text:
- Address:
5800 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94121Neighborhood:
Richmond District
- Cuisine:
MoroccanPrice: $31 to $50
- Dining Style: Casual Elegant
- Website: http://www.aziza-sf.com/
- Phone: 4157522222
- Hours of Operation:
Dinner: Wednesday - Monday: 5:30pm - 10pm
- Payment Options: AMEX,MasterCard,Visa
- Cuisine: Moroccan, Mediterranean
- Executive Chef: Mourad Lahlou
- Dress Code: Casual Dress
- Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
- Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Counter Seating, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
A word from Aziza
michelin starred aziza presents inventive takes on california influenced, mediterranean & moroccan dishes, all enhance with western style service, beverages & desserts - adapted to a fine-dining setting. organic & locally produced ingredients are prominently featured on the menu that portrays mourad lahlou's unique creations & modern versions of moroccan classics. the dinner menu is designed for flexibility with a diverse range of meal options. the inspired starter menu presents refreshing appetizer choices, or can serve as a basis for a complete meal. moroccan classics are well represented & are accompanied by signature & innovative selections. the tasting menu is designed for family-style dining & highlights the flavors & textures which encompass the entire range of the menu.Continued
Foodspotting photosSee all photos
Aziza reviews from OpenTable diners
209 reviews since May 5, 2014
- Food4.4Service4.3
- Ambiance3.9Noise LevelModerate
fit for foodies (153)special occasion (124)romantic (109)neighborhood gem (91)good for groups (38)notable wine list (34)hot spot (22)late-night find (12)vibrant bar scene (11)kid-friendly (4)great for lunch (2)great for outdoor dining (2)great for brunch (2)Show More
- Aziza experienceOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 8/30/2014We were quite disappointed. The total lack of good Moroccan flavours, coupled with the overly curt attitude of the staff certainly distracted us from enjoying ourselves. the ambience was more fast food rather than sophisticated dining. We were overcharged for our wine (the garçon denied this very authoratively).
- So so...OpenTable Diner Since 2009VIPDined on 8/29/2014The best thing about this Michelin star restaurant is the attentiveness of the staff, everything else was nothing to rave about. The flatbread spread was tasty, but very small and pricey. The basteeya was odd, it was too sweet to be an appetizer/entree, it almost tastes like it should have been a dessert, but not really...Special Features:
- Never DisappointscwilsonVIPDined on 8/29/2014Delicate flavors and artful presentation characterize Aziza yet the restaurant never feels pretentious. The cous-cous was absolutely perfect. The beet salad, with beets prepared several different ways, was surprising and delicious. I resisted ordering the strawberry mousse dessert but am glad I did because. Loved the variety of textures and the scrumptious ice cream. It was the perfect ending to a great meal.Special Features:
- Morocco meets nouvelleOpenTable Diner Since 2007Dined on 8/25/2014I was a little jingoistically apprehensive at the thought of a Moroccan fine dining experience, I should not have been so judgmental. The food; and the presentation were outstanding. The spread appetizers were excellent, as was the duck confit basteeya. Our main courses were also excellent. I had never had lamb belly before, and it was the fatty, luscious lamb of my imagination. Everything was well presented and our server was knowledgeable. My only complaint was the room seemed a little warm, but the total experience made me recommend the place to several friends. It's hard to say a place with a Michelin star is undiscovered, but I had not been there before and will go back.Special Features:
- Excellent Food, Poor AmbienceSFFoodLoverDined on 8/22/2014The food was delicious and well presented. For the price of the entrees, atmosphere was disappointing. Although the food was exceptional, because San Francisco has such a plethora of amazing restaurants, it will be a while before I visit Aziza again. If they decide to overhaul of the decor, it will be sooner for sure! If you are looking for a traditional experience, this is not the place to visit. If you would like a hint of Moroccan style food with an extravagant flair, then try Aziza! The service was excellent as well, but didn't make up for the overly bright recessed lighting, and lack of warmth and interesting design details. It was not conducive to relaxed conversation. If you only want delicious food, this place will deliver.Special Features:
- The kitchen can't carry bad serviceOpenTable Diner Since 2009VIPDined on 8/22/2014Front of house needs to be revamped. Service is very SF, pretends to be friendly but condescending. Dining room layout not up to standards of the kitchen and amateurish hostess would leave tables empty rather than accommodate a seating request. We had bar snacks and went to a better run establishment for dinner.Special Features:
- Very disappointing with bad serviceWeimarnerVIPDined on 8/20/2014We were looking forward to visiting Aziza for a long time as I saw the reviews and interview with chef both claiming how accommodating they were for vegetarians. I saw online that they make vegetarian besteeya. Anyway, when we got to the place and saw the menu it had all of 3 vegetarian appetizer and a token couscous dish. We asked our sever if they have anything else for vegetarian and her short answer was: nope. So we ordered the token couscous, lentil soup and dips. It took over an hour for our couscous to arrive. The waiters as didn't even come to check or let us know what the delay was. The dishes were good but I will definitely not come back again due to bad service and limited vegetarian choices.
- Exceptional placeJoeBrunoDined on 8/17/2014In a room so ugly I considered leaving, we were served food so good I'd rush back even if they made the place even worse looking--were such a thing possible. I'm a New Yorker, grew up eating Middle Eastern food, went to school with the Sahadi brothers, dated a Syrian girl and am old enough to have dined at the original Marrakesh back in the 70s. What the chef owner is doing at Aziza is nothing short of marvelous; simultaneously showing great love and respect for tradition and a keen understanding of modern dining.I would recommend this to a friend.
- Best Moroccan in San Franm401Dined on 8/16/2014I haven't had Moroccan at any other restaurant in San Fran but I am confident this is the best! The ambience is great for a quiet romantic dinner. It's also nice to get out of the downtown core and into a different district. The food was unbelievable and our server was awesome. I would go back in a heart beat.Special Features:
- Best mushrooms everEatWithEmDined on 8/15/2014With 3 rooms & remote location, it's easier getting a resi here. As soon as you enter you're treated as a special guest. Our quirky waiter knew the fine nuances of the food and described them w gusto. We didn't choose the tasting menu, but there was 1 for ~$98. We had our socks blown off w the signature duck basteeya (round, not egg roll). My date had the market fish, which was sole, perfectly cooked w the best intricately flavored (trumpet?) mushrooms ever. My Cornish hen dish was less satisfactory w the white meat a little dry and no wowzer taste. Not recommended. We fully enjoyed our lavender rum & peach pisco cocktails. While food was yum, don't expect huge Moroccan taste. This is upscale SF cuisine w a slight Moroccan twist.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Loved AzizaeatntalkDined on 8/15/2014It was a favorite of mine for many years and friends suggested it for a dinner where we would get to meet each others spouse. We wanted a place with good food creatively prepared and also quiet enough so we could converse. Aziza got an A on all fronts. Finding a quiet restaurant is getting harder to find all the time so this was especially appreciated.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great Moroccan food, good servicemtol86Dined on 8/14/2014We went to Aziza after seeing it was recommended in most guides and the experience was awesome. The food was very good and the service is very nice. The place is well lit and the atmosphere is very nice.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- WonderfulPandRIncDined on 8/11/2014On a mini-vacation in San Francisco and found this place...everything from cocktails to dessert was unique and delicious. Our servers were terrific as well. Loved it!!!Special Features:
- OpenTable Diner Since 2011Dined on 8/11/2014Drinks and food were amazing. Very inventive, most creative cocktails I've had in a long timeSpecial Features:
- Aziza was greatOpenTable Diner Since 2009Dined on 8/10/2014My wife and I went to Aziza for our anniversary. We really enjoyed the food and the ambience. I highly recommend it.Special Features:
- Good food great serviceJinnieDined on 8/9/2014Made reservations through Open Table App and was seated right away on the reservation date and time. It was my boyfriend's birthday so we took a risk and ordered the tasting menu. Delicious no complaints on the flavor or portions! The only downfall we experienced was that we were seated behind the bar and the bartender was hammering down something continuously. It put a strain to our romantic dinner.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Not exactly MoroccanTradMorocDined on 8/4/2014When you first walk you you feel that you are in a moroccan restaurant but don't be fooled. As soon as you look at the menu you will see there are only a few moroccan dishes. The only entree was a couscous dish and it was prepared vegetarian style only. Traditional mint tea was not on the menu, but they did prepare when asked, although the waiter did not know how to pour the tea correctly. The food was delicious and presented beautifully but I would be hard pressed to say this was a moroccan restaurant.
- a dinner to rememberdinner42Dined on 8/3/2014Come to Aziza following a positive review. expectations were high, but Aziza chef was able to beat them. We tried the tasting menu and the taste and visual experience was one to remember. this chef is greatSpecial Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Beautiful foodtechnologDined on 8/3/2014We're not foodies but having dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant recently, we had an idea of what to expect - we weren't disappointed. We ordered the tasting menu with beverage pairings. It was 10 courses long on paper but we counted about 15 dishes. Obviously a lot of the dishes were only a mouthful but the flavors were exquisite and we were certainly full when we left. The service was excellent - the staff were informative without being overbearing or condescending. They were friendly too - we have a friend in the UK who works at a restaurant that is working towards their first Michelin star, so we asked if we could get a menu signed by the chef. It came back with a lovely personal message on it. Highly recommended.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- OpenTable Diner Since 2012Dined on 8/2/2014The food was wonderful. Our server seemed a bit aloof, and while I imagine my boyfriend mentioned our reservation was for my birthday, nothing was especially noted. As a server, I think it is a nice touch to wish someone a happy birthday at the least, knowing they chose your restaurant for their special occasion. Amazing tasting menuSpecial Features:
- Awkward placeRecentDinerDined on 8/2/2014The only way I can describe our experience at Aziza is "awkward". The staff and waitress seemed so nervous to do the wrong thing that they made the experience uncomfortable. Could be the result of a tyrant chef or owner or just inexperience but non the less not a good experience. In addition, the space does not have air condition and is not well ventilated. They staff were hesitant to open the window (they might be worried mice might get in). The food is tasty and well thought out. Hopefully the owners will pay more attention to the details that make a great dining experience.Special Features:
- A wonderful dining experienceOpenTable Diner Since 2007Dined on 8/1/2014A lovely ambiance, innovative cuisine, a tranquil spot in a busy world. It has provided consistently excellent cuisine for many years.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Fantastic Restaurant - Food & Drinkbvd667Dined on 7/31/2014Absolutely an excellent experience. We had a booking for 8:30pm and needed to push it to 9pm, called, and it was a non issue by the person answered. Very friendly experience from phone to in person in the restaurant - wait staff was extremely attentive - what one expects at a Michelin 2-3 star restaurants. Mixed drinks were innovative and very interesting, albeit a bit too sweet for my taste. I highly recommend one tries at least one. Food was very, very good, though very limited vegetarian options - only one entree that did not have any meat, so no point in going there again, as that would be a repeat. Other meat/fish options were great as was the food/presentation. Highly recommended by the entire group. Great experience for all.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- NY to Marrakech to San FranciscoNomadDined on 7/31/2014As someone with a reasonable knowledge of North African food, I came to San Francisco from New York specifically to visit Aziza, intrigued by the reports of an inventive modern take on this ancient food heritage. I was prepared to be extremely critical and so was delighted to discover it lived up to it's promise and surpassed it in many ways, from the food to the cocktails to the service. I am positive I will be visiting SF again as a result.Special Features:
- As good as they saySFGuyDined on 7/31/2014Definitely up to expectations.. Not sure what was "Morrocan", but it didn't matter. A wonderful combination of flavors that raised the food into the status the restaurant enjoys.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- All We Expected and MoreRickPVIPDined on 7/31/2014With a Michelin star and the highest recommendation from our daughter and her foodie boyfriend, we went into Aziza wondering if it could meet our expectations. It met and exceeded them. We try to eat well when traveling and have done so throughout the Southwest and Northwest this year. Nothing exceeded this gem forty miles from home. Not much else to say.Special Features:
- excellent experiencewhatamessDined on 7/31/2014This is our first time trying Morocco food and it surpass our expectation! It taste excellent. We very much appreciate the combination of different flavor there. It surprise us and make us very happy. Besides, always good service.Special Features:
- Aziza is opening in downtown SF!VickiOVIPDined on 7/30/2014This is the second time I (and a friend) did the Tasting Menu and wine/beer/sake pairing ... what an amazing experience! Fourteen servings of delectable, innovative, delicately & beautifully presented (where oh where did they find that variety of plates that look as if they were chiseled directly from ancient canyonlands?), exotically flavorful and pungent delights! No wonder Aziza is always in M.Bauer's San Francisco Chronicle "Top 100 SF Restaurants" list. I mean, I've eaten a la carte and it's been an equally enchanting and unique dining experience, yet the Tasting Menu ... I'm still thinking about it 3 days later. Glad Aziza is bringing it's dining experience to a broader audience in downtown SF soon.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Michelin SuperbJulietDined on 7/30/2014I am surprised this restaurant isn't rated at a 2 Michelin Stars yet. It is excellent. Everything my party ate was amazing, they were in awe of the food. The drinks were fantastic, especially the vodka with muddled cilantro and lime. Service was everything you'd expect from a Michelin Starred restaurant.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Dinner at AzizaOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 7/28/2014This restaurant has received consecutive Michelin one-star ratings for several years and it is well deserved. I have been there twice with my family and the food and service is outstanding. Specialty cocktails are a must-have and I highly recommend the olive with almonds, lentil soup, and spreads (you will need extra bread for $3) for appetizers. The other members of my family are vegetarians and had cous-cous both times. The ingredients were different so it was not exactly the same dish. We made the mistake of ordering espresso to have with our dessert. I have been in the coffee business for 34 years and trained hundreds of people on the proper way to make espresso and this was the worst I have ever had in my life. We sent it back.Special Features:
- Impeccable ServiceducatisbDined on 7/26/2014We were treated to a dining adventure. The service was impeccable (thank you Reed), the menu exquisite and the presentation a work of art. Everything good anyone has ever said about this place is true. Thank you for a marvelous evening!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Lives Up to Reputation!BigOafDined on 7/26/2014The food is truly delicious- delicate flavors, good portion sizes, wonderful use of herbs like dill, mint, etc. The service was extremely pleasant- attentive but not intrusive, friendly, relaxed. Inventive wine list with some hard-to-find gems on it. It's not the "hippest" restaurant in town, but it is fantastic and well worth the money. We even bought the cookbook the next day to try and create some of the dishes at home. Good for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike, too.Special Features:
- Great atmosphereLizCDined on 7/24/2014I'm not sure I would label the food as mediterranean, but it was delicious and well presented. Lighting is dark, but it creates a sense of calm and highlights the decor.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Delicious dinnerOpenTable Diner Since 2012Dined on 7/21/2014The spreads with flat bread were good, although 2 of the spreads were much better than the third. The duck basteeya was amazing. For the main course, the lamb was the best I've had. The Thai snapper was very good, also.Special Features:
- Good food, a bit far from townFicklefoodiDined on 7/20/2014We started with the spreads, nice appetizer and I loved the toasted pita wedges, nicely done. My boyfriend had the couscous entrée which was a little dry and not as flavorful as he had hoped for. I had the special, a fish dish which was excellent. Ambiance was Moroccan inspired with perfect lighting and pleasant decor. My biggest complaint was that we stayed in the financial district and this restaurant was a 30 minute cab ride it's really not a convenient location for tourists but we were anxious to give it a try. Overall good experience, I would try again.Special Features:
- Consistently superbEscambauDined on 7/19/2014Second visit. The tasting menu was again fantastic, delicious, inventive, wordly, yet grounded in local (Moroccan) cuisine. Service, by Sonja, was amazing; attentive and highly responsive without being remotely intrusive. The cab we requested was taking too long to arrive, so when we headed for the door, we saw Sonja standing outside trying to hail one for us (is that a first or what?). Even the décor, which seemed middle eastern ight club tacky on the first visit, seemed of a piece this time. Food and service are top notch, and there is not a table in the house without a good and encompassing view of the room.Special Features:
- Tasting DinnerSunset82Dined on 7/18/2014The tasting menu was fantastic! A must for a special occasion dinner. The red pepper cocktail was delicious!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Equisite as alwaysAnnaMarieDined on 7/17/2014Aziza goes from strength to strength. We had the tasting menu, and across the board it was delicious, on-trend, whimsical, well-crafted, and delicious. And their inimitable cocktail menu never fails to delight. A continued favorite.Special Features:
- One of my favorite restaurantsEenieADined on 7/16/2014This time we tried the lentil soup which is made from a lentil puree poured over a variety of beans and vegetables. Fantastic! The fish entrees were wonderful, they really know how to perfectly prepare fish. I thought the raw fish appetizer was beautifully presented, but I'm not certain I would highly recommend the mackerel, it's a little strong tasting for me. The mint tea was made with about a pound of mint, and it was fabulous, I'd really recommend this. Plenty in the pot for two.Special Features:
- Amazing restaurantfoodieVIPDined on 7/13/2014This restaurant was the highlight our trip to San Francisco. I was humbled by the kitchen staff that laboriously prepared the exquisite food we ordered. I immediately purchased Chef Mourad's cookbook! Don't miss this restaurant!Special Features:


