I (21F) completely embarassed myself drunk in front of my bfs (28M) family?

A Reddit user shared their embarrassment after getting overly emotional during a wine tasting with their boyfriend’s family. They ended up drunk, repeatedly discussing personal family issues, and felt they made everyone uncomfortable. Now, they’re grappling with how to handle the situation—whether to apologize directly, let it blow over, or address it lightly.

The incident has left them questioning how their behavior might have affected their relationship with the family. To find out more about the situation and how others responded, read the full story below.

‘ I (21F) completely embarassed myself drunk in front of my bfs (28M) family?’

I’ve been on a 10-day trip visiting my boyfriend’s family (his mother’s side) out of state, and overall, it’s been a wonderful experience—until last night. We went out wine tasting, and I made a complete fool of myself. I got hammered, way more than I ever intended, and ended up behaving in a way that still makes me cringe just thinking about it.

At some point, I started getting emotional and kept telling my boyfriend how important it was for him to have a good relationship with his dad. The irony is, I was projecting my own issues, and it spiraled into me crying and going on about my poor relationship with my own father.

I wasn’t just emotional—I was repetitive, saying the same things over and over again, and honestly, I was acting really strange. I can’t even remember everything I said, but I know I made people uncomfortable.

This wasn’t just a moment of vulnerability; it felt chaotic. I hate that I lost control like that, especially around his family. They’ve been so kind and welcoming throughout this trip, and I’m embarrassed to think about what they might be saying about me now. It’s one thing to get a little tipsy during wine tasting, but I crossed a line.

The worst part? I’m such a lightweight. I got that drunk just from wine tasting! I thought I was pacing myself, but clearly, I underestimated how much alcohol I could handle. Now, I’m stuck in this cycle of embarrassment and self-doubt, wondering how I can recover from this situation.

I feel like I should apologize, but I’m also torn. Would bringing it up again make things worse? Maybe everyone will just let it go, and I should pretend like nothing happened and try to move on. But then, I worry that ignoring it might seem dismissive or like I’m not acknowledging how my behavior affected others.

I’m also worried about how this reflects on me as a person in their eyes. I don’t want my boyfriend’s family to think I’m unstable or incapable of handling myself. I know everyone makes mistakes, but I can’t shake the feeling that I ruined their impression of me.

I’d love some advice on how to handle this. Should I apologize directly to the family members who were there? Should I address it casually or more seriously? Or is it better to just let it blow over and try to act normal moving forward? I want to make this right, but I also don’t want to overcomplicate things or draw unnecessary attention to it.

If anyone has been in a similar situation or has insight into how to navigate this kind of embarrassment, I’d really appreciate your help.

Here’s what the community had to contribute:

the_greengrace −  Definitely don’t try to pretend like nothing happened. That would be the worst way to handle it. If you want to twist a better impression out of it, you bring it up first, take ownership, and emphasize that this is why you “don’t drink often/much.” Most likely, they’ll be impressed by the maturity it takes to handle the aftermath in an adult fashion.

anonthrowaway0868271 −  I would make a joke and say well now you all know why I never drink, I’m sorry if I made anyone uncomfortable

ITGuy107 −  To you this is a big thing, to us older people it’s just another person learning their drinking limits. Not that it’s going to help you any, I did more stupid s**t before the age of 18 than you will do your entire life… we started drinking between 13 and 15… now that I am 50+, I never touch the stuff anymore. Don’t sweat the small stuff; life moves on.. Edited: Corrected spelling

Famous_Specialist_44 −  You went to a wine tasting and got drunk. Not a surprise. Then drunk you got all soppy and then sad. Also not a massive surprise. Laugh it off with an apology for being a teary drunk. Then forget about it.

OceanBreeze_123 −  If you were my son’s gf and that happened, believe me it would *not* be a permanent mark against you lol  Apologize, do not pretend it didn’t happen. Any good parent & family will sympathize. They went on a wine tasting so they’re drinkers. Believe me, we’ve all got our own embarrassing drunk stories. 

OMG_a_Ray_Gun −  Next time, bring a spit bucket to the wine tasting

maxwell-twerkins −  Maybe an unpopular opinion, but people who take you somewhere expressly to drink then judge you for getting drunk are ridiculous. “I’m so *uncomfortable* that there’s a drunk person in my general vicinity. Heavens!”

You didn’t hurt anyone, you just overdid it and indulged an attempt to connect emotionally which the parts of your brain that alcohol dampens would normally have shut down/set a limit to.. You have nothing to apologize for.

noahswetface −  Tbh what does your bf expect dating someone who just turned 21 lol

LCxxxPT −  Is better to apologise to The parents but more important is your boyfriend and you being OK

agpass −  Ah, I’m sorry, I know this is such a s**tty feeling. It honestly happens to the best of us. Wine in particular can make people really emotional, please don’t be too hard on yourself. Given that you were at a wine tasting with them, it’s likely that his family members like to drink and maybe aren’t strangers to overdoing it.

As hard as it is to address it head on, it’ll probably be the only thing that will really makes you feel better. I agree that you can make a joke about not drinking often and apologize for making anyone uncomfortable. It’s really okay and was an honest mistake. Wine will get ya.