Guests & the bridal party

How long should a friend be dating someone before they are invited to your wedding?

Ettiquette wise it is rude to split up a social unit (gf/bf, fiances, marrieds). So basically anyone who considers themselves in a social unit is a social unit.

It is really dangerous to start picking a point when someone elses relationship becomes valid.

An example:

Mary and John have been dating for 10 months so you invite them both to your wedding because to you that is serious but Rach and Dave have only been dating for 3 weeks at the time your invites go out so you don’t invite Dave because their relationship isnt serious according to you. Fast forward to the week after your wedding and Mary and John split up never to reconcile and six months after your wedding Rach and Dave announce their engagement and that they are pregnant!

This is what I mean about judging the seriousness of someone else relationship. Only the people inside the relationship can judge that!

I would suggest making a must have guest list and then an it would be nice if we have the space guest list. Also if you are good friends and it is a new relationship you could always feel out your friend (or ask directly if you are really close).

I fully agree with J_Jaye

i have been really honest with my friends and said to them i appreciate your friendship however ive never met your partner would yuo be ok with not having bobby (or whatever) come but i will have you at a table with our friends so your not left on your own i think that is the hardest part going to a wedding and not knowing anyoneelse if everyone is part of a social network then most people would understand. an nother option would be to ask if your friend really wanted them there they could pay for the meal for there other half (if it comes down to $$$).

I agree with j-jaye, I have been invited to a wedding where my partner was not invited, not only did I not know the peopl eI was seated with, I only knew one other person at the wedding (the bride) I think it is important to remember that they are your guests, and as a hostess, you should go out of your way to make your guests comfortable. People may not say anything to you about it, people might appear to happily accept that their partner is not included, but deep down, they probably feel hurt that yu don’t consider there partner important enough to attend also.
@hayllberry – I cannot agree with you on this, etiquette may be slipping in some areas, however, it is never ok to ask your guest to pay for someone ‘if they want them there’ if a friend is important enough to be invited to your wedding, then their partner should be important to you too, after all, shouldn’t your friends happiness come before a PPD? 
When I set my guest list, I wrote down everyone I wanted there, next to each name I added +1 to all of them, I had a maximum of 80 guests, including family (ther are 25 on my side alone) all of the people who are on my guest list mean something to me, it does not matter whether I have met their SO or not, if they don’t have an SO they can bring a friend, it does not matter to me.
If you start inviting people without their SO’s, be prepared for quite a few declines, it is not for you or anyone else to tell someone how serious their relationship is, regardless of whether you have met them. 

My friend and I always had a rule in high school, if you invited one persons partner you invited everyones partner. I still hold to that rule today, even if I’m not a fan of the partners and they haven’t been dating long.
 
However, in the case of a wedding, and maybe this is just because I’m having a very cheap wedding and can’t afford all the extra partners, I’ve made it the rule that only those who are engaged or married can bring partners. I’m sure all my friends and cousins who have boyfriends/girlfriends can understand because I can’t afford too many people. I think the only exception is my uncle, who has been with his girlfriend for ten years, but they never plan to marry. That, though, is understandable.
 
And I do agree with the others, if you do invite someone who is coming alone and doesn’t know many or any other guests, sit them next to someone you know they will get along with, or will include them in conversation. That way everyone can have a great time.