You can - but be very careful! If your friends perceive you as trying to do business at a wedding, it could hurt your chances of doing business or getting referrals in the future. Be subtle and choose the proper time (never during the ceremony)!
Here are a few suggestions:
- Start a conversation by being curious about what others do. Take a genuine interest and some of them will reciprocate.
- Have short, succinct, and confident answers prepared to answer these questions:
- What do you do?
- Who do you do it for?
- How do you do it?
- Why do you do it? (This is a great conversation piece for social events.)
- What makes you a little different from others?
- Look for opportunities to give referrals (any kind of referrals - business or personal). Follow up on those referrals with them to make a connection.
- Pay attention to their interests, hobbies, passions, etc. Then find non-business ways to contact them later with further information related to their interest, with a referral, or any other non-business reason.
- After the event, you can call some of the people with whom you connected and present yourself as a resource. However, be careful about doing this at the event itself.