First of all what is small talk and what is it for? Small talk is very light, casual conversation, usually helpful for breaking the ice with people you meet for the first time. At weddings, there may be guests whom you don’t know very well such as relatives of your in-laws or your partner’s friends from school. Meanwhile, if you’re attending as a guest or as an entourage member, you could be gathered with other people from different parts of the couple’s life. Knowing how to make small talk in these situations is very helpful so that the atmosphere is more comfortable, especially if you’re seated in the same table. Wouldn’t want any awkward silence, right?

However, small talk doesn’t really come naturally for many of us. Plucking up the courage to start a conversation and wracking your brain for what to say can be challenging. So, what can you do? We listed a few, practical small talk tips to guide you. Keep reading!

But first get past the obstacle of introducing yourself. Start with a friendly hello and just say your name. You can lead with a question like, “How did you meet the bride and groom?” This way you’ll have something meaningful to talk about and hopefully find something that you have in common. Open-ended questions that start with What, Where, When, Who, and How also shows that you’re interested in getting to know the other person. Here are some examples: “What do you do for work?”, “How long have you been friends with the bride/groom?”, “Where are you from?”

As in physical distance. Not just for health and safety reasons, but to respect others’ personal space as well. Some people are comfortable with hugs and giving a beso, while others are not. Whenever I’m introduced to someone new, I would always go for a handshake accompanied by a friendly, “Hello! Nice to meet you.” It might seem a bit formal, but it’s the safest and most polite way to greet the other person. You can reserve the hugs and kisses for people such as school friends you haven’t seen in a while who are also at the wedding. Then, go ahead and apply the first tip!

Find something you genuinely like or admire. It could be their outfit, hair and makeup, shoes, etc. Give them praise if they contributed to DIY-ing some of the wedding details. A sincere compliment is a meaningful way to make someone comfortable talking to you and make them more willing to keep the conversation going.

Much like public speaking, making small talk can come with a lot of apprehension. Just take a breath first. There’s no need to put pressure on yourself to become a social butterfly. If you’re a guest, you can start with the person seated right next to you or your fellow entourage members. If you’re the bride and groom, you can help one another give an introduction to your friends and relatives. To prepare, you can even brief each other about who these people are beforehand so you’ll have some conversation starters to pull out of your back pocket if you need them.

There’s no need to talk about anything complicated, and yes, talking about the weather is still acceptable. Add how the heat or the rain makes you feel these days to put some substance in the topic. You can also comment on how you like the food at the wedding, the decorations, the bride’s gown, and the like. Talk about what you see around you and the conversation can naturally flow from there.