Getting to the Wedding, or We Don't Have Time For This

July 11, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Life In Your 20's, Cazey's Column, Humor, life lessons

The wedding started at 4:30 PM and was happening two hours from Richmond. I had an important event the same day until 1 PM. My date and friend, Meredith, lived another two hours away. I should have just RSVP’d no to the wedding.

Meredith hit the road with a three hour buffer for arrival, but Virginia roads can be intolerable, especially ones with bridge tunnels, so Meredith soon informed me she would be later than 1 PM.

Meanwhile, I got out of my event earlier than anticipated and headed home to wait for Meredith’s arrival. I soon realized I had no food in my house other than cantaloupe and crackers and that wasn’t going to sustain me. I decided to order subs for both Meredith and me. I called the sub shop before I ordered to ensure they would arrive in time for us to eat and be on the road. They would, so I placed the order.

Don't Get Married; Get a Blender

June 30, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

My parents’ friend’s son is getting married this month. I knew about his engagement before my parents because I use Facebook. I assumed I’d be invited because we’re childhood besties. I mean, we haven’t played tag since fifth grade, but what’s a decade and a half?

I liked the ring photo. Good work, dude. (He proposed while they were “vacationing” in Antigua. I call that a pre-honeymoon.)

Last month I discovered I was invited – but not as myself. I was invited as my parents’ plus one.

Here I was, worried I wouldn’t get a plus one, never worried I would actually be someone else’s plus one, let alone my parents’.

Wine, Wings, and Eviction

June 22, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Life In Your 20's, life lessons, Humor, Cazey's Column

When I asked my friend Meredith to accompany me to my friend's wedding, I knew it'd be fun, but I also felt bad since Meredith lived two hours further away from the wedding than I did. So when she said her only request in all this was that we get "sticky nugs" at Billy Jack's, I had to agree. The wedding was taking place in our college town of Harrisonburg, VA, and Billy Jack's was the locals wings shack.

We Uber'd to the wedding, but soon learned that was not a feasible exit strategy (see previous blog post), so we took a shuttle back to the wedding hotel. I call it the wedding hotel because that's where the bride, groom, and all the guests were supposed to be staying, but when I booked us a room there, Meredith freaked out the price and insisted we could find a cheaper hotel. Which we did. But that meant we took a shuttle back to a hotel we weren't staying at.

Meredith announced to the two other passengers in the shuttle, "Cazey, I'm just going to run into the lobby and use the bathroom and then we can head downtown. Is that okay?"

The Hypothetical Wedding Crashers

May 16, 2016 by Cazey Williams in Humor, Cazey's Column, life lessons, Life In Your 20's

January to March is wedding promo season. No one actually gets married unless you’re having a destination wedding and trying not to pay for your cousin and his/her spouse’s plates. But look to social media for reposts of engagement photos (“#ThrowbackThursday to the time we paid a stranger to photograph us in a backyard we don’t own”), bridesmaid acceptances (“of course I’ll drop a grand on a dress and a bachelorette weekend since we sat together in high school chemistry”), and save-the-dates (“I could just send out the actual invitations, but instead let’s keep the postmen employed”).

The last point is what brings me to today’s narrative. A friend who I haven’t seen since college (so three years ago—actually maybe we saw each other at homecoming two years ago?) is getting married. This week she sent out her save-the-dates. I didn’t get one.

Of course, it’s only day two. Maybe it’s still in transit somewhere between Michigan and Virginia. But I’m beginning to accept that Instagram likes and friendship via bonding over our inability to play beer pong six years ago does not ensure a ticket to an open bar (that’s what nuptials are if you were wondering).

No Plus One At Your Wedding? You May Be Minus One

May 02, 2016 by Cazey Williams in life lessons, Dating, Cazey's Column, Life In Your 20's, Humor

For the past year I’ve watched several acquaintances become engaged, but no close friends. On social media I scroll past bridal parties, wedding photos, and honeymoon humble-brags, but of people whose vows I would never expect to be invited to. I began to question how I had chosen my friends so well that none of them has given into the Power of the One True Ring. Kudos to me, right?

But I've also been disappointed to not be invited to any open bars and/or weekend getaways to Nashville (where every soon-to-be spouse seems to congregate with their besties). How am I supposed to feel like my life is a 30-minute weekly sitcom if I’m not invited to any of my peers’ weddings? Wedding reception episodes always happen by season two a la “New Girl,” “Broad City,” “As Told Over Brunch,” etc.

The closest I came to a wedding invitation was my childhood friend’s engagement. The friend asked for my address soon after, and I kept my calendar open only to realize as the months ticked down that my invitation was not coming. This did not offend me. The last time we hung out was high school and the last time we spoke was eighteen months prior to being asked for my address.

Why is "Wedding Season" in the Summer?

August 11, 2015 by Sara Woznicki in Humor, Leisure, Life In Your 20's, Dating, life lessons, Sara's Column, Tweets and Mascara

My uncle got married this summer. Last summer, my two cousins both got married during the summer months. As did my childhood best friend. In previous summers, my other two cousins got married in the summer. As did what I estimate millions of people, because summer is "wedding season."

I took to the streets with my journalistic integrity and surveyed at least one person about why people all get married in the summer. The answers I got were because that's when people plan and expect to travel, because more people are off during the summer (teachers, it's just teachers and their students) and that people don't want to get married when it's cold.

10 Things to Expect When You Attend a Conservative Southern Wedding Alone

June 16, 2015 by astoldoverbrunch in Guest Post, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

1. When you first arrive, it's awkward. Where do you stand? Who do you talk to? Should you go find a seat or wander around? The only person who you know for sure will be there is the bride, and she's still in hiding at this point. Eventually you make a friend or find some people you kind of know.

2. Those people will feel sorry for you. Your high school chorus teacher will wait with you in line for punch. The dad of a kid who lived in your neighborhood will save you a seat for dinner. And you aren't even mad about being pitied, because you're too busy being grateful to be rid of the awkwardness.... Temporarily.

Cazey Got Published on Elite Daily!

January 23, 2015 by Cazey Williams in Cazey's Column, Dating, Humor, Life In Your 20's, life lessons

Friday just became even more of a celebration because I got published on Elite Daily! This is my first article for them, and it deals with how marriage has become a dating barrier.

Please read it, like it, bop it, share it, write comments, bop it, tweet it, tell your grandma, etc. I really appreciate all the support that we get from readers - just the fact you visit our blog! Overall, this has been a big week for Sara and I since she also got published by Elite Daily on Monday.

Now, check out my article *beaming emoji*:

http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/marriage-new-dating-barrier/899177/