All Kidding Aside

We specifically want our events - both the wedding and reception - to be kid friendly.  After all, we have a couple of them ourselves!  And many of you have elementary or pre-school aged kids whom we want to feel welcome.

So the wedding is no problem.  It's not going to be particularly long, the organ music is going to be awesome.  There will be plenty to look at, and if necessary, the chapel sits on some lovely green-space for running about before/after (or during) the proceedings.

The reception at the Arcade will include some mingling (accompanied by drinks & hors d'oeuvres),  a sit down dinner, and more drinking & dancing.  Nevertheless, we hope it won't be stuffy!  The reason we like the Arcade is that it is HUGE and can easily handle a kid who needs to go off for a (chaperoned!) walk, with both kid and chaperone feeling like you're still at the party.  A lot of the other venues we looked at were just one room, which are not good for a kid who needs to wiggle, scream or otherwise escape.

The Hyatt is also planning for kid-food (chicken tenders, mac/cheese that kind of thing), so if your kids are more into that than the other yummy things we're planning, please just let us know on the reply card (e.g., 4 attending, 2 child's plates).

The reception starts at 6:00 p.m. with passed hors d'oeuvres and an open bar, dinner will probably be around 7:30 p.m.. Dancing commences when we're too full to eat any more. (We tasted the menu last week and it's going to be FANTASTIC.)  The party wraps up at 11 p.m. (Arcade rules), but there is a lovely hotel bar available for those who wish to carry on over more drinks or coffee.

We're not sure just how many pre-tween kids will be there.  The invitation list included something like 80 children!  Some friends and family who have young ones are opting to turn the weekend into one big "date night" and leave the kids home.  Others are bringing them. There will be some kids, we're just not sure if it will be TONS of kids or a half-ton.

If the kids do come along, don't forget some of the fun things to do (besides the party we're planning) in University Circle (Botanical Gardens, Children's Museum) and downtown (Great Lakes Science Center, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame)!  We're looking forward to seeing you and your kids (if you wish to bring them) on July 11!! 

Trial run- food!

We had the opportunity to taste test some of the dinner options at the Hyatt yesterday. They hosted us for a late lunch and had us sample several of the options for our reception dinner. It was awfully difficult to pick, as they were all delicious. Rest assured, we'll be eating well on July 11.

Kim also had a trial run with Marengo Spa at the Hyatt, had them create an up-do with her beautiful auburn locks, and apply makeup. It was quite the transformation, only adding to her natural beauty.

Registry - Part 2

Gift Registry - Part 2, Wherein the Nearly Newlyweds Negotiate Linens and Wine Glasses

After much hemming and hawing, we've created a registry for gifts. 

This link will take you to weddingchannel.com where we've listed items from several retailers which you can purchase online.  There are quite a few things listed today, and we plan on adding a few more things in the next week or two.  Simply click on the graphic for each retailer and you'll be shown a list of what we've registered for.  At the moment, this includes items from Macy's, Crate and Barrel, REI and Amazon.  Additionally, we've registered for a few items at Bed, Bath & Beyond, but it doesn't seem to appear at the weddingchannel.com site.  That registry can be found here.

In addition, you can visit a brick-and-mortar retail location of these stores (save Amazon, of course!) and our registry items should be listed at the store, under either (or both!) of our names (Kimberly Emmons and William Claspy).

Here is Kim's description of how we went about choosing what we did:

Having combined two full kitchens, we have amassed a motley assortment of glassware. You can help us regularize our lives (and our wine pours) by visiting Crate and Barrel, where we've registered for everyday wine glasses and a few other items.

We enjoy being outdoors and would like to do more hiking and camping, so we have registered at REI to help Kim round out her equipment closet (Bill's outdoors closet already bursting at the seams!)

Finally, we have registered at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Macys for linens and a few other essentials that could use some updating.

Using Cleveland's Public Transportation

Our wedding is VERY well set up for using public transport, for those of you who are flying into CLE, or if you just want to park your car at the Hyatt and leave it there.  

You can catch the RTA Red Line (Rapid Transit train) at the airport- to find it, just follow the signs.  The fare is $2.   The train runs pretty frequently on Saturdays (schedule is here)  (you will be going EAST from the airport).  The Hyatt is a mere two or three blocks from the downtown Rapid station (Terminal Tower/Tower City).  You'll come up out of Tower City to Public Square, hang a right and walk two blocks or so to East 4th and Euclid.  Cross Euclid and you are at the Arcade, which is where the Hyatt is.  

Here is a MAP of how to walk from the station to the Hyatt.

Getting from the Hyatt to the chapel is even easier!

You can take the train, but the bus is simpler yet.  The RTA's new HealthLine runs along Euclid Avenue from Public Square through University Circle and uses high tech, energy efficient busses.  It also runs pretty frequently on Saturdays (schedule is here, you'll be going eastbound from the Hyatt) You'll get on the Healthline at either East 2nd or East 6th, on either side of the Arcade.  Pay at the machine at the stop ($2 fare) and take the line to the Adelbert Road stop which is RIGHT IN FRONT of the chapel.  You'll see Severance Hall on your left and the chapel on your right.  To get back to the Hyatt, just take the Healthline in the opposite direction.  Easy!

If you prefer a tad more walking and want to take the train, you'll get back on the RTA Red Line (Rapid Transit) at Tower City.  Take the Red Line going EASTBOUND and get off at the University/Cedar stop.  Exit the platform on the University side.  You'll walk along Cedar, back under the tracks, and then MLK Boulevard to the chapel on Euclid.  It is not a particularly scenic walk, although you'll get a glimpse of the back of CWRU's Glennan Building, where Bill's dad Paul spent his career teaching and doing research.

Here is a MAP of the walking route from the Rapid station to the chapel.

The Red Line train back to the airport run on Sunday as well, the Sunday schedule is here, and you'll be going WESTBOUND from Tower City to the Airport.

Schedules and fare information for the RTA can be found here:  http://www.riderta.com/

Registry - Part 1

In the fun of combining two nearly complete households, we have found only a very few things lacking. We are grateful to our friends and family who want to mark the occasion of our marriage. So, in the spirit of giving you a little insight into our lives (and especially our plans for the future!), over the next few weeks, we plan to post a few notes about potential gift ideas.

Gift Registry - Part 1, Wherein the Nearly Newlyweds Tackle Home Improvement

With 2 teenage girls sharing our space, one of our first priorities is to fix the bathroom situation! Our home on Briarwood currently boasts only one full (and very much in need of rehabilitating) bathroom, so our first home improvement project is to add a 3/4-bath to the basement in preparation for tearing out and starting fresh on the 2nd floor. While we haven't had any luck registering for shower tiles, faucets, or light/fan-combos, we know we'll be spending some time at the local Home Depot, so if you're so inclined, gift cards to help us along the way would be more than welcome. (We don't know what the finished color will be, but we are all agreed that it won't be purple!)

Coming Soon - Part 2, Wherein the Nearly Newlyweds Negotiate Linens and Wine Glasses...