I’m Begging You To Bring Plus-Ones To House Parties So I Can Meet The LOML

Listen, dating in 2025 is a disaster. Remember when dating apps were fun? Me neither. Swiping through Bumble and Hinge these days feels like trying to pick a boyfriend from a bin of clearance items at TJ Maxx. Sure, it’s technically possible to find something good, but you’ll have to sift through 45 mismatched socks and a lot of red flags first. Not to mention, every profile feels like a copy-paste job: “I’m looking for someone who doesn’t take life too seriously, loves tacos, and is down to travel.” Wow, groundbreaking. Throw in a picture of you holding a fish, and I’ll just go ahead and delete the app now.

Where does that leave me? Staring at my ceiling, contemplating celibacy and wondering if I’m desperate enough to finally pull the trigger on the whole “run club” thing. I hate running. So, if you’d like to save me from leg cramps and total humiliation, just hear me out: To all the hosts of the world, you’re doing a great job. As we transition from the club to cozy nights in with our friends at their lovely apartments, you’re really doing the rest of your friends a service by hosting us. But if you really want to be the ultimate host, bring back the tradition of letting your guests bring a plus-one.

Hosting house parties is the new going out. Outside is too expensive and filled with too many weirdos, so the best way to get drunk is obviously in the (free) comfort of one of your friend’s homes. On TikTok, the tag “Bring House Party Back” has over 17 million posts, and of those posts, a good majority claim that if we bring back house parties, “people will fall in love again.” But the only way to really make this happen? Invite a few friends over and then ask them to each bring a plus-one that the host has never met.

Image Credit: HBO Max

Why? Because plus-ones = friends-of-friends = fresh dating prospects. Keyword: FRESH! Don’t even get me started on the whole “let’s just see what happens with that one guy in your friend group.” (Spoiler alert: what happens is drama.)

Typically, meeting someone IRL is a literal horror movie — especially if you’re a woman who’s tragically attracted to men. We already have to walk through life with our keys between our fingers. Add the chaos of trying to meet someone at a bar, and the stakes feel way too high. But talking to someone at a party hosted by a friend you trusted? Slightly less risky. I mean, sure, you still have to muster the courage to flirt with someone in person. And you’re still risking public humiliation, awkward small talk, and the very real possibility of being hit on by a man who describes himself as an “entrepreneur” (but is actually a crypto bro living with his mom). But because someone in the house decided to bring this person, odds are they’re a lot more likely to be more normal than someone you meet outside.

Image Credit: Paramount Pictures

So, it’s a foolproof system. You’re not meeting total strangers, you’re meeting people who are pre-vetted by someone in your circle. It’s like getting a recommendation on LinkedIn, but instead of a job, you’re finding someone to curl up on the couch with.

Also, allowing plus-ones also takes the pressure off your guests. No one likes walking into a party alone, especially when everyone else already knows each other. Bringing a plus-one makes the vibe more inclusive, and if your friend’s friend happens to be single, hot, and emotionally available? Even better.

Let’s be real, some of the best relationships start as casual conversations over lukewarm White Claws and the host’s questionable snack spread. House parties are where the magic happens — if we let it. In the immortal words of this viral tweet, “Where am I supposed to meet the love of my life if not in a tiny kitchen at a friend of a friend’s house?”