Photos!

Many thanks to everyone who took photos on the day of our wedding. They are rolling in and help to relive the day over and over again.

This one's from Mark.

Photos from our photographers are almost ready to view....keep an eye out.

MARRIED! with PHOTOS!

Wow! Sam and I have had a wonderful couple of weeks!  We officially tied the knot on Sunday July 29th, as planned, and threw a wonderful party. We give our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make the day possible, and to everyone who came out to celebrate with us, drink the bubbly and eat delicious foods with us.

We have seen lots of photos pour in from friends and family on facebook and via email, and we're loving seeing the madness!  Please, if you have photos or video from the Ceremony or Wedding Party, send an email to one of us for aggregation and compilation! Soon, we will have a collection for you to view from our photographers at Little Red Fox Photography. We were lucky to have Katrina shoot our formal shots, getting ready, and the ceremony and lunch parts during the day, and Tracey shoot our dance party reception. They both did a great job, as they've been sending us little teasers as they edit and prepare the collection for us all to see!

We picked up our official marriage record 'copy' from City Hall yesterday (why did I think this would be more elaborate...?), and now we can prove that we are officially united in the eyes of the law! Hah! Our longtime family-like friends, Andrea Vozzi, and Norm Fetter Sr, were our witnesses. Thanks! We love you!

Our beautiful wedding rings were handmade by local jeweler, Heather Bryson, who is a longtime friend and fellow Moore alumna. Heather took the rings of my parents and cast them to make parts of each of our rings. She did a wonderful job.

woah! our wedding! tomorrow!

katie posting here.... in about 24 hours, i will be stepping towards my husband-to-be, and i couldnt be more excited! sam and i have been working very hard the last few days to finish up our plans, get our helpers organized, and pickup all sorts of things for the big party! we have been watching the weather forecast this past week, and it looks like we will have fine weather tomorrow for the outside ceremony that is early in the day. however, a slight chance of thunderstorms is noted, which this year has usually meant storms somewhere else in the region, but just to be safe, bring an umbrella! it will help to shade you too, if youre not under one of the tents during the ceremony. a brief recap of tomorrows festivities: 11am: assembly at liberty lands park at 731 n. 3rd street, north end. 11:30 bridal party arrives and ceremony begins. all are welcome! 1pm: family lunch (invite only!) latvian society of phila, 531 n. 7th street. 5pm: reception and concert, latvian society of phila, 531 n. 7th street. all are welcome! our little lunch is just for the family and bridal party, so if anyone is at the ceremony and needs to kill some time in the neighborhood before the concert, there are lots of options! northern liberties neighborhood is chock full of awesome brunch and lunch spots, no matter what youre looking to eat! the random tea room on 4th street is one of my favorite relaxing spots to hang for an hour. across the street from the latvian society is the edgar allen poe house, a free historical site with cool herb garden and dungeon like basement. its open until 5; check it out! we just found out that the boyfriend of one of my bridesmaids had his flight stranded. instead, he's driving halfway across the country! epic! wedding of the year, folks...get into it! see you tomorrow, lovelies!

Dealing with the HOT HOT Heat

Hi friends,

As most of you have experienced; it's been pretty darn hot in Philadelphia, and everywhere else, this summer. Worse than last summer. Obviously, we weren't hoping for the heat waves we're getting when we picked our date, but 'C'est la vie,' we just have to make accommodations to keep everyone safe and comfortable while we're outside.


Hopefully, Liberty Lands will look like this, and be a relatively comfortable 85 degrees outside...but.....

If you've never been to Liberty Lands Park, this is it, we'll be gathering at the North side, pictured here. Tents will be covering most of the family seating and there will be cold bottled water.  If you have a favorite parasol, summer hat, or personal fan, it would be wise to bring it along, just in case! We're keeping the wedding ceremony short and sweet, so we can get out of the sun quickly!

The Latvian Society is air-conditioned, so at least the rest of our day will be nice and cool!

xoxo

Secret Ceremony info!!!

Hi friends.

Many of you have asked Sam and me, "When is your actual ceremony? We want to see you say vows and cry and the like!"

Now, we didn't include this information in our general party invitation, but they are indeed happening on the same day. Please come and watch us kiss on stage!  Our 5pm party is a concert with lots and lots of friends and a happening sing-song-y good time; a real celebratory dance party (not your traditional wedding fare with a three-course meal served by folks you don't know). We'll hoot and holler and munch on bahn-mi and popcorn and drink from kegs of local brews.

The intimate romantic part will happen just before high noon, in nearby Liberty Lands Park.  We'll only have seats for our close family (who are coming to a private lunch in between events), so please bring a picnic blanket / folding chair / parasol, etc if you want to sit down. The park is shaded on the periphery but full-sun in the middle, so be prepared! It's a public park, so there may be people there who aren't there for the wedding. There's a playground and picnic tables at the South end, also.