text:
High Country News March 02, 2009
How low will it go?
If Eric Kuhn is right about the Colorado River, then the state faces a dry and difficult future of fighting for water.
Security vs. sovereignty
American Indians who use tribal I.D. cards face harassment when they try to cross the border between the U.S. and Canada.
Closing in
One of the greatest challenges facing Western military bases comes from the growth of urban sprawl.
Editor's Note
Welcome to the era of scarcity
Arguing about water is a beloved Western pastime, but as the snowpack shrinks, Coloradoans are going to find themselves seriously fighting over what's left in the Colorado River.
Uncommon Westerners
A desert poet takes his work inside
Poet Richard Shelton has run writing workshops in Arizona prisons for more than 30 years.
Lessons of habitat
Nancy Eastman created her own "habitat sculptures" modeled after fake cholla built as nesting habitat for endangered birds.
Crown of horns
Unexpected encounters with an injured bull elk and a couple of teenage boys lead a writer to consider the meaning of fatherhood.
Dear Friends
HCN board meeting – in cyberspace
High Country News holds its first-ever board meeting via telephone and Internet; Marty Durlin becomes new culture editor.
Book Reviews
An underground uprising
In his new book, Killing for Coal, Thomas G. Andrews looks at the Colorado labor wars that erupted into violence at the 1914 Ludlow Massacre.
Of flotsam and jetsam
In Strand: An Odyssey of Pacific Island Debris, naturalist Bonnie Henderson traces the origins of the strange things she finds on the Oregon seashore.
Long day's journey
Stewardship, not politics
Political Sabotage
Remembering Rocky Flats
Train in vain
Let Cody pay
The little island that could
The small Danish island of Samso runs entirely on renewable energy. The West could do the same.
Two Weeks in the West
True tests of 'Stay and Defend'
Australia's recent fires may have scorched "Stay and Defend," a firefighting strategy American Westerners had thought of emulating. Also: Birds are shifting their winter range.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Muslim spokesmen in the West and their apologists among our politicians and in our media would have us believe that the "Asian" sex-slavery gangs in Britain are an anomaly, a misinterpretation of Islam, and "have nothing to do with Islam". However, if one studies Islamic theology and culture, it becomes easy to understand why the rape of infidel women is in fact an intrinsic part of Islam.
Mark Durie is an Australian theologian and Anglican pastor. In the presentation below, Dr. Durie gives a talk and a slide show introducing his audience to the historical, cultural, and theological background for sexual abuse in Islam.
The presentation, entitled "From Pakistan to the Streets of Oxford – Understanding the Ideological Foundation of Sexual Abuse in Islam", was given at the Q Society of Australia in Melbourne on July 18, 2013:
Excellent point made at 17:46 :
Screen Cap:
* Theology impacts culture through language:
Tamaskan tatamakan = "Show a victim's face, and you will take over". The theological roots of this saying are complex the cultural habit clear and simple.
Dr. Durie:
Just to give you an example, there's a phrase in Arabic, "tamaskan tatamakan" = Show a victim's face, and you will take over". Do you understand what that means? Act the victim, and then after a while, you'll take over the other person. So we are interacting. I pretend that I'm in a bad situation and I'm suffering. You have pity on me and when the money comes, I destroy you. Ok? That's part of Arab culture. It's an Arab phrase. It has a number of different variants. It's well known in Arabic. It's just what you learn when you learn Arabic. I an explain how that's based in Islam. That's what Muhammad did and it's part of Islamic theology. It's very well grounded. It has complex theological background to it. But you don't have to study Islam to be shaped by ideas, just learn to speak Arabic. It's impossible to translate that easily into English. It's not an English concept. It's almost repugnant to us that it is part of Arabic culture because the religion has colonized the culture and has determined the shape of the culture.


