Who you choose to bring to formal has the ability to make or break your night. Some people live by choosing the right date to bring to formal while some swear that bringing a date will without fail ruin your night.
One thing we can all agree on is that choosing who you do or don’t bring to formal is an essential part of how your night will go, and there are lots of different types of dates that all come with their own pros and cons. Which date are you bringing to your next formal?
The Long-Term Relationship
By far the easiest decision comes for those of us in committed relationships, as you have a built-in formal date. It is not a matter of asking if they want to go with you, but instead just informing them of the date, time and what they need to wear. It’s low-stress and simple. Go dance the night away with your partner!
The Situationship
Choosing to bring your situationship to formal could either go very well, or very very poorly. On one hand, you could spend the night getting closer, having a great time dancing and socializing, and maybe even gaining some clarity on your relationship. However, the blurry lines surrounding the “what are we” question in this scenario could cause some problems and awkward moments, so be cautious if you’re debating asking your situationship to formal.
The Best Friend
Bringing your best friend to formal is one of your safest options. No anxiety concerning introducing them to people, awkward moments or what the plans are after formal. A benefit of this option is you have a built-in partner so you know you’ll always have someone with you throughout the night and there are no awkward moments where everyone goes off with their dates and you get left standing alone. You can just relax and dance the night away with your best friend! Have fun!
The “Friend”
There is a big difference between bringing a friend to formal and bringing a “friend” to formal. If you have kissed your formal date in the past or currently want to kiss your formal date but you guys say you are just friends, I hate to break it to you but… you guys aren’t just friends. But who needs to admit that? This pair is totally platonic! Or at least they’ll never admit anything different, just ignore how they are standing just a bit too close together.
The Set-Up
The classic set-up. A friend of a friend that someone else told you that you should bring, and you said “Sure, why not.” We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t take a blind date to formal, but VALLEY just wants to warn you that this is by far the riskiest option when it comes to picking a date. While you could hypothetically end up meeting the love of your life, you could also be made really uncomfortable and placed in an awkward situation for a couple of hours. Good luck, and don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Flying Solo
If none of these dates seem appealing to you, take yourself! You do not need a date to have a good time at formal. In fact, you will probably have the most fun out of anyone there. Fly solo and enjoy your night drama-free!
Which of these formal date types did you relate to the most? Let us know @VALLEYmag on X!
