The Wedding Blog

Game time for Homecoming Game is set....for 5:30 p.m.

2008-10-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

Our wedding weekend is on the same weekend at MU's homecoming, so I've been anxiously awaiting the announcement of what time the game will be that day.
Today it was announced that kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. - right around the same time we'll be getting to the reception.
I guess we'll rely on some of our guests to get updates on their cell phones. :)

Forecast stalking

2008-10-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

It looks like it's going to be perfect fall weather in St. Louis the weekend of the wedding. And, we are supposed to be at the peak of leaf coloration that week too.
12 days!

Invitations!

2008-09-03T17:59:00.001-07:00

The invitations are out, and we are only 50 days away from Wedding Day!
If you are here to find information about the itinerary, accommodations, travel, or what to do in St. Louis while you are here for the weekend, please see the sidebar, where you will find links to all of that information.
Also, the map with detailed information about the wedding venues is here
...And come back often as we promise to provide more details as the day gets closer.

We are looking forward to celebrating with you.

2008-05-07T05:14:00.001-07:00

After seeing the video of the toast below, this was pretty funny...

Great Wedding Video!

2008-04-30T16:07:00.001-07:00

Wedding videos can be hilarious. Check out this video; its somewhat slow to start, but it picks up quickly!

Best Wedding Toast Ever!!!! (Amy's Song) - The best bloopers are here

Wedding Map

2008-04-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

For our out-of-town guests, we have created a Wedding Mapper to help you get acquainted with our fair city.
Check out the locations for all the wedding-weekend events as well as some of our favorite St. Louis attractions here

No prizes for guessing which one is an Economist.

2008-04-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

Just read a fascinating article in Slate. It accurately describes a situation I've gone through with Valerie:

"Friends of mine, a husband and wife, once argued over the price of a packet of cakes bought at a convenience store. She complained that the cakes weren't worth the price she had paid. He pointed out that she had bought them—albeit grudgingly—knowing exactly how they tasted and that, therefore, they had to be worth what she had paid. No prizes for guessing which one of them is an economist."

I give kudos to Valerie for trying to think like an Economist. She has used terms like "zero-sum", "free trade", and others (correctly!); her willingness to wade into the world I work/think in means a lot to me. It is quite a shock to me when she points out that I have fallen for the "sunk cost" fallacy!

Now I just need to learn how to appreciate the more subtle aspects of graphic design!

Hotel Reservations - Hilton

2008-03-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

Guests who are looking to make reservations at our Hilton room block can make reservations online.
Use this site to go directly to our group page and the group rate:

We look forward to seeing you in St. Louis!

Update on Google Rankings!

2008-03-20T13:15:00.001-07:00

If you Google 'Zumwalt wedding', we are the first link! 'Zumwalt Green' also merits the first link. 'Green wedding' does not come close.
Exciting!

Wedding Research

2008-03-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

If I mentioned Wedding Research to Valerie, she might think I had taken an interest in choosing flowers or cake (I like cake!). However, the Wall Street Journal recently ran an article featuring some statistics of successful marriages.

Enjoy!

How not to propose to your Fiance

2008-03-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Since I am getting married, I've become much more sensitive to wedding stories and other related nuptial events. So I listened to an NPR story about a man who put a $12,000 ring inside a helium balloon with rising interest.

Google Rankings

2008-03-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

WooHoo! We're at the top of the first page for the Google search: Green Zumwalt Wedding!

I was thinking we might get close with Zumwalt Green as well, but I just got many other Zumwalt hits.

"Zumwalt wedding" also produces some weird results, but our page is about halfway down!

Marriage is like pancakes, sort of

2008-03-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

I realized, recently, that marriage is like pancakes. Not in the gooey warm goodness, but in my interpretation.

See, pancakes are something Nana makes on cold Sundays or during the week either for breakfast or sometimes lunch (she also makes waffles). Pancakes with melted butter taste delicious with real maple syrup. And when I thought of pancakes, I thought back to my Nana making pancakes in her kitchen. Recently, I added Mr. Dennis Underwood to that mental picture; he makes excellent pancakes as well. Just recently did I realize that pancakes are also cakes that are made in pans. I had never realized my substitution for the dictionary definition of pancakes. Nana's face does not appear in the dictionary (but it should).

I don't know if I thought of marriage as I thought of pancakes. I knew I had a great Mom and Dad (Hi, MOM!), but I never really peered into or examined their marriage. They were just Mom and Dad. Mom helped with the homework and made me work at the copy machine at Delta. Dad took me to school in the mornings and made stuff in his shop with me. I'm oversimplifying, but this is a blog, not an autobiography (for sale at a later date; a MUST read!!!). They were best friends, but I don't think I understood exactly what a marriage was.

