Mimi & Brian Tie the Knot!

Toledo Blade Announcement

2007-09-01T15:59:00.000-04:00

With just a few days left before our anniversary, I finally managed to get our announcement in the Toledo Blade! We felt like one year was the acceptable time limit to make such announcements, and are glad we made it in!

See the online post here:
Brian and Mimi Trease

Also, if you're reading this and never received our thank you card from our wedding, please know that we're STILL working on them!! It's been a busy year finishing up school in Ann Arbor, but we WILL still get all of them sent out!

Allright, almost at the one-year mark now --- I think we just might make it!
Brian

Podcast: Engineering a Unique Wedding

2007-02-10T19:23:00.000-05:00

Wow, my brother was right in his toast about our "all online internet" wedding. Now we've even been immortalized in an Engineering Podcast! The link below is to a podcast created by the UM ME Dept.. I knew they were writing a story --- I didn't know it was going to be a podcast until I came across it on a google search!

It's pretty funny, enjoy!

Engineering a Unique Wedding [ .mp3 ] (UM ME Dept. Podcast)

(Don't be frightened by the term "podcast". Just click on the MP3 link above for a direct download.)

Wedding Soundtrack!

2006-12-13T21:30:00.000-05:00

Now in stores, in time for the holiday season!

People seemed to like our playlist, so now I share with you the soundtrack to our wedding.

Prelude: Preceremony Seating Music
(No, we're not insane Coldplay fans. Those songs were just good filler in case we started late, which we did!)

Speed of Sound, by Coldplay
The Scientist, by Coldplay
Fix You, by Coldplay
In Your Eyes, by Peter Gabriel
First Day of My Life, by Bright Eyes
Another First Kiss, by They Might Be Giants
Such Great Heights, by The Postal Service
'Til Kingdom Come, by Coldplay
New Slang, by The Shins
You Can Have It All, by Yo La Tengo
You're So Cool (Theme from "True Romance"), by Hans Zimmer

Processional Songs

Parents: Here, There, Everywhere, by Montana Skies (Beatles Cover)
Groomsmen and Groom: The Book of Love, by The Magnetic Fields
Bridesmaids: Magic in the Air, by Badly Drawn Boy
The Bridal March + Cherry, Cherry, by Neil Diamond

Recessional Songs

The Recessional Song + What A Wonderful World, performed by Joey Ramone
Before You, by Chantal Kreviazuk
Smile, by Ricky Fante

Reception Songs

Entrance:
Battle Without Honor Or Humanity (the kick-ass theme from "Kill Bill"), by Tomoyasu Hotei

First Dance (Waltz):
Ice Cream, by Sarah Mclachlan

Father-Daugher & Mother-Son Dance:
You Are So Beautiful, by Joe Cocker

Bridal Party Dance:
Stand By Me, by Ben E. King

Second Dance (Swing-time)
Nothing Matters When We're Dancing, by The Magnetic Fields

Bouquet Toss:
Don't Cha, by the Pussycat Dolls

Garter Toss:
Sex Machine, by James Brown

Twist Contest (winners of bouquet & garter versus the bride and groom)
You Never Can Tell, by Chuck Berry

Some photos on Flickr

2006-12-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

Hi again,

Here are the first batch of our photographer's photos that I've posted to Flickr...
(These are the same as the previous posting, but just on a more accessible site.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/briantrease/sets/72157594218941468/

You can add comments, tags, etc., and you can also order prints. I'll get the rest up soon, and when I'm all done, I'll probably still post them to Snapfish, since I believe it might be easier to order prints there.

Enjoy!

1,000 Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

2006-11-30T11:05:00.000-05:00

1,042, more precisely, photos posted online, that is.

Yes, our photographer got back to us with our proofs last week, which you can for the time view at his website: http://trease.weddingherald.com/ [Update: This website is now gone. Refer to our more recent posts for links to our photos.]

You can buy photos from the site if you want, but they're rather expensive. However, we were given access to all the original digital files ourselves (on CD.ROM), which I'll be posting to my Flickr account soon (maybe Snapfish, too). From those sites, you'll be able to download photos, add witty comments, mark favorites, and order prints.

Also, note that this is only HALF of our photos! We still have the 900+ that all of you took, that I'm still figuring out when and how to put online. Patience! They'll be worth it!

Cool Beans!
Brian

Easy on the wine, babe!

2006-10-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

Phonebooth Getaway

2006-10-10T11:41:00.000-04:00

End of the Night

Bubbly Bliss!

2006-10-02T01:06:00.000-04:00

Since it's taking a while to sort and prepare all the photos we've received so far (over 900), I'm sharing this one now, just because I love it. Make sure to view it large. Enjoy!

Mysterious Pillows (Oh, so alluring)

2006-09-21T10:36:00.000-04:00

Mimi and I received some great pillows from our BB&B registry ... big, white, fluffy clouds of luxurious comfort. And as much as we'd like to thank the generous gifter, we cannot find a name, tag, or gift card anywhere on the pillow or in the bag!

So, here's your lucky and last chance to take credit for yourselves. Or, if you're feeling devious, you can try to take credit for someone else's gift! Or, perhaps you just feel embarrased about purchasing bedroom paraphenalia and wish to remain discretely anonymous ... but really, we're married now, so speak up -- it's all OK!

