Friday, July 6, 2007
on record
Thank you, everyone, for spending your Sunday with us. For some of you, heading to Long Beach was a drive, and for others flying to the opposite coast at the beginning of an odd work week. Sorry about the pirate thing; turns out they peaked Saturday during our rehearsal dinner.
Special thanks go out to Mr. and Mrs. Gonzaga, who we didn't get to toast during rehearsal dinner: Salamat ng marami. We hope to be as happy as you.
We had a blast and hope you did, too. Our cockles were warmed by the willingness of the groomsmen, best man and several guests to search and string up two disruptive boogie-boarders. Four minor but brief table fires were reported, ignited and merrily extinguished with ties, napkins and programs; one of you prodded the bartender into concocting a signature drink; and we owe a drink to the anonymous guest who requested Cream and Def Leppard and to all who (drunkenly, but happily) serenaded us with the famous Chinese love song, 'That's Amore'.
A few of you were kind enough to share some of your snapshots with us. They were too nice to keep to ourselves, so we organized them into a slideshow for public viewing. If you have a batch of photos you wouldn't mind sharing, please send them our way.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
on the engagement photos
We got our engagement photos today. Below is a sampling from a set of 33 images.
Steve took these shots about a month ago in this sequence - shore under Veterans Pier; the park in the Olympic Plaza; the boardwalk; and the P-T photo studio.
The first set of shots were taken during an an algae bloom, otherwise known as a red tide. Though people were playing in the water, it reflected rust in the sun and copper in the shade. The wind was cool, though a little strong.
Passers-by were courteous, and we were especially surprised by the well wishes of strangers. A group of teenage boys shouldering fishing poles waved in passing, "You're a beautiful couple!" A man in Speedos watched Steve do his thing for a few minutes before accosting him to inquire about his camera and to wish us luck.
For a controlled environment we were taken to the P-T photo studio, where Steve artfully arranged light to give the final images a warm, glowing quality.
We're stoked. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Steve took these shots about a month ago in this sequence - shore under Veterans Pier; the park in the Olympic Plaza; the boardwalk; and the P-T photo studio.
The first set of shots were taken during an an algae bloom, otherwise known as a red tide. Though people were playing in the water, it reflected rust in the sun and copper in the shade. The wind was cool, though a little strong.
Passers-by were courteous, and we were especially surprised by the well wishes of strangers. A group of teenage boys shouldering fishing poles waved in passing, "You're a beautiful couple!" A man in Speedos watched Steve do his thing for a few minutes before accosting him to inquire about his camera and to wish us luck.
For a controlled environment we were taken to the P-T photo studio, where Steve artfully arranged light to give the final images a warm, glowing quality.
We're stoked. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
on location and parking
Many of you have recently inquired where exactly the wedding ceremony will take place, whether the reception venue is nearby, and how plentiful parking will be that day. And the thing about pirates (more on that later).
Ceremony location: The beach facing the La Palapa Restaurant
Reception location:: The Del-Mar Room is a separate banquet area owned by La Palapa. It's next door to the restaurant and within a short walk from the ceremony site. It's recognizable by its striped burgundy-and-cream canopy and the steepish climb up the stairs.
Parking: Metered parking is available near the Belmont Olympic Pool building, as well as the ticketed lot leading to the Veterans Pier. You need only pay for an hour's worth because parking is free after 6 p.m.
Please make sure to give yourselves enough time to find parking because....
Pirates: There will be pirate activity.
Nope, it's got nothing to do with the wedding. As part of its summer-long of fun, the Sea Festival* on the same weekend will have several events going on in the Belmont Shore/Veterans Pier area. Among them are an "open-water" challenge showcasing some of the sports in the Beijing Olympics, and a seafood and pirate festival.
Please don't be surprised if, just beyond our wedding arch, stuff like "kidnappings" and "pirate ships" appear on the horizon. Event planners are saying that the following will happen: A “real” Pirate ship will “attack” the pier and a limited number of Pirate ship rides will be available.
See you all in a two weeks!
*For the out-of-towners: The Sea Festival is 'the three-month celebration of everything that makes the City of Long Beach such a spectacular place to live in and visit'. The previous sentence is not our endorsement, but that of the folks organizing these 90 days of whirlygig..ing.
Ceremony location: The beach facing the La Palapa Restaurant
Reception location:: The Del-Mar Room is a separate banquet area owned by La Palapa. It's next door to the restaurant and within a short walk from the ceremony site. It's recognizable by its striped burgundy-and-cream canopy and the steepish climb up the stairs.
Parking: Metered parking is available near the Belmont Olympic Pool building, as well as the ticketed lot leading to the Veterans Pier. You need only pay for an hour's worth because parking is free after 6 p.m.
