Have you ever attended a traditional wedding? Girls are wearing their best dresses, guys are behaving like gentlemen, and everyone’s basking in the romantic fairytale feeling that generally pervades sentimental occasions like weddings. Love (and sex) is in the air as two of your friends tie the knot and go through the rituals before consummating their union in a presidential suite somewhere. Without a doubt, a wedding has all the elements required for that perfect hook up.

Think about it. You need not search the crowd for eligible single girls; they’re right there in their bridesmaid finery giggling with the bride or with each other. There are hundreds of opportunities to connect with beautiful women around big open bar at the reception later. So how can groomsmen navigate this overwhelming sea of lacy corsets, high heels and demure glances?

Tip #1. Be Gallant and Romantic

It takes a romantic mindset to be able to show body language that spells out L.O.V.E. If you find yourself showing unruly behavior, remind yourself that the wedding ceremony, and the cheesy way the bride and the groom are starting at each other make all the single women around acutely aware of their marital status. A girl is looking for Mr. Ideal, or someone who is attentive and romantic enough to sweep her off her feet; not someone who drinks himself silly just because the drinks are free and capers drunkenly with his buddies without so much as a glance in her direction.

Tip #2. Coordinate with Your Team

As a part of the groom’s entourage of eligible bachelors, you can have your own little secret meetings before and after the ceremony to discuss the hook up agenda for the day (you can bet the bridesmaids are having their “who-likes-who” meeting as well). Who’s targeting which bridesmaid? Who among you had the presence of mind to bring a packet of condom? Who’s going to stake out by the bar and collect numbers, and who’s holding the hotel room key? You can discuss all these while you’re doing your groomsmen duties.

Tip #3: Be Each Other’s Wingman

You and your fellow groomsmen can scout the room for eligible single girls together before you socialize. Some men are more intuitive than most and can tell whether a girl is single or not at a glance, so you need to listen to “player advice” from your more experienced buddies.

You can act as a wingman for your comrades at arms if you’re already taken, or if your girlfriend is also at the wedding reception. Even if you’re the coolest of the lot, you have to do the right thing by passing the baton and helping those who are somewhat embarrassed at the thought of hooking up at a cousin’s wedding reception. So, if you notice how girls around are ogling your shy buddy, nudge him into action. Or, you can approach the girls yourself, chat for a while longer, and call your friend over for an introduction.

If for some reason, the other groomsmen are no longer around to wing for you, you can always count on your grandma to talk to hot single girls about your legendary exploits, your best character traits and your potential to be an ideal husband someday. Seriously. Who else other than your grandma has the same level of authority, charm and persuasive power to help you jumpstart your dating life?

Goodluck!

Tags: groomsmen, hooking up, weddings