Not Going Solo - When Guests Want to Bring Uninvited Dates, Friends, or Children

One of the biggest problems brides and grooms have in managing their guest lists is when their friends and loved ones assume it will be okay to bring a date, or their children. Technically, guests should understand that the invitation is only intended for those people on the front of the envelope (or inner envelope, if there is one.) They don't understand that every extra person will cost the bride and groom a good chunk of change, and may cause problems with seating.

While etiquette suggests that the bride and groom call any quests who have RSVP'd for more people than intended, simply explaining the misunderstanding, this is not an easy thing to do. I've heard of couples simply not saying anything, but then feeling resentful afterwards. And I've heard of couples taking the time to write every guest's name on the response card. Recently, I've seen couples trying to circumvent this problem by adding the line "We have reserved ___ seats for you" to the RSVP card. What do you think of this solution? A good one, or tacky?

Vote now in our poll!

How Should You Avoid Uninvited Guests at Your Wedding?

• The traditional way - by being very clear in the way the invitation is addressed, and calling people who don't understand it.
  
• By writing the guests' names on the RSVP card
  
• By adding a line "We've reserved ___ seats in your honor"
  
• If people bring friends, dates, or children, we won't let it bother us.

Read more on this subject.
More about Reply Card Wording
Starting a Wedding Guest List
Frequently Asked Questions about Wedding Invitations