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Guest Plus-Ones

Plus-ones (or additional guests) allow your invited attendees to bring other people to your event. This guide explains how plus-ones work in Dear, from setting limits to managing who’s coming.

What Are Plus-Ones?

A plus-one is an additional guest that an invited attendee brings with them. For example:

  • Sarah is invited to your wedding

  • Sarah’s “max guests” is set to 1

  • Sarah RSVPs and adds her partner Tom as a plus-one

  • Now both Sarah and Tom are attending

Plus-ones are common for:

  • Partners/spouses

  • Family members

  • Friends (for casual events)

Setting Plus-One Limits

When you invite an attendee to an event, you can specify how many additional guests they can bring.

How to Set Max Guests

When adding an attendee to an event:

  1. Find the Max Guests field

  2. Enter a number:

    • 0 - No plus-ones allowed

    • 1 - Can bring one additional person

    • 2 - Can bring two additional people

    • Leave blank - No limit (they can add as many as they want)

Setting Limits for Different Attendees

You might set different limits for different guests:

Guest

Max Guests

Reason

Single friend

1

Bring a date

Married couple (invited together)

0

Both already invited

Family with kids

3

Bring the children

Work colleague

0

Keep it professional

How Guests Add Plus-Ones

When your guests RSVP through their invitation:

  1. They click their unique invitation link

  2. They select “Attending” (or similar)

  3. If allowed, they see an option to add guests

  4. They enter names/details for their plus-ones

  5. They submit their complete RSVP

What Plus-Ones Can Add

Typically, guests can provide:

  • Name of each plus-one

  • Sometimes additional details (dietary requirements, etc.)

The exact fields depend on your event setup.

Viewing Plus-Ones

From the Event Attendee List

In your event’s attendee section:

  • Main attendees show their RSVP status

  • Plus-ones appear linked to their invitee

  • Total headcount reflects both attendees and plus-ones

Counting Totals

For event planning:

  • Invited: Number of attendee records

  • Attending: Attendees who said yes

  • Total Guests: Attending attendees + their plus-ones

Example:

  • 50 people invited

  • 35 said “Attending”

  • Those 35 brought 20 plus-ones total

  • Total expected guests: 55

Managing Plus-Ones

Editing Plus-One Details

If you need to update plus-one information:

  1. Find the main attendee in your event list

  2. View their full record

  3. Edit the plus-one details

  4. Save changes

Removing Plus-Ones

If a plus-one needs to be removed:

  1. Go to the attendee’s event record

  2. Find the plus-one section

  3. Remove the unwanted guest

  4. Save the changes

Changing Max Guest Limits

To adjust how many guests someone can bring:

  1. Edit the attendee’s event record

  2. Update the Max Guests field

  3. Save

Note: Reducing the limit doesn’t automatically remove already-added plus-ones. You may need to remove them manually.

Plus-One Scenarios

Scenario 1: Individual with a Date

Setup:

  • Invite “John Smith”

  • Set max guests to 1

Result:

  • John receives invitation

  • John can add one plus-one when RSVPing

  • John brings his partner

Scenario 2: Couple Invited Together

Setup:

  • Invite “John & Jane Smith” as one attendee

  • Set max guests to 0

Result:

  • They receive one invitation addressed to both

  • No additional guests allowed

  • Both are counted in the “John & Jane Smith” RSVP

Scenario 3: Family Invitation

Setup:

  • Invite “The Thompson Family”

  • Set max guests to 4

Result:

  • Family receives one invitation

  • They can add up to 4 names (children, etc.)

  • All family members counted under this record

Scenario 4: No Plus-Ones Allowed

Setup:

  • Invite “Corporate Contact”

  • Set max guests to 0

Result:

  • Contact receives invitation

  • No option to add guests

  • Only the named person can attend

Tips for Managing Plus-Ones

Set Clear Expectations

In your invitation wording:

  • Make it clear whether plus-ones are allowed

  • Specify if it’s “and guest” vs. named partner

  • Help guests understand the limits

Plan for Numbers

When estimating attendance:

  • Count your invited guests

  • Estimate how many will bring plus-ones

  • Factor in your max guest settings

Be Consistent (or Intentionally Different)

Decide your approach:

  • Same for everyone: All guests get 1 plus-one

  • Tiered: Close friends get more, acquaintances get fewer

  • Event-specific: Intimate dinner = no plus-ones, big party = plus-ones welcome

Handle Requests Gracefully

If someone asks for more plus-ones:

  • Consider your capacity

  • Update their max guests if appropriate

  • Politely decline if not possible

Troubleshooting

Guest can’t add plus-ones

  • Check their max guests setting (might be 0)

  • Make sure they’re selecting “Attending” first

  • Have them try the RSVP process again

Too many guests are coming

  • Review plus-one settings for remaining invites

  • Reduce max guests for future invitations

  • Already-added plus-ones may need manual removal

Plus-one names aren’t showing

  • Guest might not have entered them

  • Check the attendee’s full record

  • Have them update their RSVP if needed

Need to un-invite a plus-one

  • Edit the attendee’s record

  • Remove the specific plus-one

  • The main attendee remains invited

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