Latest news:
19 Dec '09 - Newly weds party in Cork
We're proud to announce there will be a newly weds party being held in Cork during the next fornight. We finally get a chance to meet up with all of our friends who weren't able to celebrate with us in London when we got married in August. Brad's parents are organizing this one, so if you've been invited, you already know about it. We look forward to seeing you all in person again to celebrate with a dash of festive cheer!
This past Thursday, I finally got a half day from work to get all the outstanding wedding thank you's out the door (by e-mail). There are still a few postal/verbal thank you's to deliver, but if you think we have your e-mail address and we haven't acknowledged your gift, there's a good chance we didn't get it. If that is the case, let me know at bradford.a.peyton@gmail.com, as we're still chasing our old landlord and his new tenants for our mis-directed post.
In other news, I got the raw wedding video footage last weekend and we're just waiting on the 'official' wedding video to be delivered in January. In the new year, I will post video clips online so anybody who was unable to view the ceremony or other key moments can watch for the first time. There were a few very emotional scenes, so keep your eye on the site and watch out for them.
We've reached the end of 2009 with some hefty achievements. To start, Karen graduated from Wheaton. Then, we successfully imported her into the UK on a fiancée visa, got married in Richmond, honeymooned in Mallorca, and Karen received her permanent UK residency card in November. All this and the addition of Zoey to our little family has made 2009 exceptionally special for us. Merry Christmas to everyone and an even happier new year from Brad, Karen, & Zoey!
PS - Here's hoping for a little more economic stability in 2010!
01 Nov '09 - Disposable wedding camera photos
Admittedly, it has been more than the standard 1-week news cycle. From now on, we will continue to publish at random invervals. Life has finally settled down for us and we're trying to enjoy it, now that we can! Finally, you get to enjoy all the disposable camera photos that our guests helped us take over the wedding weekend. These are presented through collage and slideshow on the 'Photos' page. Some are crazy, some are low quality, but they're all good fun. So, go take a look.
One other piece of news is that we have just gotten a new black & white kitten, named Zoey. That's family member number 3. She's got a very playful personality and has already grown in the couple of weeks that we've had her. Zoey is my first cat but Karen is a cat veteran, so I'm banking on her knowledge to get us through the kitty teen years coming in the next few months. Wish us luck and help us welcome the newest member of the family.
In other news, we are still waiting for the wedding video to be delivered, but will be sure to post it once we've got it. Keep checking back!
27 Sep '09 - Moving weekend
Yesterday, Karen and I completed an epic move from our old flat at Apt. 6 Saunders House to our new flat at 12 Timber Pond Road. Special thanks go to our good friend Johnny Chan for helping us with the big move. Thankfully, he found an abandoned Tesco trolley just up our new street. The trolley (U.S. translation = shopping cart) enabled us to move the bulk of the weight more easily, albeit in pure "ghetto" style. We got a few looks, but our non-orthodox strategy saved us the cost of hiring a van or needing to pay a cab for multiple trips.
The new place is only 4 minutes walk away, so we managed the move in a single day. All-in-all, we estimate it took about 20 trips over 9-10 hours. Suffice it to say that we're thoroughly exhausted. However, Karen and I have been very excited about nestling into our lovely new roost! It's the first time we've had a place to ourselves, so this is a welcome step deeper into married life.
Now for the bad news. Our communications are going to be knocked out for the next 3-4 weeks. This is down to the way UK broadband is provisioned to individuals. So, a mite unfortunate, but it will be nice to unplug for a little while. Again, our generous buddy J.C. has offered us internet access at his place, so there's a chance you'll still get our weekly updates.
For those of you still waiting to send wedding gifts through to us without the previously reported risks, I'm happy to report that it's now safe to ship mail to our new address. In accordance with the move, we have updated the 'ship-to' addresses at both of our gift registries at Amazon and John Lewis.
Our new address:
Brad & Karen Peyton
12 Timber Pond Road
London, SE16 6AG
United Kingdom
As our new place came completely bare of kitchen goods, we are making good use of the new plates, utensils, and other miscellaneous items gifted to us so far. A big THANK YOU to everyone who's helped us build our new life. We will be sure to keep you posted as we settle into our cozy new flat.
Next up, we still have plenty of disposible camera photos to develop and post here for your viewing pleasure. We've already developed one and it's got a bunch of fun shots, but we'll post those photos with the rest. Another important piece of the puzzle, the official wedding video, is expected to be completed within the next 6 weeks, which we'll get online ASAP. Also, I'll be listing details of the planned follow-up Christmas party in Cork. The party is tentatively scheduled for 27 Dec '09, so pencil it in. We're still planning a spring visit to the east coast of the U.S., so if you didn't get to fly out for the wedding, we hope to catch you in 2010!
I am still planning to post all the wedding preparation materials for any would-be wedding planners out there, so remember to keep checking our regular updates.
20 Sep '09 - Professional wedding photos are online
Ashton Lamont, our wedding photographer, has released the watermarked images of our wedding at his website. Check them out at the links below and leave your comments in our Guestbook!
Random slideshow (no watermarks)
Gallery 1 - Wedding Ceremony
Gallery 2 - Formal Photography
Gallery 3 - Reception at Rock & Rose
Note that guests can request a free photo CD from Ashton Lamont. Unfortuantely, these images are watermarked, just like the galleries. They say the best things in life are free, right?
In other news, Karen and I are moving into our new apartment on 27 Sep '09. We will post the new mailing address closer to the date. Also, there are still issues with Royal Mail postal strikes, so best not to send us anything at this time, at least until we're settled. We'll let you know when it's safe to post again.
