Get together etiquette

[Onlyrainbows]

I don't have a proper friend group but I have acquaintances that I see every now and then. I invited one over for some drinks at my place. I haven't seen her for a while (I think last time I saw her was December). There's another acquaintance, who we saw last week for a pub quiz... They don't know each other, so would it be weird to invite her too?

Yes weird. Ask friend 1 if she fancies making the gathering a bit bigger or if she’d rather it be just you two. She might be very sociable and think it’s a great idea. But make it known either option is fine with you.

I don't think this is strange, especially if you think they might get along. When you say about the other acquaintance that "we" saw for a pub quiz, who is "we"? Is that you and the friend you already invited? Because if so then that will be even less weird - just say something casual like "oh I was thinking of inviting X, you remember her from the pub quiz? What do you think?"

My first thought was that it was weird but my very sociable friend does this all the time and it generally works out pretty fun (unless you're a lot closer to one of them and then the other one will feel like a bit of a spare part!).

The "we" is my DH and I.

It’s not weird but probably better if you arrange to see each person separately. When this type of thing has happened to me I sometimes feel a bit stitched up especially I didn’t know someone else was going to be there and I thought I was going to spend time on a one to one basis with a friend.
Like the PP’s have said you would need to check
with the first friend beforehand.

It's not weird, especially for a pub quiz.

My sister and her work friend decided to go to one. The friend invited her friends, my sister invited me and my friend. We all ended up getting on really well, and actually making a very good quiz team by all accounts.

The invite is for the OP’s house.

It's unclear from your post what you are inviting her to.

If it's drinks or dinner at your home then it's a bit weird. If you're teaming up for the pub quiz it's quite normal I think.

I stand corrected that it's not clear from your post I can't read

Oh yeah sorry, I misread

The key question is - do you think both guests would get on?
It would be a rum old world if we could only accept invitations involving people we already knew. What about 'we met through mutual friends'.

Host etiquette would demand you always have an eye out for 'left-outedness', have something in another room to show a guest if there looks like any awkwardness eg 'do come and have a look at these fuchsias in the garden' and really make sure there's no unexplained in-jokes.

Run it past your friend first but make it sound like you're leaning towards leaving the other friend out. That means your friend won't feel awkward to agree with it being just the two of you. If she fancies being more sociable, she can easily disagree and your other friend can be invited.

There is a slight chance the first friend may cancel if you ask about the second friend.

There's also the option of inviting even MORE people so it's a proper "party". And yes the idea is only drinks and nibbles

Or you could do two things, see the first friend and arrange a little party which sounds lovely?

Oh forgot to mention "older friend" has been very much open to hang out with random people in the past. (That's we started hanging out in the first place!)