Instagram users who are vying for a summer in France might get their chance as a local man has posted an unusual request on the site.
An Instagram video, posted by Ben Guez @bengue.z has gone viral as a man pleads for dates to take to summer weddings. After listing the qualifications he is looking for (speaking French isn't one), he invited women in the comments to write up "resumes" for him to choose from. Since posting one week ago, the video has received over 37,000 likes and more than 3,000 comments.
"Summer is coming, I have so many weddings and I am single AF—Air France—and I need a plus one," Ben said in the video. "So, qualification ... is you can travel this summer, you can handle me and my jokes—you don't need to speak French. No one cares."
He included a caveat at the end of his video: "You also have to love gluten: pain au chocolat, croissant."
Viewers poured into the comment section with their applications, some listing out qualities one by one to sell themselves effectively.
"I made a pros and cons list for you," @archaeo_nemesis wrote. In it, she said she speaks French, knows 10 different styles of dance, eats gluten, looks "great in a fancy dress" and always stays for the party. A con, she wrote, is that he might fall in love with her: "Wait, that's not a con." Her comment has received nearly 10,000 likes, placing her at the top of the pack.
Several commenters offered up close friends for consideration, while others pitched a more unconventional angle.
"I'm applying for my best friend because she'd be perfect for this," @sneeks_626 wrote, listing her friend's good dance moves, looks and aptitude for parties.
"I lived alone in a van the last six months. I think a wedding is the best to introduce me to the normal, decent life before I lose all my connections to civilization," @janine.ventures.life wrote.
Others were more cagey about accepting Ben's offer. "Hold on," @i.ll_think_about_it.maybelater said. "What are you offering? What are your qualifications?"
The Stand-Out Aspects of French Weddings
Ben's plus-one might experience some of the French wedding trends prominent in the past year.
In an in-depth look at wedding trends across 15 countries, The Knot found certain aspects of French engagements and weddings that differ from the rest.
Prior to wedding, the study found that over half of the French newlyweds surveyed already had children. In terms of the timing of engagement, 20 per cent of French couples got engaged in December, followed closely by couples in Portugal and Canada who also favored December engagements.
The average time spent to plan the wedding in France was just over a year. Amid the average French spend of $19,000 on the wedding, and an average attendance of 97 guests, a focus emerged: food.
While food ranks high in the priorities of many countries' couples, 75 percent of couples in France were inclined to hire caterers, a figure higher than any other country.
Hopefully for Ben and his plus-one, pain au chocolat and croissant will be on the menu.
Uncommon Knowledge
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