Zip Line Bride

Wedding Video!

Our good friend Josh was kind enough to make this awesome wedding video for us. I think it really captures the spirit of the day. Thank you, Josh!!!



The first song is sung by our friend and professional musician Jen Milich and the 2nd song is the one Erin sang to Jon at the wedding.

It Was Epic!

Thanks to the hard work of many friends and family members, our wedding was even better than we could have imagined. The people who came from all over, our very talented rabbi Cari, the teary vows, the hand painted chuppah, the golden light on the vineyards, the zip line, the perfect weather, the sunset dinner, the giant rice krispy treat cake, the music, the dancing in the barn....it goes on and on and we loved it all so much.  Thank you!!!

As a surprise from my aunts, we were picked up in a pink cadillac and taken to the wedding

cocktail hour and dinner on the lawn

vermouth & soda cocktails were served at the tisch

our friend Gabe painted the chuppah

fruit for table centerpieces was picked in a friend's yard. all flowers were picked by friends and family

At the end of the ceremony, guests were asked to stay in their seats for a moment so the photographer could take a massive group photo. That photographer was Erin, who was suiting up in a helmet behind the bleachers, and being strapped into a zipline harness. Was a fun surprise recessional.

Jon pulled Erin to the top of the zipline where she took photos before being released!

picture Erin took from the top of the zip line of all the guests

dinner at sunset

guests went to the barn for dancing in a "hitchin' wagon"

our brothers

photobooth in the barn

photobooth in the barn

dancing in the barn

One week from today!

 

Despite weather troubles elsewhere, the late afternoon weather in Nor Cal is stunning these days. We went on a lovely walk near our house today (see Jon, above). The forecast one week out is looking good and we can't wait to see you all in a week!! It gets chilly in the evening, so bring a sweater....and please remember to wear comfy shoes (this is a ranch...flats, ladies!)

Come On Irene ...

T - 11 Days:

We've been on the West Coast for about a month and we missed the only East Coast earthquake of my life time. Furthermore, there is a vicious hurricane threatening the entire Atlantic coast line. Sounds like it's time to head to California for Labor Day. It's a glorious spot: By order, summer lingers through September. By 8:00 am the morning fog must disappear. In short, there's simply not a more congenial spot for "happily-ever-aftering" than here. Furthermore, Northern California is entering that pre-fall season again - complete with tasty blackberries and slumping offenses.

The numbers are in and it looks like we're coming in just about 260. Yup, you read that right 2-6-0 of our closest friends and family are going to be at the Cloverleaf Shindig. We are still holding out on a thru-hiker or two, but that's what it looks like now.

Because of the number of people California state law is requiring that 15 of our guests are certified in CPR and poison control. To be fair to all of our guests we'll be having a lottery the morning of the wedding to determine who needs to be trained that morning. We'll order Papa Johns for those selected. If you'd like to volunteer ahead of time or if you already can recognize the rare NorCal fire iguana, please let us know. We certainly want to avoid this.

All else is progressing well. We can't wait to have you. If you're coming in from out of town, do us a favor and drop an email to let us know when you'll arrive and where you're crashing. See ya'll soon ...

Building the Chuppah

Last weekend, I went up to my parents' house in Santa Rosa. They live out in the woods, and a nearby redwood tree fell down. My dad suggested we look at the branches and see if they would work for the chuppah- so he got out his chainsaw and we went foraging! We found 4 lovely, mossy limbs that are straight enough and dad is turning them into the chuppah. Our friend Gabe is a painter and he is creating the canopy that will be attached to the top of the chuppah- you can see samples of his work here.

Quiz Time

Ladies and gentlemen of all ages, I present you the first ever Erin and Jon quiz ... The quiz is rated PG-13.

1. When Erin brought a few friends to Jeff and Jon's party on the subway, Jon was wearing:

a. a blue shower curtain
b. a chewbacca costume
c. a mask of President Martin Van Buren
d. a chilean poncho

2. A Bantam is:

a. An over-sized rooster
b. The Trinity Mascot
c. The costume Jon wore in college
d. All of the above

3. Erin went to UCSB, UCSB stands for:

a. University of Ken and Barbie
b. University of Second Basemen
c. University of California Santa Barbara
d. U Can Study Buzzed

4. Erin and Jon first went on vacation to:

a. Costa Rica and Panama
b. Staten Island
c. South Korea
d. Hoboken

5. The following celebrity flirted with Erin on one of her Photo Shoots:

a. Coolio
b. Mel Brooks
c. Jimmy Fallon
d. Bob Barker

6. Since starting to date Erin, Jon can now:

a. Identify a fake Louis Vutton bag on the streets of Chinatown
b. Cook with obscure weird grains that he had never heard of earlier.
c. Know each columnist from the Times dining section
d. All of the above

7. Since starting to date Jon, Erin can now:

a. Find the NPR station in every city on the East Coast.
b. Know the difference between a straight change and a circle change
c. Speak a few obscure words of Hebrew
d. All of the above

8. Erin did NOT go for free on:

a. A 7 day bike trip through Holland
b. A 2 night stay at the fanciest hotel in Vegas
c. A sailing vacation around Martha's Vineyard
d. A Culinary Vacation to Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast

9. Jon has dressed as all of the following movie characters except:

a. Wooderson from Dazed and Confused
b. Ron Burgandy from Anchorman
c. Doc Brown from Back to the Future
d. Walter from the Big Lebowski

Last Minute Accommodations

For those of you that are making last minute accommodations, we know prices have gone up and a lot of places are fully booked. Some last minute options:

- Mountain Home Ranch http://www.mountainhomeranch.com/bed-and-breakfast/
from $144/night

-The Flamingo has  rooms left at $179 for Sunday night only (9/4) if anyone is interested. Just mention "Gleeson/Prosnit wedding block" when you call. (707) 545-8530

***The Hillside Inn is right next to the Flamingo, Tel : (707) 546-9353

- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Sonoma - Wine Country
One Doubletree Drive, Rohnert Park, California, 94928, USA 1-707-584-5466
Sunday night only, $169 (sold out Fri & Sat night)

-Hampton Inn, Rohnert Park: 707-586-8700
(still rooms left as of Aug 10 at the prices below)
Sept 3: $186
Sept 4: $143

-For you adventurers, you can also  camp at the Cloverleaf Ranch (wedding location) for $25 per person, per night. No need to make a reservation, just pay when you arrive. You can camp Fri, Sat, and/or Sun nights

-We also have a few spots at family members homes in the area who have offered to host wedding guests.

