Hi all.
We have only a few weeks to go, and with that in mind here is a helpful timeline!
Friday August 15:
Around 5:00 we have a room reserved at Sebago Brewing Company right in the Old Port. We are planning to have appetizers available as we welcome everyone to our wedding weekend!
And yes, there is also a 5:00PM road race literally RIGHT next door. So if anyone is interested sign up here! Seriously, if there are a few runners let's get matching t-shirts then eat all the snacks :-)
(I have a feeling that anyone who is in town on Friday might as well plan on roaming around in Portland and having a good time that evening- it's summer in Maine, let's enjoy it!)
Saturday August 16:
Morning: Pshhhh, I have bride stuff to do! (but if anyone is kicking around the bride needs lunch/brunch, just sayin'...)
12:30- Doors open for us at the official venue, Grace Restaurant.
Being that I am a hungry person I have asked for some sacks to be awaiting our arrival! I don't want anyone to get hungry/grumpy (like me.)
1-4- Official party time!
During this time (close to 1:00) we will have a ceremony, followed by the cash bar opening, and food (which is critical.) We are really happy with our food choices and feel that it will be an enjoyable lunch! (although, I know for a FACT that I will be having a legit PB&J beforehand- I can't wait until 1:00 whatever to eat!)
Anyway.... We are excited about the delicious food options that we have chosen and we are sure that no matter what your dietary needs are you will find something that you like!
While this is not a formal, sit down, plated dinner there is sure to be something to please everyone (we tried....)
We are really SO excited to see everyone and can't wait to spend quality time with you! As I mentioned in a previous blog post we honestly would love people with talents to share them, music, singing, acrobatics, whatever- if you would like to share your skill we would love to see it.
5:30PM: We plan to have a MASSIVE takeover of the Munjoy hill Otto's. Eric and I had our first date at Otto's so we are a bit nostalgic for this part of the evening. I am pre ordering a good number of pizzas for you hungry people but the head count is a little questionable at this time- so please give me a shout if you plan to come! I don't want anyone to miss out on a slice of the best pizza in Portland. Also, at this time we are inviting some extra friends to join the party so things will get exciting! (It is good to keep in mind that Eric and I are middle aged. the party will not take a turn for "club-hoppping-body-shots-terrifying nonsense! hahaha") This is an all ages event, seriously!
7:00PM: We take over Portland....
OK for real. We REALLY want both the under 21's AND the "Adults" (like me) to want to join in so, I expect that we will keep our destinations more of the oyster-bar by the docks, or restaurant at a hotel version of fun for the majority of the evening. Portland is great fun an we are still in the planning phase of these later hours- but it will certainly be fun for everyone!
Gifts:
Yes please.
As always, I feel a touch awkward addressing this but it has come up, a lot!
While it was our original plan to set up a "honeymoon" registry we simply have not found one that meets our needs yet- other than paypal (hahaha kidding)
Any gift is appreciated unless it is a dog (which we still would happily accept), or a child (which might be an issue) or a toaster (we have all the toasters) or a rooster (hmmm.)
When my Mom asked what we wanted for our wedding we said "A vacation!!!" and "A NEW CAR!!"
So either of those would be great.
But we will have a lovely place at the wedding for people to put dogs, fat stacks of cash, and not toddlers or toasters ;-)
We could also use wineglasses as I break them daily. No lie.
Can't wait to see all of you! And please, please just text, email, facebook, twitter or (OMG) CALL us if you have any questions! We are trying hard to keep everyone in "the loop" but just contact us if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to say hi. :-)
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Counting down.
The official countdown is ON.
If you were lucky enough to get a hand-delivered invite you already have it. Lucky.
If you did not get a hand delivered invite we need to hang out more. And it's in the mail. Or almost in the mail. Hopefully with an RSVP card in it... Hopefully that RSVP card has a stamp. (it might not. if you get the RSVP card/s with no stamp just email us with an RSVP. LILLIE I MEAN YOU) (shit and possibly a half dozen other people. but whatever we tried. and who has stamps? who even sends mail anymore? archaic... seriously. )
Eric and I are very excited to be getting married in not too many days. We are also excited to have a wedding but mostly we are pumped about the whole making it legit thing. We really kind of like each other!
