Here's a quick highlight reel of some wedding pics. We are forever indebted to our good friend Luke Edmonson of Edmonson Wedding Photography for his wonderful work. Drink it in, folks...
Alright, folks. We're about to put this blog to rest. But we have a few more goodies for ya before we shut it down.
For those of you who could not be with us, or those who want to relive the magic all over again, below you'll find most of the evening's activities as captured on video by my wonderful sister-in-law Elizabeth. Elizabeth also drove all the way to Dallas and back in crappy traffic so I could have my custom Chucks for the reception. Big ups to Elizabeth!
I'd write more, but The Office is on right now. You know how it is. We'll be back soon to post some photos and provide a link to our new, permanent blog. Peace out, homies!
CEREMONY (Part I)
CEREMONY (Part II)
FIRST DANCE & FATHER OF THE BRIDE SPEECH
MAID OF HONOR SPEECH
BEST MAN SPEECH
US BEING MARRIED, WATCHING TV
Ok, gang. We're just a couple of days away. Here are some things to keep in mind for this weekend...
The weather is going to be awesome...
Most of you will have no idea where the hell you are or where the hell you are going. Print these out, laminate them back-to-back, and wear it on a lanyard around your neck like a 2nd grader on a field trip to Amish country...
Join Geoff as he watches the Mets not make it to the post-season. Again. Shea Goodbye, indeed.
Ft. Worth has a ton of good restaurants, many of which are located in or around Sundance Square, a walkable distance from the hotels. If you are staying downtown without a car, there are definitely more restaurants than I list here, like Chili's, Uno's, Potbelly's, etc., so don't worry about not having plenty of eating options. If you have a car and are able to drive a few miles, there are even better restaurants!
For those of you not from Texas, you will quickly discover that Texans cannot get enough Tex Mex. I rated each restaurant with my own $ rating, prices are my average/estimate. I have eaten at all of these restaurants and recommend them!
$ = Cheap. You can get food and a drink for $10-$15.
$$ = Moderate. This is somewhere Geoff and I would go for dinner on our one night out a week. Food portion of the meal $10 - $20.
$$$ = Nice. Geoff and I might go here on occasion. Food portion of the meal $20 - $35
$$$$ = Fancy. We don't go here unless we are dining with our parents.
SUNDANCE SQUARE
Mi Cocina, 509 Main St.- My favorite Dallas Mexican restaurant has a location in downtown Ft. Worth. If you are walking, have a Mambo Taxi or Mambo Limousine with your meal. This is a mid-priced restaurant. $$
Cantina Laredo, 500 Throckmorton St. - Another good mid-priced Mexican resataurant. $$
Taverna, 450 Throckmorton St. - There is a Taverna in Dallas that is great. I haven't tried the Ft. Worth location. It is pricier Italian, but casual dress. $$ - $$$
Reata, 310 Houston St. - This is a fancy Texas steakhouse, and it is great. Buffalo steaks, pork chops, roasted chicken, chipotle cheese grits. Make sure to try the dessert tamales. $$$ - $$$$
Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, 812 Main St. - A more traditional steakhouse. Definitely fancier. $$$$
WITHIN A SHORT DRIVING DISTANCE
Angelo's Barbeque, 2533 White Settlement Rd. - If you want the best BBQ in Ft. Worth, go to Angelo's. Don't let the giant stuffed grizzly bear in a t-shirt scare you on your way in. This is definitely a casual dining experience. I recommend a chopped beef plate and a cold beer. $
Fuzzy's Tacos, 2917 W. Berry - Best tacos in Ft. Worth. Also a very casual dining experience. They are right across campus from TCU and are open way late. They also have great breakfast tacos, guacamole, queso, burritos... I have never had anything here I didn't like. $
The Original Mexican Cafe, 4713 Camp Bowie Blvd. - Great Mexican food at a good price. Casual dining. $ - $$
Joe T. Garcia's, 2201 N. Commerce St. - This is a Ft. Worth staple. If the weather is nice, it is a great place to go (most of the seating is outside). The food is fantastic, but there are only two entrees on the menu - enchiladas and fajitas. They do not take reservations, so go early or be prepared to stand in line for a long time. Located near the Stockyards. $$
Sardine's, 509 University Dr. - Our favorite Italian food. They have live jazz every night. It is a little loud in the dining room when they are playing, but the band is good. $$ - $$$
Lucile's, 4700 Camp Bowie Blvd. - I guess I would describe Lucile's as fancy American food. In the fall, they have Lobsterama, which is great, particularly when finished with bananas foster. $$ - $$$
Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, 2406 N. Main St. - Another fancy Texas steakhouse. Located near the Stockyards. $$$ - $$$$
If you plan on staying in downtown Ft. Worth, you will not necessarily need a vehicle once you are here. The wedding is within walking distance of the hotels. And while the museum and stockyard districts are a little farther, they're just a quick cab trip away.
Cabs and other modes of public transportation in the Metroplex are not nearly as reliable as they are in other major cities. However, they are readily available at the airport and at the hotels, and within the downtown and stockyard areas of Ft. Worth.
Unfortunately, none of the Ft. Worth hotels offer shuttle service. They do, however, recommend Go Yellow Checker Shuttle. Yellow Checker picks up outside the airport baggage area and they operate 24 hours a day. Look for the designated spots marked with an orange sign that reads: "Share Ride Go Yellow Checker." A one-way shuttle ride is estimated to cost around $60.
Elizabeth, Joey, and the Munchkin Mary Frances came to visit last weekend and, thanks to Gustav, they were able to stay an extra day. It was lots of fun, though a bit hectic since Alyssa and I are both really busty at work, still living out of boxes, and trying to get wedding stuff done.
I just realized that I accidentally typed "really busty at work," instead of "really busy at work." I'm gonna go ahead and leave it. That's how tired I am.
"Clothes"
"Food/Beverage"
"Kitchen"
...and here are some boxes that I packed...
"Star Wars chess pieces, 'Clip/SQM Masters, A/V Box, pencils & post-its"
"bicycle helmet, photo album, playing cards, poker chips, & Star Wars action figures"
"Board Games & Bath Towels"
As you see here, all of my sneakers fit into a single box.
We're still waiting to receive the photo of Alyssa's shoe boxes, as it was taken from space by an orbiting satellite.
Lately, things have been pretty quiet here on the blog, mostly because real life has been anything but. Wedding planning had been going relatively well. So well, I suppose it was inevitable that other things would eventually go awry.
As most of you already know, a few weeks ago Alyssa and I came home to find that our apartment had been broken into. They got our stash of wedding cash, Alyssa's computer monitor, my video games and consoles, and a voice recorder I use for interviews. Super lame.
Alyssa, of course, had renter's insurance and that came in mighty handy. And our family and friends helped us out in many ways, from the unexpected to the completely unnecessary. So a great deal of thanks goes out to those folks. You know who youse is.
Also, I was able to get a Quick column out of the experience.
The apartment complex had been steadily going south, so we decided to find a new pad. We spent the two hottest weekends of the year bouncing from property to property with an apartment locator (the wicked awesome Toni Youngblood @ Dallas 4 Lease) and eventually settled on a nice downtown apartment at SoCo Urban Lofts.
We're going to be busy moving and packing for at least the next week or two, so the blog is going to go quiet again.
As soon as the dust settles, we'll be back with more info and a new podcast. Stay tuned...