text:
Transfer to the ship on Sunday November 1 took an hour, during which time we meandered around the city only picking up at one other hotel and finally coming back very near our hotel to enter the pier area. We think the driver was killing time so we wouldn't arrive till noon at the ship - we probably should have been picked up 30 minutes later. Once we got there, embarkation was amazingly quick and we were on the ship before 1pm, where they had a lovely buffet ready for us in the Garden Cafe.
The Norwegian Gem is a beautiful ship, large but not overwhelming. Once we found favorite places to hang out, we didn't keep exploring, so I'm sure some nooks remained hidden to us. We took all our breakfasts in the Garden Cafe, finding seating sometimes challenging, but lots of room (and different good food) on the back deck, divided into smoking and non-smoking sections.
Based on previous travelers' reviews, we bypassed the "extra cost" restaurants and varied between the Grand Pacific and the Magenta, always making a reservation. We ate early at 6:30, because that's when we could get reservations and because we were usually up and out early the next morning on tours; after 6:30, the main restaurants had a "first-come, first-served" policy. We preferred the Magenta, because it was smaller and a little less noisy, but both were nice in that they had sea view windows. We found the food "nice restaurant" quality and liked that we could order two appetizers - or desserts - if we wished.
We only had one day at sea, so I don't have much to say about occupying oneself on the ship. We did go to several port lectures, and especially enjoyed informative ones on Pompeii and on Michelangelo. Several of our group liked the ping-pong tables, one enjoyed the putting green, and all of us relished a dedicated card room, where we took up residence most nights after dinner. We did appreciate two shows, one featuring songs and dances from around the world.
I'll treat the ports separately.
I have to commend NCL for their efficient embarkation and disembarkation process. This was our fifth or sixth cruise, all on different cruise lines, and theirs was by far the most painless.


text:
M-1 Challenge 27 MMA fight videos of Vinny Magalhaes (ADCC Gold Medal 2011 And TUF 8 )vs Mikhail Zayats. The match took place on October 14, 2011 at Grand Canyon University Arena, in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
Great kick!! I don't think I've ever seen it set up that way. Zayats looked tough.
I woulda never though he woulda won via striking considering how stiff and uncomfortable his striking is. Nice finish!
Lol vid's sound was a bit delayed…good kick though. Thanks Bruno.
is Vinny Magalhaes the one who got knocked out by Bader?
wow…awesome moved with a round house spectacular kick to end the show.
HAHA what a f****** hater.He's just a BJJ world champ and he showed good striking for a BJJ guy but he sucks.
Ilegal kick??
Nothing special. He hid it behind his punching. Kickboxers use that technique all the time. It was just awkward to look at and that made it look different.
Tito > bader > vinny so put it this way vinny sucks.
You are so funny.Each comment you make is hatefull and to me its hilarious.How good are you to tell every fighter who's not world champion that they suck?
the real story here is mikhail, he's a good tough fighter he knows his skill level can rise but he showed versatile attack and D he just caught with kick nobody with that height difference would've seen but anyways that how it goes sometimes. fan of mikhail the russian warrior
The real story here is that ring girl.
I just saw Vinny on the tenth planed jiujitsu vid serious arguing homosexuality with my man Renato Laranga… Hillllarious. Bueatiful kick tho. Thats highlight reel material right behind the submission he used to get the belt. Tho i agree he does suck compared to ufc standards, however he is showing much improvement… Stop hatin people. You dont have no f***** mma belt strapped around your waist
That was teh Anthony Pettis/Erich Koch head kick! Not the famous off the cage kick, but the ducking/moving head kick. Both of them have KO'd dude with that. That's an awesome technique!
Brazilian kick with a 1/2 gainer.


text:
Over the past few years vision applications have really taken hold in the manufacturing industry and Matrix has been aggressively developing vision solutions in an effort to support and simplify our customers processes. We feel this relationship will allow us to have more input into the direction the technology is heading, as well as allowing us to benefit from the FANUC Robotics expertise.
Fanuc has unveiled a new logo to highlight integrators that have been allowed to become a part of this program. Integrators are only provided these credentials upon being approved for the program.
Job Postings!
Become a part of the future of manufacturing in America.
Fanuc Robotics Press Releases:


text:
PUMA Boys' Ability Jacket
|Eligible for 20% Off Your Entire Purchase! (see promotion details)
|Eligible for Free Shipping, No Minimum! (see promotion details)
|Members of The League get 5% back when you spend $100! (see promotion details)
Product Details
Little guys who play hard will love the PUMA® boys' Ability jacket! A comfy full-zip layer equipped with dryCELL® technology, it wicks away sweat to keep him warm when he's running around outside in the cool air. An attached hood offers convenient coverage in case the skies open up without warning, while on-seam pockets supply a toasty spot for chilly fingers and storage for essentials.


text:
Effingham Daily News
---- — Nicholas P. Nosbisch, 26, of Effingham, passed away at 6 a.m. Monday, July 29, 2013, at his home, surrounded by his family.
Funeral services celebrating Nick's life will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church, Effingham, with the Rev. Drew Holloway officiating. Burial will be in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Effingham. Visitation will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Services are in the care of Johnson Funeral Home, Effingham. Memorials may be made to the Effingham Sportsbackers. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonandsonsfh.com.
Nicholas was born on Aug. 12, 1986, in Effingham, the son of Philip and Holly S. (Henderson) Nosbisch.
Nick was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Effingham. Nick was a warrior who was called to be with God. He did not lose a fight to cancer, God needed him by his side. He was a loving son, brother, uncle and friend. Nick was an outstanding athlete who inspired many.
Nick is survived by his father, Phil Nosbisch of Effingham; sisters, Nina (Lucas) Wenthe of St. Louis and Amy Nosbisch of Effingham; nephew, Will Wenthe of St. Louis; and grandmother, Isabel Henderson of Effingham.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Holly S. Nosbisch; grandparents, Martha and Richard Nosbisch; and grandfather, Gene Henderson.
Sign the guestbook at www.effinghamdailynews.com.


text:
Create a look all your own with the Artifacts collection. Timeless and classic in its inspiration, Artifacts allows you to coordinate faucets, accessories, showering, and finishes to express your personal style. This Artifacts bath spout combines quality craftsmanship with a vintage artisan design to lend character and authenticity to your bathing space.
Parts, Service & Support• Bath Spout Parts Interactive Diagram
Have a question or concern about this product? If you don't find your answer,
we're always here to help.
Call 1-800-4KOHLER (1-800-456-4537) or send us a question or request.
Configure and Add Required Items
There are additional items required to install this product.
Length 8"
Template & Symbol Downloads
To open these downloads you will need specific programs such as Autocad.
Technical Information Downloads


text:
2008 Family and Youth Bible Camp Session 2 Jim Behrens - Today's Christian Videos
Press the button below if you liked this video! Thank you! =D
1,756 views
Posted By frlc 2008-06-09T00:00:00
2008 Family and Youth Bible Camp Session 2 Pt 1 Jim Behrens on Leadership June 9. 2008 Lake Williamson
More videos from this user
- What About Transgenderism?41 views
- Answering Objections80 views
No playlists found for this account.
Recommended for you
- Answering Objectionsfrlc00:46:2580 views
- What Does The Bible Really Say?frlc00:44:13102 views
- What Is Homosexuality?frlc00:43:14126 views
- What Is the Agenda?frlc00:43:58110 views
- Raised Out of Grief?frlc00:46:0574 views
- Raised to Glory?frlc00:41:3669 views
- Holy Sexualityfrlc00:39:17127 views
- Raised Out of Boredom?frlc00:44:51198 views
- Raised to Hopelessness?frlc00:45:03159 views
- Raised Out of Powerlessness?frlc00:46:02671 views
- Raised Out Of Doubtfrlc00:43:47578 views
- Eternal Security?frlc00:47:25576 views
- What is Predestined?frlc00:43:01536 views
- Total Inablilityfrlc00:42:50556 views
- Jesus The Humble Servantfrlc00:42:39635 views
- Good News To Sharefrlc00:22:11651 views
- JC!frlc00:33:591,001 views
- The Savior Has Come!frlc00:43:41975 views
- A Child Is Born!frlc00:41:10957 views
- Reviving Our Witnessfrlc00:42:241,033 views


text:
SALISBURY, Md. - A local politician brought politics to the people Monday evening. Wicomico County Councilwoman Sheree Sample-Hughes held her first "District One Citizen's Forum" of the year in Salisbury. The overall theme of the forums is "Creating Community Connections" and Sample-Hughes says that message is relevant now more than ever since District 1 was revised during last year.
Councilwoman Sample-Hughes was looking forward to "introducing myself as the local representative to those citizens who are now a part of district one and making that connection."
A part of her campaign promise, Mrs. Sample-Hughes has been hosting these forums since she was elected in 2006. "A lot of times citizens may come to council meetings and not get a chance to ask a question," says Sample-Hughes, and she hopes these meetings give residents a chance to learn more about their local politics.