We hope that you are all looking forward to celebrating with us. :-)
If anybody has any skills that they would like to share at our wedding that would be fun! So if you can sing (Bailey. Ainsley.) Or play an instrument. Or do magic! We would love to see/hear you and can basically make this a talent show. Fun!
At this point we are both so freaking busy with work, tri training, horses, camp (MORE CAMP), horse shows and just summer chaos in general that regular updates are unlikely!
If you have questions drop us a line.
(also, I'm sure we will post more before the big day is actually upon us!)
Happy summer everyone, can't wait to see all of you.
If you were lucky enough to get a hand-delivered invite you already have it. Lucky.
If you did not get a hand delivered invite we need to hang out more. And it's in the mail. Or almost in the mail. Hopefully with an RSVP card in it... Hopefully that RSVP card has a stamp. (it might not. if you get the RSVP card/s with no stamp just email us with an RSVP. LILLIE I MEAN YOU) (shit and possibly a half dozen other people. but whatever we tried. and who has stamps? who even sends mail anymore? archaic... seriously. )
Eric and I are very excited to be getting married in not too many days. We are also excited to have a wedding but mostly we are pumped about the whole making it legit thing. We really kind of like each other!
We hope that you are all looking forward to celebrating with us. :-)
If anybody has any skills that they would like to share at our wedding that would be fun! So if you can sing (Bailey. Ainsley.) Or play an instrument. Or do magic! We would love to see/hear you and can basically make this a talent show. Fun!
At this point we are both so freaking busy with work, tri training, horses, camp (MORE CAMP), horse shows and just summer chaos in general that regular updates are unlikely!
If you have questions drop us a line.
(also, I'm sure we will post more before the big day is actually upon us!)
Happy summer everyone, can't wait to see all of you.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Tiny Update
Hello!
So at this point we don't have much to report. It sounds like people are successfully making wedding weekend plans and that all is well :-)
I have Boston coming up in 13 days and that, and a legit work overload are keeping me pretty busy.
Unless people have questions I expect that you won't hear back from me again on this blog until the 1st Tuesday in May, when I'll update you on all the fun things.
Like the actual magic that had to happen to fit me in my wedding dress... (because that is a story!)
So! Please holler if you have question on lodging, timeline, whatever and one of us will get right on it!
Otherwise, you'll hear back from me in a few weeks.
So at this point we don't have much to report. It sounds like people are successfully making wedding weekend plans and that all is well :-)
I have Boston coming up in 13 days and that, and a legit work overload are keeping me pretty busy.
Unless people have questions I expect that you won't hear back from me again on this blog until the 1st Tuesday in May, when I'll update you on all the fun things.
Like the actual magic that had to happen to fit me in my wedding dress... (because that is a story!)
So! Please holler if you have question on lodging, timeline, whatever and one of us will get right on it!
Otherwise, you'll hear back from me in a few weeks.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
I know this is late! A post about pre wedding party plans.
As it turned out, This past Tuesday was April Fools. As tempted as I was to pull a sneaky prank on you guys I had a feeling nobody would buy it. And since I believe nothing that anyone tells me on April 1, my post got postponed to today!
Today's questions:
Q: "What are you guys planning for your rehearsal dinner? Are there any activities that we should know about taking place on Friday August 15th?"
A: It sounds like a good number of guests are planning to arrive in Portland, or the surrounding areas on the Friday prior to our wedding. This is great! Maximize the fun, right?
Eric and I are not having a traditional rehearsal dinner due to the fact that we are not rehearsing. We like to wing it!
However, it was concluded that this small step off the beaten path should not stop us from rehearsing what we are actually best at, and what we plan to do with our married life (knock it off, not THAT!) *ahem* We are going to rehearse being AWESOME, duh.
At this time plans are coming together for a evening welcome party, to be held at Sebago Brewing which is right in Portland's Old Port. We will be there starting at 5:30 with appetizers to keep y'all fed and a cash bar (they have delicious craft beer!)
