Ryan and Rachell

More Wedding Photos!

Ryan — Wed, 24 May 2006 02:00:10 +0000

We’ve got more great pictures, thanks to Jeanne DePolo at DePolo Photography.

Our first cover, together

Ryan — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 22:50:02 +0000

The tabloids have been all over our engagement since last June, but we’re finally seeing some legitimate press coverage of our special day. Palo Alto Weekly’s just released their special issue, “Together”, last week with Rachell and I on the cover.

We haven’t heard back from People Magazine yet, but keep your eyes peeled for an exclusive interview.

We’ve got pictures!

Ryan — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 18:12:53 +0000

We’re back from our honeymoon in Bora Bora and Moorea and can’t believe all the great shots you all got of our wedding day!

My brother, Sean, came through with brilliant images of the wedding weekend, including some great bachelor party shots. And a special thanks to Meghan, Brian, and Betty Ann for your help with the guestbook photos!

Scott shared pics from our Wedding Shower in Chicago this summer, Bachelor Party, Rehearsal Dinner, and the Wedding Day.

Julie, Paul, and Brian also shared some great shots with us. (I’ll get Julie’s shots online soon!)

Jeanne de Polo, the best wedding photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area, will get more images for us soon enough and we’ll be sure to share them with you.

Please send us links and CD’s of your hi-res pics from the wedding! We’ll put them up here and hopefully add some to our albums.

Just Married!

Ryan — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:16:49 +0000

Rachell and I want to thank you all so much for celebrating our marriage with us last Saturday! We had a fantastic time and will cherish that day always!

Here’s some pictures from our guestbook camera (thanks Meghan, Brian, & Betty Ann!). Please post your pictures of the events in the comments (use flickr if you’re new to posting photos)! We’d love to check them out. And if you’d send us a CD of the giant digitals, we’d be more than greatful!

We’re celebrating our honeymoon in Bora Bora and Moorea. Talk to you all when we get back!

Welcome to California!

Ryan — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 18:36:44 +0000

Rachell and I are so excited about celebrating our marriage with you all. For our out-of-town guests, we’d like to offer a special welcome and a warm thank you for making your way out to see us.

We’ve jotted down a few of our favorites to help you find great food and beautiful scenery during your stay. Let us know if we can recommend any thing else for your trip. Here’s an example:

Take the scenic route

For those coming in to San Jose Airport, consider taking a more scenic route to Palo Alto. The trip to Palo Alto from SJC is about 25 minutes, but head my way and you’ll get lost in the mountains for about 90 minutes.

Head up the Santa Cruz Mountains, through redwoods, vineyards, and wide open views of the bay and the Silicon Valley. Check the map for details. You can even stop at the Thomas Fogarty Winery (19501 Skyline Blvd) for a tasting!

In the last two years I’ve fallen in love with this part of the country, and I’m hoping that sharing it with you will lead more people we love to join us out here!

10 Day Teaser

Ryan — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 18:04:41 +0000

With 10 days left, and the final plans coming together, Rachell and I would like to offer a little teaser for our reception. Please bring comfortable shoes… and don’t expect to leave early.

If you have iTunes (it’s free), then you can enjoy a preview of some selections from our Reception Playlist. There should be a little something for everyone.

We’re looking forward to celebrating our marriage with you!

Invitations are Sent!

Ryan — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 19:13:28 +0000

Check your mailbox! Rachell and I have checked “invitations” off the ta-da list and are excited to hear back from you! Many thanks to Rachell’s bridesmaids and her mother for handling the bulk of the assembly process. And if you’re a fan of the envelope liners… well that was my doing. My glue-stick skills were certainly sharpened.

To those visiting the site for the first time, welcome! Take a look around and get caught up on some of our engagement adventures. The “Recent Posts” on the right are a great place to start.

Congratulations Todd & Jen

Ryan — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 16:48:16 +0000

My close friend, and groomsmen, Todd Katz just made the best decision of his life. Congratulations Todd on scoring such a beautiful bride. Jen, good luck.

The whole celebration was really amazing. It was my first Jewish wedding, and getting to see it all up close was quite a privilege. (sidenote… I’ve been to 50+ Bar/Bat Mitzvas… So it’s hard to believe this is my first wedding… What’s going on here?!)

The prayers and traditions were powerful and are worth a more in depth study. Todd and Jen, the words of your Ketubah are beautiful and powerful. Be sure not to just hang it up and never read it again. I’d encourage you to do the same with the prayers recited during the ceremony.

Todd and I have been getting into trouble since elementary school, so to see him in a tux on his wedding day was such a blessing. Thanks for forging new territory, Todd. I’m eager to follow your footsteps in just a few days!

(Take a look and learn more about Jewish Wedding Ceremonies and Customs)

Windy City Wedding Shower

Ryan — Sun, 28 Aug 2005 16:17:43 +0000

My mother, with the help of a few friends, threw an unbelievable shower for Rachell and me last weekend. Mom sought to introduce Rachell to the years of my life before we met and filled our house with wonderful friends and family I’ve known for ages.

The guest list had been kept somewhat private so I didn’t even know who was going to join us. I loved opening the door to greet so many faces I hadn’t seen in a while.

Many, many thanks to those that helped make this evening such a blessing for Rachell and me. To Mom, Jill, Tom, Darryl, Sean, and Uncle Ken for the food. To Jill for the beautiful invitations. And to the many guests that brought so many smiles to our faces.

Our Engagement Party

Rachell — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 23:50:42 +0000

It was a perfect, California summer day and we took full advantage by celebrating our engagement with family and friends. Ryan’s Mom, Patty, flew out from Illinois to help host a great, backyard party. My Mom, Flora, spent the past three weeks redecorating her home and cooking furiously in order to host our growing community. I loved watching Patty mingle and chat with everyone so easily! Julie Vanloan, my soon-to-be bridesmaid and dear friend from grad school decorated the backyard with lanterns and tea lights.

Everyone there and all the effort put into the day made us feel incredibly blessed; Ryan and I continue to be humbled at the community we share. We are hopeful for the ways they will challenge and love and support us as a couple - we’ve never wanted to approach marriage as a solo mission. Thank you to all the friends and family that came out for wine and good food, and especially, to share in our excitement.

We are counting down the days…