This summer, one of my dear friends was dragged to an engagement party, a bridal shower, a bachelorette weekend (not just one night!), another bridal shower and, of course, the wedding. She was asked to bring gifts to every event, and to help pay for the parties more often than not.

The real kicker is, she wasn’t in the bridal party. She was the only non-bridal party guest who was expected to be at every event because she’s know the bride since they were kids.

What wedding events should be mandatory for non-bridal party members? Who should be expected to pay for extra events? What’s the proper protocol for close friends who aren’t bridesmaids or groomsmen? Rant or rave about it!

Every time we have an event in the Wedding Paper Divas offices, the girls and I inevitably end up talking about how hard it is to juggle a plate of food, a glass of wine and a tote and still look fabulous while snacking on canapes.

Since it’s the perfect season for barbecues, pool parties, pre-wedding cocktail events and other summer soirees, I set out to find the best ways to balance a drink with a plate of food. Here’s a list of the latest and greatest inventions, along with links to help you find out where to buy them.

Trust me—your guests will love you for it!

For the Casual Event: Go Plates

For the BBQ: Plastic Plates with Drink Holders

For an Evening of Wine Tasting: Drink Mates

For a Fun Outdoor Event: Wine and Dine Plates and Glasses

For the Ultimate Chic Cocktail Party: Sebastian Conran’s Fiesta Collection

Bachelorette parties are supposed to be fun, stylish and silly, encompassing everything that a particular bride could ask for from her girlfriends. But what if the bride wants to jet off to Mexico, Vegas or a tropical island? Would you come along for the ride?

Many brides take their bachelorette party as a fun excuse to get out of town, but some fail to realize that this means their bridesmaids and close friends all feel obligated to dip into their savings to come along for the ride.

As this bachelorette party planning checklist from The Knot attests, it’s important to give the bride the bachelorette experience she wants, but when do you draw the line? Would you sign up for a trip to Palm Springs? New York? Mexico? Europe? Would you be excited or annoyed?

Do out of town bachelorette parties make you want to rant or rave?