As I previously mentioned there is also a 4 mile road race taking place, literally, right next door. In order to gain admission to this welcome party event, you are required to sign up and complete this race.
*Kidding... I just wanted to hear you all protest!*
However, as we are all a funny bunch of athletes, non athletes, runners, walkers and things in between I have heard some good feedback on this. Some are even planning this as their "A" race for the year!
The good news? This race is a quickie, there is no pressure to run, we will provide cowbells for your spectating noise making pleasure, and once the sweaty runners run back to the pub the party will shift into high gear. (I know I will be returning sweatily and with no shame to party down!)
If you do want to run, walk, or something in between early sigh up is a must, as this race sells out.
Register here for the St Peter's 4 mile race
Q: "Why on EARTH do you guys have to incorporate a race into your wedding festivities? Can't you leave it alone for one damn DAY???? We don't like running! This sounds horrible!"
A: Some fun Eric & Sara wedding backstory: Eric and I met at a race. Our first date was supposed to be an easy 13 mile run around Portland's back bay (Eric wussed out, he was too scared I would disgrace him :-)) But after our non running first date we went on many, many runs together and still do! We both watched each other complete our first marathons and Eric proposed to me at the Boston marathon finish line. Since running is a big part of our lives we feel that this is a really fun way to incorporate it into our big day. We originally had considered having our actual wedding at the halfway point of a marathon and making everyone run to meet us there but we abandoned that idea when we realized that only about 3 people would come. :-) (wimps!)
Clearly, we don't expect everyone to want to run! (although then we could get matching t-shirts and make a big spectacle of ourselves...)
(and look at it this way, we could be incorporating horses into the wedding and if you think watching a race is a snooze fest then you have never seen a morning filled with Training Level Test 3 :-))
So that's it for this week. Glad and impressed to hear that people are booking up hotel rooms and getting pumped already- you guys are good at planning! And we are excited.
Today's questions:
Q: "What are you guys planning for your rehearsal dinner? Are there any activities that we should know about taking place on Friday August 15th?"
A: It sounds like a good number of guests are planning to arrive in Portland, or the surrounding areas on the Friday prior to our wedding. This is great! Maximize the fun, right?
Eric and I are not having a traditional rehearsal dinner due to the fact that we are not rehearsing. We like to wing it!
However, it was concluded that this small step off the beaten path should not stop us from rehearsing what we are actually best at, and what we plan to do with our married life (knock it off, not THAT!) *ahem* We are going to rehearse being AWESOME, duh.
At this time plans are coming together for a evening welcome party, to be held at Sebago Brewing which is right in Portland's Old Port. We will be there starting at 5:30 with appetizers to keep y'all fed and a cash bar (they have delicious craft beer!)
As I previously mentioned there is also a 4 mile road race taking place, literally, right next door. In order to gain admission to this welcome party event, you are required to sign up and complete this race.
*Kidding... I just wanted to hear you all protest!*
However, as we are all a funny bunch of athletes, non athletes, runners, walkers and things in between I have heard some good feedback on this. Some are even planning this as their "A" race for the year!
The good news? This race is a quickie, there is no pressure to run, we will provide cowbells for your spectating noise making pleasure, and once the sweaty runners run back to the pub the party will shift into high gear. (I know I will be returning sweatily and with no shame to party down!)
If you do want to run, walk, or something in between early sigh up is a must, as this race sells out.
Register here for the St Peter's 4 mile race
Q: "Why on EARTH do you guys have to incorporate a race into your wedding festivities? Can't you leave it alone for one damn DAY???? We don't like running! This sounds horrible!"
A: Some fun Eric & Sara wedding backstory: Eric and I met at a race. Our first date was supposed to be an easy 13 mile run around Portland's back bay (Eric wussed out, he was too scared I would disgrace him :-)) But after our non running first date we went on many, many runs together and still do! We both watched each other complete our first marathons and Eric proposed to me at the Boston marathon finish line. Since running is a big part of our lives we feel that this is a really fun way to incorporate it into our big day. We originally had considered having our actual wedding at the halfway point of a marathon and making everyone run to meet us there but we abandoned that idea when we realized that only about 3 people would come. :-) (wimps!)