Indulgence™ Side Sleeper Queen Pillow

Postcard Greetings from the Honeymoon

2006-09-15T11:02:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, we're having great fun! See you soon!!

First Great Capture!

2006-09-11T14:25:00.000-04:00

Matt, our photographer friend from Ypsilanti, caught this great shot with his old-school Yashica Mat 125G camera...

Click on it for the full-size ---- what a wonderful moment!! It really captures the magic of the evening.

We Did It!

2006-09-10T13:26:00.000-04:00

Hurray!

It's official, we are now Husband and Wife! And it's also official that yesterday was the best day of our lives! Thank you SO much to everyone who came! We had such a good time and you were all so great ---- I'm just going to have to give up on my normal wit and prose and just say THANK YOU! It was so amazing to see all our hard work become real and play out before our eyes, even more beautifully than we imagined. I could ramble on and on here, but we do need to get ready for the "next stage of our journey" ... we're heading to the airport at 4:30 for our flight to Philly.

For now, I'll leave you with this one image. Toledo Fox 36 News was kind enough to point their webcam at the Boyer for our ceremony. Now, I'm not sure what the lives images looked like, but here's one from just before the ceremony started...

And stay tuned for more photos after we return. It sounds like Bob, our photographer, took over 1400 photos, and with all the digital cameras I saw, I estimate that the crowd (you guys!) took another 5000. So, get those to us any way you can! Email, Flickr, or just mail us a CD (our give one to our parents).

Thank you again!

Glowing with happy wedded bliss,

Mr. and Mrs. Brian and MiMi

Cross Your Fingers!!

2006-09-08T10:17:00.000-04:00

Do you favorite anti-rain dance for tomorrow! Looks like we're going to be right on the border of a storm system. If it drifts north, we're good, if it drifts south ... we'll being splishin' and splashin'. No matter what happens, be sure to come, because tomorrow is still going to be the most awesome day in my and Mimi's lives!

Buckeye Uncles and Priorities

2006-09-07T13:46:00.000-04:00

Well, it appears that a monumental conundrum has confounded my dear uncles on the Bobak side. It seems that those scurvy OSU Buckeyes are playing the big Texas Longhorns this Saturday night. I've already been asked if they can just tape the wedding and watch it later. :) But seriously, I think these fellow are really pressing for a TV and gameroom at the reception --- at the reception of a proud Michigan Wolverine! What nerve! C'mon, it's only number one in the nation against number two. But didn't Texas crush OSU last year, what's the big deal??

So, I can promise you there'll be no game on in the reception hall. Sorry, sports fans. Thus, I'm predicting a handful of tailgaters out in the parking lot. While I partially sympathize with their plight, I still hope it rains on them the whole time, until the reception is done. :)

Oh, and I guess we'll allow the DJ to announce the score occasionally ... as long as OSU is still losing!!

Go Blue!
Brian

Front Page, Read All About It!

2006-09-07T11:39:00.000-04:00

Hey, we're getting some press!

The Ann Arbor News featured a story about non-traditional weddings, and mentioned us in two paragraphs and even featured an image of our invites....

You can find the whole story here.

Also, the Boyer made it in the news, too. It looks like the Boy Scouts have been cleaning her up, getting her ready for our Big Day...

Boys from Maumee outfits scrub and
shine Toledo's floating museum

Scouts Jake Gurecky, front, and Clayton Rice sweep the deck of the S.S. Willis B. Boyer, helping clean up the 95-year-old ship.
( THE BLADE/HERRAL LONG )

Zoom | Photo Reprints

You can read the whole article here. It kind of neat, since I (an Eagle Scout, don't you know) used to work on the Boyer with the Boy Scouts, when we helped run the Haunted Ship Fright-a-Float many years ago.

Taking on Toledo & The Greek Festival

2006-09-05T10:09:00.000-04:00

With our big wedding and downtown locations, we expect to totally rock this town this weekend. And that includes the bridges and roads, too, which I wanted to warn you all about. It shouldn't really be a problem, but it looks like the MLK Bridge is still only one lane each direction. It might be a bit slow with the mass exodus from the Boyer to the Reception, but you'll still all get there before the Bride and Groom do.

Also, if you start getting bored with the wedding or reception, you can just head over to the Toledo Greek Festival going on this weekend. It's located kitty-corner from the hotel (and within walking distance.) It might be a good location for some post-reception afterpartying. Nonetheless, be wary of the other potential intoxicated merry-makers wandering the Toledo streets.

Cheers! Brian

Get Pumped!

2006-09-05T09:58:00.000-04:00

Four more days until this bachelor gets a ring around his finger!

We're getting super excited for the big day and can't wait for it to be here already! We've just had our last unmarried weekend together, our last unmarried Monday together, our last unmarried Taco Bell together, you get the picture...

As far as planning, the ceremony is nearly complete. We've completed all the rockin' music selections --- let me just say that you better to ready to clap your hands. We've also solved the Rubic's nightmare of assigned seating, and in the end it works out very nicely. (My idea to sit everyone at a table of strangers didn't fly with anyone ... it would've been a great mixer.) :)

Wish us luck!
Brian

Updates + Happy 30th Mom & Dad!

