October 21, 2003
We received our official wedding album last week, and it's incredible!! Our photographer did such an amazing job with everything, and we're very happy with how the photos turned out. Should you need a professional photographer in Richmond or Williamsburg, two thumbs up on this studio.

July 15, 2003
The honeymoon photo gallery is up! Enjoy!

July 10, 2003
We got our honeymoon photos back today - wowsa! Look forward to that online gallery very soon!

July 4, 2003
What a honeymoon! Stephanie and I pulled in to Washington/Dulles Airport this morning after a ten-hour flight and a week of absolute paradise! Maui is ... perfect. We had SUCH a great time there, and felt we had a good mix of tourist activities and relaxtion time. We took nine bulbous rolls of film, not including two underwater cameras from our snorkeling adventures! We'll take those in to be developed ASAP (print and electronic on CDROM), and once we spend an afternoon documenting and naming all the images, I'll whip up a nice online "slideshow" for you all of the best shots. That will also give me a chance to write up some journal-type captions which will detail more aspects of our trip. Paradise, I'm telling you! Check back soon for photos!

May 22, 2003
"Take this ring as a love of my sign?" Yeah, sorry about that. I flubbed a line. But what a WONDERFUL weekend! Stephanie and I cannot begin to thank you all enough for traveling to the Burg, dealing with uncharacteristically frigid temps, and tolerating the drizzle and clouds. We hope that everybody had a trememdous time - from what we heard afterwards, a few local elementary school teachers may never be allowed back within the city limits. Way to go, ladies! I knew a pile of Krispy Kreme donuts and a happy bartender would make for a memorable evening. Really, though, we were both elated to see everybody who could make it - and kept those who couldn't in our thoughts and prayers. Many, many thanks to everybody. We love being married!! Oh, and if anyone's wedding compilation CD was flaky, let me know - we have tons of extras. Finally, as tempting as my brother/best man made it sound, there won't be any more updates to "wedding central" after the honeymoon. Who knew my little site would become so popular? Even to strangers? Oh, well - thanks for visiting! Enjoy the photo below, care of my friend Christa.


"Stephanie who? I want wedding cake!"

May 14, 2003
This is it -- after I post this, my high speed net connection will be closed, I'll shut down the computer to move it to our new place, and pack up my stuff for the weekend. Steph is in Richmond tonight with her parents, and will hit Williamsburg tomorrow morning for last-minute setups and such. I'm working a half-day tomorrow, then will head to my folks' place to meet up with my bro and his family. We'll crash there, then head to the Burg ourselves on Friday morning. Then the fun really begins! We're really looking forward to seeing everybody, and really appreciate the distances some are traveling just to be with us. It will be a great weekend. See you there!!

May 13, 2003
You knew there would be fast and furious updates this week! Surprisingly, we're both doing really well; the senses of urgency and insanity have waned, and we're feeling excited and happy about this weekend. There were some tears this morning when weather.com reported cloudy skies and a rainy Saturday. Keep in mind, though, that Williamsburg typically will have a monsoon, tornado, bright sun, and locusts, all within the span of one hour. Fortunately, there must be some fast-moving weather systems, because the most recent forecast (captured below) looks a bit more promising. Besides the weather doom, things are going well. Reception favors are done, gifts have been purchased, and we've both gone sufficiently blind on change-of-address forms. The aforementioned six-page itinerary begins tomorrow at noon. I'll be around until Thursday, so there will probably only be one or two more updates here before the wedding. Bring it on!


Weather in the 'Burg for our wedding!

May 12, 2003
[Steph] "Scott, I think I'm getting a cold."
[Scott] "I'm sorry to hear that, honey. We'll go get you some OJ and soup."
[Steph, eyes rolling back in head, levitating] "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. I WILL NOT BE SICK FOR THE WEDDING."
[Scott] "Beer?"

I don't remember much after that.

May 10, 2003
Despite my better judgement, I am letting Stephanie serve as guest author to our wedding update today.
Hi everyone! This is the Mrs.-to-be! In exactly 7 days Scott and I will be heading down the highway of love as we leave our reception! I can't believe it's only a week away! This past week has been crazy with packing, last minute wedding details, writing sub plans for the time I'll be gone, oh, and moving! (Whoever thought it was a good idea to move and get married was c-r-a-z-y) Yup, today, in the pouring rain, thunder and lightning, Scott and I (along with the help of a friend) packed up all of our stuff and moved it into our new place. It's weird--it still doesn't feel like its ours yet. Even though the things look familiar, it just hasn't hit me yet. Right now, I'm looking forward to some fun nights on the futon in my old living room, sleeping with my cat, before leaving for Richmond on Wednesday afternoon. Then it's off to Williamsburg and before we all know it, it's off to the land of happily ever after! YAY!!!!!!!

