Guests inviting randoms?

Is she the only person travelling any distance etc that is bringing a random? I think if so you could get away with it in respect of other people. I don't think it unreasonable that they want to make a holiday of it and if he doesn't come is he sat in a hotel on his own. I would make an exception for her on these grounds and just not tell anyone else. If they complain afterwards just say distance, cost, holiday and not leaving him sat in a hotel on his own. By then it's already done with.

I think she is justified wanting to bring him to the wedding as she is travelling from abroad, to go to a wedding on your own isnt much fun and would end up being Billy no mates.

We have a lot of guests traveling from abroad. We will know some of their partners, but for others who are traveling a long distance and won't know many of the other guests, we're letting them bring a date.

I think the "if we haven't met them they aren't coming" rule works fine when you're talking about your Mum's Great Aunt Gertrude and Cousin Mabel, but it's ludicrous to apply it to friend's partners, especially if they don't live locally to you.

Thanks for your replies. I think you're all right. My friend wouldn't be on her own though. There are 10 in our close friendship group (the others are coming from abroad too).

All of y guests have a plus 1, whether we know them or not. I personally think it isnt quite right to invite someone to a wedding but not their partner.

I don't know if I have misinterpreted your post, but has she definitely said her partner will be coming to the wedding? Or did she mean she'd have her partner with her while she's travelling? I know someone who flew over from abroad for a wedding recently and turned it into travelling and the partner just amused themselves for the day.

That said, we are having a similar policy to you about only inviting partners if we've met them at least once, but I would probably make an exception in this case.

Are you sure she's intending on bringing the partner to your wedding as opposed to just bringing him to Europe? If they are coming over a few days before would you have a chance to have a quick meet up with them so that the wedding day isn't the first time you've met? That's what we've done with a few friends who've partners we have not had the chance to meet x

I think it's fine to make an exception in this case, people will understand.

I would want to make my friend's day enjoyable and if she is worried about her partner for the whole day then it might impact on her enjoyment of the day!

If people don't understand that travelling from abroad is a different kettle of fish to people travelling a few miles down the road then that's their problem and they are the ones being unreasonable. It won't open the floodgates unless you let it.

I don't understand how it's ludicrous to not apply this to friends partners? In this situation, as they are travelling, I would say invite him but it's definitely not ludicrous to not invite partners you've never met!!

Our two best friends live abroad, I wasn't invited to his best mates wedding as we'd only been together 6 months. However for my best mates wedding we were both invited as we were living together and was assumed I'd bring him. I think it depends on how far they are travelling and however callous how serious their relationship is, and if you are meeting them before your wedding.

If we had married first then we would have invited their other halves because it's a long journey and it's not easy to meet their partners when you're looking at a 12 or 24 hour flight but any friends who live in England we are not inviting partners we haven't met, because there is the opportunity to have met them.