Our Ceremony

We have decided to ask our friend Ben to marry us in a private ceremony which our families will attend just before the big reception! Therefore, we want to write our own wedding, the whole wedding, not just the vows! I want it to be traditional, not sappy, and somewhat unique. I have been searching different websites for ideas. If you have any ideas, send us an email. We are anxious to hear them. I think this is such an important part of the wedding! This is my big job this week!

Invitations

We emailed out our invitations yesterday, made by Scottie's sister. Thanks Jacque, again! We figured we'd email to save paper and money! Our thought was that most folks just get an expensive paper invite that they just toss into the garbage which winds up sitting in a landfill. This way, we could also make an invitation that looked exactly the way we wanted it.
It was a challenge though. We had to track down several email addresses and bug our friends and family for addresses we didn't have. However, I can imagine that this would of occurred even if we used snail mail.
I did forget to add our address in the body of the email! Oops.

Honeymoon to Ireland

We fly out of Indianapolis May 28 and have a short layover in Newark beforing taking the trek to Shannon, IE. Our flight arrives at 0700 on May 29. We're going to drive out to see the Cliffs of Moher and the Bunratty Castle. We'll stay in the Absolute Hotel in Limerick that night.
On our second day, we'll drive down and see the Dingle Peninsula and stay at the Kileen House Hotel in Killarney that night and the next. Our third day will be filled with another drive, this time around the Ring of Kerry. We may stop to see the Lakes of Killarney and the Killarney National Park.
Our fourth day, we will begin the drive up to Dublin going through the Wicklow Mountains onto Military Road. We'll then stay four nights in Dublin with plans to visit the Guiness Storehouse (the highlight of Scottie's honeymoon), the Jameson Distillery, St. Patricks Cathedral, and the Dublin Castle. In Dublin, we're sleeping at the Maldron Hotel Parnell Square!
After we're exhausted from partying in Dublin, we're going to drive out to Clifden, near Galway and recoup before traveling back home! Here, we'll stay in a seaside B&B called the Dolphin Beach House. I'm really looking forward to this place. We got the big suite here! I've got some sweet outdoor activities planned at this stop. It's a surprise for Scott!
Last stop before we board the plane is a one-night stay in Shannon 10 minutes from the airport. We're staying at the Carrygerry House and eating a full Irish breakfast before take off!


Cliffs of Moher - http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/
Bunratty Castle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunratty_Castle
Dingle Peninsula - http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/
Ring of Kerry - http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/
Wicklow - http://www.ringofkerrytourism.com/
Guiness Storehouse - http://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/Index.aspx
Jameson Distillery - http://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/
St. Patrick's Cathedral - http://www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/
Dublin Castle - http://www.dublincastle.ie/home_no_fla.html


Absolute Hotel, Limerick - http://www.absolutehotel.com/
Kileen House Hotel, Killarney - http://www.killeenhousehotel.com/
Maldron Hotel, Parnell Square, Dublin - http://www.maldronhotels.com/
Dolphin Beach House, Clifden - http://www.dolphinbeachhouse.com/
Carrygerry House, Shannon - http://www.carrygerryhouse.com/

We're super excited to visit the homeland of our ancestors. I look forward to seeing the countryside and Scottie can't wait to taste a Guinness in its country of origin, see a football (soccer) game, and visit Dublin! I got my passport today. Scottie applied two days after me so his should be here anytime! I can't wait to bring back stories and pictures to share!

Scottie's Proposal

On January 12, Scottie and I were visiting Las Vegas and staying in the Paris Hotel. Scott had planned a special dinner for us that night at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant followed by a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We ate lamb and duck as we watched the Bellagio Fountains for a few hours. When it came time for dessert, Scottie asked me what I was in the mood to eat. I told him I wasn't really in the mood for dessert but if he wanted something he should just order it. He eventually tricked ME into ordering a tiered dessert made with bananas and white chocolate wafers. About a half an hour later, our dessert arrived under a big silver lid on a platter. The waiter set down the dessert and told us that it was very hot. Knowing that we had ordering something that was served cold, I put my hands up next to the dish and told Scottie it wasn't hot at all. After a few seconds, I pulled my hands away and noticed all the nice designs in chocolate on the platter. It was then that I saw the words "Will you marry me?" written in chocolate syrup on the bottom of the dessert plate. I looked at Scott and said, "Yes," of course. He got down on one knee and asked me again. He then took the crystalized sugar decoration off the top of the dessert and picked up my ring which had been sitting on the top tier the entire time! When Scottie got back into his seat, he looked at me and said, "What was your answer?" I felt so bad because he didn't hear me say, "YES!"
He had the waiter, the chef, and a photographer all in on his plan, which turned out perfect!
After we finished dessert and coffee, we rode to the top of the Eiffel Tower and watched the Bellagio Fountains a few more times! It was a perfect evening!!