May 6, 2003
So you're probably thinking to yourself that with the wedding only 10 days away, I would have a lot to write about here. You're absolutely right - I could write every five minutes with news and updates regarding plans for the wedding weekend, and that's precisely why I haven't written in a week. After many mistakes, reprints, and headaches, the ceremony programs are printed and folded. Steph just needs to get crafty (read: make them "cute"), and they'll be done. The end is near with the reception favors. What a wild ride THAT has been, but well worth it. I have continued to spend more hours at the house painting and doing some other maintenance - we're really happy with the progress thus far, and are planning a big moving day this Saturday. Steph has worked out the full itinerary for the entire weekend, which includes (and I am not making this up) the exact moment when "boys must be flowered." And I thought this would be an event suitable for children. Anyways, I just received a call from our travel agent, indicating that yet again, American "We Timed Our Losses to the A'Hearn's Honeymoon" Airlines has rescheduled our flights. Stephanie is still eating paste.

April 29, 2003
I fixed all the links to our registries below - the websites up and changed without notice. Sorry. Also, if anyone wants to come to the house and paint, you're more than welcome; "Ocean Pearl Gray" is starting to course through my veins and permeate my dreams. As we near the big day, we also become increasingly respectful of wedding coordinators. Although many plans were made in advance, we must now revisit everything to confirm reservations and verify times/dates/locations. We're also settling the minute-by-minute intinerary for the entire weekend beginning with the rehearsal. Stephanie has started eating paste to "take the edge off."

April 17, 2003
Settlement went very well! We're homeowners!

April 13, 2003
May 17. So not only will I be missing the annual DC 101 Chili Cookoff, they just announced the date and time of the Virginia Beer Festival. Apparently, it's too late to change the date of the ceremony. I am currently sitting in the office mass-producing our wedding favors - it's a slow process, but well worth it, we think. Steph is in Richmond and Williamsburg these next few days (over her spring break), meeting with the caterer, reception coordinator, and a few other people. We recently finished our church-related preparations. Stress continues to rise, however, because of our impending house settlement this Wednesday. Sadly, there's nothing overly amusing to say about stacks of mortgage forms.

April 7, 2003
We're taking a break from the wedding plans tonight. On behalf of all my family and friends in Syracuse, LET'S GO ORANGE!

March 30, 2003
We met with our Williamsburg priest and our organist this weekend, and both meetings were productive. We also mailed out most of the invitations (minus a handful still waiting for addresses). This evening, a few more items occurred to us for our registries, so we spent some time making a couple of additions and edits. For sake of accuracy, it should be noted that despite our mortgage pre-approval with Bank of America, we decided to go with Prosperity Mortgage thanks to a rate that we simply couldn't pass up. Speaking of the new place, I had our inspection on Friday, and was pleased to return only a few very minor repair needs to the seller. In bride-to-be news, the invites for the bridal shower went out a few days ago. While that's going on, the men are planning a manly day free of giggling, pastel gift bags, and blush wine.

March 25, 2003
Sweet, sweet, relief. Stephanie and I bought a townhouse!!! (photo below) We're so excited! Home-buying in the DC area is WAY more psychotic than it should be, but we made it, with many thanks to our realtor. As of this point, it sounds like we'll close by mid-April. Since we've each got our respective apartment leases through May, that gives us a full month and a half to do some quick painting and maintenance, then to leisurely move in. Praise Jebus. In other news, the Catholic retreat went well, though not completely what we were expecting. We also spent a good amount of time yesterday and today (and probably tomorrow) stuffing/stamping the invitations (Steph actually finished the calligraphy!), with thanks to yon Maid of Honor, Becca. So those will be mailed out within a day or two. I'm drinking a beer or five.


Our new townhouse in Kingstowne (Alexandria)!

March 18, 2003
I can hear you married people laughing at me. You knew it was going to be like this, but you didn't tell me. I'm just kidding - we're tense, but not yet insane. So this weekend, we bought our wedding bands. I wanted to get the word "debt" engraved into mine, but settled for "May 17, 2003" instead. That will be nice. We also are neck-deep into house-hunting. We got a sweet loan pre-approval with Bank of America, and are actually scheduled to go check out a place tomorrow evening with our suspiciously unslimy realtor. Upcoming dates: Catholic weekend retreat, meeting with local priest, meeting with Williamsburg priest, meeting with organist, and mailing of invitations.

