Do you think there’s anything wrong with showing up single to a wedding? I don’t, because I think it’s always a fun time and it’s an opportunity to meet new people.
But when you don’t have someone by your side to share in a friend’s celebration of their love story, it can be a mirror reflecting everything you wish you had. For her, attending her friend’s wedding solo turned from a night of joy to a sobering reminder of her loneliness.
Last weekend, this 30-year-old woman felt so utterly embarrassed after she realized she was the only single person in the place at her friend’s wedding.
She is not currently in a relationship and is struggling with her dating life, which is why she arrived without a date to the big day. During the reception, a slow dance song was played, and all the people at her table jumped up to go boogie with their significant others.
There were about 16 people at her table, and she was the only person left sitting there all by herself. As she looked around the room, she saw that all the other tables were practically empty.
“I felt so humiliated just sitting there staring off into space all alone. I eventually got up and went to the bathroom, where I even started to cry,” she explained.
“I know that no one actually cared that I was sitting alone, but I definitely cared. It’s been so hard being the only single friend. I used to have an army of single girlfriends, & now I’m essentially the only one still single.”
“I’ve been single for about three years and have been out with a lot of people, but nothing has stuck. While I have accomplished a lot while single, I feel as if I have reached a point where I feel so incredibly alone. I can just feel the loneliness in my gut, and it hurts.”
Now, she does put herself out there in an effort to meet new people, and this has been a conscious effort of hers for close to two years.
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She plays in some tennis and pickleball leagues, and she heads to various workout classes five days out of the week. When she does meet guys through her hobbies and interests, they’re all married or they’re in a serious relationship.
She has tried so many dating apps on top of that, but her latest experience was such a trainwreck that she stopped dating three months ago.
“My last date completely humiliated me in front of a whole patio full of people. I feel so discouraged. I am posting this mainly to vent, but [I am] also wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation? I could definitely use some advice/encouragement,” she concluded.
It’s easy to feel out of place when everyone around you seems paired off, but being single doesn’t make someone a failure. Sometimes, love doesn’t appear when you chase it, and instead, it shows up when you’ve built a life you’re proud to invite someone into.
I think she shouldn’t let her last bad experience on a dating app get her down; she needs to keep trying to meet guys, knowing that she’s going to have to kiss a few frogs to find Mr. Right.
What advice do you have for her?
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By Bre Avery Zacharski
Hi, I'm Bre, Chip Chick's CEO! I have a degree in Textile/Surface Design from The Fashion Institute of Technology, and... More about Bre Avery Zacharski
