NEW VENUE INFORMATION

When it comes to weddings, many people say to expect the unexpected. From dress rips to food poisoning to inclement weather, anything can happen on or leading up to the big day. For us, our first (and hopefully only) wedding glitch is that our original wedding venue is in the process of liquidating its assets...

The most important thing, however, is that we are getting married and will enjoy a long, happy life together!

Below are details about the new venue, including transportation to and from the event on the big day:

The Back Story

Throughout the summer, we tried to reach the Old Sparrow Farm owners with a few random wedding venue questions. After sending several emails and leaving a few messages (without response), we decided to visit Old Sparrow Farm and have our questions answered in person.

Expecting to find the owners at home on their beautiful farm, we instead arrived to a disheveled piece of land and a family man looking to buy the farm owners' chicken coop. Long story short, thus began our search for a new wedding venue.

Elodie Farms

Enter DAVE: family man, farmer, maker of delicious goat cheeses and owner of Elodie Farms. Dave started building his farm in 2002, converting the new dairy from a tobacco barn. The farm sells cheese to the public at the Durham Farmers Market and to many local restaurants. The farm also plays host to many farm dinners and weddings.

Elodie Farms is a beautiful place and we are very excited about
our new venue. You can read about Elodie Farms in Cary Living and the Triangle Top 50.

And yes, you will even get to sample some of Elodie Farms' goat cheeses on the cheese platter and in some of the food at our wedding!

Event Details: Please note the TIME CHANGE!

Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009
Time: 5:30pm
Place: Elodie Farms (http://www.elodiefarms.com/index.html), 9522 Hampton Road, Rougemont, NC 27572

Saturday Event Transportation

Because Elodie Farms is a fair bit further from the hotel than the original venue, we are providing buses for all wedding guests from the Courtyard Marriott, Chapel Hill to the farm in Rougemont and back. The Courtyard Marriott is located at 100 Marriott Way, next to UNC's Friday Center in Chapel Hill.

Bus Transportation Schedule:

Departure Time from Marriott to the Farm: 4:00pm*
Departure Time from the Farm to the Marriott: 11:00pm

* Please meet the buses at the entrance to the Courtyard Marriott promptly at 4:00pm. The buses will depart no later than on time.

If you plan on driving to the event, please checkout Google Maps for directions.

INTRODUCING...

THE WEDDING PARTY





Maid of Honor:
Beth Avner







Sister of the Groom and Bridesmaid:
Elinor Milder







Bridesmaid:
Virginia Birdsell







Bridesmaid:
Jessica Gray







Bridesmaid:
Katie Rubin







Bridesmaid:
Julie Sarasohn








Bridesmaid:
Emily Walsh







Best Man:
Grant Ellis









Brother of the Bride and Groomsman:
Michael Snow







Groomsman:
Matthew Clarkson









Groomsman:
Kalman Gacs







Groomsman:
Dominik Thurn (unable to attend)







Groomsman:
Adam Weinberg









Groomsman:
Maxx Werner

IT'S CARRBORO!

We bet you're wondering why we decided to get married in North Carolina. Well, there are many practical reasons, but most of all North Carolina is rad! Below is information about the many charms of our lovely town(s) and a guide to all of our favorite places for you to check out on your visit.

CARRBORO: It's Carrboro!

There's a little something for everyone in this charming little town full of hippies, yuppies, and foodies:









Carrboro Farmers' Market - Join locals for this lovely Saturday morning tradition (from 7:00am-12:00pm). Peruse glorious fruit and veggie stands, enjoy a homemade breakfast pastry, partake in the local cheese and wine tastings, and grab an organic coffee. This market is a little slice of heaven.

Speakeasy - Want to catch a Sox game or enjoy a cold beverage? The Speakeasy in Carrboro is our favorite spot to do both.

WalkCarrboro.com - Click on this link to discover "What's On" in Carrboro, to map out the perfect walking tour of town, and to find descriptions of all of the best shops and restaurants Carrboro has to offer.

Weaver Street Market - People walk around like they own the place...oh wait, they do! This co-op market is the center of Carrboro. People come to Weaver Street for the bakery, deli, hot bar, sushi, and just to chill out on the lawn, listen to music, and drink. If it's a beautiful day, then expect to find the whole town chillin' at the Weave.

Wilson Park - With over 20 miles of walking and mountain biking trails, a trip to Wilson Park can make you feel like you're in the middle of the Smokies. Wilson Park also has tennis courts, a playground (with a sandbox!), and a softball field.

CHAPEL HILL: So, what's a Tarheel, anyway?

Everyone in this place bleeds "Tarheel Blue," but that aside, Chapel Hill is a charming town with a lot to offer:









Allen and Son's Barbeque - Real North Carolina Barbeque and the best hush puppies EVER...need we say more?!

Botanical Gardens - A trip to the UNC Botanical Gardens is always an adventure. You can walk through both the gardens and arboretum and you can even buy venus fly traps for your home garden (native to North Carolina).

Fearrington Village - Take a short drive to visit this cutesy farm village, home to cows that look like Oreos.

Locopops - On a hot summer day in August, there is nothing more refreshing than a Locopop. For the food-adventurer, these Mexican style paletas (popsicles) come in a variety of funky flavors like mango-chile, mojito, chocolate-rosemary, guava-mint, avocado, and brownie.

Maple View Farm - Farm fresh ice cream. A long porch. Dozens of rocking chairs. Country scenery. Just five miles out-of-town. Maple View Farm ice cream is definitely worth the trip!

