We’re right in the thick of summer which means lots of fun in the sun, drinks on rooftops, picnics on the beach, backyard BBQs, and. . . wedding season. Don’t get us wrong, we love a good happily-ever-after, but navigating the nuptial bliss of others can be nerve-wracking, especially if you’re single, or even in a new relationship.
While we can certainly empathize with your desire to regretfully decline every calligraphed wedding invite you received just so you can avoid prying questions about your own relationship status, we also know that cutting up the dance floor can be a pretty epic way to spend a summer evening.
Wedding Season Do’s:
- Take some time to make yourself feel like your best self. Use the upcoming soiree as an excuse to pamper yourself–get a mani/pedi, find an awesome new outfit, schedule time to have your hair or makeup done (or both). When you’re feeling amazing, you’re more likely to have an amazing time. And confidence is super attractive, too.
- If you’re heading to a family wedding where you know there will be nosy relatives wanting to know when you’ll be taking the plunge, feel free to plan a smart, standard, witty (dare we say, pithy) response. Keep it consistent and use it any time someone asks. Eventually, word will get around and they’ll take the hint. Hopefully.
- Feel free to avoid the (somehow still time-honored) traditions like the bouquet or garter toss. Those activities can make even the most secure single person wince in embarrassment. Use those 10 minutes or so to grab some air outside and check in on the latest updates on Meddle.
- A destination wedding is often easy to politely decline (and in fact, sometimes the bride and groom are hoping it will keep the wedding small and intimate), but if you’ve got the time and the funds to make it happen, go for it, and be sure to tack on a few extra days or a week to make a whole vacation out of it.
Wedding Season Don’t’s:
- An open bar can be a beautiful thing, but an over-served wedding guest, not so much. The oft-quoted “one-for-one” adage, wherein you drink one glass of water per every glass of alcohol, is good advice to heed. And don’t skimp out on a piece of wedding cake (or your dinner for that matter, rubber chicken be damned).
- Not invited with a guest? Don’t bring one. This may seem super obvious but it bears repeating.
- If you truly don’t want to go, don’t go.* This is especially true if you don’t have much of a relationship with the bride or groom. Your third cousin who you haven’t seen in a decade? A coworker you’ve only seen a handful of times outside the office? Feel free to say you sadly won’t be able to make it. (*We understand this can be easier said than done, thanks to the sometimes political nature of relationships with friends and family.)
- Lastly, don’t sulk through the ceremony and bemoan your situation to anyone who will listen. Sure, being single at a wedding may seem like a raw deal, but it could be an great opportunity to meet some other equally as awesome, single folks, and dance the night away on someone else’s dime.