text:
A look at the top 25 high school football player in the state of Texas in the 2012 class, as compiled by the BON recruiting team.
A month and a half ago, it looked like the Texas Longhorns had a serious chance of flipping star defensive lineman Mario Edwards, for the first time in his recruitment. What's the latest on the...
The latest on the recruitment of Denton Ryan five-star defensive lineman Mario Edwards following his official visit to Florida State. Does Texas still have a chance with the consensus top player in...
Florida State commit and Texas target Mario Edwards is the new top recruit in the country by 247Sports following strong performances in the UA game and in the practices leading up to the game. He will decide between Florida State, LSU, and Texas following visits to both Tallahassee and Baton Rouge over the next weeks. The top Longhorn commit in the rankings is DT Malcom Brown, who prevented some serious challenges for offensive linemen in the UA game as well and comes in at no. 7 nationally, ahead of highly-touted recruit Eddie Goldman.
It's already been a wild weekend for those covering FSU commit Mario Edwards in Orlando. First, the five-star defensive end trashed Oklahoma, then gave conflicting statements about where Texas...
"Talking to some of the (current OU) players, no one had a lot of positive things to say about OU," Edwards said. "It was more, like, negative." Additionally, Edwards said, he wasn't thrilled with the "vibe" of Norman. "It was a real small town with really no social life there," he said. "After football season, you want to be somewhere you can socialize and all that stuff." - ESPiN Insider ($)The Sooner blog is reporting that Super Mario has all but eliminated OU.
Updates from the Texas football banquet on Friday night, including Mack Brown's thoughts on the season, possible early entrants to the NFL, recruiting notes, and the latest on the Longhorns...
Most seasons, the Longhorn coaching staff is done with recruiting by this point in the season. But there are still plenty of targets left on the board for 2012.
A look at the list of visitors for the Texas-Oklahoma game, one of the biggest recruiting events of the fall for both schools.
Friday Night Lights Speech & Prayer (via goSoutherNcal) Permian doesn't get enough publicity so I thought I'd help them out (insert sarcasm). Let this thread serve as the Friday and Saturday...
As part of the new SB Nation launch, prior users will need to choose a permanent username, along with a new password.
Your username will be used to login to SB Nation going forward.
Please login to your Vox Media account. This account will be linked to your previously existing Eater account.
As part of the new SB Nation launch, prior MT authors will need to choose a new username and password.
Your username will be used to login to SB Nation going forward.
We'll email you a reset link.
If you signed up using a 3rd party account like Facebook or Twitter, please login with it instead.
You must be a member of Burnt Orange Nation to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at Burnt Orange Nation. You should read them.
You must be a member of Burnt Orange Nation to participate.
We have our own Community Guidelines at Burnt Orange Nation. You should read them.
Choose an available username to complete sign up.
In order to provide our users with a better overall experience, we ask for more information from Facebook when using it to login so that we can learn more about our audience and provide you with the best possible experience. We do not store specific user data and the sharing of it is not required to login with Facebook.


text:
Search results for 'a'
Coloration Fee$307.5010% surcharge for specific color requests by set. Learn More
Halo 5XL$177.00This dual-texture series combines precise targeting slopers with beautiful aesthetics. Perfect for more advanced problems and routes, these holds require strength and precision, and truly stand out on the wall. Learn More
Font Medium Set B$33.00Crafted to emulate the bulging, multifaceted slopers of Fontainebleu, this classic series offers a full run of options for both size and difficulty. Ranging from sculpted foot chips up to the massive 4XL feature, the Font series has both massive variety and distinctive aesthetics for routes or problems of any grade and angle. Learn More
Power Dome #9$45.00A series of massive slopers, designed for pure power climbing. A combination of new shapes and classic features dating back to the early nineties, the Power Domes are fantastic for moderate to advanced climbing on vertical walls to more difficult routes and problems on steeper terrain Learn More
Powertools Sliders Set$78.00A classic retro series for climbers looking to get a little bit of everything. Complete with specialized hold sets for specific training fuctions, such as our popular Refiner Crimps, Sliders, or Slots, the Powertools offer a wide variety of options at a great price, and are ideal for routes of any angle from moderate to extreme difficulty. Learn More
Jugs Medium Set A$33.00A series of jugs in a variety of shapes and sizes. Perfect for the easiest routes on any angle of climbing. Learn More
Positive Medium Set$33.00This series is a versatile setting tool for intermediate to difficult routes on vertical and slightly overhanging walls, or great stemming problems in dihedrals and compression problems on arêtes. Running the full range of size and angle, from positive to shallow, these holds can be used for anything from moderate climbing to the most balance-intensive and technical of routes and problems. Learn More
This sandstone series has deeper grooves for aggressive pinches and featured jugs, emulating the more eroded style of sandstone often found in more temperate climates. This versatile set can be used on any angle of terrain, for moderate to advanced problems and routes. Learn More
Tufa Medium Set A$33.00Ergonomic ridges give setters a massive variety of options of how to use each hold in this, ranging from hand-size pinches to enormous tufa pinches that climbers can make three moves on and still be on the same hold. The Tufas are a moderate to advanced series, good for routes of all grades on the vertical wall and more difficult routes and problems on steeper terrain. Learn More
Erosion Small Set$22.50This series features seams of eroded pockets, ranging from shallow two-finger seams to deep pinches and sinker pockets. The Erosions combine unique functionality with striking aesthetics for a versatile series good for all angles and grades. Learn More


text:
New signs for two York schools (From York Press)
- News feed
- Find us on Twitter
Follow us on Twitter
- Find us on Facebook
The Press, York
Like us on Facebook
New signs for two York schools
9:47am Thursday 14th February 2013 in News
NEW signs are to be installed outside two York schools with the aim of improving safety and encouraging more pupils and parents to walk and cycle.
Coun Dave Merrett, City of York Council's cabinet member for transport, planning and sustainability, has approved proposals which will see existing signs at the 20mph zone near Bishopthorpe Infants and Archbishop of York's Junior School being "personalised" with a "road safety-themed design" to make them more noticeable for drivers.
The plans, which were given the go-ahead at a private decision session for Coun Merrett, will also see some "duplicated" school warning signs being removed to reduce clutter in the area.
The existing warning sign with flashing amber lights will be moved from its current position to a new point closer to the infant school, a new school sign will be installed on the verge near the school entrance, and the keep-clear markings near the school will also be improved.
The scheme, which the council said had been decided on after consultation with residents, councillors, the local parish council and North Yorkshire Police, is expected to cost about £12,000.
Comments (2)
Please log in to enable comment sorting
7:59pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Paul Meoff says...
1:16am Fri 15 Feb 13
Magicman! says...
Meanwhile, how do you increase awareness of careful driving now the 20mph speed limit has been widened to the entire area? previously you put up a 20 limit around the school and drivers realised there was a school there and went more carefully, but now the special significant of the 20mph limit has been lost.
Comments are closed on this article.


text:
The browser you are using is out of date and is no longer supported. To view and use this site correctly, please update your browser to the latest version.
This guide details Historic Scotland's policy in regard to conserving the underwater heritage....
This document provides information on the care of historic buildings and ancient monuments by government departments in Scotland....
Buy all Technical Advice Notes (TANs) from our online shop.
Buy the new Building Scotland publication from our online shop.


text:
You may not have everything you need to view certain sections of this web site.
Please install or update "Flash Player" which is available for free here.
If you use some kind of screenreader or other non visual browser you can get the most important informations from the list below.
raster-noton // alva noto & byetone @ bienal de video. centro gabriela mistral (gam). santiago de chile. chile.
alva noto


text:
If you like stratagy games you should try it.
Seemed to me from the demo it was Q-bertesk puzzler. Great game though and I almost bought it yesterday but saw that SR3 came with a free copy of SR2. I have been preoccupied by BF3 to really play much else. Cathrine is a great game but I wouldn't suggest buying it right away. It is already down to 30 bucks in the states and will drop fast in the UK as well I would suspect.
Who's Catherine and where can I see some pictures of the bitch?


