Demand the date.
If it’s important to you that he attends something, let him know. Don’t cave just because he’d rather play video games than go to a couples’ shower. Cohen says, “The best thing a woman can do is offer a barter arrangement. If he goes to your work happy hour, you'll go with him to something he enjoys.” Before you make this deal, just make sure you’re prepared for several long NASCAR races.

Give him a break.
Now if he refuses to tag along with you while you go shoe shopping, it’s not catastrophic. But if you have an important event on your calendar, that’s another story. “The bigger the event, the more the woman should encourage her man to attend. If it's just drinks, no big deal. When it's an important work function, he should be by your side,” says Cohen.

But don’t let him break promises.
It’s one thing for your man to say from the beginning that he’s not in but what about the guy who says he’s “gonna go” and then bails at the last minute? That’s just plain bad manners. If you’re habitually responding to Evites with one “yes” and one “maybe,” you know you’ve got a guy you just can’t count on. And if you can’t count on him for minor things, what other promises will he break?

See the signs.
We’ve dated enough guys to know that they all have their flaws, but being unreliable may not be one you can put up with. “Keep an eye out for guys who consistently offer lame excuses for missing events from the very beginning,” says Cohen. You may decide that if he’s not going to show up, he’d better ship out.

If he’s committed to you, he should keep his commitments—even if the event is long, dull and there’s not a beer in sight. Besides, how dull can it be if you’re there?