Clearly, we don't expect everyone to want to run! (although then we could get matching t-shirts and make a big spectacle of ourselves...)
(and look at it this way, we could be incorporating horses into the wedding and if you think watching a race is a snooze fest then you have never seen a morning filled with Training Level Test 3 :-))
So that's it for this week. Glad and impressed to hear that people are booking up hotel rooms and getting pumped already- you guys are good at planning! And we are excited.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Q & A Part 2: The gifts edition
Hello again!
Question two (and guys, normally I might think it's a bit tacky to address this subject but hey, we have been asked enough to make it legit not gauche!)
Q: Where are you guys registered/registering for shower and wedding gifts?
A-1: I'm not having a shower so no need to worry about that part of it. (but thanks for asking though!) before anyone feels shocked about this or (worse) tries to throw me a surprise shower I feel I should give the warning that showers are really not my jam. One of the quality things about being a middle aged woman is that I know my likes and dislikes an showers of any kind (wedding, rain, snow) are NOT in my "likes" category (Thank goodness she likes the kind with soap!! -Eric) (wait, I do?? -Sara)
A-2: As far as wedding gifts go clearly, we would be touched and thrilled to get anything! (although not dogs- as you will see below!)
We are not going to register in a traditional manner at Bed Bath & Beyond (or similar) because when we combined our households we found that we had duplicates of many things. Like dogs, toasters and random serving platters that we are sure to never use.... (please don't get us dogs! haha!)
We have realized that once we are done paying for the wedding we certainly won't have any money left over for a honeymoon, not even a tiny one in a tent in the yard. Eric and I enjoy traveling, we like to see the world (or.... the United States...) and we really enjoy having adventures together!
So..... Our plan is to start a honeymoon registry which people can donate millions and millions of dollars to if they would like! (millions. not tens. since I'm asking for money I'm going to do so in a go-big-or-go-home manner dammit!)
This is a work in progress and I will update a link to the mega-millions fund raising honeymoon website as soon as we get it up an running.
*and for those wondering, it is unlikely that our honeymoon will not include some sort of athletic pastime*
Question two (and guys, normally I might think it's a bit tacky to address this subject but hey, we have been asked enough to make it legit not gauche!)
Q: Where are you guys registered/registering for shower and wedding gifts?
A-1: I'm not having a shower so no need to worry about that part of it. (but thanks for asking though!) before anyone feels shocked about this or (worse) tries to throw me a surprise shower I feel I should give the warning that showers are really not my jam. One of the quality things about being a middle aged woman is that I know my likes and dislikes an showers of any kind (wedding, rain, snow) are NOT in my "likes" category (Thank goodness she likes the kind with soap!! -Eric) (wait, I do?? -Sara)
A-2: As far as wedding gifts go clearly, we would be touched and thrilled to get anything! (although not dogs- as you will see below!)
We are not going to register in a traditional manner at Bed Bath & Beyond (or similar) because when we combined our households we found that we had duplicates of many things. Like dogs, toasters and random serving platters that we are sure to never use.... (please don't get us dogs! haha!)
We have realized that once we are done paying for the wedding we certainly won't have any money left over for a honeymoon, not even a tiny one in a tent in the yard. Eric and I enjoy traveling, we like to see the world (or.... the United States...) and we really enjoy having adventures together!
So..... Our plan is to start a honeymoon registry which people can donate millions and millions of dollars to if they would like! (millions. not tens. since I'm asking for money I'm going to do so in a go-big-or-go-home manner dammit!)
This is a work in progress and I will update a link to the mega-millions fund raising honeymoon website as soon as we get it up an running.
*and for those wondering, it is unlikely that our honeymoon will not include some sort of athletic pastime*
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Important questions: quality answers
Hi all!
For the next few weeks I plan to do an every Tuesday post!
Eric an I have been getting some wedding related questions lately so my posts will focus on getting those bad boys answered.
(so if you have a question, feel free to put it in the comments!)
Q: "You guys keep saying you are having a non-traditional wedding. What the hell does that mean?"
A: We do want to clarify this a bit- while we might not be incorporating some of the things that many weddings have, this is still a full blown celebration of our marriage, with all of our favorite people attending (hopefully) which will make for an awesome party!