text:
Saving Cable
If you fish offshore and want an inexpensive way to stockpile rigging wire, this tip will certainly help you out. When it was time to replace my jumper cables, I didn't want to just throw them away - after all, we are all trying to be green. From the faulty set of jumper cables, I removed the clamps, then split the cables apart and cut them to an appropriate length. By trimming an inch of the insulation off one end, I can use pliers to pull out individual strands of wire while keeping the rest nice, neat and secure. Now I can make the rigging wires as long as I want, plus they are stiffer and heavier gauge than most copper wire found in tackle stores.
Capt. Bob Frevert
Jupiter, Florida
- << First
- < Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3


text:
HGTV Message Boards
Holmes on Homes
Damaged Brick Mailbox
Recently a repairman accidentally backed into my brick mailbox. The good news is that he seems to have merely tapped it (there is no damage to any bricks, and the structure of the mailbox is sound). The bad news is that the force of impact has caused my mailbox to lift (foundation and all) out of the ground. I would estimate that my mailbox is leaning at roughly a 120-130 degree angle.
What should I look for in having this mailbox repaired? What sort of suggestions for repair will a reputable contractor give me?
Thanks for your help,
Welcome to the boards. This question would be better put in the remodeling section. The HoH board doesn't get a lot of traffic and none of it is from Mike Holmes himself.
A picture might help, you can add one by clicking on the "Add Attachment" link below the post a reply box. You will likely need to resize the picture in Paint or other software because most cellphone cameras and all digital cameras take pictures that exceed the size limitations on the boards.
If the mailbox structure is completely intact I'd probably start by digging in front of the box to allow you to push it back upright. I would probably backfill with a bag or two of readi-mix concrete.
As to contractors to hire, I'd probably look at a decent handyman. A mason would be a good bet as well.
General Disclaimer
Any advice given here is general in nature and is not necessarily valid for your given area. If in doubt check with your local codes enforcement department for what is required when doing electrical, plumbing or structural work on your house. Permits may or may not be required in your area and home owners may not be able to DIY some tasks. I have no way of knowing if you have the skills needed to complete the tasks you are asking about, when in doubt seek professional assistance.
My advice may be worth exactly what you pay me for it. :-) For the record I did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Just drive your car into the other side of it. That usually does the trick
Any business person cheating on the rules of a message board is sure to cheat their customers.
|Powered by Social Strata


