Colleagues/plus ones

I would say it depends what kind of colleagues they are to you, if you only nod hello to them every so often do you really want to pay for theirs and their partner’s meals etc?

But if they’re more like friends, and they’d enhance your experience of your day then maybe invite the partners to make it more likely they’ll attend.

Or maybe have an informal chat with some of them, they might like a night away from their families!?!?

We’re inviting the partners of any colleagues attending, but as we work at the same place, and have done for years, without their partners attending, our wedding risks becoming a works do!

In that case, I’d probably invite the partners. The main reason I’ve seen for partners not being invited is budget or venue numbers so if that isn’t an issue for you, then I don’t think it’s strange to have a few people there that you don’t know, if it means the ones you do want there will be able to attend.

We are inviting a selection of my colleagues - the ones that know my fiance well. Of about 30 members of staff, we are inviting 7 or 8. They are invited for the whole day, but we are not inviting their partners. Partly because we have a limitation on numbers and partly because they know each other really well, so it isn't like they won't have people to talk to!

If your colleagues know each other well, then I wouldn't see any problem with only inviting them and not their partners. On the other hand, if you're inviting them and they know you but don't cross paths with each other, then fair enough.