Sam will have everyone assembled and excited at 11a and I will arrive with my gaggle of girlies shortly thereafter, setting everything into motion. After the ceremony is complete; Sam and I will lead a parade of merry followers through the neighborhood to the Latvian Society, where our family will be waiting for us for lunch. (If you decide to come to the park, we can suggest an alternative lunch spot for you; there are lots of great places nearby!)

The WEDDING CEREMONY of Kate & Sam:

Sunday, July 29th, 2012
11am-12pm
Liberty Lands Park, 961 N. 3rd St. Ceremony will be on the stage at the north end.
featuring musical accompaniment by Mary Lattimore & Jesse Sparkhawk
officiated by Victor Allen Crawford (aka Lord Whimsy...)

***If you come to watch us wed at the park, please be aware that parking in this neighborhood is very limited! Locals; try to take the El or ride your bikes or walk. If you're driving in from out of town, there is a free parking lot at 2nd Street and Germantown Ave. The park is a short walk from there.***

Hotels

Hi friends and family.  Some of you may have noticed that Sam and I did not include information for a hotel in our invitation. Simply put, in a city with so many options, we couldn't fathom making that decision for you.

If you are planning on booking a hotel while you party with us, we're happy to help you choose one. Also, here is a handy link to the ten closest hotels to the Latvian Society. Since we live here, we don't have too much experience in hotels here, but can help you find one for your budget and comfort level.  If you ask me, I will probably tell you that Penns View Hotel seems like the coolest.  It's a small, independent hotel in the Historic District, and still not too far away.

If anyone coming to our wedding has already booked their hotel, or has stayed in Philly before and has a recommendation to make, or a hotel to avoid, please share your experience in the comments, so anyone can benefit.

Thanks!

Our Officiant

An interview with our officiant, who as he quotes, "accidentally talked to the press again."

In order to have the ceremony of our dreams, we're planning to obtain a Quaker wedding license, which allows us to marry without an ordained minister or judge, instead surrounded by only our friends and family. Thanks, Philly, for being full of Friends!

Registry

http://www.myregistry.com/public/Katie-VanVliet-Sam-Cusumano

           Hello to our friends and family. 

                         We love you!

Thank you for being a part of our celebration and for finding us here. We have made this little registry of items to share with you a little bit of what makes our material lives most pleasant.  While many typical things may not be here, we've tried to have some fun and also think creatively about what we might like to have in our home, to help make 1221 Oxford St a place where others can easily visit and enjoy themselves also. 

We used this site rather one store so Katie can include things from Etsy.  These are handmade goods from artists and artisans like us, and mostly are made to order.  Our stoneware place settings are here, and we've worked closely with the ceramicist to design them.  She is glazing and firing the plates and bowls to order. Other things on Etsy are vintage items; we are attracted to their timelessness, style, and quality of craftsmanship. Think of these items as inspiration, as often the vintage things will sell to other people in the world with keen eyes, and we may not see things like them again. 

We wait in anticipation of the big day! We can hardly wait to see you, too!

Much love,

Katie & Sam

http://www.myregistry.com/public/Katie-VanVliet-Sam-Cusumano

Better Late than Never! Engagement Photo Session!

We had a great time exploring Northern Liberties yesterday with our wedding photographer, Katrina Ohstrom, of LittleRedFoxes Photography. We're so lucky to live in a part of Philly that boasts the artists' touch all over the streets, fences, and public spaces. Without much planning,we found so many charming picture-perfect nooks and crannies. Sam wore grey, to test how photogenic the color will be on our big day, and I wore a 1920's cotton batiste dress over a 1940's silk slip, because why not, that's awesome.

Also awesome: Katrina's original post on her own tumblr blog.

Lying in the sun on Liberty Lands Park's stage.

Moss-covered shady alley in No. Libs.

Perfect guerilla mural on Wildey Street.

Sharing a pot of Moroccan Mint at the Random Tea Room!

Gazing at the infamous 1980's artist-made log cabin. 

Edgar Allan Poe House has a great herb garden.

Invites headed out this week!

As artists, Sam and I have decided to go DIY on many aspects of our upcoming wedding.  While the image above is a design we made on an iPad app called LetterMpress; ( that replicates traditional letterpress printed images) we did decide to hand print our invitations, that we also designed and drew.  

I finally took the plunge into screenprinting and had Lauren at BYO Print teach me how to use photo emulsion to burn a silkscreen.  Now, I have handprinted invitations plus a new skill. I finally know how ALL of the equipment at the printshop works! Yippee! 

Also, PaperSource is a dangerous place for a printmaker on a craft mission. $$$ paper....

STAY TUNED.