text:
What Does a Boston Wedding DJ Cost, and Why? And Related Issues with Other Wedding Vendors
More and more "professional" green-thumbed (and often part-time) DJs enter the Boston wedding marketplace each and every day, armed with hard drives of music freshly copied from their friends or the Internet, gleefully ready to showcase for you brides and grooms their months of seasoned experience, and anxiously beating up very trustworthy and reputable, truly professional DJs, on the basis of pricing. As such, I feel it is my duty as one of the latter-referenced professionals to help educate you, the bride and groom, or family member or friend assisting in the planning process, on what genuinely goes into a genuine professional's performance, and what the real end-of-the-day fiscal takeaway is for your DJ (or other wedding vendors, for that matter) after all the hard work is finished.
I've been a full-time DJ in the Greater Boston wedding (as well as corporate and private event) market for more than two and a half years now. I was part-time for more than eight years prior to 2010. Making this switch, from operating in a part-time capacity while working a steady 9-to-5 during the week, to putting everything — especially my family's financial well-being — on the line, was and remains to be an often risky and scary proposition.
I am proud to run my own small business. I am proud of the services I provide, the vast majority of my customers are a joy to work with and for, and the testimonials I receive from brides and grooms (and their parents and other family members and guests alike) drive me to keep doing what I am doing. I'm even more proud to say I've managed to grow into a full-time venture despite a down economy. But I cannot say it has been easy, or will grow much easier moving forward. As I mentioned earlier, there has been quite a lot of competition lately, mostly on the basis of vendor pricing.
Let's get down to brass tacks: dollars and cents. Most truly professional wedding DJs nowadays in the Greater Boston and Massachusetts markets, are charging in the range of $1,200 to $4,000+ per wedding for their packages, all depending of course on many details, including but not limited to: venue, travel, size of wedding, time of year, date, last-minute scheduling availability, length of day's events (number of hours), specific setup complexity and requirements, and specific services needed or requested such as number of system setups for ceremony, cocktail hour, and the main reception area, dance floor lighting, uplighting, photo booths, slideshow services, and more.
Not even being specific to weddings, have you ever overheard someone say (or even said yourself), "Where does this guy get off charging so much to play music off a laptop for a few hours?"
First off, so you know from the start, when a full-time career wedding DJ receives a check from you for all the time and effort put into your wedding day, he or she does not run to the bank, cash the check, abandon all of life's responsibilities (including paying taxes and bills), and jump on a plane to the Bahamas for a week in the sun.
Hypothetically, let's say that the professional DJ you have hired has quoted you the minimal $1,200 for a bare-bones five-hour wedding package, which you feel is reasonable. You actually shopped around, and in the process, turned down a few other folks quoting $1,500, $1,700, $2,000. Let's presume this is the DJ's career and sole means of surviving — how he takes care of his family, feeds and clothes his kids, pays his mortgage. While most people with a 9-to-5 job have a steady paycheck year-round, hopefully and generally have half-decent health benefits, paid sick and vacation time, and a basic company-matched retirement plan, many professional wedding DJs in the Boston area do not enjoy these "luxuries," including the DJ you're hypothetically hiring here.
In addition, these DJs do not usually have five or six available days to work each week, in order to make a decent year's wages; it is more like only a couple of "bread-and-butter" days (i.e. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays). [Note: This is not to say these are the only "work days" for the DJ, which we'll discuss a bit later.] So, even if the wedding DJ was fortunate enough to book a wedding on every weekend date, it would be a maximum of 156 bookings per year — which, so you realize straight away, never happens, especially in New England, considering only a brave few decide to marry during the potentially treacherous winter months, and most couples avoid getting married on or near certain other dates, such as Thanksgiving, Mother's and Father's Day, Easter, etc. Also playing a role in a limited number of potential wedding dates for a DJ: many couples wind up choosing the same handful of most popular dates each year, which are usually Saturday evenings, holiday weekends, and quirky dates like 10-11-12, or 9-10-11.
The DJ pays higher taxes right off the top: 9-to-5'ers pay 50% of the Social Security and Medicare pool contributions while their companies put in the other half; this is not true for sole proprietors, who pay 100% of those taxes themselves. So, the $1,200 paycheck comes in, and 30-35% goes right to estimated tax payments. So, now the "big payday" is down to, say, $780. This DJ then needs to put aside a small piece, toward his own retirement planning, because no one else will help with that: let's call it only a minimal 5% (read: not enough). Now, the score is $720. He hasn't yet paid his even modest monthly advertising bills, monthly liability and disability insurance premiums, monthly website expenses, monthly equipment purchases and maintenance expenses, and other expenses related to the wedding services he's providing you (e.g. $35 for a roll of extra wide tape to ensure your guests don't trip on any wires and get hurt; $15 to get the tuxedo dry cleaned; the $25-$60 in gas, tolls, and lofty Boston parking garage fees; $10 on fresh reliable high-end batteries for the wireless microphone on which your best man and maid of honor will deliver their toasts; $5-$25 on unique to your day mp3 purchases, and more). This is not an exhaustive list by any means. For the sake of argument, the DJ is now taking home just under $450, and needs to help run the house hold, and finally try to squeeze out a few bucks left somewhere to actually spend on something fun and leisurely.
Something to bear in mind: this may have been his only booking of the week. This is not to say he did not bust his behind on the other days: the methods he employed to help you find him in the first place; the time he spent on meeting you, helping you feel comfortable during the initial conversations and booking process, via phone calls, emails, and/or in-person meetings; the time he spent during the weeks leading up to your big day, helping you plan the flow, your music, your tastes and preferences; the time he took to reach out and coordinate everything with your other vendors; the time to load his vehicle the day of your wedding, hours before he plays the first song; the time traveling to your venue, loading in, setting up, on hands and knees taping wires across the floors, sound checking, all, again, hours before the first announcement is made or song is played.
Then, it's show time, and your DJ musters every bit of experience and confidence he has, to strive to justify the immense trust you have placed in him for making the biggest day of your life, absolutely perfect — this is a pressure few people may ever experience in their 9-to-5 job.
After five or six or seven hours of giving his all to you and your guests, everyone heads home (or continues the after-party, hopefully!) — well, everyone except the DJ. He remains up to an hour after your party ends, packing up, staying later than even some of the catering/wait staff, and then getting ready for the seemingly long night-ride back home.
If you chose a career self-employed photographer, videographer, wedding planner, florist, or other vendor, please keep in mind that in many respects, the time and care spent on your wedding day (and for some, like photographers and videographers, the hours and hours of post-production time spent after your wedding day, too!), and the subsequent final financial benefit to the professional, are similar to those I've expressed above.
So, please take care to be conscious of all that will go into your wedding day, and while understanding the budgeting concern we all share, remember how valuable your chosen vendors will be one of the most important days of your life — please try to do right by them. (And my wife just told me to add a final note, based on many conversations she's had with me over the years: a hand shake and sincere eye-to-eye "thank you" at night's end goes a very long way!)
For more information, or to connect with me further:
Chris & Dinah's Picture Perfect Outdoor Wedding in Concord, MA
On the first Saturday of September, on the historic, lush green grounds of The Old Manse in Concord, MA, Christian and Dinah were set to be married. For a couple who together appreciated the outdoors and all it had to offer, this was the perfect site for their wedding day. The gravel drive brought you to the front doors of the modest home where famous American philosophers Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau did some of their finest thinking and writing. Adjacent was the white tent topped with sails waving joyfully in the light breeze, under which the couple's wedding guests would enjoy an evening of food, music, and celebration. Down the soft path to the lower yard we went, strolling between small apple trees, arriving at a fairytale ceremony site, stream and antique boathouse in the rear, set in the foreground with a large stone, representing the strong foundation on which this marriage was being built. Just steps beyond lay the site of the first shots of the American Revolution. The sun was bright; the air was fair.
An instrumental duo provided soft music for the ceremony, and we provided the Justice of the Peace, and the couple's guests, with wireless microphones. Two features of this ceremony were unique to me, and I loved them both. First, the Justice of the Peace passed the wedding bands to a guest and asked they be passed around to each person in attendance and that everyone make a prayer or wish for the couple. Also, later in the ceremony, an opportunity was presented to the guests, in which they could share aloud a story or well-wishes for the couple. It was great to see so many people have the confidence to speak and make the ceremony that much more special and memorable for Dinah and Chris.
Following the ceremony, guests partook in cocktail hour on the lower lawn, as the bride posed for photos in the nearby field, the sun's rays complementing her lovely complexion. Up the hill and under the tent, the final touches were put on the dinner and dancing area. Once everyone was there and seated (greeted by "lobsters" at their seats!), the bride and groom themselves were introduced grandly into the tent, to a long round of applause, and made their way to the dance floor for their first dance to "Moves Me Deeply" by Will Kimbrough. We then introduced the Father of the Bride for a welcome toast, who in turned brought up his new son, the groom, who introduced the rest of the head table himself (and did a tremendous job!).
Dinner music was a mix of the couple's love for blues, classic country, and bluegrass, including a set of bluegrass cover tunes of classic rock songs that we found. This wedding was a bit offbeat, and in following suit, so was the cake cutting ceremony – they actually did a pie ceremony, with several flavors of freshly baked goodness from a farm just down the road in Concord! We helped them find the perfect song: "Country Pie" by Bob Dylan. After a joint parents' dance, the dance floor opened up, the party went strong for several hours into the night, and the guests were able to indulge in the delectable baked treats. The last song of the night, "Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, was a real hit – an upbeat song with a very sentimental touch.
Big thanks to the bride and groom, Dinah and Chris, for letting us be a small part of their big day. Shout outs to the day-of wedding coordinator Karen Murphy of Celebrations by Karen F. Murphy (http://www.celebrationsbykfm.com), Becky and crew at East Coast Grill (http://eastcoastgrill.net), photographer Matt Grazier (http://www.grazierphotography.com) who took photos a million times more amazing than those we took and display here, Sperry Tents (http://www.sperrytents.com), pie provider Verrill Farm (http://www.verrillfarm.com), and of course, the managers of The Old Manse.
2012 Spring Weddings Recap (Part 3)
Nothing But a Party Crowd at Coco Key Hotel & Water Park Resort in Danvers, MA
Married about a year beforehand, Vickie and Paul were looking very much forward to a second ceremony, and more importantly a great party, for their family and friends. On a warm Friday evening in mid-May, they did just that. Following a lovely vow renewal ceremony, including a purple and jade (the day's colors) sand ceremony, inside the spacious and gorgeous library of the hotel, it was off to the ballroom for the celebration.
The musical tastes of the couple were eclectic: Rat Pack and other upbeat lounge tunes for cocktail hour, and a mix of country, line dances, top 40, 90's hip hop, and 90's boy bands (for the bride, of course) during the reception. I lead an interactive centerpiece giveaway during dinner, which had folks dancing around the tables to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" — and the cameras were a-snapping!
The bride's ceremony processional song was Nick Lachey's "This I Swear." The bridal party was grand introduced to "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull, with the bride and groom entering to "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. The cake cutting song was "Stuck Like Glue" by Sugarland. There was both a bouquet and garter toss, and the last song of the night was "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks, where all the guests got in a big circle, swayed and sang.
Note: The CoCo Key Resort is currently undergoing renovations and will be re-opened as the DoubleTree by Hilton Boston North Shore in the fall of 2012.
Venue/Catering: Stefanie McCowan, http://www.cpbostonns.com/
Photography: Barbara Lynch, http://www.barbaralynchphoto.com
Photo Booth: Photo Fun Box, http://www.photofunbox.com
Uplighting: DJ John Dudley Entertainment, http://www.djjohndudley.com
2012 Spring Weddings Recap (Part 2)
A Classy Yet Fun Affair at the Commander's Mansion, Watertown, MA
In late April, Natalie Wu and Josh Levine joined hands in marriage, celebrating inside a historical home in Watertown. There were beautiful sites to be seen by guests as they arrived, from paintings, to classic furniture, and even a large projector screen that I provided, on which photos of the bride and groom scrolled along during cocktail hour, to the tunes of upbeat lounge music and upbeat pop songs from various decades.
