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Allowing plus-ones and additional guests

Let guests bring additional guests, set how many each may bring, collect their names, and see how plus-ones count toward your plan.

Last reviewed 4 min read

On this page6 sections
  1. Set your plus-one rule
  2. Add plus-ones yourself
  3. What your guests will see
  4. How plus-ones count toward your plan
  5. Common questions
  6. Related articles

A plus-one is an additional guest someone brings with them. You decide whether guests can bring anyone at all, and how many — and InviteBird collects each companion's name for you if you'd like, ready for seating and place cards.

Set your plus-one rule

When you set up your event, the details step asks "Can guests bring extra guests?" with two choices:

  • No — just the guests I invite. Every invitation is for one guest only.
  • Yes — they can bring a few extra. Choose a number under Each guest can bring up to __ extra guests (from 1 to 10). This is the number of extra guests one response may add on top of the guest themselves — so "up to 2 extra" means a party of up to three.

You can change this later from your event's details. The number you set shapes what every guest sees when they respond, so pick the limit that fits your space and budget.

Add plus-ones yourself

When you add or edit a guest by hand you can record their party for them — handy when someone tells you in person that they're bringing a partner:

  1. On the Guests & RSVP tab, select Add guest.
  2. Fill in the guest's name and contact details.
  3. Under Plus-ones they may bring, tap + for each additional guest (up to 10 here).
  4. Save. You can adjust the number later from the guest's row (up to 20), where you can also name each companion and set their meal and table. If the guest has already replied, changing the number also updates their reply, and the newest edit wins.

What your guests will see

When a guest responds Yes, I'm in and additional guests are allowed, the next step asks How many of you? They pick from Only me, Me + 1 guest, Me + 2 guests, and so on — never more than the limit you set (or the spots left, if you've capped attendance).

If they add anyone, an optional Who are you bringing? section appears with one name box per extra guest. Names are optional — a guest can bring companions without naming them — but when they do, those names flow straight through to your guest list, seating, meal counts, and place-card prep. A guest can pick a meal for each companion too, on the menu step. If a guest later lowers their party size, any names, meals and table spots beyond the new size are dropped automatically, the seats are freed on your seating plan, and printed lists show only the current party. Once a guest has replied, their reply sets their party — the number you allowed is only the most they may bring.

How plus-ones count toward your plan

Your plan is measured by the total number of guests attending — everyone on your list plus every additional guest they bring. A guest with two plus-ones counts as three guests. That same total drives the guest meter on the Guests tab and the optional Maximum capacity cap if you turn it on, so a party of four fills four seats everywhere. See Guest limits and plans for how counting and upgrading work.

Common questions

How many plus-ones can one guest bring? As many extra as you allow — up to 10 through the setup question or the Add guest form, or up to 20 when you change a guest's party from their row. Whatever you choose, guests responding on their own can never exceed your limit.

Are companion names required? No. Names are always optional. Collecting them just makes seating and place cards easier, and helps you get an accurate meal count.

Do plus-ones get their own invitation? No. A plus-one is attached to the guest who brings them — you invite the guest, and they tell you how many they're bringing when they RSVP.

A guest wants to change how many they're bringing. They can, from Manage your RSVP on the invitation, and you can adjust it from their row on the Guests tab. See Changing an RSVP.

I turned off extra guests, but a guest still shows a plus-one. Guests you added by hand keep whatever party size you entered. Open the guest's row to change it. New self-service responses will follow your current rule.

One of my older events shows guests a "pending approval" note. Some events created before the setup question was simplified used an "allowed with your approval" rule. Those guests can still respond and bring companions; the extras simply count toward your total like any other. New events use the straightforward No / Yes choice above.

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