Breaking The Ice

Going to a wedding where you don't know most of the guests? Feeling a little shy and not sure how to navigate a whole day of talking to strangers? What to do?

First plan some questions to ask ahead of time. This lets you easily come up with an easy question to show your interest in a new acquaintances without searching for one spur of the moment. Think about easy social questions that apply to almost everyone.

Or consider comments that you can make that are easy for new acquaintances to reply to like how pretty the bride looked, how much you like the flowers, how moving the ceremony was, or how much you like the location where either the ceremony or the reception are being held. A short comment with a  followup question asking their opinion can get the conversation started.

You can also easily ask if people are friends of the bride or groom and after they tell you follow up with how you know the couple. Introduce yourself to others by name. Say "Hi I'm Nancy, I'm a friend of Tina's. I don't think I've met you before. Are you a friend of the bride or groom? " Easy social chatter that breaks the ice lets you move onto additional conversation. Party conversations don't have to be 'deep' but rather should show your interest in others.

Ask open ended questions that require a response from the person you are talking to. This immediately gets the conversation started. An open ended question requires a person to reply with their opinion or thoughts and encourages them to elaborate--and a conversation is born.

And a compliment to your new acquaintance is an easy way to get the conversation started. What man or woman doesn't like hearing a compliment? It's hard to dislike someone who is admiring your shoes, suit, dress or hair.

Listen to conversations other people are having to pick up cues to good questions to ask them. If you overhear someone talking about their golf game, there is a good chance they'll enjoy discussing their passion with you. It lets you gauge ahead of time what you have in common with someone so you aren't floundering around for commonalities.

Remember:

• Keep it light, this is a wedding not a philosophy conference or a political rally.
• Don't just talk about yourself, show an interest in others, who they are and what they do.
• Keep it friendly and positive.
• Have positive and open body language. Often our non-verbal communication says as much as our verbal conversations.
• And most of all, remember, first impressions do matter. Show people your best side.
• Critical to meeting a lot of other people and having a good time? Look like you're having a great time even if you are uncomfortable. People are naturally drawn to others who look like they are having a great time, so be the person who is enjoying themselves. When you can have a good time with one or two other people you soon meet a whole new group of friends.

Now you're ready to go to the next wedding (or party) and feel comfortable meeting new people and making new friends.

10 Tidbits About Champagne

Everyone should have a few bits of information to share at a cocktail party or when surrounded by total strangers (like at wedding?)--these ten tidbits about champagne fill the bill nicely.  Most of us have had champagne at a variety of celebrations in our lives but many of us know little about it.  So to fill those awkward seconds when you don't have anything to say... some information to share about champagne. 

1.  While you probably already knew that sparkling wine can't be called champagne unless it's from the Champagne region of France, did you know it takes the entire yield of a single vine to make just one bottle of Champagne? This means that as you and five other guests raise their champagne flutes to toast the bride and groom you are consuming the yield from 1 entire vine. 

2.  While you know the Champagne region is famous for the bubbly wine you're drinking, did you know they are also famous for sauerkraut? Odd combination! Hopefully they aren't serving both at the wedding you're attending!

3.  Although most champagne is white, two of the grapes used in it's production are actually red.  A Pinot Noir and a Pinot Meunier.  The white grape used is a simple, but critical white Chardonnay. While there are Blanc de blanc and rosé Champagnes the blanc de noir are the most prevalent.

4. The terms brut and extra brut as often seen on bottles of Champagne.  The term simply means how much sugar there is per liter.  Brut means the wine contains less than 12 grams of sugar in each liter, but extra brut has less than 6 grams of sugar. 

5. If you like sweet sparkling wine try a sec (with 17 to 32 grams of sugar per liter) or a really sugary wine referred to as doux.

6. What's the trick to opening a bottle of champagne? When you are opening a bottle of champagne the trick is to avoid popping the cork.  Start by scoring the foil around the base of the wire cage.  The slowly untwist to loosen the cage, but leave it in place.  Use one hand to enclose the cork and hold the base of the bottle with your other hand. Twist both ends in opposite directions.  As soon as you feel pressure forcing the cork out into your hand, try to push it back into the bottle while twisting gently until the cork is released with a 'sigh.'  No loud pops.  No splashing and foaming wine.  Just a 'sigh.' 

7. What is vintage champagne? Vintage champagne uses all grapes that are harvested in one year.  Each house decides for themselves whether they will produce a vintage champagne each year.  In a very good year only 10-15% of all the Champagne made is Vintage Champagne.  Vintage champagne must be aged at least 3 years.

Non-Vintage Champagne (what most of us drink) is made from grapes from a several different vintages, and not from just one harvest.   Non-vintage champagne is about 85-90% of all champagne and is less expensive than Vintage Champagne.

8. An 1825 bottle of Perrier-Jouët is the oldest champagne opened.  Uncorked in 2009 at the winemaker's cellars in Epernay, the 184 year old wine was found to have aged well.  It was described by wine experts to have notes of "truffles and caramel."

9.  The champagne cork is almost 50% larger then the opening in the bottle before it's inserted.  Take care when uncorking and avoid any 'cork in your eye problems.  You can imagine the compression needed to push that cork into the bottle, so it's going to come out with quite a pop of pressure!

10.  The oldest sparkling wine was not produced by Dom Perignon but by Benedictine monks in the Abbey of Saint Hilaire in 1531. 

So the next time you're stuck for trivia to discuss with total strangers and you're holding a flute of champagne in your hand, you have something to say!

Facts from this page, and this one, and this one.