February 25, 2003
This past Sunday, our engagement announcement appeared in a Richmond paper. We did not send in the Harlequin romance photo at the top of this page, despite my pleading. Our invitations also arrived last week - they look great!! Stephanie is actually going to calligraphy the addresses herself, and we're planning on getting them mailed out by mid-March. Our biggest stress right now continues to be a place to live. We'd like to buy, but that means a) going through the mortgage loan process, b) house-hunting, and c) winning the lottery. Worst case, we'll rent some hole and save some cash until we're ready. "As the snow flies..."

February 3, 2003
Last week, Stephanie and I had our engagement photo taken (to be sent to the Richmond paper by her parents). Out of 20 or so proofs, we picked a sensible-looking photo. We also had a small scare this past week when American Airlines spontaneously cancelled all our honeymoon flights. AAA came to the rescue, though, and all is well (with some rescheduling, of course). "Save-the-date" cards have been sent out! If you didn't receive one, don't despair - we didn't send them to our entire guest list. Formal invitations will be sent closer to the big day. I also just added a new photo of the Chapel below.

January 15, 2003
Because of our limited space in the Wren Chapel, we are finding our guest list to be a bit ... challenging. We shall prevail, though, and there will be much rejoicing. Our "save-the-date" cards will go out any day now! Sorry for the delay. In other news, the dancefloor has been reserved/rented, and we've begun a few of the church-related prepartions. We're also in continued contact with the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. Yee-haw!

January 6, 2003
Blocks of rooms have been reserved. "Save-the-date" cards are in production. Invitations have been ordered, per our approval of the proofs. The first meeting with our Northern VA priest went well. We have a few [Catholic] seminars/classes to attend in preparation, and those have been scheduled. Bring on the nuptials!

December 10, 2002
We've made progress, right here in River City! Tonight, Stephanie and I booked our airfare and rental car for Maui (many thanks to the good people at AAA Travel)! American Airlines, to and fro (via St. Louis), and a sweet Mustang convertible waiting for us in Hawaii! Outstanding. Tonight's transactions made Visa very happy, too. We have also started calling some hotels to reserve blocks of rooms. Expect those "save-the-date" cards soon! Yikes! Which reminds me; we still need to order invitations!

December 3, 2002
The adventure continues. We have registered at Hecht's, Crate & Barrel, and Michael Round. I also introduced Stephanie to the wonders that are flight reservations. We're going to chat with our local friendly AAA rep this week.

November 18, 2002
We spent Saturday afternoon at a second store working on our registry. I'm still not ready to post links yet, though, because we still have some tweaking to do to each. We did make final decisions regarding our bath and bedroom decor; I feel that if we had spent any more time looking at towels and douvet covers, though, I was going to flip out and start drinking blush wine and reading the latest Oprah Book Club selection. Nonetheless, this is fun. As usual, our to do list remains unchanged with "find a place to live," "buy plane tix," and "do a million other things."

November 10, 2002
I'm in big trouble. I still need to do honeymoon airfare, and get back in touch with our collar for prep classes. It's okay, though - Steph still hasn't been in touch with the dancefloor rental folk. She did go to Richmond for another dress fitting this past weekend, and that apparently went well. After our cake tasting a while back, we're also having second thoughts about our cake flavor. We'll decide on something yummy, I'm sure. If not, it's Krispy Kremes all the way.

November 4, 2002
This past weekend, Steph and I decided on our invitations AND got a start on our wedding registry! At one point, it occurred to us that no matter which invitation we ultimately decided on, all invitations basically look the same (unless we picked from the "Something Different" Invitation Catalog). Hope you all like what we chose. The registry was fun, too. Being our first day and first store, we didn't register for too much, but we got a great start and were able to get a better idea of just what we did and did not need. I will eventually post links to our registries here, but not until we actually have something complete to show! In other news, Stephanie booked our photographer (mentioned below)!

October 24, 2002
Last night, Stephanie and I hopped down to Richmond to meet with a photographer. Good thing, because we're pretty sure that this is the one. Finally! Also, this coming weekend is Homecoming at W&M, and we've scheduled to stop by our cake bakery for a quick tasting. We've already contracted with them for our cake anyways, but haven't sampled their work yet (there was never a question as to which bakery we'd use - so we're not worried). We have also have extended our band a little bit at the start of the reception, and now that we've worked that out, can book a dancefloor rental. Finally, now that we're through October, I need to book honeymoon airfare and car rental, as well as get back in touch with our local and Williamsburg priests for marriage prep.

September 23, 2002
We picked out a china pattern. It's classy (to us). We also have a friend of ours playing some cocktail music during the first hour of our reception, before the band starts up. No other news to report, even though there should be.