2006-08-27T19:40:00.000-04:00

So, this weekend a few more things were completed. I got my suitpants hemmed and some shiny black shoes with a matching belt. We also scouted out downtown a bit more for afterparty venues. The program and ceremony are nearly complete now, but we still have to work out a few more songs for the ceremony. And Mimi and I took some private lessons today ... lessons for what, you ask? Just wait and see...

Neither of us can believe it's only 12 days away now. We're both so busy with the planning, plus Mimi is busy with work and I'm busy with research and writing my conference presentation. It's going to be such an amazing relief on our wedding day to see you all there and all of our planning turning into reality!

This coming week, I'll be spending 4 days with my family (Mom, Dad, Nikki, Tony) in NYC as a little pre-wedding getaway as well as celebration of my parent's 30th anniversary. It's going to be hard to be away from Mimi for even that short of time ... we've really been spending all of our time lately on this. But, I will have my laptop with me, to manage the last minute details and practice my presentation. And when I return ... only one week will remain!

The Final Stand!

2006-08-27T19:24:00.000-04:00

Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties were both last weekend. Mimi and the ladies went to the Kalahari Resort and Indoor Waterpark in Sandusky, while I and the vikings raided the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly.

After the group bonding and feats of strength, the ladies went on for dinner and drinks at Margaritaville, while the boys and I took on the clubs of downtown Pontiac.

Thank you to all of the wonderful friends who came along and the planners who made it happen!

Time is FLYING!

2006-08-16T10:40:00.000-04:00

Holy smokes, only 24 days left! Sorry that it's been 11 days since a new posting, but it's just been go-go-go lately. Mimi's had two more dress fittings. We've been picking out all the ceremony music. And managing RSVP's --- that's been the main time-taker. Still a few more out there, but nearly everyone is now accounted for. Sounds like the hotel is filling up, too ... 10 rooms had been booked as of Sunday, and I know a few more have been since. Well, as hectic as it's been, this coming weekend will be a nice break. Mimi and I both have our bachelor and bachelorette parties. She'll be traveling down to Ohio and I'll be traveling north to Holly and Pontiac, so we'll be far enough apart that nearly anything might happen. Providing our stories pass the censor filter, we'll share some of the details later next week.

Love y'all! -B-

Pretty Dress and Tasty Cake

2006-08-05T15:25:00.000-04:00

Mom and I drove out to Shaw's today for another dress fitting... it's really all coming together so nicely! The dress is pretty much my size finally (down from a 20!), although I asked for a bit more to be taken in so it's not so wide at the bottom. Mom looks beautiful in her dress and I think she may convert it to an outfit to wear out on the town once the wedding is over. One more fitting to go and we should be all set with my gown.

Mom and I then met Brian at the bakery (Sweet Occasions) where we finalized the cake. After looking through several books during a previous visit, Brian had drawn a picture on a napkin of what we wanted so it was kind of funny when he pulled the crumpled note out of his pocket and we presented it! The cake flavors will be chocolate with raspberry filling, white with Bavarian, and carrot cake (we listened to you, Liz and Mom Trease!).

-M-

(p.s. from Brian: basically, between the good-looking cake and the good-looking bride, you're gonna have a hard time focusing your attention. So, of the two, just remember the only one I'm sharing is the cake.)

Eight Years Already

2006-08-03T09:31:00.000-04:00

In the middle of all this wedding planning, Mimi and I actually celebrated our EIGHT YEAR Anniversary last Friday. Eight years! I hope that gives us a little more credit when people want to think of us as those naive, fresh newlyweds. :)

So, what was going on way back at the beginning? Here's a few of the earliest photos I have, from the those first frolicking months together.

Updates ala Mimi

2006-08-02T21:25:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share some additional progress we made the same weekend we got our marriage license... we also met with Shelly at Keeler Florist to talk wedding flowers. I worked for Shelly at Nothtowne Flowers for a few years back in my high school - early college years. Actually, Brian bought me roses from the shop for our first official date! Anyway, because I have complete faith in her and know that she'll do a great job, I wasn't real worried about making sure I got the flowers taken care of sooner. It was so fun to be on the other side of the consultation table and to have someone who played such an important role in my life help me select flowers!

Also that weekend, we pretty much finalized our honeymoon plans. For those who may have forgotten, we'll be going to a Mechanical Engineering conference in Philly (!) and then heading to the Poconos Mountains. Our flight is booked (we'll be leaving Sunday night) as is our hotel room at The Stroudsmoor which looks beautiful. All that's left is the car rental.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm getting more and more nervous the closer the day comes. Honestly, no. The closer we get, the calmer I feel. Everything just feels right. Also, for some reason, now that the shower has passed things just seem less stressful.

Upcoming events: I have a dress fitting on Saturday and Brian and I will also be meeting with the bakery to finalize things later that day.

Oh! and the bridesmaid dresses are in! So, all the gals are scheduling their fittings as well.

More to come...

Some Fun Photos and Teasers

2006-07-31T16:45:00.000-04:00

For you history buffs, here's the marker located outside the Amtrak station at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza.

And for you Betsy buffs, here she is on the day she and Mimi went looking for bridesmaid dresses. Of course, note the name of the chosen location.

And finally, some nautical miscellany aboard the Boyer. My, aren't you getting excited already!

Ta ta! -Brian

Headlines, Read All About It!

