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Summer, for so many of us young adults out here, has morphed from the time of year when you can be expected not to be of much use to anyone into the time when you are expected to be useful as a benchwarmer at your friends’ weddings.

Significant Other and I have started down that path where, in conjunction with anticipating our own wedding, we can expect our weekend plans for the summer to fill up in February or March.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that -- in fact, there’s everything right with it -- I would just assume that other young adults our age could use a few tips on managing events that will eventually all blur together when they are actually one of the most important days in their friends’ lives.

So, with the power of the Almighty Internet, I’ll relay some of the best tips I found that will see all of us through a few good years of wedding seasons:

-- Group gift -- In case anyone hasn’t figured it out, us 20-somethings do not have $100 bills falling out of our pockets. Many of us are still paying for college, and buying a gift for two or three weddings a summer can add up, especially if you find yourself in a wedding party with a cost-unconscious Bridezilla. One of the best ways to deal with this problem is to gather a group of friends and contribute money to one of the larger gifts on the couple’s registry. They had little chance of landing that Dyson vacuum cleaner, but luckily, they have resourceful friends who have too much pride to wrap up three bath towels and call it a day.

-- Figure out when to say no -- Yes, your mom may be mad that you are turning down Aunt Grisella’s destination wedding in Aspen, but again, you aren’t made of money and taking a hit for a family obligation won’t pay your rent. Also, beware of invitations from friends with whom you haven’t spoken in a few years -- some may genuinely want to see you at the wedding while others are simply grubbing for gifts. Based on your past relationship with this person, you should know the difference.

-- Know your boundaries -- FYI, the state of your personal life is not fodder for public consumption. At weddings, some people seem to think it’s appropriate to ask you and Significant Other when you’ll tie your own knot. Guess what? Unless you’ve announced your engagement, it’s not. The people who should be clued into these things already have a grip on where your relationship is going, so acquaintances have no business prying. Even worse are the questions for the single guests, who are often made to feel like losers if they haven’t stepped a toe closer to the aisle. Know that you don’t have to answer these questions.

-- Decide which weddings get priority -- From my own experience, there are some weddings you can’t turn down because your love for the couple would prohibit you from forgetting you weren’t there. I’ll be toddling my nine-month-pregnant butt down the aisle of my best friend’s wedding in Orlando, but wild horses won’t keep me from it.

If wedding season has gotten to the point where you have to micro-manage your time and money, make these events a priority. Your favorite people get married only once (hopefully), so send Aunt Grisella a gift and your regrets.

Good luck this year!