tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39669824806829349082010-02-05T11:55:31.509-08:00Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-70992041052739928282008-11-13T07:25:00.001-08:002008-11-13T07:25:40.024-08:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/francemarie/3002086506/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/3002086506_86c5010fd9_m.jpg" alt="" /></a><p>IMG_0082</p><p>Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/francemarie/">FranceMarie</a>.</p><br />Our friend France has posted some shots she did with her iPhone to the <a href"http://www.flickr.com/groups/happyweddingblog/">Happy Wedding Weekend Flickr Group</a>, proving once again that it's not the equipment, but the eye behind it.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-7099204105273992828?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-10565631909753229412008-10-20T08:35:00.001-07:002008-10-20T08:36:52.816-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/2953285568/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2953285568_7c4f8fe2ba_m.jpg" alt="" /></a><p>2008.09_Italy_019</p><p>Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/fauxbro/">fauxbro</a>.</p><br />I've started posting photos from our honeymoon in Italy. Here is Irene in a mozzarella bar in Milan.<br /><br />More will be coming soon. In the meantime click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/sets/72157608150512838/">here</a> to see more pictures from Milan.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-1056563190975322941?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-33015099423148148682008-09-14T20:47:00.001-07:002008-09-14T20:47:04.124-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/2858580494/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2858580494_3100e22bf2_m.jpg" alt="" /></a><p>LB_HWB-87</p><p>Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/fauxbro/">fauxbro</a>.</p><br />Would you like to be as happy as my mother in this picture? Then check out <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/collections/72157607298059131/">this link</a> to see my fathers pictures from the Happy Wedding Weekend.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-3301509942314814868?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-6759984649706389022008-09-12T10:54:00.001-07:002008-09-12T10:54:57.781-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/2845363949/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2845363949_9e4a7c8906_m.jpg" alt="" /></a><p>KandI-005148</p><p>Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/fauxbro/">fauxbro</a>.</p><br />Another fine photo from France. View more like this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/collections/72157607218413755/">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-675998464970638902?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-82921451766562742812008-09-11T08:45:00.001-07:002008-09-11T08:45:29.738-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/2845355493/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/2845355493_e154e8aa40_m.jpg" alt="" /></a><p>KandI-005146</p><p>Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/fauxbro/">fauxbro</a>.</p><br />Another fine photo from our friend France. This time from the brunch.<br /><br />Check out more of her shots <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/collections/72157607218413755/">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-8292145176656274281?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-3568767819513836052008-09-10T09:03:00.001-07:002008-09-10T09:03:24.499-07:00<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fauxbro/2846140532/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/2846140532_d1a276b747_m.jpg" alt="" /></a><p>KandI-005063</p><p>Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/fauxbro/">fauxbro</a>.</p><br />I've just posted a ton of photos from Happy Wedding Weekend shot by our lovely and talented friend France Freeman.<br /><br />Go check them out and I'll be posting some more of them here.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-356876781951383605?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-53674989898064870152008-09-07T19:58:00.000-07:002008-09-07T20:56:00.392-07:00The well wishes and gifts with which you've showered us is amazing and incredibly touching! Each of you deserves a special letter of recognition for what you've given us, and you will receive a well-crafted, sincere, and personal letter of gratitude, indeed.<br /><br />As we're leaving in 10 days for our honeymoon, we'll be able to finish sending out all our thank yous by late October, early November. <br /><br />Those of you who gifted us with money will receive the specifics for how we put that donation to good use on our backpack adventure through Italy.<br /><br />Those of you who gifted us with goods will get the low-down on how we are using (or are planning to use) that gift to warm our home.<br /><br />A few of you gifted us in other ways during the wedding, itself. Melissa Rodman, Joe Gruber, Captain Warren, Brian Vann, and Audrey Gruber, we are so lucky!<br /><br />To all of you who were there, your being there was a gift. Others of you could not be there but sent your thoughts to where we were. This spirit of connectivity stays with us and always will.<br /><br />Never least is our gratitude to our parents. You made us who we are, and we are happy. We love you.<br /><br />Many thanks to you all for everything!<br />(Please expect a specific letter of gratitude in time.)<br /><br />Irene (&amp; Ken)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-5367498989806487015?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-91446020118107023492008-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:002008-11-10T07:52:50.257-08:00Thank you to everybody who came to Portland and help make our wedding weekend perfect. It was a real joy to see so many of our friends and family together in one place and having a good time.