September 16, 2002
I'm thinking of a word. Just one word. Five letters. Begins with "e," ends with "lope." We're so silly. Just when we think we have a handle on things, something else occurs to us and we realize that we're actually behind schedule and slightly over budget. This is what it's all about, I suppose. This past weekend, we went to a tasting hosted by our caterers. That went very well - they really seem to be a classy outfit. No food poisoning or TV-dinner-style beef. We also met the photographer of our dreams. Appropriate, because we can only afford her in our dreams. We also need to rent a dance floor and hire a pianist for cocktail hour. The time is also quickly approaching for us to order invitations, pick out a china pattern, and decide where we want to register. Thankfully, Steph and I have the same ideas about all these things, so that should be a painless process. And yes, amazingly, we're both still wildly excited about actually getting married.

September 8, 2002
Yikes. We went to a massive wedding expo today here in the area. Not that we had much purpose there; the only long-term items left are photography and honeymoon flight reservations. We did get some good ideas about price ranges for photography, though, and I was able to chat with a few travel agents about getting a good deal on airfare and a rental car. These expos are wild, psychotic events, though. Lots of brides-to-be, lots of smiling pushy vendors, and a handful of scared and timid grooms-to-be (expos are really more of a chick thing). But not me! I'm helpful! I plan! I watch Trading Spaces! I'm in touch with my feminine side! Of course, I still don't know what the heck "ganache" is, but I smile and act like I do.

September 2, 2002
Woo-hoo! This evening, I called the Plantation Inn on the island of Maui. We're booked for a seven-day stay care of a fancy package deal with a room, dinner, gifts, and all sorts of other fun Hawaiian surprises. Yay! So we're going to book our flights in the next few days, and our honeymoon will be set. We will, of course, be waiting until after school is out for the year - we wouldn't want to pull Stephanie away from her teaching duties while kids are still around. That will also give us time to settle in to our new [first] place together. Oh, yeah - we're apartment hunting, too. More on that later. In other news, we still need a photographer.

August 18, 2002
Whirlwind Wedding Tour 2002 has come to a close. We just spent four days in Williamsburg for the sole purpose of wedding planning. The good news is, we're all but done with the long-range necessities. We have a great caterer, cake, and florist. We also spent more time with the reception coordinator working out more specifics and details. Lunch meeting with our Priest went very well. Last of the big items is a photographer, and we're nearing a decision there. Honeymoon plans will be finalized in the next three days, and booking will occur soon thereafer. And the best part is, we still want to get married!

July 27, 2002
Reception entertainment is a go. Whew. Stephanie has also finalized the flowers and floral arrangements, as well as bridesmaids' dresses. We're going to take a quick trip to the Burg in the middle of August to meet with some caterers, work out some Church stuff, and spend some more time with the facilities director at the Alumni House (ie. reception place). Honeymoon planning is still in the works.

June 25, 2002
We have tentatively secured the priest. Now we need to work out wedding prep through the Church, as well as the other things I've previously mentioned, like reception entertainment and catering. I need to start planning the honeymoon, too! As much as I'd like to visit various breweries up and down the east coast, we've agreed that Hawaii would be better. I've been advised that I should have the whole trip itinerary settled by September, at the latest.

May 29, 2002
Steph and I are planning for six people in the wedding party: maid of honor, two bridesmaids, best man, two groomsmen. My bro will be my best man. Steph has her wedding dress, and the shopping continues for bridesmaids' dresses. The guys will be wearing shorts and t-shirts (kidding!). We still need an officiant (and pre-marriage counseling), reception entertainment, and reception catering - then that will be it for the big stuff. Oh, and I need to start planning the honeymoon. I'm thinking brewery tour.

April 26, 2002
We got the W&M Alumni House!!!! Woo-hoo! We also received word that a friend of ours will be available to play organ at the ceremony (at the Wren Chapel, the organ is a restricted item - there's actually a list of local musicians who are "approved" to play it!).


W&M Alumni House, front view


W&M Alumni House, side view

April 18, 2002
Entry number one, getting up to speed. Steph and I both went to and met at the College of William & Mary. On the edge of campus, next to the colonial restored area, is the oldest academic building in the U.S., the Wren Building. Part of this building is the Wren Chapel, a small, but very nice little chapel that is open to the general public. The chapel can be reserved for events (such as weddings), but it is restricted to alumni of the College, and must be reserved over a year in advance. The long and short of it is, we got it. May 17, 2003, 2-4pm. Now comes a reception facility! We're hoping for the W&M Alumni House (a very nice space, and well within our budget), but do not yet have confirmation on that. Keep your fingers crossed!


Sir Christopher Wren Building, front view
(chapel on left side)


Wren Chapel, interior

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