2006-07-26T16:18:00.000-04:00

Not only are we legal, but we are also public. Here is the clipping of our announcement in last Sunday's Monroe Evening News (July 23, 2006).

Unfortunately, the M.E.N. doesn't put announcements in their online edition, so I'll include the original here...

Nearly Legal

2006-07-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

We're legal (almost)!

Mimi took Monday off and we headed down to Toledo. It was a beautiful, bright sunny day downtown. The Toledoans were bustling about on their lunch hours as we approached the imposing and beautiful Lucas County Courthouse.

Upon entering, we were treated to a security check, had our bags and phones inspected, and proceeded through a metal detector. Ah, then the cold, grey halls of the courthouse welcomed us, echoing of embezzlements, trial lawyers, hung juries, and DUI's. How romantic! We boarded the elevator and proceeded to the 2nd floor, where the Marriage Licensing and Mental Health offices are located next to each other ... coincidence?

Keeping with the joyous spirit, we entered a room where you're not even greeted ... only confronted with a sign indicating to sit and wait to be called. And that we did, with the others waiting ... 3 couples on two small benches. Given the atmosphere, we all chose to awkwardly avoid each other on this would-be/should-be gregarious moment.

Finally, our moment came as a voice out-of-sight called us over to a cubicle plastered with post-its and photos of NFL football players. Right-hands raised, we swore that we're not related in any way (even if we might sometimes look like it). We also swore that we've never been married before ... not to the mob, our job, or god. (again, is it a coincidence that marriage should begin with so much swearing?)

Don't get me wrong, the clerk was indeed friendly and smiling, much in the same manner as those clerks at the DMV. Of course, she had much to be happy about ... midway through our interview, a co-worker stopped by an offered a candy bar, "one of the new ones in the machine", which she opened and tried out with satisfactory result.

And that was that! Handing over our 50 bucks cash, we received the guv'ments official OK to wed, procreate, file our taxes together, request conjugal visits, whatever we want ... the world will soon be ours!

Ah, sweet bliss!

*B*

Update-o-Rama

2006-07-18T13:43:00.000-04:00

Wow, so much is happening now, and so quickly! I've got a whole list of things I want to blog about, but there are new things to add to it all the time ... I'm overwhelmed! (As if wedding planning isn't supposed to be hectic, right?)

So, some things:
Bridal Shower was a smashing success! Mimi and all the ladies gathered at the VFW in Petersburg, where her dad, Tom, is a former Commander and current chef in the kitchen. So, between him and his girlfriend Kathy, there was yummy Mexican food and quesadillas for all. The ladies played games, I hung out with some friends over on the bar side of the VFW, and we returned home with a big pile of gifts that we have nowhere to put and still hasn't moved from the center of our living room!

Suit's are done! I picked out the g-men's suits, from After Hours. Again, with the very nice, subtle tonal striping that matches my own suit. Cha-ching! Now we just need all the guys to go and get measured.

Titanium! Yes, that's the flavor of my wedding band, which Mimi and I picked up just recently. The latest in cutting-edge engineering metal technology, oh yeah!

Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties! These are in the works now, for sometime in August. Mimi and I don't know all the details, but I think I'm in store for a day at the Michigan Renaissance Fest ... you know, viking helmets, goblets of mead, lusty beer wenches, meat right off the drumstick, stuff like that... :)

Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner. These are now set. Rehearsal is at 4:30 on Friday on the Boyer, with dinner following at Tony Packo's. And then some possible bonfire plans to follow...

Honeymoon! Well, other than the immediate excitement of the "ASME 30th Annual Mechanisms and Robotics Conference at the 2006 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & the Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, held in Philadelphia, PA", which is our first pit-stop, we're now planning our getaway to the romantic Poconos in northeast Pennsylvania. There are a lot of nice B&B's and inns up that way. There's also a lot of places with 7 foot tall champagne glass jacuzzis, which we mean to avoid at all costs. Actually, if anyone has any lodging suggestions, let us know soon!

So, hold tight, and we hope to actually write a bit more on all this fun stuff.

Adios! -Brian

Chicken vs. Vegetable - The Fight Continues!

2006-07-17T13:28:00.000-04:00

To help those of you who haven't RSVP'ed yet, here is a more detailed description of your food options:

Chicken: Stuffed chicken breast served with roasted redskin potatoes and green bean almondine.
Vegetable: Vegetarian lasagna with cream sauce served with green bean almondine.
Child's meal (for children only!): Chicken fingers, fruit cup, and tater tots.

So, mark those cards and
RSVP SOON!

From Zero to 3 in One Week

2006-06-26T23:00:00.000-04:00

So, in a previous post I was at a total loss and hopeless that I would ever find a proper suit for my proper wedding. And now, behold, I have three! And you better just hope that my dancing shoes and the DJ can keep up, because I plan on sweating through all three of them before the night is through!

On a related note, I'm going to S&K Menswear this coming Saturday to pick out the suits for the G-Men ... something with a little tone-on-tone stripe to tickle your eyes.

Bust-a-move, *B*

Wedding Song Requests! - What's your top 5?

2006-06-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

We're taking them now!

Tell us your Top 5:

Dance Songs
Procession/Ceremony Songs (we won't likely be very traditional)
Slow Dance Songs --- Ohhhhh, yeah
"Honeymooning" Songs - ??

If you can't come up with 5, you are lame, but at least send us one suggestion.