But in the past few years, my idea of marriage has shifted from a legal contract between two people (thanks Economics!) to become more like pancakes. Even before I left for college, I began to look at people deeper. Not at their interaction with me, but how they interacted with their spouse and with others with their spouse present. I'm proud (and thankful) to say that I have found some great marriage mentors (or honor couples!) that have adjusted my perception of marriage to become less like a legal contract and an economical living arrangement to that of pancakes.

Wedding by Proxy

2008-03-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

While Val would not go for it, wedding by proxy sounds interesting. I'm not sure I would participate, but it does provide a valuable service to US citizens that are outside the country, like our military men and women. It also seems to make the participants a tidy sum of money.

Save-the-dates are out!

2008-03-08T15:51:00.001-08:00

They were truly a labor of love, but we are thrilled with how they turned out. Valerie did the design and hand-calligraphy. A big thank you goes Andrew, Beth, Mark and Nana Bolte for help with the assembly.

We hope you'll be able to mark your calendars and join us.
For our out-of-town guests, we tried to pack as much information in these packets as possible. But, if you need more information or help while planning your trip, please let us know.
We look forward to celebrating with all of you.

Recommended Eateries

2008-02-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

We love to go to City Coffee House & Creperies before we start our weekends. I prefer the Ham, egg, and cheddar crepe, while Valerie likes to experiment.

AZ

St. Louis Atttractions

2008-02-04T14:49:00.004-08:00

While you are in St. Louis, we hope you will have the chance to take in some of our city's highlights. Here are a few of our favorites:

Gateway Arch – Our nation’s tallest man-made monument
has plenty of exciting activities. Visit the free Lewis & Clark
exhibit in the museum in the base.

City Museum – Explore the unexpected at this exciting,
interactive museum for children and adults. City Museum is a
mixture of funhouse, playground and architectural marvel.

Forest Park – One of the largest urban parks in the United
States, it contains the Art Museum, Zoo, Science Center, and
History Museum. There are no admission fees, but they do charge for parking.

Anheuser-Busch Brewery – Learn about the rich brewing heritage of Anheuser-Busch and how fresh beer is brewed and packaged today. Following the tours, guests enjoy complimentary samples of Anheuser-Busch products

Missouri Botanical Gardens – 79 acres of scenic landscaping and elegant structures. Don’t miss the Climatron tropical rain forest.

Casinos – Harrah’s Casino on the Saint Louis side of the
Missouri River and Ameristar Casino on the Saint Charles side
provide 3,300 slots, 91 table games and live poker.

Missouri wine country – Enjoy award-winning wines,
spectacular views, shopping and wine tasting. Mount Pleasant
Winery, Stone Hill Winery, and Historic Hermann Missouri
wineries are only about an hours drive.

Museum of Transportation - This museum houses a variety of automobiles, rail cars, locomotives, ships, and airplanes. Also houses of the rare remaining big boy locomotives.

More suggestions available at Explore St. Louis or Get Around STL
To see what the New York Times thinks of St Louis attractions, check this out.

If you're planning to travel to the attractions, you might consider taking Metrolink.

Rental Cars

2008-02-04T14:49:00.003-08:00

Avis
(800) 331-1212
Green-Zumwalt Wedding
Discount code: Z080920

Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Weekend rate available
(800) 261-7331
www.enterprise.com

Airline Discounts

2008-02-04T14:49:00.001-08:00

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport
Airport code: STL

American Airlines
(800) 433-1790 or www.aa.com
Green-Zumwalt Wedding Discount code: A98H8AC
5% off fare for travel between October 18 and November 1

Southwest Airlines offers discounts for groups of 10 traveling together
(800) 433-5368 or www.southwest.com

Go here for the security wait times at Lambert

Accomodations

2008-02-04T14:48:00.001-08:00

Hilton St. Louis Airport
Rate $89 per night
(314) 426-5500
Reference Green-Zumwalt
wedding block

Comfort Inn St. Louis Airport
Rate $65 per night
(314) 427-7600
Reference Green-Zumwalt
wedding block or #100405
(Hospitality Room and Sunday
Brunch will be at this location)

Wedding Cake Movie

2008-01-30T06:17:00.000-08:00

Val sent this to me, and I wholeheartedly agree with its message. Whenever I talk to merchants about what they provide, it seems that wedding prices are higher than just parties. I totally understand this man; he is my hero.

FIRST POST!!!!11

2008-01-18T16:46:00.001-08:00

WOOT FIRST POST!!!1