If you're single and looking to meet someone new, Barrett says to RSVP yes to all wedding invites. “Weddings are amazing events to find potential dates. The context of a wedding is much more advantageous than being out at a bar, a speed-dating event, or on a dating app,” Barrett tells Elite Daily. That’s because weddings have a uniquely romantic mood, he explains. “At a wedding, love is in the air, just like bouquets are. There’s a vibe that says, 'Today is about connection, celebration and new beginnings.' Everyone is walking around as human heart-eye emojis — especially after the bar opens. It’s like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and a birthday bash, all rolled into one,” Barrett adds.

One of the reasons weddings make such good places to find new romance is that they make it easier to approach someone you're attracted to — since you already share a connection — than it would be to strike up a conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop, for example. “In ‘real life,’ it can be hard to approach someone you’re interested in and also hard to flirt,” says Barrett. “But if you want to meet an attractive stranger, a wedding gives you a built-in opening line that can’t miss. ‘Are you with the bride or the groom?’ Breaking the ice is easy because you’re all invited to the same party. You’re all already connected. And because love and romance is on everyone’s mind, flirting comes naturally.”

If you still aren't confident about approaching someone at the wedding on your own, you're basically surrounded by potential matchmakers at the event. “If you’re not feeling bold enough to approach someone, what’s great is that everyone at a wedding is never more than one degree of separation away, so it’s easy to ask for an introduction to an attractive stranger. That’s harder to do at bars but easy at weddings,” explains Barrett.

While chatting up a cutie at a wedding can be easier than at a bar or some other random place, Barrett says it's still possible things could go awry if you don't avoid some basic pitfalls. The first, he says, is being overly worried about being single at a wedding. “Get over the perception that going solo is a bad thing — as if it means you’re not date-able. You can feel like you’re wearing a scarlet 'S' but there’s absolutely no shame in being single at a wedding," he assures.

While having a glass or two of the champagne is fine, getting too drunk might be another effective way of ruining your chances of meeting someone at the wedding, warns Barrett. “You should avoid overindulging in alcohol. Drinking too much is easy to do with an open bar, but too much booze leads to bad decisions. And it’s hard to flirt well when you’re slurring your words,” he says.

Finally, Barrett says to just relax and not worry too much about flirting and meeting someone at the wedding. Instead, make having fun in general your first priority. “Don’t try too hard to hook up or make a connection happen. Instead, shift your focus to being friendly, having fun, meeting new people and enjoying those around you,” says Barrett. “Being the source of good social vibes makes you more attractive, and more likely that meeting someone will ‘just happen.’ People want to be around those having the most fun.”

Ultimately, it's that last piece of advice that's probably the best and most effective way to make the most of a wedding. Whether you meet someone or not, you end up having a great night — and, if you do happen to meet someone you're into, you're already in a relaxed and fun-loving mood to do your best flirting. Barrett says it best when he concludes, "The best way to enjoy a wedding is to help other people enjoy the wedding. Do that and you never know who might notice you.” Now that's something to raise a glass of champs for.