Schedule and more

We've updated the Planning Your Weekend page with more information, including some things to do in Greenpoint, and the official schedule for wedding day (complete with suggested arrival times). Click here to make sure you have all you need to plan your NY weekend (and never hesitate to reach out if you have any questions)!

In the meantime, we've been staying busy. The most recent news is that we are officially #Licensed2Love (meaning: no, we're not officially married yet, but we officially have all the official paperwork to get officially married!)

Come have a "spectacular" Saturday with us on December 12th!

We're getting a group together to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on Saturday, December 12th, at 7:30pm! Shoot us an email for information about our special group rate! Hope to see you there for some high-kicking holiday fun on our Wedding-Eve!

And keep your eye on our Planning Your Weekend Page - who knows what other fun weekend activities may pop up!

Some haunted fun this weekend

Amidst spooky amounts of wedding planning, we decided to take a little break this weekend to visit a nearby haunted destination...

We visited the home of Washington Irving, where we were able to take these thrilling photos...

We also walked through an amazing Haunted House and several locations from the "legend". But by far the highlight was discovering the best pumpkin donuts we've ever tasted!

We're back home, ready now to face the scariest thing of all: the fact that we have less than two months to finish planning a wedding!! We can't wait to see you VERY soon!! Happy Halloween everybody!

Get ready to swing...

We're very excited to announce that Glenn Crytzer's New Yorkers will be tearing up the joint after the ceremony! 

Do you have a favorite song from the 20's, 30's, or 40's? Let us know in the comments below and we'll make sure they add it to the play list!

Planning your weekend

We've added a "Planning Your Weekend" tab to this blog! Over the next few months, check it out for everything you need to know to plan your December weekend in NYC. In the meantime, we've just updated it with some information about hotel blocks! Go ahead... give it a little click and see for yourself!

Our first blooper

We just sent out our save-the-dates, and if you got yours, that's fantastic! We hope to see you in December. If you didn't get one, here's why: our lovely local NYC post office told us that a postcard stamp would be sufficient for our "postcards," so we bought a hundred 35 cent stamps and sent them off! Then we visited another lovely post office who informed us that our "postcards" weren't really postcards at all (hence the quotation marks), being a bit too big. We were very offended that our "postcards" were being discriminated against because of their size, but that's the way it is. So now here we are, and one of three things will happen:

     1) they'll deliver your save-the-date anyway... sort of an early wedding present from the government.

     2) they'll return your save-the-date (boooooooo), or:

     3) they'll give it to you but ask you for 14 cents. This is the most embarrassing option of all, and we sincerely pray none of you are charged 14 cents to receive our save-the-date... as beautiful as they are (let's hear it for Vanessa Ragland, who designed them for us!).

Regardless, the actual invitation will be going out in about 6 weeks... and luckily they're being emailed, so it's highly unlikely that you'll be charged anything to receive them. But who knows -- you might want to keep some spare change handy just in case. Happy August everyone!

Disney fun and wedding planning in California!

We just got back from California, which included a little bit of this...

A little bit of this...

And a whole lot of wedding planning with our darling officiants / best/maid (of) man/honor. We got lots of details figured out... and we're making lists of what to do next. (Apparently there's more work to do even after you book the venue). So we should have much more to report soon! Until then, we hope you're all having as much fun as we are this summer... and the four smiling faces below can't wait to see you in December!

Summer fun...

Even with LOTS of wedding prep to do, it's important to take some time to go on roller coasters and water slides. Just got back from a fun little road trip to Knoebels and Great Wolf Lodge. Now that we've gotten that out of our system, back to business. Next on the agenda -- save the dates (which will be going out soon). We're also looking forward to a west coast "Wedding Prep Meeting" with Joe Kinosian and Vanessa Ragland in LA later this month. More updates to come!!

Driving Directions to the Greenpoint Loft

DRIVING TO THE GREENPOINT LOFT FROM POINTS NORTH OF NYC: Take I-95S into New York State to exit 14 for Hutchinson Pkwy S toward Whitestone Br; merge onto Hutchinson River S (signs for Hutchinson Pkwy S/Whitestone Br); continue onto I-678S; keep left to stay on I-678S, follow signs for I-678S/Van Wyck Expwy/Kennedy Airport; take exit 12B for I-495W/Van Wyck Expwy/Kennedy Airport; take exit 12B for I-495W/Long Is Expwy toward Midtown Tun; merge onto I-495W; take exit 15 toward Van Dam St.; merge onto Borden Ave.; make a U-turn at 31st St; take the 2nd right onto Van Dam St.; continue onto Greenpoint Ave.; turn left onto West St., and the Greenpoint Loft will be on your right. 

DRIVING TO THE GREENPOINT LOFT FROM POINTS SOUTH OF NYC: Take I-95N into/through New Jersey to exit 13 for I-278 toward Elizabeth/Goethals Br/Verrazano Br; keep left at the fork, follow signs for I-278E/Verrazano Bridge/Goethals Bridge and merge onto I-278E; keep right to stay on I-278E, follow signs for Bklyn Qns Expressway/Triboro Bridge; take exit 32 toward Metropolitan Ave/Williamsburg Bridge/Manhattan; merge onto Rodney St; continue onto Meeker Ave; turn left onto Manhattan Ave; turn left onto Noble St; take the 2nd right onto West St., and the Greenpoint Loft will be on your left.