There was no grand entrance for this couple, who enjoyed socializing with their guests the entire day. Toasts took place in a lovely spot, on the grand staircase, and dinner service took place upstairs in various rooms of the house. Later, downstairs, the couple performed their cake cutting ceremony to "The Sweetest Thing" by U2. Dancing commenced after that, and soon it led into a Hora, a celebratory circle dance in the Jewish tradition. The bride and groom, both seated in chairs, were raised up in the circle's center by their strongest guests as everyone else danced around them. Guests really let loose as the night went on, ending on a high note, singing loudly in a tight circle to "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey.
Photography: Amanda Ambrose, http://www.amandaambrose.com
Florist: Chaba Florists
Venue Coordinator: Rae Grassia, http://www.commandersmansion.com/
Catering: Beth Heller, http://www.eastmeetswestcatering.com
2012 Spring Weddings Recap (Part 1)
Cinco de Mayo Celebration at the Hilton Boston Logan Hotel, Boston, MA
On May 5, Alison MacDonald and Miguel Nieto tied the know in very festive style! In the spacious ballroom foyer, just at the top of the popular never-ending escalato, the bride and groom celebrated the marriage with family and friends to the sight and sounds of a full Mariachi band during cocktail hour.
After the bridal party's grand entrance into the ballroom, guests were entertained by the bride and groom in their first dance as husband and wife, a custom mix I made for them, between Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are" and a classic Merengue track, Elvis Crespo's "Suavemente." There were two "Best Men" and two "Maids of Honor" who proposed toasts before dinner service. Music during the night featured hits from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and today's Top 40, along with new and classic Merengue and Salsa songs and artists.
Mariachi Band: http://www.mariachiinternacional.net
Photographer: Will Mann, http://www.wmannphotography.com
Uplighting: DJ John Dudley Entertainment, http://www.djjohndudley.com
Function's Wedding Planner: Samantha Bevilacqua, http://bostonlogan.hilton.com
The Passionate-Red Themed Vietnamese Wedding of Thuy & Kevin at Marriott Boston Long Wharf
On the evening of Saturday, February 25, 2012,Thuy and Kevin, both of Vietnamese descent, tied the knot and celebrated their marriage at the Marriott Boston Long Wharf.
The cocktail hour of the reception took place in the hotel's conjoined Constitution, Faneuil, Beacon, and Haymarket rooms, overlooking the pier and New England Aquarium. Guests arrived to the laid back sound of our smooth jazz mix, and were invited to sign a traditional Vietnamese banner scroll in lieu of a guest book.
As guests mingled in the cocktail lounge, we and the exemplary staff at the Marriott put the very final touches on the recently renovated – and magnificent – Harborview Ballroom. The wedding featured red décor, from the uplighting to linens to chiffon chair pads to rose-filled centerpieces and even backlit DJ booth. As the sun went down over Boston Harbor, the room glowed with warmth and richness.
Entering the ballroom to a bit of traditional Vietnamese instrumental music, guests awaited the grand entrance of the parents and bridal party. Because the bride and groom wished to have most of the introductions spoken in Vietnamese (to accommodate all those who traveled from afar for the wedding!), the groom's older sister Vivian assisted with the intros. After the wedding party and couple were announced, the family made a point to recognize the siblings and several other important family members in the crowd, which was such an atypical and nice touch.
Toasts and dinner got underway. During dinner, the two sets of table centerpieces were given away. The smaller pieces were awarded to whoever had a penny under their charger plate. The larger rose pieces? Those were awarded to the folks who knew the couple best, via trivia questions provided by the matron of honor. I ran around the room like Richard Dawson on Family Fued, the numerous answers so hilariously incorrect! After that fun came the cake cutting ceremony, set to the tune of Harry Connick, Jr.'s "Recipe For Love." The cake was actually an arrangement of three different sized white frosted cakes donning red embellishments, atop thin golden metal pedestals of different heights. The couple was quite neat during the ceremony!
During dessert, the bride and groom shared in their first dance together as husband and wife to a wedding favorite, Etta James's "At Last." [Note: traditionally, the couple's first dance often takes place either immediately following their grand entrance, or as this couple chose, following dinner to kick off dancing.] Following that, the couple simultaneously shared a dance with their respective mothers, to an older Vietnamese song entitled "Long Me" (Y Van). Quite beautiful, both in tune and meaning (find the song and translated lyrics on YouTube).
From there, it was a full-on dance party. The house lights dropped and the party lights got turned on. A little bit in the action, the bouquet was tossed to Beyonce's "Single Ladies," and we even played a couple of fun games (again, at the planning of the matron of honor), which were actually really fun and funny. The first was recruiting five male contestants including the groom, to stand on chairs, pull up their pant legs, and let a blind-folded bride wearing dishwashing gloves try to identify her new hubby only by the obstructed feel of his shin and calf muscle. Then, it was vice versa. It's important to note that both bride and groom identified their mate!
The next game was set to severely embarrass both of them, as Kevin stood on chairs for the entire room to see, as Thuy ran a hard-boiled egg up one pants leg and back down the other as quickly as possible (having quite a bit of trouble at the halfway point!). And the crowd went wild!
We got everyone back to the dance party after this, there was an impromptu congo line started by the groom, and then before we all knew it, the party was at its end. The final song of the night was selected by the couple: "When You Got a Good Thing" by Lady Antebellum. All the remaining guests circled around the married couple as they danced.
A great night was had by all, including me. A big thanks and congratulations to Kevin and Thuy for inviting me to be a part of their special day. Thanks and shout out to Sonja and the always can-do (and punctual!) staff at Marriott Boston Long Wharf. Everyone, enjoy the photos from the celebration.
[This wedding experience was shared by full-time Boston-area wedding specialist, DJ John Dudley. You can find more information, tips, ideas, testimonials, videos, photos, and more at http://www.DJJohnDudley.com, http://www.YouTube.com/user/DJJohnDudley, on Facebook (DJ John Dudley Entertainment), and on Twitter (@thebostondj). We welcome your questions, comments, needs for wedding advice, etc.]
Our Massachusetts Wedding Retrospective, Part 2: Pre-Ceremony
Somehow, following a long, raucous post-wedding rehearsal dinner at the local Polynesian pop-spot, Hu Ke Lau, I still wake up bright and early in our master suite at the Hampton Inn Chicopee, with two of my groomsmen stirring in the adjoining room. Through our negotiations with Sandy at the hotel, we had procured one of the hotel's two master suites for our wedding weekend, for two nights, one of which was complimentary (a stipulation we set with the sales manager, upon our block of rooms selling out), the second of which was at the discounted rate we arranged for our guests' standard rooms. [Note: A friend of mine in the hotel industry in Boston once told me that it costs a hotel approximately $17 per night to maintain most rooms, so when you bargain for a hotel block for wedding, be polite but hard-nosed, as now you know the whole story.] Some of the guys stayed with me, while some bridesmaids stayed over at my mother-in-law's house with my bride.
That morning, after a complimentary breakfast at the hotel (something other local top-brand hotels in the area did not offer), I took off with the maid of honor to receive the manicure my mom-in-law had so lovingly and readily booked for me. This was only the second 'mani' of my life, accepted only slightly less reluctantly than the first. As we ventured out we encountered rain, and according to the Weather Channel, we could still expect a solid sixty percent chance of rain well into the early evening. We kept our fingers crossed. Rain aside, we had other issues that weighed on our minds, namely Alison's father, who was now guaranteed to miss the entire wedding day due to the status of his health. He found himself bed-ridden in the intermediate care unit of the hospital instead of rightfully by his daughter's side at the altar. (Although both Alison and I were raised Roman Catholic and still practiced our faith, a church marriage was one of the few wishes her father and mother held most dear.)
The fantastical thoughts and discussions I had shared with Alison and family the few days leading up to this one now turned more pressing and realistic: What if I could set up a Skype teleconference between that isolated hospital room and the warm interior of St. Stan's? After the salon appointment, I, with the support of my best man, his fiancée, and my new cousin-in-law, ventured to my new dad's bedside. We had many concerns, including being able to tap into the hospital's restricted wireless signal, positioning the laptop so that everyone could see one another later in the day, properly instructing and trusting hospital staff to operate the program and accept the incoming call when the time came, and of course, ensuring that my father-in-law would be found fashioned in the crisp white tuxedo shirt and berry bowtie we brought along with us. (The man had always been an impeccable dresser, and we would certainly not have this day be different from any other.)
With the grace of God, everything worked out at the hospital, and again with His grace, the same would happen when my best man's fiancée called the laptop from the Skype application on my Evo 4G inside the church at 3:25pm. I could not thank her enough as she offered to walk around the altar and crowd during the Mass, connecting the world of that hospital room and the world of the wedding. We made our way back to the hotel with safety in mind, as we encountered yet another flash downpour.
After returning to the hotel in the early afternoon with an unnatural sheen to my finger caps and a glowing optimism toward my new father being able to virtually attend the wedding, following one quick check-in phone call to my lovely bride, I did what was natural to me in times of growing pressure: I chatted with anyone and everyone (read: procrastinated). At some point – only an hour before the limo bus was to arrive and transport my groomsmen and me to St. Stanislaus Basilica – I made my way to the room and began getting ready. Within an hour, I found myself boarding the bus with my groomsmen and others, popping open a bottle of champagne, and rolling toward to the church, with rain smacking the windows.
In the third installment of Our Wedding Retrospective, you'll get to read about and even see photos of the ceremony, so stay tuned!
Our Massachusetts Wedding Retrospective, Part 1: The Final Prep
As our Friday wedding date approached, we watched the weather carefully. Although both the ceremony and the reception were taking place indoors, the travel into and out of each, and the travel on the several miles of road between the venues (i.e. the safety of our guests) were still a concern of ours. And this is putting aside the fact that we had planned very carefully in order to ensure that in the event of sunshine, we would have a perfect opportunity to photograph at our reception venue with a glorious sunset as a backdrop, overlooking a lush and multicolored valley. There was more than a week of bold sunshine leading up to our rehearsal dinner, and more sunshine on deck, slotted for after our wedding had ended. As much as we planned and hoped and followed the meteorologist's every word, the sad truth was we would be going about our wedding day in the rain, with an inevitable 70 to 80 percent change of precipitation. But we were determined to make the best of whatever situation came our way.
In actuality, weather issues aside, both Alison and I needed to have our optimism on high gear anyway. About two or three weeks prior to the wedding, Alison's dad, who has a history of heart and respiratory problems, was admitted into a Springfield area hospital, where he was to have another important procedure pertaining to his heart condition. Under normal circumstances, this procedure would understandably take a stressful and frightening toll on an individual and their family. With tons of final wedding preparations to nail down and organize, it became a taxing time. It was a bittersweet final path to the Roman Catholic Church marriage, to which her parents so thrillingly looked forward. We did not know how everything would turn out, though hoped Alison's dad would make it through the procedure unscathed and recover in time still to walk his beloved daughter, my bride, down the aisle.
With tears in at least one person's eyes at any given time, we worked together with my bride's mother, and cousins and friends, to finish the following:
– writing out and packaging with lace ribbon the guests' party favors / seating cards (glass coasters shown here; a link can be found in our last diary entry);
– welcome ("goodie") bags for our guests staying in our select hotel block (at the Hampton Inn in Chicopee, a fabulous hotel with nice amenities including a full complimentary breakfast and a can-do staff) which included personalized bottles of spring water (labeled them ourselves with "Alison & John's Wedding"), chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies from a Springfield area bakery, small autumn-scented votive candles, a schedule of wedding day events and key addresses/directions, and mints that read "thank you" on them;
– writing, designing, printing and assembling programs for the ceremony (which we made on Alison's mother's home computer — they came out very classy without too much fuss);
– packaging / organizing everything to be brought to the church and the reception hall (i.e. pew bows, Unity Candles, remaining centerpieces, guest book/matted photo, etc.), and the list of who was to bring what, where.
We couldn't have finished everything in time without the help of our family and friends. Furthermore, we would never would have had time to finish other vastly important items — like writing our vows!
Two nights before the wedding, we sat down and came up with our pledge to one another:
John/Alison, my best friend and partner,
You love me, and I, you.
You inspire me to be a better person.
You inspire me to change the world.
You remind me to care for myself.
You remind me to breathe.
You are imperfect, but you try your best.
