Hotels

Steph and I have not reserved any hotel room blocks... yet. Since we don't have an overwhelming number of out-of-towners, the area has a number of hotels, and there shouldn't be any major events that weekend. Depending on how far you want to drive to and from the reception, room rates should range between $80/night all the way up to $200/night.

A few of the highlights, moving from north to south:

• The Gettysburg Hotel - Rates start at $115/night, in beautiful and historic Gettysburg, PA, about 20 minutes from Antrim 1844 and an hour from Sacred Heart Church.
• Antrim 1844 - Rates start at $185/night, includes full breakfast and other amenities a bed-and-breakfast offers, about 40 minutes from the church and a convenient 20-second walk to the reception hall.  Likely to sell out on Friday night well in advance, so plan ahead.
• Best Western - Rates start at $85/night, conveniently located in Westminster, MD, about 15 minutes to Antrim 1844 and 25 minutes to the church.
• Marriott, Marriott Courtyard, and Residence Inn - Rates starting at $100/night, all three are located in Hunt Valley, MD, about an hour from Antrim 1844 and 20 minutes to the church. (This option allows you to drive by Cal Ripken, Jr.'s house, if that's a selling point for you.)
• Hyatt - Rates start at $125/night, located in Owings Mills, MD, about 10 minutes to the church and 50 minutes to Antrim 1844.

Baltimore itself has loads of hotels, but it's a healthy drive (at least a half hour to the church, add another 40 minutes to get to Antrim 1844). If you plan on spending an extra day or two in the area before or after the wedding and want to explore Baltimore, don't hesitate to ask for recommendations for hotels in the city.

We obviously encourage you to get your hotel room reservations early, but don't hesitate to contact Steph or myself if you run into any issues booking a room. We'll make sure everyone gets accommodated one way or another.

What is poussin?

Poussin, the other (other) white meat. Smaller than a spring chicken, poussin is a very young bird (less than 28 days old) that has been called the veal of the chicken family.

Benefits, in addition to its pleasing texture and delicious taste, include the fact that it allows the chef many options for preparation and presentation. It does not have too many bones and very little fat, so it's easy to cut on your plate, and it can easily be stuffed (with such things like crab and/or shrimp, cheese, sun dried tomatoes, etc., hint hint). It is a nice portion size, about the size of a closed fist (6-8 ounces), and it's far more interesting than *just* chicken (which is a common wedding dish, it seems, precisely because it doesn't elicit strong opinions one way or the other).

We hope you enjoy the poussin at our wedding, but don't hesitate to let us know if you have any allergies, health needs, are vegetarian or vegan, etc., so we can make sure everyone's happy with their meal!

If we lived in Victorian America...

The new couple looks positively enthralled.

The Victorian era marked an important shift in the practice of weddings, away from the homespun traditions of the early 1800s and before, and towards the professional vendors of the 20th century and beyond.


On the plus side, there would be lots of time for partying, as the ceremony would be in the morning, with the reception immediately following. Sadly, the bride and groom would only make a brief appearance before leaving for their honeymoon. As one etiquette book at the time put it: "The honeymoon of repose, exempt from all claims of society, is now prescribed by the dictates and common sense and fashion, and the same arbiters unite in condemning the harassing bridal tour." Saratoga Springs, anyone?

Alas, no top hats will be worn in the bridal party.

Registries

Our registries are online and ready for business.

• Williams-Sonoma
• Macy's
• Pottery Barn

We encourage you to search Amazon and other sites for better prices. Also, Macy's often holds sales, particularly around the holidays. Please ask us if you have any questions - thanks!

We've got a date and a place!

We will be getting married on Friday, April 16, 2010, at Sacred Heart Church in Glyndon, Maryland. Following the ceremony, we will be celebrating with a reception at the historic Antrim 1844 in Taneytown, about thirty minutes northeast of Glyndon. Times will be announced shortly.

In the meantime: directions!

 The Antrim, courtesy of the Washington Post.

Welcome to our wedding site!

In the coming months, this page will be updated to include information about our wedding (the ceremony, reception, hotels, fun activities, photos, registries, and so on). Please check back in a few weeks, at which point we should have a more firm date and place for the wedding - thanks for stopping by!