who is supposed to get a plus one?

Anyone in a relationship, even if they've been dating a very short time, needs to be invited together. Truly single people get plus ones if you want and/or can afford it but its not a must

It all depends on your budget. Usually people who are engaged/married/live-in partners. If you can afford it then you can give everyone a plus one, but I would say that's not expected much anymore (a lot of 'no ring no bring' weddings, etc). We're only giving a few people plus ones (elderly guests that need travel companions, guests that won't know anyone else). It's not in our budget to give all our single guests a plus one, and none of them expect one either.

I don't know who is supposed to get a plus one but we are allowing everyone to bring someone.

It depends on your budget.

I am giving everyone a plus one.

I'm not giving plus ones.

If someone is in a relationship though (of any time length), I am inviting their SO by name.

I wasn't raised etiquette wise, so not sure how appropriate this is (but I think it makes sense and its how I did it):

Plus ones were given to those that won't know anyone else at the wedding (other than use) to keep them company. As for SO's I was taught if I wouldn't invite them separately (as individuals) then don't invite either of them. If you 'cant live without that person there' then invite the SO.

Traditionally, anyone who is single and not a widow/widower should get a plus one. But if your budget doesn't allow (or space at your venue doesn't allow) then it is no longer required, but be prepared, some will still RSVP as if you gave them a plus one. Heck, my aunt, who is a widow, took one of her daughters plus ones to invited her friend to my wedding.

What family members need plus one?

We gave almost everyone a plus 1 because our guest list was not that big (only 112 were invited, including plus ones). But, most people who were truly single or close family and friend that will know someone at the wedding didn't RSVP for their plus one.

But, techinically, I believe the "ettiquette" is to allow those who are married and/or have been in a long term relation with their partner. But, I say do whatever you want. Allow plus 1s for whoever you like or not. It's your wedding.

I think you should attach a time-limit (like, if you've been dating over a year). Sometimes people are in long-term, serious relationships, but aren't interested in or able to get married. They still should have their SO with them.

For single people (or people who are dating casually), it's not a necessity, though I think anyone in the bridal party should get a plus one, no matter the length of relationship. It's the least you can do, I feel.

We gave plus ones to anyone that was in a relationship at the time we sent out the invites. We planned on giving plus ones to people that wouldn't know anyone else at the wedding, but we didn't run into that.

At our wedding, we gave everyone a plus one. It was important to me that they enjoy themselves and be comfortable. Couples were invited together, regardless of if they were married/engaged/living together/or only dating for a couple months. Singles were allowed a guest. I have a couple widowed aunts who I allowed a guest. None of our single guests actually opted to bring a guest though and chose to come alone.

I realize due to budgets (or not wanting people they don't know) many people don't do what I did.

I do think that anyone in a relationship should be invited with their significant other. If you are going to restrict certain couples, don't do it just by if they are married, engaged or living together. Do it by amount of time dating. Someone could be in a very serious relationship for a long period of time without living together.

Also if you have a single guest who won't know anyone else there, I think it's courteous to extend them a plus one.

It is less about what family members and more about the state of someone's relationship.

Truly single you don't need to give a plus one, relationship (though this is changing esp what you class as a relationship some just do long term some do every bf and gf, it is changing) then you invite both (personally I don't like +1 you should name those you invite)

However if you don't have space to give a +1 to single guests then don't. However if you want t give a sister a plus one because you have space and not the 3rd cousin that is fine.

They don't need a plus1 just because you are related.

We didn't give singles a plus. We're have a wedding of 50 people. If they were in a relationship for months we gave them one. I had a friend who was in a relationship they broke up a week after the invites went out. I really hoped she wouldn't bring someone not listed on the invite since I didn't give singles a plus one. She found someone 4 weeks before the wedding and was wanting to bring him. I told her no. They had only been dating 2 weeks, and I did not know him. She bounces a lot between guys, and at 50 people it'd be noticeable if she brought him or a new boy. We're having an intimate wedding, and we really can't have our guest list go over 50 or we'd have to pay $600. She ended up canceling the day of my bridal shower to go hang out with the boy, so I don't feel bad any more since apparently going to the pool with her new boy was more important than my shower which her sister who lives with her still came to.

But really depends on your budget and how much intimacy you want.

Nearly all our guests had to travel and stay overnight for our wedding, so we gave everyone a plus one. I felt guilty asking people to travel and stay over and not be able to bring someone to split it with.

Personally, I didn't like the whole idea of determining on my own whether one person was more worthy than another to bring a guest or if they'd been dating/engaged/married "long enough" to bring someone. To be fair, we invited everyone with a plus one and just chose to have a smaller wedding, inviting only 130 people INCLUDING all the plus ones. Most of my single friends probably won't bring a guest anyways, but I like the courtesy of giving them the choice. Last year, a good childhood friend of my FH's got married and didn't invite me to the wedding even though FH and I had been dating for years and were engaged. They live in CA and we were in MA and they hadn't met me, so I guess they figured I didn't have to come? I found it strange and felt left out. Because they knew or had met all the other friends/significant others, everyone else was invited but me! Now that we're getting married we are of course inviting them both and I have to admit I'm a little resentful, haha.

I say if they are in a serious relationship, as in living together, married, or engaged. people that have only been dating a few weeks dont get one, unless you can afford it

We gave plus ones to everyone who was married/engaged/living together/seriously dating (ie, I've met the person, heard about them, etc.). We also gave plus ones to single guests who otherwise wouldn't know very many other people there.

Basically, the only people who didn't get a plus one are single guests who will also know/are related to several or even dozens of the other invited guests. I haven't lost a second of sleep over it.

Thank you all for the help I am going to go over the guest list again and figure out who I can afford to have a plus 1.