I have to ask the Internet.

See, I've noticed lately that whenever someone gets married on a TV show, everyone scrambles for a date to the bring to the wedding.  Apparently, showing up at a wedding by yourself is so humiliating that the bride and groom will pause during the ceremony to point and laugh.  So everyone who is single (and on TV shows, this is indeed almost everyone) desperately searches everywhere for someone--anyone!--to bring.  This results in women bringing their gay cousins and men scouring on-line dating sites and people of both genders screwing up their courage to ask that years-long crush to attend the wedding as that all-important First Date.

Am I the only one sees who this is as a steaming pile of rotten cake?  Or am I truly missing some important social more here?

I have a couple-three cousins who are single, and it's conceivable that one day I'll get a wedding invitation.  Assuming the invitation comes to me "and guest," why on earth would I bring someone I've never dated before to this wedding?

When I go to a family wedding, I want to see my family.  I want watch a beloved member of said family marry someone I probably don't know very well yet but intend to become better acquainted with over the years.  I want to catch up on all the news and gossip with people I probably haven't seen in quite a while.  I want to look at the kids and say, "Wow! He's gotten so big.  He can't be ten years old already!"

One thing I DON'T want to do is ensure someone who doesn't know anyone at this function is both entertained and so thrilled with my company that a second, third, or fourth date is in the offing.  I do NOT want to worry that this stranger I'm trying to impress is going to run into Uncle Whackjob or Auntie Asshole.  I do NOT want to field questions like, "And who is this?  How long have you been seeing each other?  How did you meet?  Is it serious between you?"  I do NOT want my parents to look at the cake feeding moment say, "This reminds me of that time little Stevie climbed out of his diaper and ran screeching around the back yard with poop all over his face."

Then there's the other side.  If I were interested in someone who I hadn't actually dated yet and got the question, "My cousin is getting married next weekend. Would you like to come with me as my date?", I would be totally, utterly unthrilled.  The only thing that makes a wedding interesting is that you know and love the people up at the altar.  Otherwise, who gives a crap?  Attend the wedding of two strangers and sit through a religious service to boot?  I'd rather gouge my eyes out with that new gravy boat.  And then there'd be the reception, where I would be forced to make conversation with a group of people I don't know and field questions like, "How long have you been seeing each other?  How did you meet?  Is it serious between you?"  Argh!

And since when does anyone remark about showing up at a wedding by yourself?  I've seen lots of people do it, and no one thinks a thing of it, if they even notice at all. Everyone is looking at the flippin' bride and groom!  Duh.

A wedding is place you would only take someone who has already met your family elsewhere, someone who is a strong candidate for JOINING the family one day, right?

Seriously, am I the only one?  Do people really take first dates to weddings?  Or am I just being grumpy?