<br /><br />I also wanted to mention that I have set up a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/824374@N25/">Flickr group</a> for photos from the weekend. If you are a Flickr user or would like to contribute, contact me and I will send you an invite. Otherwise, you can send your photos directly to me and I will post them here on this blog.<br /><br />To start off, here are a couple of shots from my friend Dena:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/uploaded_images/hwb_dena_01-765608.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/uploaded_images/hwb_dena_01-765578.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Left to right: Larry and Beverly Broman, Ken and Irene Broman, and Helen and Gordon Matern.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/uploaded_images/hwb_dena_02-765650.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/uploaded_images/hwb_dena_02-765627.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Left to right again: Warren Levinson, Dena Kohleriter, Ken Broman and Audrey Gruber.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-9144602011810702349?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-60068658025820670532008-08-10T16:08:00.000-07:002008-08-10T16:24:53.332-07:00It's a wedding <span style="font-style: italic;">weekend</span>, so there's a lot of time to do . . . well, you know, <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span>.<br /><br />Hey . . . How 'bout a swim?<br /><br />The Edgefield McMenamins and the Four Points Sheraton both have pools.<br /><br />The Sheraton features both a <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/features/index.html?propertyID=364">heated pool and a whirlpool indoors</a>. The Edgefield McMenamins features a new and bodacious <a href="http://mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&amp;id=1160">soaking pool</a> for hotel guests and spa guests.<i> </i>What if you're not a guest of one of these hotels and you want to use the pool? Whatever. You know someone who's staying at the right place. Make a date to meet at the pool, why don't you?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-6006865802582067053?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-1384949728665729892008-08-09T10:23:00.000-07:002008-08-09T10:25:10.058-07:00For the Friday Picnic (a.k.a., the Welcome Dinner), we’re encouraging all of you driving down from Seattle, who have enough room to pack a little extra in your car, to bring lawn games. Ken and I will bring our Bocce Ball set. If you have one, bring it, too. Croquet, Aerobie, horseshoes, etcetera—they’re all good. Of course, if folks don’t feel like playing, that works. But, at least, if the mood does strike, we’ll be prepared.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-138494972866572989?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-58632782860031457772008-08-09T10:04:00.000-07:002008-08-09T10:07:23.206-07:00Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 10:30–11:15 am<br /><br />A walking tour of the art and history of the Edgefield has been arranged to take place, mid-morning, on the day of the wedding. The reservation was placed for about 20 (yet unknown) individuals to learn about the place from a knowledgeable staffer. If you are interested in taking the tour, meet in the lobby of the Main Lodge at 10:30 on Saturday the 30th. (If you let Irene know that you’ll be joining in, that would be even better, so that we know what to expect for this activity.)<br /><br />An overview of Edgefield History is available on their website. The following expert is taken from that synopsis:<br /><blockquote>“Edgefield, built in 1911, served for several decades as the Multnomah County Poor Farm. Residents operated a self-sufficient environment, raising hogs, poultry, growing a variety of fruits and vegetables, operating a dairy, cannery and meat packing plant as well as working in the laundry, kitchen and hospital.<br /><br />In 1947, it was renamed the Multnomah County Home and Farm and in the late fifties the farm operation was eliminated. In 1962, the facility was renamed Edgefield Manor and for the last two decades of operation, functioned as a nursing home and eventually closed in 1982.”</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-5863278286003145777?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-41795747782846842222008-07-26T20:57:00.000-07:002008-08-09T10:27:15.393-07:00Those of you staying at the Edgefield should anticipate a challenging parking situation when returning from the Welcome Dinner Friday night as popular music artist Sheryl Crow will be playing a sold-out show at the McMenamin’s Edgefield that evening. The concert will start at 6:30 and end by 10:00.<br /><br />The Welcome Dinner commences down the road (in Blue Lake Park) at 4:00, an hour before the Edgefield will open its gates to concert traffic. So, the schedule for the Welcome Dinner will allow Edgefield guests to dodge Crow fans for the first half of the evening. However, we all must vacate Blue Lake Park at sunset around 8:00. So, Edgefield guests, be aware of the concert-in-progress if you plan to return directly from the Welcome Dinner to where you’re staying.<br /><br />Our Edgefield contact offers the following tips:<br /><ul><li>If you’re checking into the Edgefield on Friday, try to arrive as close to check-in time (3:00) as possible to avoid the concert crowd. </li></ul><ul><li>The hotel staff will try to reserve parking for hotel guests on the pavement, but late in the evening there may not be any parking spaces left.</li></ul><ul><li>Before and after the show, Edgefield restaurants and bars will get really busy, but during the show they will be relatively empty. That makes service areas good places to avoid the crowd during the concert.