipe left for the next trending thread