Jen Glantz is a “Professional Bridesmaid” and the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. She’s the author of All My Friends Are Engaged and frequently wears old bridesmaid dresses to the grocery store and on first dates. For her Brides.com column, Jen is here to give some expert advice to her fellow ‘maids!

When you’ve been tapped with the opportunity to bring a plus one to a friend’s wedding, you may find yourself, at first, jumping with joy, that you won’t have to occupy the dance floor or the dinner table alone. But then, after the excitement wears off about not being a lone solider plowing through the wedding, you may find yourself wondering who you should bring. If you’re in a relationship or you have just started dating someone pretty seriously, you can ask them if they’d like to be your arm candy for the night. But If you’re single, really, truly single, you may find yourself tapping your stilettos, wondering who you should bring.

It’s important to remember two very important things when deciding who you should bring as your plus one. First, is it someone you know you’ll have a good time with? If you’ve only been on three dates with a guy or have a friend from college you haven’t seen in five years and want to ask him to come because he lives in the area, ask yourself if bringing that person will be more work for you. Will you feel like a babysitter to them? Making sure they are comfortable with the uncomfortable feeling of being at wedding where they don’t know anyone else, and hardly know you. Or will they be a good compliment to you on the dance floor and social enough that they can run off and meet new people when you’re posing for pictures with your friends from middle school. If not, you may decide it’s better to go alone. Though being single at a wedding has it’s good moments (no one will judge you when you fork down three slices of cake) and its bad moments (having aunts and uncles try to set you up), it also can make things easier if you don’t have a partner and crime to bring as your plus one.

 

The second thing to remember is that you’re responsible for whomever you bring. So if you meet a guy on Tinder, or Craigslist, and take him with you, remember, you’re responsible if he gets rowdy or knocks over bottles at the bar because he’s had one too many. Bring someone the bride won’t need to call security on. Sounds simple – but I’ve seen it all.