Oh, California!

It's official. We now live in California! We moved west for a job for Jonathan and are living in a little cabin in the woods just south of San Francisco. We miss New York but we are excited.

Flying with a Wedding Dress

A couple days ago, I flew from NYC to San Francisco to our new west coast home to join Jonathan who had just started his new job there. He grew up in New York and I had been there for 10 years, so leaving was sad but I am happy to be near family in California again. Plus being in Northern California for the last month of wedding planning sure will make things easier!

The movers had already come to our lovely little Brooklyn apartment where we lived together for 2 years- all our belongings were being shipped cross country. I just kept what I could get on a plane, including valuables I didn't want shipped.  I checked 2 overweight suitcases (one containing our ketubah) but then I had to carry on my iMac and my wedding dress. And then of course I had my purse.  This makes 3 carry-ons...one too many.  But I had a back-up plan: if they told me I could only have 2 carry-ons, I would just put the wedding dress on. Luckily, I didn't end up like her:

I am happy to report that the wedding dress and I made it safely to California. Less than 1 month till the big day!!

Casually Festive

We've been getting a lot of RSVPs -- Thanks Everyone! We want to see those Nays turn into Ayes (so even if you RSVPd no, don't hesitate to change your mind -- find a neighbor to care for your llama farm and get your tail up to Wine Country.)

Seriously, if we can help in anyway let us know, we know it's expensive for you East Coasters and want to help make it as affordable as possible -- we have friends/family that have offered to put people up, we're down to give rides, etc (Hell Erin even said she'd make you breakfast the morning after the wedding .. and that girl makes a mean Turkey Bacon!) If your cousin's girlfriend is visiting from Peru -- bring her along.

A lot of folks are asking what Causally Festive means. This is our best answer, wear what ever you want and wear it proudly! Look Awesome. No need for 3 piece suits or ball gowns. Colors are good. Dress comfortably. If you need more suggestions dress like this:


or this:













A final photo of the bride and Ethan (one of Jon's Brothers.)

Proud To Be New Yorkers

Before Jon went to rabbinical school, he worked for Senator Tom Duane who was recently a frontrunner as marriage equality was approved for New York State. Tomorrow is the first day that same-sex couples will be able to get married in NY....what a historic day! We are so proud to be New Yorkers.

It's gonna be kind of like this ....

Well not really -- but we thought we could give it a go.

Wedding Planning

Our wedding is around 2 months away. We had a pretty crazy week on the wedding front. These are some of the highlights:

- Signed, sealed and delivered the wedding invitations. (in fact it was a communal effort -- thanks Wendy, Jim and Audrey for the help)

- Met with our Rabbi to discuss the ceremony and other facets of married life. (She's the best, can't wait for everyone to meet her and be kind to her.)

- Registered for Wedding Gifts (I've always wanted 980,000 count Uzbek cotton sheets)

- Talked on the phone with someone from the Band (if they play Red Red Wine, I'm leaving)

- I collected my 3,000 hit on a double to left/center.

- We are starting to pick out what we are going to wear for the ceremony. Erin vetoed my Wyld Stallions outfit theme. (more possibilities on the horizon)

So far we haven't strangled one another. If you have any unique or bizarre suggestions for planning or the wedding weekend, let us know, we'd love to incorporate them.

Gown Drown

Last store after a long day of dress shopping in Manhattan

My good friend Andrea and I went wedding dress shopping last weekend- she is also getting hitched. Dress shopping can be overwhelming- like drowning in a sea of white taffetta (see above).  But it's way more fun when you have a partner in crime! Like most brides, Andrea is looking for a dress for next summer. The sales people always ask when my wedding is before I try on a dress and I tell them Sept 4th. They say- oh, good- that'll be no problem. When they realize I mean 2011 they have a mini heart attack.

Eh! I'm not worried- I'll find one, and I'm having fun looking!

The Perfect Couple

Caddy Shack theme party, 2010

Holland

Erin is currently in Holland with another man. Is this something I should be concered about? It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type.

OUR WEDDING

The Royal Wedding was today. I didn't watch a minute. The only thing I can say is Holy S**t how much would it cost to rent the Queen. Forget the band, caterer, or cake. I want a queen for my wedding. She's got a great arm!

My Dress!

So, I know you're not really supposed to let anyone know what your wedding dress is going to look like before the big day, but I just can't help myself- I'm so excited! I have narrowed it down to a few top choices. I went to art school- so I wanted to do something a little more artsy, creative and unique to reflect my personal style.

These (above) are my top 3 choices....I really like the one at the bottom with the huge hat, however, I'm waiting to hear back how much the "bridal hat attendants" charge per hour. They might bump it out of my price range.

I LOVE the creativity in this one- I have contacted the designer to see if he can do it in Ivory with an accentuated mermaid skirt, and perhaps a sweetheart neckline.

Watch out- I might be one of those brides that has a costume change (or 3). I was thinking this might be really great for after it gets dark. The only concern is that the large battery pack attached to your garter could get uncomfortable.

9.4.11!