Love you ALL!
-A&B

Boy, are our tongues tired!

2006-06-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

... because we just gone done licking a big stack of envelopes. Don't worry, we didn't buy the cheap brand. But seriously, WOW, we spent all week working on these! Super kudos to Shallon Smith for most of the design and fabrication work, though. All we did is the cutting, folding, and stuffing and we've had enough.

Funny, my beer bottle is now stuck to my lip. And, no, that's not normal.

-B-

INFO: Hotel / Registry / Toledo

2006-06-23T12:35:00.000-04:00

Hotel Info

A block of rooms has been set aside at the Wyndham Hotel in downtown Toledo. The Wyndham is located across the river from the S.S. Boyer and minutes from the train station. It is also right next to the big blue OI building and the COSI science center.

Two SeaGate/Summit Street
Toledo, Ohio 43604

Both single (1 king bed) and double (2 double beds) rooms are available for $89/night. (Limited rooms available for Friday night.)

When placing your reservation, please indicate that you are a guest of the Layman/Trease wedding to receive the discounted rate of $89/night.

Wyndham Reservation Number: 419-241-1411
Reservations must be placed by August 15th.

By the way, we’ll be staying there too!

Registry Info
Honestly, all we need from you is to join us at our wedding. But for those of you who just love shopping and registeries, here is the info you need...

We are registered at Bed, Bath, & Beyond (BBB) and Sears.
-You can shop at BBB in-person, via phone (1-800-GO BEYOND® (1-800-462-3966)), or online at http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/. Registry information will be available up to 24 months following our wedding.
-You can shop at Sears in-person or online at http://www.sears.com/

Also, use this link to go directly to our BBB registry:

Layman/Trease - Bed Bath & Beyond

Things to do in/around Toledo
(distance from hotel in parantheses)

General Information: http://dotoledo.org/

COSI – Hands-on Science Museum (Brian used to volunteer there!) (0.1 miles)
The Toledo Museum of Art (2 miles)
The Toledo Zoo (3.7 miles)

Maumee Bay State Park (11 miles)
Wildwood (8 miles) and other Metroparks
Toledo Botanical Garden (8.4 miles)

The Sundance Kid Drive-in (6 miles)

Westfield/Franklin Park Mall (7.5 miles)
Erie Street Market (1 mile)

Stadium District (1 mile, walkable)

The Bronze Boar
The Spaghetti Warehouse
The Durty Bird
Frickers
Grumpy’s
Easy Street Cafe
Oliver House Restaurant Complex

Tony Packos (2.1 miles)
The Docks (1 mile, nice walk from hotel)
Maxwell’s Brew Coffee House – where Brian & Mimi spent most of their first year together (4.5 miles)

*#^$@& Gargleblastit!

2006-06-06T16:11:00.000-04:00

Confound it all!

The only wedding-worthy suit at Briarwood Mall has been sold, and not to me!

Tony and I saw it several weeks ago at Bachrach, and it was pretty pimp with some super-styling shadowstripes. But alas I went back to buy it last night, only to find out my size is gone and the line has been discontinued. Drats! Well, let the search begin again....

*Brian

Dress Fitting

2006-05-14T21:50:00.000-04:00

Mom and I took a roadtrip to Wauseon on Saturday for another fitting. Great news, a dress really can be taken in from a size 20! The alterations are coming along nicely and as always the folks at Shaw's are just so nice. We were invited to join them for a tea party in honor of Mother's Day but had to take off abruptly as I realized I was going to be late for our engagement photo session. In the end, the session was canceled due to rain. We've rescheduled for the first weekend in June.
Question of the post: veil or no veil?

M

Wedding Toasts (Yum!)

2006-05-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

As Mimi and I are thinking of and planning all kinds of options for our shipdeck ceremony, we suddenly thought, "Well, I wonder if anyone we haven't asked wants to get up and say something?" If so, awesome! We would never want to put anyone on the spot, but if you want to give a special toast, by all means, just let us know. Thanks!!

Progress Report

2006-05-08T21:45:00.000-04:00

Brian and I made fantastic progress this past weekend! We:
*Selected our paper and ink for the invites
*Put a deposit down with the bakery
*Met with the caterer to review menu updates
*Met with an officiant to whom we will be mailing a deposit tomorrow

I did receive some bad news from the shop where we're getting our bridesmaid dresses (Mimi Bridal, seriously). One of the dress colors we had selected has been discontinued which has sent me back to the drawing board in a way. We're running into a time crunch to get the dresses ordered as it takes 3 months to get them and we'll need time for alterations.

later!
M

Soda Jerk

2006-04-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

Nuts! I knew our caterer was providing coffee, tea, and water. And, I had spoken to my dad about the beer and liquor. I somehow didn’t think of the fact that we would need in-between non-alcoholic options as well. We did not budget for soda or juice but I don’t think there’s any getting around it. Sigh, one more thing.

Some good news: a contract for the tent is on its way to us and we may have found a less-expensive officiant who also seems to possess the skills and traits (read literate) that we were hoping for. I’m working on the chairs which are a pain in the butt (ha-ha!) because they will need to be carried up on to the deck of the ship.