</li></ul><ul><li>While the concert is in progress, you can grab a beverage of choice, sit by the Edgefield Ampitheater, and listen to the show. You can’t see the stage from outside the gate, but you can hear it great.</li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-4179574778284684222?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-8846513273234193212008-07-14T20:14:00.000-07:002008-07-26T21:08:23.856-07:00Some of you have asked this question, and a number of you have already revealed what you plan to wear to the Main Event. Truly, we all have different standards for what fashions feel comfortable. Neither the bride nor the groom will be sporting formal dress because neither of us are comfortable that way. Some of you will come in jeans, and we will be just as happy to see you there. Others of you will wear men’s jackets or semi-formal dresses, and we will be just as happy. You cannot go wrong. Suit yourself and dress how you please. We only care that you feel good while you’re there.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />I &amp; K<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-884651327323419321?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-52890957677766135072008-07-14T20:12:00.000-07:002008-07-14T20:13:22.170-07:00For those of you who have not met her, McKenna Wilson is my precocious niece—the daughter of my sister, Dianna. McKenna will be turning 14 on the day of the brunch. Her interests include gymnastics, interior design, friends, Latin, dessert, architecture, dance, and world cultures. Her favorite animal is the sloth. <br /><br />When you see her, be sure to wish her a hardy “Happy Birthday!”<br /><br />~Irene<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-5289095767776613507?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-68336319880701804992008-07-14T20:09:00.000-07:002008-07-14T20:11:47.102-07:00Our block at the Sheraton has expired. The rooms at the Edgefield are taken.<br /><br />If you are still in need of accommodations, check out these area hotels.<br /><ul><li>Best Western Inn &amp; Suits (503) 491-9700</li><li>Quality Inn &amp; Suites (503) 492-4000</li><li>181st &amp; Halsey (800) 527-1123</li><li>Hampton Inn (503) 669-7000</li><li>181st &amp; Sandy (866) 288-6800</li><li>Comfort Inn &amp; Suites Columbia Gorge (800) 824-6824</li></ul><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-6833631988070180499?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-64598429227480714822008-06-11T11:30:00.000-07:002008-06-11T15:45:15.652-07:00You got your invitation, and you RSVP'd that you're coming. Now you need to book a room? Relax, friends...but not for long. Blocked rooms are available in limited quantities. Last year, we set up blocks at two hotels: McMenamins and the Four Points Sheraton. (Visit the hotels’ websites via the links on the left margin of this site.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's the breakdown of what remains within our blocks as of today:</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />At McMenamins, for the night of:</span><br /><ul><li>Friday, 8/29/08, 7 rooms remain available (in the Main House)</li><li>Saturday, 8/30/08, 4 rooms remain available (in the Power Station only)</li><li>Sunday, 8/31/08, 17 rooms remain available (in the Main House)</li></ul><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />At the Four Points Sheraton, for the night of:</span><br /><ul><li>Friday, 8/29/08, 14 rooms are available</li><li>Saturday, 8/30/08, 13 rooms are available</li><li>Sunday, 8/31/08, 19 rooms are available</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where do you want to stay? That depends on you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You want to stay at McMenamins if:</span><br /><ul><li>You find character and artistic charm appealing.</li><li>You don’t mind walking down the hall to use the loo in your complimentary terrycloth bathrobe.</li><li>You want to get all pruny in the outdoor, heated soaking pool for overnight guests of the hotel and patrons of the hotel’s <a href="http://mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&amp;id=1160">spa services</a>.<br /></li><li>You think it’s cool to stay overnight in a hotel that is rumored to be haunted.</li><li>You want to drink with wild abandon at the wedding knowing that afterwards you’ll only have to stumble (and not drive) to your hotel room!</li><li>You don’t mind having to change rooms three times in a row because the available rooms are in different buildings on alternate days. (Just leave your packed luggage in your room by checkout time, and the desk staff will move it to the next evening’s room for you.)</li><li>You find the absence of in-room televisions refreshing.</li><br /></ul><span style="font-style: italic;">You want to say at the Sheraton if:</span><br /><ul><li>You want modern conveniences. (To quote from their website: “All . . . oversized deluxe guest rooms feature . . . two 2-line speaker phones with dataport and voicemail, large work desk, refrigerator, microwave, iron and ironing board, hairdryer and cable television. The Hotel features a 24-hour business center, indoor pool/spa and fitness center.”)</li><li>You want use of the toilet facilities without having to walk down the hall.</li><li>You plan on drinking responsibly at the wedding and driving safely back to your hotel afterward.</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tips on how to reserve rooms in our block</span><br />You get a price break for reserving rooms within our room block. Here are a few tips to make your phone call to the hotel an easy one.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">At McMenamins:</span><br />Ask to reserve a room in the “Matern/Broman” wedding block.