Tips for writing those gala scenes, from someone who goes to them occasionally:
Generally you unbutton and re-button a suit coat when you sit down and stand up.
Youāre supposed to hold wine or champagne glasses by the stem to avoid warming up the liquid inside. A character out of their depth might hold the glass around the sides instead.
When rich/important people forget your name and theyāre drunk, they usually just tell you that they donāt remember or completely skip over any opportunity to use your name so they donāt look silly.
A good way to indicate you donāt want to shake someoneās hand at an event is to hold a drink in your right hand (and if youāre a woman, a purse in the other so you definitely canāt shift the glass to another hand and then shake)
Americans who still kiss cheeks as a welcome generally donāt press lips to cheeks, itās more of a touch of cheek to cheek or even a hover (these days, mostly to avoid smudging a womanās makeup)
The distinctions between dress codes (black tie, cocktail, etc) are very intricate but obvious to those who know how to look. If you wear a short skirt to a black tie event for example, people would clock that instantly even if the dress itself was very formal. Same thing goes for certain articles of menās clothing.
Open bars / cash bars at events usually carry limited options. Theyāre meant to serve lots of people very quickly, so nobody is getting a cosmo or a Manhattan etc.
Members of the press generally arenāt allowed to freely circulate at nicer galas/events without a very good reason. When they do, they need to identify themselves before talking with someone.
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