We’re thinking of blocking off some rooms at one of the downtown hotels but it’s a little hard to tell how much of a need there is. Will folks from A2 want to stay overnight? Family from Michigan? We don’t have many friends/family who will actually have to fly in (though we can’t wait to see those who are: yay Betsy, Nick, Bart, and Liz!!!) so it’s tough to estimate. I think we’ll go ahead and do it since nothing is lost if no one ends up using them.

We have an appointment with the caterer and will also pick up cake samples from one of two bakeries we are considering on the 6th. On the 13th I'll go to the shop where I'm getting my dress and see how all that taking-in is going (it's being taken in from a size 20)...that's going to be really exciting.

Everything is coming along and it feels pretty good (even though I did freak out about the soda thing, sorry Brian).

M

Gift Registry!!!

2006-04-23T19:51:00.000-04:00

Mission accomplished! Brian and I returned to Bed Bath & Beyond today and completed our gift registry. It was a little difficult....I mean, what's our house going to look like when we grow up?? Plus, did you know that not all pots and pans are the same? Charles, the wonderful guy that helped us, asked which one of us was the cook...poor guy, he received two blank looks in return. Actually, both Brian and I would love to cook more but our kitchen is just so small. Dad got us a subscription to Bon Appetite for Christmas which has helped give us some ideas. But, I digress. We had a lot of fun registering and somehow, and I know this sounds hokey, but somehow it made the wedding and marriage and the whole moving on to the next phase of our life together thing seem very important. I never really thought of it, but it brings us that much closer to establishing "our life" together.

Serious stuff aside, I fatigued way before Brian did. Suddenly I felt like the 5-year old little girl who had been dragged to Monkey Wards by her mom and my eyes began to roll back into my head. Meanwhile Brian, trigger finger ready, was asking what I thought about spice racks.

So, family and friends, if you would like to take a peek at our registry, go to: www.bedbathandbeyond.com . Oh, one of the handy things about BB&B, in addition to being able to giftwrap and ship items selected online, via phone, or in-store, they hold on to our registry for 24 months after the ceremony in case anyone is looking for gift ideas later.

M

Practice Registry

2006-04-22T18:03:00.000-04:00

Brian and I went to a couple of stores to compare bedding and dinnerware as we thought these were pretty major items to agree on. It did take us a while - because we couldn't make a decision, not because we couldn't agree -but we did find place settings and a comforter we like. We figure everything else should be easy and hope to go back tomorrow to actually register.

Another success story: both moms have found their dresses which are sure to amaze our guests. Actually, my mom found her dress at the same shop I found mine. Once they cut about three feet of extra material off, she'll be all set.

The bridesmaids' dresses will be ordered next week which will be another comforting checkmark.

We have a call in to an officiant, so hopefully we can get that wrapped up quickly. I'm trying to remain calm, but just "yesterday" I was saying there was 5 months left and now it's more like 4 - yikes!

M

Centerpieces - Check

2006-04-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

Whew! Reception decor progress was made today. I was having a real hard time finding unscented pillar candles for some reason. Fortunately, with Spring comes wedding planning (apparently) because the craft stores are now full of them. So, the centerpieces are pretty much done other than the project Brian is taking on (see previous post). We also found some decorations for the bar and for the breeze-way area leading into the hall. This all means that reception decor is pretty much done. We need a guestbook, but other than that I think we're set.

We received the literature from the wedding officiant mentioned previously and, like her website, it's very thorough. Still working on this task...

We also stopped in a local antique shop today. A friend of Brian's had mentioned as where she found her wedding band. They had lots of beautiful rings, but we think we'll go with the band the engagement ring was intended to go with. It was good to see the other rings though because it pointed out that we prefer the original :-)

This week, we hope to go to some suit shops to look find Brian's outfit for the big day. We're not sure how this will work out. We'd like him just to wear a suit (which he would likely buy) but that creates a problem for the other guys in the wedding as it can be difficult to find places that rent suits.

M

Carrot Cake vs. Chocolate Cake

2006-04-03T22:33:00.000-04:00

We've been busy lately...looking for a wedding officiant, bakery testing, checking out the reception site (again), etc. We found an officiant that is a definite maybe. Her background in communication and theater is very appealing but she's incredibly expensive - more than twice as much as anyone else we've come across. Officiant shopping is proving difficult as we want someone with a personality, but at least I, and I think Brian a bit, too, shy away from those with religious backgrounds - even those willing to conduct un-religious ceremonies. Most of them want a donation made to their church which isn't so bad except then I feel like I have to shop around so that our money doesn't end up in a church we completely disagree with. We can go the judge route, but then I feel like I need to know their political backgrounds so our money doesn't end up in Texas. I know, I think too much! Anyway, it's proving quite the task.

Last Saturday we bought cupcakes at two of our favorite bakeries: Wixey and Sweet Occasions (formerly Strauss). After careful deliberation, thorough research assisted with milk to cleanse the palette, and input from family members....we ended up with an even-split vote!

After picking up the aforementioned yumminess, we stopped by the train station which was set up for a wedding. It was set up completely different from the last time we saw it so that was interesting. The layout is a bit unique...so we're tossing around ideas for how we want it.

Speaking of tossing things around, when we made it home the next day I nearly tossed the centerpieces out of the window. Brian has agreed to take the lead on that project because my frustration with following through on what had seemed a simple and easy idea is mounting. Sorry, can't give too many details out or you guys won't have a reason to come (i.e. if you know everything about the day).

