• Less of Me. Assuming you have a few weeks or months of lead time, why not take this opportunity to lose a few pounds? Reunions provide an excellent motivator to look better. Weight loss will not only boost your confidence but potentially help you be more recognizable to those long-lost friends! Set a realistic, achievable plan that you can continue long-term.
• Low hanging fruit. Get a great haircut a few days before the event. Get your teeth whitened (this alone will make you look younger!) Ladies, get a manicure and a pedicure. Men, if you have experienced hair loss, crop what you have left to a very short style – you’ll look younger. If you are going prematurely grey, get it colored (women) or get it blended with Touch of Grey (men.) These are all very easy ways to look better, healthier, and more vigorous.
• What to wear???? This is the topic we women will obsess over. Typically there’s both a casual and more dressy event, so planning two complete outfits that make us look as good as possible from all angles may require days of worry and numerous shopping trips. Speaking as an expert observer of dressing blunders, let me point out the risky areas when it comes to dressing up for these kinds of social events. 1) Don’t squeeze into clothes. 2) Don’t dress like you’re 18. 2) Don’t overdo the bling – you are not a Vegas showgirl! Depending on your figure and which class year we are talking about, gravity takes a big toll. Therefore, 3) don’t show cleavage if you are saggy, don’t show arms if saggy, don’t go strapless if it means part of you rolls over the top. And please, 4) check your rear view (everyone else will) –you may need Spanx to hold it all together! 5) Don’t immediately reach for the little black dress – it’s predictable! Use color to your best advantage and stand out a little!! In contrast to women, men tend to have the opposite problem when it comes to dressing for these events – not really caring! Guys, come on, go out and get something new and stylish that fits you perfectly. Use this as an image turning point by committing to dress better in all aspects of your life. It will change your level of success, believe me!
• Have a drinking plan. Many of us (okay… me) have at times used alcohol to steel our nerves in potentially uncomfortable social situations like class reunions. Others of us might just see the opportunity to celebrate to excess! In either case, there’s a huge risk of embarrassing ourselves as sloppy, mean, physical (or any number of other negative drunk stereotypes). Don’t give people something to talk about! Plan to limit your alcohol consumption, and have a tall glass of water after each drink to slow you down and help keep you clear headed.
• Have a gracious exit plan. Ever get stuck talking to someone, unable to escape a painful recounting of their entire life story? This happens a lot at reunions, so you better have a good method of dealing with these situations. Here are a couple of tips: First, be careful what you ask about. One of the worst questions you can pose goes like this, “So, what have you been up to the last 25 years?” HELLO, prepare to be bored! Plan your inquiry carefully and you’ll be better able to manage the time you spend with people. As we mentioned in Part 1, more specific questions such as “How do you spend your free time?” not only allow people to choose what they want to talk about but also manage the scope of the response so it doesn’t go on and on. Finally, practice a gracious exit by identifying a good moment to wrap up your conversation. Give a big warm smile and say, “It’s really been so great to talk with you tonight! I’ve loved catching up!” Shake hands or hug and move on!
So there you go! Attending reunions allows you to connect with your past, but more importantly offers opportunities to reestablish or make new friends! Have fun.
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