Our wedding is planned for 1-4 in the afternoon at Grace, a lovely restaurant which has a comfortable and relaxed-upscale atmosphere. Yeah, it's a Church. No kidding. (Eric an I have found alllll the religion.....)
We are so lucky to be having our ceremony officiated by Lauren Snead, a good family friend (the wife of my best childhood friend!) Actually, the second Eric proposed I knew exactly who I wished to have officiate our wedding and we are very lucky to have her join us all the way from Oakland, California. We just love her and know that she will give us the perfect ceremony for our big day! A link to Lauren's website, if you are curious! (oh and get ready for a long, LONG ceremony. She's coming all the way from the West Coast! We want to make it worth her time!!)
After the ceremony we will have lots of yummy food, in small bite format. This will not be a sit down plated dinner with rigid seating arrangements but rather a time to enjoy each others company with the addition of lots of delicious food choices. There will be a cash bar, as this makes enjoying each others company easier...
(see that! I'm making fun of us! If y'all aren't used to that by now we need to hang out more. with wine ;-))
What you might not notice since you will be having so much fun is the fact that we are designing our wedding as a time to enjoy and visit with our guests. We have all been to a ton of weddings over the years and what often seems to get lost in the bustle of "dance!" "photos!" "cake!" "bouquet!" is the time to really socialize and enjoy all the people who have come a long way to celebrate. I really like you guys an I want more than a courtesy hello! I mean seriously, I don't want to be off somewhere for 2 hours taking formal photos while you are all having the fun and eating the damn food!
(so what I'm saying is that you peeps had better plan to be fun and entertaining... no pressure!)
So there is a quick overview. Ceremony, food, fun, booze, jenga, high fives, skills competitions, the usual. Can't wait!
For the next few weeks I plan to do an every Tuesday post!
Eric an I have been getting some wedding related questions lately so my posts will focus on getting those bad boys answered.
(so if you have a question, feel free to put it in the comments!)
Q: "You guys keep saying you are having a non-traditional wedding. What the hell does that mean?"
A: We do want to clarify this a bit- while we might not be incorporating some of the things that many weddings have, this is still a full blown celebration of our marriage, with all of our favorite people attending (hopefully) which will make for an awesome party!
Our wedding is planned for 1-4 in the afternoon at Grace, a lovely restaurant which has a comfortable and relaxed-upscale atmosphere. Yeah, it's a Church. No kidding. (Eric an I have found alllll the religion.....)
We are so lucky to be having our ceremony officiated by Lauren Snead, a good family friend (the wife of my best childhood friend!) Actually, the second Eric proposed I knew exactly who I wished to have officiate our wedding and we are very lucky to have her join us all the way from Oakland, California. We just love her and know that she will give us the perfect ceremony for our big day! A link to Lauren's website, if you are curious! (oh and get ready for a long, LONG ceremony. She's coming all the way from the West Coast! We want to make it worth her time!!)
After the ceremony we will have lots of yummy food, in small bite format. This will not be a sit down plated dinner with rigid seating arrangements but rather a time to enjoy each others company with the addition of lots of delicious food choices. There will be a cash bar, as this makes enjoying each others company easier...
(see that! I'm making fun of us! If y'all aren't used to that by now we need to hang out more. with wine ;-))
What you might not notice since you will be having so much fun is the fact that we are designing our wedding as a time to enjoy and visit with our guests. We have all been to a ton of weddings over the years and what often seems to get lost in the bustle of "dance!" "photos!" "cake!" "bouquet!" is the time to really socialize and enjoy all the people who have come a long way to celebrate. I really like you guys an I want more than a courtesy hello! I mean seriously, I don't want to be off somewhere for 2 hours taking formal photos while you are all having the fun and eating the damn food!
(so what I'm saying is that you peeps had better plan to be fun and entertaining... no pressure!)
So there is a quick overview. Ceremony, food, fun, booze, jenga, high fives, skills competitions, the usual. Can't wait!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Some useful updates
Hello Everyone!
So things are starting to fall into place.