Lastly, we stopped by a salon named Ahava (www.ahavaspa.com) that's right downtown so it would be super convenient to get my hair done there. Don't know much about it, but it looks nice. Still deciding...hair up or down?

M

Sorry for the delay...

2006-03-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

Hi all,
We apologize for the lack of activity. The Planning has been moving at a snail's pace lately. We are currently checking out leads for wedding officiants. We hope to find someone with just the right charisma so it's taking a while.
We'll be meeting with Gladieux in the next few weeks to select table settings and probable menu options (a vegetarian option will be available for sure). Other big items we'll be pushing on include the cake and the guys' suits. Oh yeah, and we have to settle on invites. Oh, and shoes for the girls. Oh, and a canopy. Oh, and chairs. Oh, and apparently I'm supposed to begin scouting places to do my hair and make-up.
Yikes-stripes. We're having fun now! :-)
M

Progress Report from Mimi...

2006-02-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

We’ve made some serious headway lately: we’ve booked a photographer and I’ve found a wedding dress!

In the photography category, we once again successfully went over budget. Bob of Grand Lubell just stole our hearts with his enthusiasm and knowledge. The M&M’s he shared during our 2½ hour meeting also helped. :) When we walked out of our meeting, Brian and I both knew that we would be booking with him, we just needed time to talk ourselves into overspending one more time. Well, technically we agreed to allow this budget category to expand to what we needed it to in order to book Grand Lubell, so we didn’t really go over budget.

I really lucked out when it came to my dress. I met a fantastic woman from Shaw’s of Wauseon at the Superbowl of Bridal Shows back in January. She was really nice and convinced me to take the hour-long trek out to Wauson. For those unfamiliar, which I think is fair to guess is most of you, Wauseon is a one stoplight kind of town. Even better, at Shaw’s you can buy a Carhartt and hunting jacket at the same time you buy pick out your wedding dress! Most convenient, really. So my mom, my sister Kelly, two of my nieces, my nephew, and I all headed out on a recent chilly, rainy Saturday. The dress I finally settled on is absolutely nothing like what I thought I would end up with. It’s much more traditional than I thought it would be. I ended up with a great deal though…because it’s a floor model, it was over half-off and I received a discount from having attended the bridal show. This is one category (the only so far) that I kept to the budget even after alterations. About those alterations, did I mention the dress is a size 20 and so needs to be taken in a bit? (Wow, we could fit 10 Mimi's in there -- can you imagine! -Brian)

I should also note that the bridesmaid dresses were actually selected a while ago. The six girls will be in alternating shades of blues: cadet and cornflower. Almost all of the girls have been fitted, so that is progressing along nicely and so far none (though it was close) have cried in horror at themselves in the dress. (Note from Brian: The dresses are actually from Mimi's Bridal here in Ann Arbor ... how fitting and poetic.)

Now we just need to find someone to conduct the ceremony!

So much is happening ... dresses, DJ's, and photography.

2006-02-09T10:39:00.000-05:00

Well, where to begin. The biggest ordeal of them all, that of which I was most fearful, is now over much sooner than I expected ... Mimi found a wedding gown! Just when I really thought she was soon to go Bridezilla on me. (Not that I would've blamed her ... the whole process was insanely frustrating.) I'm sure she can describe the experience much better than I, so I'll let her do that in her own post. But I couldn't be happier ... that's a major tick on our checklist, wahoo! She found the dress at Shaw's Clothing in Wauseon, so props out to them.

To get the party started right, we're going with Sihasi for our "DJ, MC, and Entertainment Experience." These guys seem very experienced, but it was really the personality of the DJ that won us over -- he's not one of those young, slick kids with spikey hair that you know spend more time focussing on the bridesmaids instead of the music and atmosphere. Not to mention they've got a pretty good lighting and sounds system, too. We had really considered Tradewind Sounds, too ... two big bald guys who DJ together -- how cool is that. However, it wasn't clear how much wedding experience they had, they don't seem to have any references, plus they seem a little too much on the goofy, party animal side of things. (Maybe because the only pictures of them on their website have them wearing Hawaiians.) Still, it was a tough decision.

Finally, photography! At some point about a month ago, Mimi and I decided this is one of the most important things to us in planning this wedding. In fact, it's the only area in our budget that we've allowed to expand -- and pretty significantly at that. Out of the three we looked at, Grand Lubell definitely sounds the best ... we really like all of their past work, their philosophy, their personalities, their connections, and the time they've spent with us. And by "they" I'm usually talking about Bob, who seems genuinely excited to shoot our wedding. So, we booked them just last week!! Considering Lilies was a close second ... she has great artistic skill at putting the storybooks together, but we felt that Lubell is just better at really capturing the moment. Take a look at their gallery, it's great...

... make sure to check out his "Art" gallery, too. (Reminds me a bit of our friend Matt's work.)

(And whatever happened to Decisive Moment? Well, we don't know either. Decisive hardly seemed the operative word. We never heard back from them, and apparent they only take phone calls on 3 days of the week, for only 4 hours, during business hours. How's that for customer care?)

Another View of the Boyer

2006-01-24T09:29:00.000-05:00

One of the nicer photos I've found...

Click to see the photographers Flickr page with the full-size image and some annotations.

