Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

Why I Bring Guy Friends on Date Functions

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

After three years of being in a sorority and going on numerous date functions, I’ve come to a major realization. When choosing between being set up with a guy date by a friend and just bringing one of my guy friends instead, I always opt for the guy-friend option. The reason I say this is that in the past I’ve had my fair share of awful dates who I have spent way too much money and time wondering why the heck I brought him, rather than fully enjoying myself with my sorority sisters.

Some of the experiences I’ve had regarding this have been dates who have wandered off with random other guys, dates who decided leaving me to go smoke a cigarette was a good idea, and dates who thought that I should go to the pregame of their choosing and hang out with their brothers the entire night rather than my group of friends on the function. For this reason, I came to the conclusion that after three years I need some me time — some time to be a little bit selfish. I mean, I am the one paying my sorority dues — not these crazy guys. There are many bonuses to bringing a guy friend on a date function, and here are a few:

You choose the theme you dress as: I know so many girls who have gone with guys on date functions and had to dress in really strange themes that the guy chose — themes that no matter what you try, you can’t possibly design a cute outfit for and end up just looking weird. If it’s your date function, then you should be the one to decide what you and him go as, and if you are going with a guy friend then he’ll go right along with that idea! For example, if you love Disney just as much as I do, then go for it. For my past Dynamic Duo date function, I wanted to go as Peter Pan and Wendy, and that’s just what we did.

You don’t have to cater to him: Another great positive about going with a guy friend is that he knows you really well, so you both can feel laid back and do what you want throughout the night. You don’t have to stress and worry about whether or not he is having a great time because he just wants you to enjoy the night and is happy that you decided to bring him.

You choose what alcohol you pay for: Gone are the times of spending money on gross alcohol that you would never drink in a million years if given the choice. Now, if you want mimosas, then go for it! It’s your night and if your guy friend doesn’t like them, then I’m sure he won’t mind bringing some of his own favorite alcohol.

You can hang with your friends: Another great part about bringing a guy friend on a date function is that he won’t be clingy and watch you when you wander off to hang out with your friends for a little while. If he is in a fraternity, then he’ll probably be happy and head off to find his brothers who have also been invited on the date function, too.

The end of the night ends with a goodbye: I’m sure you’ve experienced this situation. It’s the end of the night after the date function and you’re not at all interested in the strange guy that you were set up with. He suggests heading back to your place as he stumbles around after drinking too much, and you have to plan your escape route. Fortunately, if you bring a guy friend, the end of the night will end there with just a goodbye! Neither of you expect anything from one another, so you give each other a friendly goodbye hug and off you go to your separate apartments. The perfect end to a night with a guy friend.

Next time you have a date function, before you head to your sorority sisters to ask them to set you up with a random date, think about your awesome guy friends and bring one of them. You may be surprised at how much more fun you’ll have!

Photo Credits: Pinterest

Hey I'm Spencer! I'm a senior journalism major with a leadership minor here at UF. I love traveling to different countries, running half marathons and spending time with my friends. This past summer I had two pr and marketing internships in NYC with fashion labels JOVANI and REISS. I'll be graduating and moving back to NYC this December.