Today's post will cover some of the lodging options that we have looked into. Eric and I apparently chose to get married on the busiest and most expensive day of the year. We are jerks.
I will spare you the long story but suffice it to say that many hotels in the Old Port area are beyond the price range that we consider to be acceptable. (However! that is not to say they are out of your budget! There is a brand spankin' new Hyatt that you all should check out if you want a Big Pimpin' vacation!)
Anyway. Reality.
Since we are not having our wedding at a hotel there is no pressure for us to "sell out" a certain number of rooms so we encourage people to be adventurous and shop around. There are many, many options in the Portland area so whether you want a B&B, a swanky waterside hotel, maybe a vacation house for the weekend or to pitch a tent in a campground there are almost endless possibilities.
To save you some time here is what we have figured out at this point.
We reserved a block of rooms, at the best price in the area:
$184/night + tax
So things are starting to fall into place.
Today's post will cover some of the lodging options that we have looked into. Eric and I apparently chose to get married on the busiest and most expensive day of the year. We are jerks.
I will spare you the long story but suffice it to say that many hotels in the Old Port area are beyond the price range that we consider to be acceptable. (However! that is not to say they are out of your budget! There is a brand spankin' new Hyatt that you all should check out if you want a Big Pimpin' vacation!)
Anyway. Reality.
Since we are not having our wedding at a hotel there is no pressure for us to "sell out" a certain number of rooms so we encourage people to be adventurous and shop around. There are many, many options in the Portland area so whether you want a B&B, a swanky waterside hotel, maybe a vacation house for the weekend or to pitch a tent in a campground there are almost endless possibilities.
To save you some time here is what we have figured out at this point.
We reserved a block of rooms, at the best price in the area:
$184/night + tax
Fairfield Inn Portland Maine Mall
2 Cummings Road Scarborough, ME 04074
Phone: (207)-883-0300 Fax: (207)-883-0572
2 Cummings Road Scarborough, ME 04074
Phone: (207)-883-0300 Fax: (207)-883-0572
(we JUST made this block reservation. Feel free to call and ask about rooms in the Bradley/Malinowski block but it might be another day or two.)
Eric and I decided to stay right in "town" at the Holiday Inn By The Bay.
There are not a ton of rooms available here but there are some!
Holiday Inn By The Bay where rooms are in the $250 range
(at this point it's good to mention that even El-Cheapo places like the La Quinta are over $200 a night! Clearly, we should have had a mid November wedding! *shivers*)
Our wedding and reception will be taking place from 1-4 so people might choose to make this a day trip.
*We have had a few questions about Friday night activities. We are not technically having a rehearsal dinner but will be in Portland that night. There are some plans in the works which we will keep you updated on- maybe some relaxed dinner plans or similar. Also, a 4 mile race at 5PM (you think this is a joke, it is not.) Well, you don't have to run! But Eric and I plan to because that is how we roll. There has been talk of bowling. Seriously, This is going to be awesome*
The take home message today is that Eric and I wish for everyone to make travel and lodging plans that work best for you, your schedule and budget. We would be happy to give more suggestions as we know the area but hope that this gets everyone started.
(and as previously mentioned, we have a large yard that people can feel free to pitch tents in!)
Holiday Inn By The Bay where rooms are in the $250 range
(at this point it's good to mention that even El-Cheapo places like the La Quinta are over $200 a night! Clearly, we should have had a mid November wedding! *shivers*)
Our wedding and reception will be taking place from 1-4 so people might choose to make this a day trip.
*We have had a few questions about Friday night activities. We are not technically having a rehearsal dinner but will be in Portland that night. There are some plans in the works which we will keep you updated on- maybe some relaxed dinner plans or similar. Also, a 4 mile race at 5PM (you think this is a joke, it is not.) Well, you don't have to run! But Eric and I plan to because that is how we roll. There has been talk of bowling. Seriously, This is going to be awesome*
The take home message today is that Eric and I wish for everyone to make travel and lodging plans that work best for you, your schedule and budget. We would be happy to give more suggestions as we know the area but hope that this gets everyone started.
(and as previously mentioned, we have a large yard that people can feel free to pitch tents in!)
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