DRIVING TO THE GREENPOINT LOFT FROM LONG ISLAND: Take the Long Island Expressway I-495 W to exit 15 toward Van Dam St.; merge onto Borden Ave.; make a U-turn at 31st St; take the 2nd right onto Van Dam St.; continue onto Greenpoint Ave.; turn left onto West St., and the Greenpoint Loft will be on your right.  Google maps: http://goo.gl/maps/K9h9k

DRIVING TO THE GREENPOINT LOFT FROM MANHATTAN (uptown): Take the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge at E. 59th/60th Sts at 2nd Ave; take the ramp at 21st St.; Keep right at the fork, follow signs for New York 25A/Nothern Boulevard/21 Street/Roosevelt Island; turn left on 21st St; turn right onto Jackson Ave.; slight left onto Pulaski Bridge; continue onto McGuinness Blvd.; turn right onto Java St; take the 3rd left onto West St., and the Greenpoint Loft will be on your right.  Google maps directions: http://goo.gl/maps/os2ag

DRIVING TO THE GREENPOINT LOFT FROM MANHATTAN (midtown): Take the Midtown Tunnel I-495E to exit 13 for Borden Avenue toward Pulaski Bridge; turn right onto Borden Ave; take 1st right onto Vernon Blvd; take 1st right onto Jackson Ave; turn right onto Pulaski Bridge; continue onto McGuinness Blvd.; turn right onto Java St; take the 3rd left onto West St., and the Greenpoint Loft will be on your right.  Google maps directions at http://goo.gl/maps/xjLi7

DRIVING TO THE GREENPOINT LOFT FROM MANHATTAN (downtown): Take the Williamsburg Bridge at Delancey & Clinton Sts; take the Roebling St/Broadway W exit; sharp right onto Broadway; turn right onto Kent Ave; continue onto Franklin St; turn left onto Noble St; take 1st right onto West St, and the Greenpoint Loft will be on your left.  Google maps directions at http://goo.gl/maps/MFlkD

Some fun things to do in Greenpoint (and NY in general)!

To the north of Greenpoint (over the Pulaski bridge) is Long Island City, and just south of Greenpoint is Williamsburg: a super artsy/hipster 'hood. All three neighborhoods have great coffee, food, drinks and art, and they're all within easy walking distance of one another.

Great coffee:
1. Budin (very fancy, single origin brew for the connoisseur) -- Greenpoint Ave between Manhattan Ave. and Franklin, good for sitting/writing/reading, also good tea
2. Propeller -- Manhattan Ave. between Huron and India, good for sitting/writing/reading. They serve *Toby's Estate!!!
3. Sweet Leaf -- Freeman/Manhattan, great space to sit/read/work (they have locations in Long Island City and Williamsburg too).
4. Upright -- just north of Greenpoint Ave on Manhattan Ave., takeout

*There is also a Toby's Estate in Williamsburg, about a 15 minute walk. Grumpys also makes a tasty brew, though it's a bt off the beaten path in Eastern Greenpoint.

Best Bakery: Ovenly -- insanely good bakery on the waterfront on Greenpoint Ave, also serves great local tea a'telier, Belocq

Best Burger: Five Leaves -- on the Greenpoint/Williamsburg border, everything is great there but the burger is particularly delicious (it's Aussie-owned).

Best Bar: Ramona's on Franklin... cocktail heaven. Dutch Kills in Long Island City is also incredible.

Best Beer Bar: Tørst on Manhattan/Nassau (they also do a delicious roast most Sundays -- there's a michelin star tasting menu restaurant in the back of the bar called Luksus)

Fav gallery: Cotton Candy Machine in Williamsburg. It's weird and delightful pop art, and they often feature our neighbor (at the end of the hall), Dima Drjuchin.

Other yummy places:
1. Le Gamine: French fare
2. Anella: another good burger
3. No. 7 Sub: Fancy sandwich joint on Manhattan Ave.

A few Manhattan tips...

ART:
1. The MET Museum is pay what you want, so you can pay a $1 or nothing or $25 - your call.
2. *MoMa is free on Fridays (after 5p)
3. Paula Cooper Gallery (Chelsea - also closed util Aug 7) FREE
*The MoMa has a separate museum in Long Island City called PS1, which is worth checking out! Weirder exhibits and a more alternative crowd than the Manhattan MoMa. 

Parks:
1. The highline (elevated park restored from an old train line, running from midtown to the west village)
2. Central Park. You must. Simply must.
3. The Cloisters -- waaaay up in Inwood. If you feel like making the trek to the top of Manhattan (off the A line), there are beautiful gardens and great views of New Jersey wilderness across the Hudson River. Also a medieval art museum.
4. Brooklyn Bridge Park. It's really really pretty.
5. Governor's Island -- Since NYC bought it back from the military, they put up art installations and concerts all summer smile emoticon
6. Brooklyn Bridge Park