You forgive readily, and are always forgiven.
You accept me for who I am, and you make me stronger.
You are my rock in times of frustration and sorrow.
You are the light of my day.
These things I promise in our marriage together;
I commit to progress, not perfection.
I commit to strength in God, our family, and friends.
I commit to the practice of patience, listening, passion, and compassion.
I commit to be true to you, in good times, and in bad.
I commit to care for you, in sickness and in health.
I commit to love and honor you all the days of my life.
After finishing our vows, we also needed to connect once more with our photographer and DJ, to apprise them of a couple last minute changes to the day, especially the fully yet sadly anticipated absence of Alison's dad.
At the end of the day, we both felt quite accomplished — and exhausted — and slept like babies. What was in store for us the next morning? Yes, you guessed correctly: manicures.
Stay tuned for the riveting second installment of Our Wedding Retrospective!
The Boston DJ's Wedding Diary: T-Minus 315 Days: Dance and Shoot
Three hundred fifteen days left to live in Engagementland, and we are making moves. Alison and I have locked up both our DJ and photographer for the big day, after not a whole great deal of work and effort, actually. People keep joking with me when I tell them I'm planning my wedding… "So, are you going to DJ? Ha ha." Look, I DJ'ed once for a shared birthday party for me and my brother, and it was horrible. Well, it was when I was still using CD's, so every four minutes, I was pulled away from the fun to mix the music. Regardless, my wedding day is the one day I'm looking forward to having everyone else carry the load so I can put my feet up.
Our budget didn't really allow for anything but a DJ, and I had just the man in mind: my colleague Craig Sutton at Sutton Entertainment [www.SuttonEntertainment.com]. Craig is a seasoned DJ and entertainment agent and event concept specialist who uses me frequently throughout the year for some of his most important corporate clients and wedding couples. He's a fantastic guy with a really warm personality, and he's really become a good friend. Obviously, in my stead, I would recommend using Craig to DJ your wedding. (Thinking about it now, I'm fortunate to have developed such a close relationship with Craig, because trust, comfort and personality-match do play huge roles in choosing a wedding DJ. It honestly would have been difficult for me to go through the process of vetting other DJ's with whom I even have decent relationships. To this point in my career, I already had a deep appreciation for the comfort level – almost friendship – I try to develop with my wedding clients, and this scenario bolstered that further.) Ideally, under different financial circumstances, Alison and I would have preferred to have a band and Craig as DJ. We've become huge fans of the '80s tribute band Fast Times here in Boston, and I've began developing a friendship with a couple of the guys in the band even. If you want a really fun dance party at your wedding and you've got the dough, look them up [www.FastTimes.biz] and tell them I sent you. You won't be disappointed, promise.
So, with Craig's services under lock and key (lucky he had the date free!), we moved on to picking the photographer – another apparently daunting task. When we had our first meal testing at the Hampden Country Club, they had their partner vendor in photography on hand in the room. We looked through the albums and pricing, and everything seemed reasonable at first glance. Alison sometimes tells me I should be a detective because of my attention to the tiniest details: I noticed in the only large format photo the woman had on display, featuring an entire wedding party, both a bridesmaid and the flower girl had their faces obscured by objects or other people. I thought, if this is the one piece brought along to demonstrate and sell their services, we might be better to look elsewhere. And we did. I've again worked with dozens and dozens of photographers on different weddings, and a couple did stand out in my mind, due both to their professionalism, personality, and methods. Unfortunately, when sharing these visual artists' websites with my bride-to-be, their sites sadly didn't do the photographers any justice, and I simply couldn't talk Alison out of looking elsewhere…again. (This certainly reinforced for me the importance of the feel and user-friendliness of my own website, which is why I continue to work on it on a regular basis.)
We finally ran into a company called Classic Photographers at a wedding networking night we attended together. I had never worked with them before but we conversed with the owner of the company was very personable, attentive to our needs, and informative. They are a "large" company with a subcontracted team of about 12-15 photographers in the Greater Boston area. The pricing (our main concern, besides skill set and personality) seemed a bit more modest than others we'd seen or heard, so we gave them a shot by setting up an appointment with their sales director, actually located at their sister-company Classic Tuxedos shop. Prior to our visit, we had been sent links to view about 8 or 9 of their photographers' work (i.e. online albums); Alison chose her top four, and I narrowed those down to two. To our appointment, I brought along a set of 20 questions to ask your photographer, which I researched and printed out from the web. The salesman took the time to answer all of our questions are patiently and thoroughly as he could (Note: this is always a good sign, regardless of vendor). Although we hadn't met or even spoken with our remaining frontrunner photographer (by the time we got to the appointment, one of top two had already been booked privately), we had a good feel for her work and style via the albums and the salesman's background and familiarity with her. So, right then and there, we put down a small deposit on the services for our big day, and they set up a monthly payment plan with us (interest-free!) up until our wedding. The total package includes six hours of wedding day shooting, an hour long engagement shoot in the summertime, 8" by 8" twenty page album, a DVD with all of our high resolution/auto corrected photos from both shoots complete full and unrestricted reprint rights. We went with Julia P., who is a personalized, artsy photographer and college photography instructor out of Salem, MA: here's her stuff http://www.classicphotographers.com/featured/julia_p/index.php (Let me be frank here: I am generally not a big fan of "large companies" that are in the wedding business. With my business being primarily just me, when a couple hires me, they know exactly who they are getting, and what they are getting: that is, my personal care and attention, experience, and personality. To me, they're not just another sale; you know, crunch the numbers, get the bare bones details, throw them into the computer, and leave well enough alone unless there's an issue. Not to say some people don't have success with the "big guys," but generally my take on it is, quality sometimes tends to suffer with volume…and this just isn't something you desire for your wedding day. But, with all that said, we decided to choose this company because the photographer's work spoke to us, and definitely because the pricing was right – especially with the help of a $300 discount on the photography package when committing to use their sister-company for the groomsmen's tuxedo rentals.)
Coming up in our next Diary entry, we will definitely be getting down to the dirty talk of budgeting (I really would have told you much earlier on, but to be honest, we're doing things a bit ass-backwards ourselves, though we've tried so hard not to – hopefully it won't come back to bite us!), and there also may be a guest-entry from my fiancée Alison on her dress shopping experience. Thanks for reading!
Feel free to drop us a line and learn more about us. (We'd like to learn more about you, too.)
John Dudley
Owner & Entertaining Entertainer
DJ John Dudley Entertainment
(617) 791-1001
~ Enlivening events throughout New England for more than 10 years ~
Proud Member of Global Mobile Entertainers Association &
Boston Young Professionals Association
For news, tips, contests and offers, follow us:
The Boston DJ's Wedding Diary: T-Minus 333 Days: Where? And When?
We've got 333 days to go, and there's been a lot going on lately. The first questions we tried to answer, just as I guess most future brides and grooms would, were: when and where. After visiting a handful of venues both in Greater Boston (my home) and Greater Springfield (Alison's home), in response to some innocent prompting from Alison's mom ("So, what have you talked about so far, about your wedding planning… Huh, well?"), we chose a facility in the end that really took our breath away.
Now, backing up just a bit, I had a couple of contacts here in Boston with whom I work frequently on other couples' weddings in my line of work. I was already familiar with the high quality of facilities here – as many Boston DJs would be. We looked into facilities including the Hilton at Logan Airport and the Hotel Marlowe inside the Galleria Mall in Cambridge. I've worked at both places many times and both are as classy as you can get; the staff, space, and services are phenomenal at each. Though, as one might imagine, the substantial costs of real estate taxes and overhead in Greater Boston for all intents and purposes priced us out of the wedding market here. Well, not entirely, though the few places we could actually afford did not offer us the all-important "atmosphere" we wanted (e.g. although I'm very familiar with the stellar food and services of Spinelli's in Lynnfield, we weren't crazy about getting married along a highway). All of this, plus the facts that my fiancée's parents were footing a hefty portion of the wedding, as well as that her guest list would be longer than my own, really put the ball in their court – Western Mass.
I'm similar to many born and bred Bostonians, being almost completely ignorant to the world beyond Worcester; but since meeting Alison nearly three years ago, the area is starting to grow on me. Her home town is not very different from my own in many ways. At the same time, Western Mass and the Berkshires offered us a very unique opportunity to wed within an environment all its own. I've had the chance to DJ many weddings at barns and similar classic New England rustic venues, so we begin examining that course.
We first made a drop-in visit to a place called the Log Cabin in Holyoke. In all honesty, the view and grounds on the rear side of this venue, for some ceremonies and cocktail hours, are nearly unparalleled. The facility was modestly modern and in decent shape, and we were pretty much sold, again, on the gorgeous view itself – you could see for miles. But, we found ourselves out of luck when the rooms with the best access to the view had minimum guest counts way out of our range (e.g. 175) and very restricted availability; the remaining option in the facility overlooked a highway, which again we did not want. We checked out the Log Cabin's sister venue, the Delaney House, down the road, but its proximity to an outdated hotel/motel , and its function room which was comparable to just about any other function room anywhere, knocked this place out of the running.
We took a bit of time to visit a Knights of Columbus Hall nearby, of which Alison's step-dad is a member, and this venue actually surprised us quite a bit. Its exterior was castle-esque and inside there were two sizeable quite modern function rooms; each could hold 250-plus people easily, yet the minimum head counts required for each were very flexible. One room there – for the first time in our multi-city venue tour – was fashioned beautifully for an autumn-décor wedding of 125 people later that same day. (Note: we hoped to choose a date sometime in the Fall of 2011, to harness the power of the New England foliage.) Despite the positives, we could not (again!) get past the fact that the venue was right smack on a rotary, neighbored by the likes of Rite Aid and Denny's and other similar merchants. The parking (another issue we had to consider) was more than substantial here, as it had been as most of the other venues, but again – no dice.
So, we moved on to a venue which screams (…quietly) New England: the Publick House in Sturbridge. The ride there was stunning, reds and yellows and oranges abound. The grounds were beautiful. Parking was adequate. There was lodging available both inside the House itself, as well as just up the hill. Our cocktail hour would be held inside of an old barn; the remainder of the reception inside what I would describe as a supersized yet uber-comfy country dining room. There was a hutch against one wall; antique sewing machines and snow sleds in the rafters; raw wooden beams everywhere. Our centerpieces likely would have been oil lanterns! The pricing points were even just right. It was seemingly perfect. Though, we had one last place to visit before making our final decision.
We traveled to Hampden, Massachusetts, south of Springfield along the Connecticut border, to see the Hampden Country Club. I can't honestly recall how we made our way there; but I will never forget driving way, way up uphill, surrounded by trees, finally reaching the top and overlooking a stunning view of a valley that went on for miles. We again dropped in for a visit, knocking on a window of the function space. The general manager happened to be strolling by and let us in, happily and without hesitation giving us an impromptu tour of the facilities. We were floored. The function room was, my guess, about 20-25 feet deep and 120 feet long – that is, 120 feet of nothing but glass and a view of the entire valley. After discussing briefly menu and cakes and parking and pricing and availability (and despite our preferred church and nearest preferred hotel for our guests being 30 minutes away), we were sold. The management did give us one of the best first impressions possible, and everything else seemed to fit the bill. We actually chose the date based on the venue's availability in October 2011. All Saturday evenings were already spoken for, so we opted for a Friday evening reception in exchange for a small discount on the food and beverage rates. (An afternoon wedding wasn't our cup of tea: we wanted drinking and dancing, both of which are rarer in the light of day.)So, there we had it: we were locked in to tie the knot the afternoon of Friday, October 14, 2011, and to celebrate that evening at the Hampden Country Club, to the backdrop of a valley seasoned in the shades of New England autumn and a sunset which would cross slowly and directly behind the long, floor-to-ceiling windows of our hall.
Stay tuned, because next time, we will talk one, all, or some combination of the following: discussing and setting our budget (yuck); securing our DJ (no, this is not DIY); choosing a picture-perfect photographer; and dress shopping.