Please make sure to give yourselves enough time to find parking because....
Pirates: There will be pirate activity.
Nope, it's got nothing to do with the wedding. As part of its summer-long of fun, the Sea Festival* on the same weekend will have several events going on in the Belmont Shore/Veterans Pier area. Among them are an "open-water" challenge showcasing some of the sports in the Beijing Olympics, and a seafood and pirate festival.
Please don't be surprised if, just beyond our wedding arch, stuff like "kidnappings" and "pirate ships" appear on the horizon. Event planners are saying that the following will happen: A “real” Pirate ship will “attack” the pier and a limited number of Pirate ship rides will be available.
See you all in a two weeks!
*For the out-of-towners: The Sea Festival is 'the three-month celebration of everything that makes the City of Long Beach such a spectacular place to live in and visit'. The previous sentence is not our endorsement, but that of the folks organizing these 90 days of whirlygig..ing.
on progress
We have been remiss in regularly updating this blog, and for that we apologize.
The last few months have been hectic with wedding planning, work and school. There is angst, but it's easily digestible: a morphing guest list; dropping Men at Work from the song list; and other stuff you folks are better off not knowing, for they are of the boring variety you marrieds went through and you singles have yet to experience.
It goes without saying that the stress is worth its while. The bride likens it to a final you know you're going to ace - you prep the hell out for it anyway. Yes, this coupling is one-half nerd.
With luck, we'll have engagement photos available soon for your viewing pleasure. All credit goes to Steve Georges, who knows how to work angles and an overly curious crowd at Long Beach's Veterans Pier.
Until then, we will leave you with snapshot in time from our wedding shower:
Image of unintentional "yikes" courtesy of Darleene
Yeah. We don't know what's going on there, either.
The last few months have been hectic with wedding planning, work and school. There is angst, but it's easily digestible: a morphing guest list; dropping Men at Work from the song list; and other stuff you folks are better off not knowing, for they are of the boring variety you marrieds went through and you singles have yet to experience.
It goes without saying that the stress is worth its while. The bride likens it to a final you know you're going to ace - you prep the hell out for it anyway. Yes, this coupling is one-half nerd.
With luck, we'll have engagement photos available soon for your viewing pleasure. All credit goes to Steve Georges, who knows how to work angles and an overly curious crowd at Long Beach's Veterans Pier.
Until then, we will leave you with snapshot in time from our wedding shower:
Image of unintentional "yikes" courtesy of Darleene
Yeah. We don't know what's going on there, either.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
on food
On to the stuff that many guests are most curious about: food and drinks, and whether there will be karaoke. No promises on the latter, though the menu is pretty much done.
Hot Rolls and Whipped Honey Butter | Spinach Salad tossed with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Raspberries in Vanilla-Infused Vinaigrette Dressing
Tortilla Tequila-Crusted Salmon with Tequila Cream Sauce | Guava-Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Tropical Rice Stuffing
Herbed Rice | Seasonal Vegetables | Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mango cake
Drinks
Open bar | Coffee and Tea Station | White Sangria Toast
p.s. - For you folks who have nut allergies, have no fear. The menu is nut-free.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
on music
With three months left, it's tempting to say we're at the home stretch. Most of the details - devilish and angelic - have been sorted out (securing the event site) or are in the process of being sorted (hanging on to our officiant).
One of the things we didn't pay much heed to is the reception's music set, at least not until we realized that one cannot party nor dance much to A) sad rock music B) Jared Leto wailing C) both, even with massive amounts of drink. So, we wound up rehauling the list we had because, really, it's unfair to fork over to our awesome DJ a song list that includes "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
Dance Floor (Un)Couplings - A Mini-Mix
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night
Elvis - A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix)
Eagles of Death Metal - Speaking in Tongues
Blondie - Atomic
Muse - Supermassive Blackhole
112 - Only You
Norah Jones - Turn Me On
Van Morrison - Crazy Love
One of the things we didn't pay much heed to is the reception's music set, at least not until we realized that one cannot party nor dance much to A) sad rock music B) Jared Leto wailing C) both, even with massive amounts of drink. So, we wound up rehauling the list we had because, really, it's unfair to fork over to our awesome DJ a song list that includes "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
Dance Floor (Un)Couplings - A Mini-Mix
The Kinks - All Day and All of the Night
Elvis - A Little Less Conversation (JXL Remix)
Eagles of Death Metal - Speaking in Tongues
Blondie - Atomic
Muse - Supermassive Blackhole
112 - Only You
Norah Jones - Turn Me On
Van Morrison - Crazy Love
Sunday, March 18, 2007
howdy!
Hello, everyone -
We're publishing this blog as a means of providing additional information for you, our guests. Please keep your eye on this space for updates.
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