<br /><br />If the representative from the reservation desk tells you that there are no more rooms available, make sure that he/she looks for rooms available in the Power Station. Our wedding guests are the only people who can reserve rooms in the Power Station for the night of Saturday, August 30th. Apparently, McMenamins’s personnel must scroll over to view the rooms that are available in this venue, and they can be easily missed.<br /><br />I will post a message to this blog when all our rooms are taken at the McMenamins Edgefield. If you learn that there is really no room left in the Inn, we’d appreciate your contacting us to let us know.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">At the Sheraton:</span><br />Ask to reserve a room in the “Broman” wedding block.<br /><br />(I have not heard of any hassles experienced by anyone else when reserving rooms in our block at the Sheraton. Contact us to let us know if you’re the first.)<br /><br />Happy thoughts, All. I'm nearly done with my nine-month school effort, so I'll be catching up on loose ends. Keep checking for new updates coming soon.<br /><br />Cheers!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-6459842922748071482?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>nwjulephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01670523956397491212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-7845103053156606052008-06-01T07:18:00.000-07:002008-06-01T07:22:02.695-07:00<a href="http://tinyurl.com/67uefs">Here</a> is an interesting article on the quirkier side of Portland. Highlights include the <a href="http://www.velveteria.com/">Velveteria</a> and <a href="http://voodoodoughnut.com/">Voodoo Donuts</a>, both of which I've previously mentioned <a href="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/portland.html">here</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-784510305315660605?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-11678866638147871352008-05-23T10:55:00.001-07:002008-06-07T22:55:29.087-07:00Invitations went out last night and should be arriving in your mail boxes shortly.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-1167886663814787135?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-17595774797460199702008-05-15T14:29:00.000-07:002008-05-23T11:02:19.430-07:00The wedding invitations are finally done and should be going out either this weekend or next. It took me about two weeks to print, cut and assemble all 58 invitations. I'm very happy with the results.<br /><br />Anyway, keep an eye out, they should be hitting your mailboxes by the end of the month.<br /><br />And, as always, if you don't want to wait for the invites to rsvp you can do so now by following <a href="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/rsvp.html">this link</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-1759577479746019970?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-20205774016469951872008-03-28T11:57:00.000-07:002008-03-28T14:29:59.739-07:00This past weekend we drove down to Portland to take care of wedding business. It was a most productive and fun trip. We are about five months out at this point, and things are picking up steam.<br /><br />We drove down early Friday morning (we had the day off thanks to Good Friday) as our first appointment was at noon. We met with our <a href="http://www.wedding-foto.com/">photographer</a> to get to know each other and to discuss what sort of feel we wanted from our wedding photos. We both liked him and felt comfortable that he would be shooting our wedding.<br /><br />Later we did a tasting at Portland Style Cheesecake where we picked out the flavors we wanted and put down a deposit to reserve their services. I've designed the cake myself, keeping it simple but tying it in to the somewhat loose theme we've got going on for the reception. I'd put up my sketch here, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.<br /><br />On Saturday we met with our coordinator from the Edgefield to have a look at the space and discuss the questions we had about various things. I think we've got a clearer idea now about the way things will run and the time line for the wedding itself. So good progress there.<br /><br />Later that day we met with the guy that will be catering the Friday Night Welcome Dinner. He had prepared a miniature version of his proposed menu for us and it was all incredibly tasty. Including some of the best baked beans I've ever had.<br /><br />We have also contracted with the woman who will be making our wedding rings. She made the <a href="http://www.fancyjewels.com/product.php?id=djChillyQueenJalene_wedding">rings</a> for our friends Will and Jalene (if you click the link you can see their rings). I've designed my own, and Irene is having something similar to Jalene's in finish but with a unique design. We are very excited about them.<br /><br />I'm working on the invitations and we'll probably send them out in a couple of months so we can start to get an idea about how many people will be coming. If you haven't booked your hotel yet we still have five rooms available at McMenamin's (make sure to say you are with the Matern/Broman wedding as the rest of the hotel is booked solid). And as ever, there are still plenty of rooms at the Sheraton. See the <a href="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/hotels.html">About Hotels</a> page for more information.<br /><br />That's all for now.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-2020577401646995187?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-47484824041511869762008-02-07T18:01:00.000-08:002008-02-07T18:07:07.023-08:00Hello and welcome to the brand new HappyWeddingBlog.com. I was never entirely happy with the last design. I think this one is much better. All the information is still here, plus I've added some.<br /><br />Like a tentative <a href="http://www.happyweddingblog.com/schedule.html">Schedule</a>. This will be filled in more completely as we get things sorted out. We've got a trip down to Portland at the end of March to take care of wedding business, so there should be more information when we get back.