Wedding Event Photos Online!

I finally got some of the photos from the engagement party, our pre-wedding trip to the Keys and Mark's bachelor party online! Check them out at Flickr....

(Click the photos to access the photo album.)

Back From Key West

Mark and I are back from Key West. Invitations go out tomorrow. Here are some suggestions for taking a ferry from Miami to Key West.

Key West Express
1-866-593-3779
www.miamitokeywestexpress.com
Departs Miami: 8:30AM (Launches from the Miami Seaquarium)
Departs Key West: 5:30PM
$49 each way

Dinner at Cafe Sole

I highly recommend Cafe Sole on Southard and Frances. We just had a fantastic dinner there. We actually ate there last November and it was just as wonderful as we remembered. Even though it is hotter than Hades, the outdoor dining was totally comfortable. They have an extensive wine selection and few bottled beers. If you go there, by all means, get the Hog Snapper. It's the restaurant's specialty and oh my god is it good. Perfectly seared non-fishy fish in a buttery pepper sauce. So good. Also try the Trio of Desserts (Key Lime Pie, Creme Brulee and Fresh Fruit. You'll love it.

We are staying in tonight so we can go to Blue Heaven in the morning for Lobster Benedict (sorry that you can't be here Kelley!)

Ciao!

Don't You Wish You Were Here?

Mark and I are in Key West checking out the wedding digs. We got in yesterday and immediately headed to Island Dogs Bar for a drink (or 3). Met with the GM who is happy to help us put on a spread for the reception. We headed back to Island City House to shower and get ready for dinner. It is so freakin hot here in August that all I could drink at dinner was water. We had a wonderful dinner at Alice's Key West (Mark had Lacquered Duck - amazing - and I had seared tuna which was just OK). I do recommend Alice's, I just think that I was too hot to enjoy it. We called it an early night at about 10Pm and headed back to the room.

Today we headed out around 10AM to check out West Martello Tower. The location is beautful and will apparently be in full bloom in November. We scoped out several areas where we could hold the nuptuals. I'll post photos once we get home. Then we headed over to Key West Cakes to meet with Joey. Again, totally easy going guy who was happy to help us out with Key Lime pies. The cake guy meeting didn't take that long, so we made a pit stop at Albertson's for water, soda and mixers. Then we hit the liquor store for rum - MMMMMMMMM. We met Cathy, the wedding planner, at 1PM and she was completely accomodating. Looks like everything will be handled so we don't have to worry. We had lunch at Square One Cafe (Mark had a BLT and I had a burger) and then we went back to the hotel for a dip in the pool.

We are getting ready to head out to dinner, but I will write more tomorrow.

Where is everyone staying? Check this handy map!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=103109415922651515464.000001137de055385d1c3&ll=24.554122,-81.798194&spn=0.013174,0.019956&z=16&om=1

Photos from the Engagement Party!

As I get more photos from the party, I'll post them to this gallery. Please feel free to share any photos that you might have taken. Just send them on over!

Check back often. Enjoy!

http://luc1313.smugmug.com/gallery/3121237

Ferry From Miami to Key West

For those of you who really want to soak in the ocean, there is a ferry from Miami to Key West (many thanks to Mark's mom, Virginia, for discovering this little gem). Check out Key West Express - http://www.seakeywestexpress.com/miamitokeywest.htm. The trip is $49 one way and lasts about 4 hours. Looks pretty cool. If you are planning to take the ferry, please create a post to the blog in case others might want to join you. See you in November!

Engagement Party a Smash!

Thanks so much to everyone who joined us in celebrating our engagement! The food and drinks were great and how about that cake? We were overjoyed that our friends and family were in attendance and can't wait to see you all at the wedding!!! Photos of the shindig to come!

More Engagement Party Details

We'll be holidng the engagement party on June 30 at the Tavern by the Lake in Reston, VA. Invitations will be going out shortly. We hope that everyone will come. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Heidi or Danielle.

Also, we are getting a cake from Food Network's "Ace of Cakes" Duff Goldman at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore - I'm so psyched!

Engagement Party - Coming Soon!

Heidi and Danielle are busy planning our engagement party. I have sworn to stay out of it and let them work their magic, so feel free to contact Heidi if you need anything or have any ideas. We are looking at late June for the party.

