We’ve all been there. You’re meeting your best friend’s partner, it’s awkward and there’s nothing to talk about, you’re staring at each other… it’s getting weird now and there’s no way out. Great news, it doesn’t have to be awkward! Here are a few tips for meeting your bestie’s partner:
- Don’t Freak Out
They are more afraid of you then you will be of them. It’s a key detail to remember that at the end of the day, you are your best friend’s best friend; their partner is most likely going to be far more intimidated to meet you. Looking at things from the partner’s perspective, they just want to be included in your best friend’s life- and that means meeting you.
Yes the conversation may be awkward and yes you may hate having to do this, but if you’re feeling anxious or nervous, your best friend’s partner is too. Even your best friend is probably nervous about having the most important people in their life meet each other. It’s a stressful situation, but remembering that it’s stressful for everyone and not just you is a great reminder that levels the playing field.
- Make Conversation
One of the biggest things that can make meeting your friends’ partners a nightmare is figuring out what to talk about. It can be so hard to come up with conversation topics for a complete stranger so starting out with simple questions, like asking what they do for work or what they do for fun, can get the ball rolling.
Conversation always depends on the setting; if you’re meeting your friend’s partner at a bar or a game night, anything active will take some of the focus off the conversation and place it more on the activity at hand. This can come in handy if you’re ever hard-pressed for a conversation- suggest a game instead; it can be cards, a board game, two truths and a lie, really anything where there isn’t so much focus on talking, but still allows you to get to know your friend’s partner.
- Keep it Casual
Putting pressure on yourself in this situation is unnecessary; it’s stressful for everyone involved and having any other stress coming from yourself is just going to make you feel worse. Meeting your best friend’s partner is a big step in their relationship but also in your friendship.
Meeting your best friend’s partner means they trust you enough to meet the person they want to spend a part of their life with. It should be exciting news, but it doesn’t have to be this big, amped up, ultra-important thing. Having a casual meet up where no one feels a pressure to perform is going to be so much more comfortable for everyone.
Finally, remember that your best friend and their partner are just people- very important to you- but they’re not perfect. It’ll probably still be awkward, and hopefully these tips will help, but if your best friend’s partner is really worth their time, they’ll stick through the awkwardness and you may be seeing a lot more of them.