Photo Finish

2006-01-17T17:02:00.000-05:00

We've narrowed it down to three...

Grand Lubell (Internet Explorer only)
Decisive Moment
Considering Lilies

They all have the 'photojournalistic' feel that Mimi and I are really starting to like.

Any thoughts before we make a final decision?

(Wow, if we get this figured out soon, we'll have all the big bookings knocked down!)

The Good, the Bad, and the...Awkward

2006-01-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

Open seating or assigned seating?

Chicken dance or electric slide? or neither?

Think of other weddings you've been to...what have you loved about them? Hated about them? You don't have to share whose weddings they were, but we'll take your thoughts into consideration when planning our own wedding and reception.

The Bridal Party

2005-12-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

The Bridal Party
Get Down to It, Party Hardy!

Ladies

Kelly Smith (Matron of Honor)		Mimi's Sister
Jessica Brown (Maid of Honor)		Mimi's Sister
Nicole Trease		Brian's Sister
Sarah Laplante		Friend
Betsy Basch		Friend
Nicole (Buchert) Vidak		Friend

Gents

Tony Trease (Best Man)		Brian's Brother
Andy Mosley		Friend
Kevin Smith		Friend
Jason Fox		Friend
Scott Cousino		Friend
Bart Peintner		Friend

	Tony Best Man		Jessica Maid of Honor
	Andy		Kelly Matron of Honor
	Kevin		Nicole
	Jason		Sarah
	Scott		Betsy
	Bart		Nicole

Save the Date!

2005-12-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Launch!!

2005-11-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

OK, this is it! We've finally got enough content on this site and it's ready for press! Sure, all of the previous posts below appear to be pretty old, but don't feel left behind. We're only making this public and telling everyone about it today.

Also, don't be afraid to be the first to comment on our posts ... we want to hear from everyone!

Cheerio!
Brian and Mimi

What kind of content do you want us to post?

2005-11-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

This wedding is not only about us ... it's about our new lives, and that includes you.

So, what else do you want to know?

Suggestions for music and readings?

2005-11-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

We love the idea of getting input from our friends and family to help us plan our wedding. If you know us well, you know that we often tend to be very nontraditional. (i.e. wedding on a lakefreighter.) So, we are looking for your favorite love songs (and whatever else fits) that you might think appropriate for the ceremony or the reception. Modern and new songs are great, along with blues, ballads, punk, and polka ... well, maybe not all of those.

We have selected a wedding location!

2005-10-10T15:05:00.000-04:00

How's a retired-lakefreighter-turned-historical-musuem sound?

We wanted an outdoor setting for our ceremony but were having trouble finding a location that could accommodate all of our guests. After several day trips spent driving throughout the region, we went to International Park to check out our options. Made nervous by goose poo and brown grass, we looked down (and into) the river and saw what we think may just be the perfect setting: the S.S. Willis B. Boyer. Don’t get the wrong idea ... it is truly an old, retired lake freighter, not a hoighty-toighty luxury yacht. That said, it has loads of character including dressing quarters and a captain’s map room where the guys can ... chat. The wedding will take place on the deck in the late afternoon with the High-Level Bridge in the background. Our booking of the Boyer, which was done after we had booked our reception location, has steered us toward a theme of old-time travel. Bon voyage!

More about the Boyer:

www.internationalpark.org/boyermain.html
www.coastalohio.com/site.asp?id=87
www.toledo.com/attractions/boyer_ship.php
www.dotoledo.org/gtcvb/members/member.asp?id=29&cat=attractions
www.wellandcanal.ca/shiparc/cliffs/willisbboyer/boyermuseum.htm

First money spent! We have held the date… Nine-Nine-Six

2005-07-10T15:04:00.000-04:00

Wanting a reception location that has windows, we quickly scratched off several reception halls in the area and were thinking that we may need to go with a golf course banquet room. Not overly keen on this because we have been to several weddings at the best one in the area, we tackled the issue working backwards: we looked up caterers and the locations they had serviced. Gladieux Catering listed the Central Union Plaza and we were intrigued. The site offers everything we want: it’s unique, it’s roomy, and it has windows!

As an added bonus, it’s just across the river from the Boyer, so if it rains, we can move the wedding to the station’s enclosed walkway. Nothing's gonna stop us now!!

So, yes, the money is now down, and the official date is...

September 9, 2006!!

That's right, 9-9-6. It's got a real nice ring to it, so that none of you will forget it.

----

FYI, the official name of the location recently changed to Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza, though it is still often referred to as Central Union Plaza or Central Union Terminal. The lower levels still serve as an operational Amtrak station for the city of Toledo. The upper floors, now completely seperated, have been restored to their previous glory and are available for special events ... like our wedding!

Central Union Plaza History
Central Union Plaza listing on Amtrak.com

Visitor Guestbook

2005-07-08T23:02:00.000-04:00

Leave general comments, advice, and well wishes here!

Or, just put your name down and let us know you're reading!

Shiny Stones!

2005-01-27T22:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who missed it, here's the original Costa Rica Photo Hunt game that we made back in January:

from: www.livejournal.com/~briantrease/2005/01/27/
(more photos from our Costa Rica Trip)

"Here's the little game Mimi and I made back in January. Try and find all the differences between the two photos. If you're stuck, check out the solution key for some subtle hints!"

*Click for Solution Key