Update on Travel Info - FLL vs. Miami

For those who are planning to fly in to FL and then drive to Key West, I highly recommend flying into the Fort Lauderdale airport instead of Miami. It's a small airport, it's much easier to get to the rental car places and the it's close to the highway.

Miami airport is huge and its in a "bad" part of town. It's very difficult to get from the airport to the highway.

Jet Blue flies from Dulled into Fort Lauderdale and usually has really cheap fares

Registries - Target and Amazon.com

For those inclined to give us a gift, we've registered with Target and Amazon.com. Please access the registries through the I Do Foundation as a portion of your purchase will go to help GoodDogz.org help homeless dogs.

Here is the link -> http://www.idofoundation.org/cgi-bin/mvc.cgi?page=registries.html&WeddingID=21477

For the Voyeur in All of Us - Key West Cam!

Live Key West Web Cams (almost like being there - OK maybe not!)

Duval Street
Hog's Breath Saloon
Schooner Wharf Restaurant
Two Friends Patio Restaurant
Hemingway Home Cat Cam
Green Parrot Bar

Places to Stay

Island City House - we are staying there
Duval Gardens - we have stayed there - nice
Avalon BNB- Jenn and John are staying there; sister property to Duval Gardens
The Gardens Hotel - Kelley and Mark are staying there
Bananas Foster Bed & Breakfast

Also, consult TripAdvisor.com for hotel reviews!

Who Needs Food? Direct Us to the Bar!

We recommend:

Sloppy Joe's
Fogarty's - sit in Amber's section
Dog Beach Bar - on Front Street, ask for Benny
Kevin's Irish Bar - where girls take their tops off
Willie T's - 525 Duval Street
Mangoes - excellent rum runners

Also good:
Captain Tony's
Hog's Breath Saloon

Good Eats!

We recommend:

Alice's Key West - Oh my God! The best food on Duval!
Alonzo's - Excellent raw bar
Cafe Sole - Off the beaten path - excellent fish
PT's Late Night Bar & Grill - good food, just don't order the lamb!
Rick's Blue Heaven - MMMMMMMmmmmm good (and you get to eat your lunch with a bunch of chickens)
Hard Rock Cafe - a staple; always a good meal


We DON'T recommend:
Seven Fish - Expensive and food isn't that good

Key West - Things to Do

Here are some fun things to do in Key West:

Official Tourism Website
Jet Skis and Sea-Doos - this is who we usually use for jet ski tours
Snorkeling
The Dry Tortugas National Park
Sunset Celebration - Cool street fair every night at sunset
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
Ghost Tours of Key West
Southernmost Point

Please let everyone know what fun things YOU like to do in Key West!

The Date and Time are Set!

We are exchanging vows on November 23 at 3:30PM at the West Martello Tower in Key West. Look for Save the Date cards in the mail soon!

Great Book for Brides to Be!

I am currently reading "Offbeat Bride" by Ariel Meadow Stallings. Every to be bride should read this book. It takes a very realistic approach to planning, avoiding hurt feelings, dealing with tough decisions as well as alternatives to the "traditional" wedding. Here is her website - check it out. It's helping me keep my sanity!

http://offbeatbride.com/

Beach Wedding Dresses

My mom likes these beach wedding dresses - http://www.hawaiianweddingshop.com/

Date and Location Set

We have set the date - November 23, 2007 and the location - West Martello Tower. West Martello Tower was constructed in the 1860s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The name, Martello, is an apparent corruption of Mortella, a Spanish architect, who designed fortifications for the Island of Corsica in the late 1700s. Apparently the tower was never used in battle but now serves as the home for the Key West Garden Club. My planner tells me that its a beautiful location for photos and has covered areas in case of rain. Here is a link. The photos are terrible, but gives you an idea of what it looks like -->http://www.keywestgardenclub.com/index.htm.

Welcome to Our Wedding Blog!

In an effort to bring you up-to-the-minute details about our upcoming nuptials (and because I am a HUGE geek), I have decided to create this handy blog. Hopefully, everyone will enjoy the actics as I try to plan our wedding! Please feel free to comment - but keep it clean please!