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5 Occasions When You Really Need a Date

Weddings
Does anyone enjoy going to a wedding alone. There are so many moments of possible humiliation, from where you get seated, to finding a dance partner, and of course, the hideous bouquet toss, I sympathize with the desire to stay at home on the couch with a martini. In fact, I’ve done it!    

Weekend Getaways
2 sets of my closest friends from different areas of California are planning a romantic weekend somewhere in between. Nobody likes a fifth wheel, and I guess that’s why my invitation must’ve gotten lost in the mail.

Dinner Parties (when everyone else is in pairs)
Twice in the last week, I’ve been the only person amid a sea of couples. Afterwards, I was happy to be snuggling with my unmarried dog.

Splashy Art Opening or Hollywood Premiere
There’s no indignity here, because no one is actually noticing, but still, it’s much more fun to have company to stand with, and talk about who you’d like to ask out on a date.

School Reunions
This one’s a no-brainer, even though I wouldn’t know, first hand. For those who’ve attended, fill us in!

Image: Ryman’s Brides, 1997, by Marlene Dumas

Discussion

5 comments for “5 Occasions When You Really Need a Date”

  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Wendy Braitman. Wendy Braitman said: 5 Occasions When You Really Need a Date: Weddings Does anyone enjoy going to a wedding alone. There are so many mo… http://bit.ly/cLbgqh […]

  2. migtwig says:

    The last wedding I attended alone was my sisters. Without going into too much detail, I set off some pretty intense emotional fireworks that night that caused my family a great deal of discomfort, catharsis
    and embarrassment. I was much younger then and I look back with some regret that I used my sisters wedding as a platform to exorcise some of my demons. The one thing I don’t regret however, is that
    I went alone and spared a potential date the horror and awkwardness of having to witness my family drama.

    So there, sometimes going solo is the way to go.

  3. Jen says:

    I too went to my sister’s wedding dateless. My younger sister. It was a trying time and I maxed out my credit card. I was really happy with my decision, however, not to bring a date. I wasn’t dating anyone then and I could have brought a male or female friend, but it just didn’t feel right. Better to face the music and feel the awkwardness than cushion myself, I felt. My sister didn’t throw a bouquet. Bless her. I’ve gone to most weddings single and it encourages me to be brave and interact with other people more, which can be very rewarding. Of course, I usually know a few people there, which makes this easier.

  4. Jen says:

    Ah yes, the awkwardness of being alone is sometimes really painful. But actually, at my 25th high school reunion, most people came alone (I left my husband home, myself). It was great to reconnect without highlighting our partnered (or non-partnered) state.

    Then I lost my husband, and went to my 25th college reunion alone. That was also just fine, as it turned out — plenty of people were on their own there too. It’s actually more fun to be able to come and go, please only yourself, and not have to coordinate with another person who doesn’t know anyone and isn’t interested in the conversations.

  5. Amy H. says:

    I have to agree with Jen — I’ve only gone to various school reunions solo, sometimes by happenstance (no significant other or anyone else I wanted to bring) and sometimes by choice. I’m heading to my 20 year college reunion (a women’s college) in two months on my own — my good friend and I decided to share a dorm room and not invite our spouses on purpose.

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