Morehead Planetarium - Between 1959 and 1975, nearly every astronaut who participated in the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz programs trained at Morehead. Now, the Planetarium has lots of fun exhibits and shows. Check out the "Carolina Skies" show if you have time.

Southern Season - The most decadent food and kitchen supply store on this side of the Mississippi! This is a foody's paradise.

The University of North Carolina - UNC is the oldest (and one of the prettiest) public universities in the United States. We suggest taking a stroll through campus to find the Old Well...a drink provides good luck.

DURHAM: City of Medicine

Durham is home to Duke. We hate Duke. Ummm...what else is there to say:









Durham Bulls - After the movie "Bull Durham," this Single-A team moved up to Triple-A, all because candlesticks make a nice gift.

Eno River State Park - One of our favorite Saturday afternoon outings...for a nice hike (as quoted from the Park's website) "[among] secluded wilderness trails with the serenity of a clear river drifting and cascading over a rocky stream bed," check out Eno River State Park.

Southpoint Mall - Forgot something? You'll find it here.

FAQ

Below, we attempt to answer your questions. If you have others, please post a comment and we will be sure to reply.

Q: Where is my invitation?
A: Invitations are being assembled and addressed. You should receive your invitation soon-ish.

Q: What should I wear to a "dressy" outdoor wedding in mid-August in North Cackalacky?
A: Natural materials like linen, cotton, and light silks will "breathe" and add to your comfort. As far as formality goes, this is more of a shirt and tie or party dress wedding than a tux and gown shindig, but be festive! For shoes...comfort is key.

Q: Where should I park?
A: There is plenty of parking at Old Sparrow Farm. When you arrive, someone will be at the entrance to direct you.

Q: What is the forecast?
A: Hopefully, it will be breezy and clear, but be sure to check weather.com before you pack!

Q: Where are you registered?
A: Please see the previous post, "Once Upon a Time...," below for the answer to this question.

Q: Are there animals at Old Sparrow Farm?
A: Yes! Old Sparrow Farm raises pigs, goats, and chickens. Horses live across the pond. And, if you're lucky, you can find some frogs and turtles hanging out next to the water. Please feel free to roam around the farm, hang out on the dock, and visit the animals before and/or after the ceremony.

ONCE UPON A TIME...

in the early 1700's, many English and German immigrants settled in the middle of North Carolina. Coming from families who produced "glazed earthenware," many of the new settlers were excited to discover high quality local clay in their new hometown of Seagrove. Thus, Seagrove, NC became renowned for its pottery. Today, this historic tradition continues. There are over 100 local potters in Seagrove, specializing in everything from everyday dinnerware to glorious vases.

Throughout our time in North Carolina, we have enjoyed day trips to Seagrove to browse pottery festivals and visit local pottery shops. We love pottery, and thus decided to register for our dishes through a current Seagrove potter :

Jeff Potts

336-873-9660 (best method)

pottspottery@embarqmail.com

We put links to our other registries
on the left side of this page.

PLANES, TRAINS & AUTOMOBILES

Neal: He says we're going the wrong way...
Del: Oh, he's drunk. How would he know
where we're going?

There are several ways one can travel to Chapel Hill. To avoid going the wrong way,
see below:

PLANES
The closest airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)...believe it or not, you can fly direct to Toronto from RDU. Want the best flight deals, try using our favorite search engine, Kayak.com.

TRAINS
Amtrak trains travel all the way from Boston to Durham. It's a beautiful trip, especially south of DC. However, if you decide to take the train, be prepared to add and extra hour (or five) to your trip. Nine times out of ten, the trains run a little late. Still contemplating the romantic idea of traveling the old-fashioned way, check out the schedules at Amtrak.com.

AUTOMOBILES
Driving? Coming from the West...take I-40. Coming from the North...take I-90 to I-85. Looking to rent? The airport has not one, not two, but eight(!) car rental company options: http://www.rdu.com/groundtrans/rentalcars.htm. Need directions...check out Google Maps.

HOTEL INFORMATION

Our Hotel of Choice:

For the wedding weekend, we booked a block of rooms at the Courtyard Marriott in Chapel Hill (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rduch-courtyard-chapel-hill/). This is a nice, new hotel located 2.5 miles from the middle of UNC's campus and just under 5 miles to the wedding ceremony and reception location.









Below are the hotel booking directions:

The rooms are being held under "Snow-Milder Wedding". If you want to book online, follow the process below:

1) Log into www.marriott.com/rduch
2) Look to the right side of the screen
3) Enter the arrival and departure dates and the number of rooms

In the block where it says GROUP CODE enter the following 7 digit code:

SMWSMWA - King Room - $99.00
SMWSMWB– 2 Queen Bed Room - $99.00

To book by phone, call 919-883-0700 or 1-800-321-2211 and ask to purchase rooms in the "Snow-Milder Wedding" block.

Other Hotel Recommendations (without a room block), Below:

If you prefer to stay at a hotel in the heart of campus and downtown Chapel Hill, we recommend the Carolina Inn, a historic Chapel Hill establishment: http://www.carolinainn.com/ or 1-800-962-8519.

If you are looking for a budget hotel, we recommend the Days Inn, on the other side of Chapel Hill from the Courtyard Marriott: http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=10275&as_srp=SP2&cid=carat_search-Days_Inn or 919-929-3090.

Please let us know if you have any questions.