By Annie Harman
Let’s paint a picture:
You drag yourself home way too late after a long, stressful day at work. All you can envision is the last of your remaining frozen dinners stuffed at the back of your freezer next to the Snickers you’ve been saving and your Netflix queue. You quick stop to check your mail and there it is: another wedding invitation.
A premonition of the future reception unfolds in your mind like a depressing music video montage of the single girl sulking in the corner of a hotel ballroom taking disposable-camera selfies …
By now I’m sure that you’ve realized we’re painting the portrait of attending another wedding as a single patron. In the thick of wedding season, this is a common fear for all of us single 20-somethings out there.
The truth is, when you get to that point in your life where it feels like everyone is settling down while you polish off a roll of Oreos with your cat, weddings can turn into nothing short of an anxiety-riddled, wallflower nightmare.
As someone who openly loves weddings and the joy they both represent and bring, I am not ashamed to admit that the thought of facing another wedding reception solo is enough to make me consider becoming a full-blown hermit in the woods somewhere. No one wants to be the person lurking around the dessert table during every slow dance; awkwardly shuffling their feet and hoping nobody saw them cram that third cupcake in their mouth. I am not immune to wanting to avoid that situation altogether.
I have learned a couple of tricks, though, on how to master the art of going to a wedding stag and having a fantastic time.
Let’s start with the obvious: unlimited champagne. Heaven’s nectar. Single or not, it’s guaranteed to make you feel as bubbly as the sweet beverage itself. Once I was able to fully realize and appreciate that simple fact, it didn’t take much more persuasion to get me to fall back in love with weddings.
Clearly I can’t ignore that weddings are the perfect excuse to look your absolute best. When you look good, you feel good, it’s as simple as that.
Most importantly, though, weddings are a prime time to really let yourself go and have a great time. Everyone in attendance is there to be happy and celebrate, so you may as well join forces with the bridal party, Grandma and Grandpa, the estranged cousin, and the high school friends you haven’t spoken to since graduation. Embrace the night to act like a fool and be everyone’s new best friend.
By the end of the night, if done right, you’re all going home just the same: with sore feet and happy hearts.
Annie Harman of Alexandria is a free-spirited writer who believes in dreams, laughing and champagne.