<br /><br />Also, if you haven't RSVPed yet and would like to, click on the RSVP link above.<br /><br />And one last reminder about hotels: McMenamin's is very nearly full, so if you are hoping to stay there, you better get on it.<br /><br />Let me know what you think of the redesign (if you like it, of course, if you don't kindly keep it to yourself… kidding!). You can do so by clicking on the Contact Us link above.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-4748482404151186976?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-31195776003190077062008-01-14T15:31:00.000-08:002008-01-14T15:40:51.981-08:00I know updates have been thin on the ground around these parts but that's just because not a lot of movement has been happening on the planing front. This is mostly because at this point not a lot has to be happening right now. That will change soon.<br /><br />It looks like the Friday night "Welcome" dinner has finally been nailed down. We're calling it a "Welcome" dinner because there will be no rehearsing going on and everyone is invited. It will be a picnic at Blue Lake park and should be lot's of fun.<br /><br />On a more practical note, our room block at <a href="http://mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&amp;category=Location%20Homepage">McMenamin's</a> is filling up fast (and might be full all ready, by the time you read this), so if you think you want to stay there I'd jump on it sooner rather than later. Keep in mind we still have a block of rooms at the Sheraton, so if The Edgefield is full give them a call.<br /><br />We've got a trip down to Portland planned in March to finalize some more plans so stay tuned.<br /><br />Also, this web site will soon be completely redesigned, I've never been happy with it the way it stands now. But that will most likely have to wait till after we get back from Mexico!<br /><br />Did I mention we are going to Mexico for our friends Jalene and Will's wedding? We are. You can congratulate them when you see them in August at our wedding. Just ask and I will be happy to point them out to you if you haven't met them.<br /><br />That's all for now.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-3119577600319007706?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-30550098293527631482007-11-05T11:29:00.000-08:002007-11-05T12:05:06.579-08:00We were down in Portland again this weekend to do some wedding stuff. We stayed at the Edgefield and had a grand time in the wine tasting room where you can sample many of their wines for a few bucks. Even picked up a few bottles for our selves.<br /><br />Also, we had breakfast at the very tasty <a href="http://www.sainthonorebakery.com/">St. Honoré Boulangerie</a> on Knob Hill in Portland proper. Outstanding pasteries and good coffee. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, be sure to check it out.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-3055009829352763148?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-85301600107777589302007-10-19T10:12:00.000-07:002007-10-19T10:15:51.144-07:00Some of you may have noticed the RSVP link up at the top of the page. I just wanted to mention that if you know your coming for sure, you can go ahead and RSVP at any time.<br /><br />You will, of course, still receive an invitation when the time comes, so no worries there.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-8530160010777758930?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3966982480682934908.post-58460485245418538312007-10-12T08:40:00.000-07:002007-10-12T08:38:38.467-07:00What amazes me about this whole wedding thing is how far in advance everything must be done. Here we are just under a year out from the weeding and we've all ready locked down the place for the reception and the Sunday brunch, and will, within the next few weeks, have the rehearsal dinner spot picked as well.<br /><br />The next big thing on the list was photographers. Now I did a bit of research online for photographers in the Portland area and looked at a <span style="font-weight: bold;">lot</span> of web sites. I found one woman whose style I really liked, and who was priced appropriately so I sent her site to Irene and dropped a line to the photographer to see if she was available for our date. She got back to me on a Friday saying she was, and by Monday when I wrote back to her she'd been snatched out from under us.<br /><br />Which sent me back to the web. After a lot more searching I found another photographer I liked and wasn't priced outrageously so I contacted them and secured them right away.<br /><br />The problem is most photographers wanted to charge way to much for services we don't even want. And then wanted to charge even more for a disc of the original files (which is <span style="font-weight: bold;">all</span> I want).<br /><br />And here's some advice for wedding photographers:<br /><br />1. Put your prices on your web site. If I have to contact you to get a price list, I skip right on by.<br /><br />and these last two are advice for all web designers:<br /><br />2. DO NOT put any damn music on your web site! DO NOT! I listen to my own music when I search and I don't need your cheesy ass love songs blaring out of my speakers at full volume. This actually applies to all web sites every where. If you want to put music on your site, it should be an option the user has to actively set. It's just common courtesy.<br /><br />3. DO NOT resize my browser window. I've got it at the size I want it and I don't want you messing with that.<br /><br />Ok, end of rant.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3966982480682934908-5846048524541853831?l=www.happyweddingblog.com' alt='' /></div>Ken Bromanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09335445821410404766noreply@blogger.com0