13 Sep '09 - The slightly tanned newly weds return
We got back from our honeymoon in sunny Majorca last weekend, but there was (and still is) much to do related to the wedding, so this is our first update in 3 weeks.
First thing's first, "how was the honeymoon"?
Well, things got off to an interesting start, with a loud night at the Fiesta Jungla hotel, which was obviously designed for beefed-up guys, party girls, and definitely not honeymooners! After a quick transfer over to the Sol Trinidad the following day, everything got a lot better. After settling in and taking a long walk along the beach, we got lost in the sun for 4 hours. Eventually, we found our way home, crashing into a long slumber. Over the next week, we went to Golf Fantasia, a 3-course miniature golfing park, played around at the local water park called Western Park, and chilled at Ibizza several times, a local bar & restaurant, located right on the beach front.
In the 2nd half of our trip, we ventured even further by going on a short, glass-bottomed boat sea cruise. Continuing in this vein, we took a coach trip out to the Cuevas del Drach, a series of deep, underground caves that showcased an impressive classical musical performance within a natural auditorium. The live music sung out among the stalagtites from a subterranean riverboat who's hull was lit by decorative strands of white Xmas lights. One day, we braved a 1 litre jug of Sangria, the local summer drink of choice, between ourselves and proved our "lightweight" title, wobbling a bit on the way home after a fantastic lunch at The Blue Bar in Palma Nova. We also went to see the large Palma Aquarium in the island's capital city which held an impressively large shark tank; advertised as the deepest in Europe.
On our last night we took my best man Edward's advice and went to see Pirates Uncut, the adult version of a stunning, live acrobatics act that was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. Karen and I agree, if you go to Majorca, this is the one must see event. The stunts, even aside from all the fire effects and gunpowder blasts, were enough to keep us in surprise for the duration of the show. This masterpiece warrants a trip to the island. It's no wonder the show's performers are local legends on the beach. So, all-in-all, it was a wonderful and eventful honeymoon. Despite our seemingly busy itinerary, Karen and I did manage entire days where we just chilled out and relaxed. After all the high-intensity wedding planning, it was a well-earned break in the Mediterranean!
Now, for an important note about gifts:
We have been having some issues with our postal service and since we are expecting to move out of our current flat by 27 Sep '09, we would ask that you hold off from any more on-line purchases (except John Lewis, explained later on) or posted letters & packages until we're settled into our new place. We'll post the new address as soon as we know it. The John Lewis gift list closed 2 weeks after the wedding, but we have asked their customer service team to re-open it for us. Thankfully, gifts do not ship until we schedule a shipping date, so you can buy items there from 14 Sep - 18 Oct '09, when the list will finally close for good. We unfortunately had 3 packages from Amazon bounce while we were away honeymooning. They were not re-delivered, so we will be reaching out to those of you who we know sent us items from the gift registry that haven't arrived successfully. Equally, anyone who gave us a gift will get a thank you and recognition of receipt of your gift in the next few weeks, either by e-mail or post. So, watch out for that if you're wondering if your present is one of a few caught in limbo land.
Coming this winter, my loving parents are putting together a follow-up party in Cork, Ireland for 27 Dec '09. Mark that evening down in your calendars. Karen and I will be visiting Cork this Christmas season and we're hoping to hold a small party in the U.S. in spring of next year, all going well!
Go check out the first wedding footage that's now available on our 'Movies' page. It's a fun, 2-minute clip, filled with carrot cake! Also, here is yet another wedding photo to keep you happy as we continue to receive images from our guests and get the disposible wedding cameras developed. We expect to have professional photos available by the end of October, with the wedding video ready from the end of November. So, keep checking back. There's still plenty for you to see!
24 Aug '09 - We are married!
Our special day could not have gone better! The temperature was 25-degrees Celsius (77-degrees Fahrenheit, warm for England) and the sun was shining from a bright blue sky. We are so glad to have had so many of our closest friends and family with us on the day. It was a deeply emotional experience and there were many tears flowing during the ceremony, with both Karen and I unable to maintain our composure during the readings and vow exchanges.
On a brighter note (pardon the pun), we've definitely gone a shade or two whiter with all the flash photography. So, in order to get back our complexions, we're flying off to Majorca, a Mediterranean island, for our honeymoon. We'll be certain to take even more photos and post them along with the wedding shots we receive when we're back! So, please send us your photos at bradford.a.peyton@gmail.com or by physical post on CD/DVD. Our current postal address is listed on our 'Gifts' page. Unlike the wedding registry gifts, these should fit through the mail slot, so no need to delay sending them out.
Many of you have asked the all-important question, "What is Karen's married name going to be?" I'm thrilled to announce that she is following tradition and taking her new husband's surname, making my lovely bride Mrs. Karen Peyton!
We would like to send our love and thanks for everyone who made the journey out to us in Richmond. Here is a wedding photo to keep you satisfied until we can get the rest of the photos up on-line, after the honeymoon!
Our warmest wishes,
Brad & Karen Peyton
21 Aug '09 - Important updates
Unfortunately, the overland rail is out of service this weekend for engineering work, but the Tube (District line) is still in operation. See this map to see the other affected lines. Please plan your journey using the TFL.gov.uk website before travelling (ideally, the night before). Guests should arrive at the Register Office by 11:30 AM in order to be seated on time for the bride's arrival. There is ample parking near the Register Office, so anyone driving should find sufficient room to park. We have planned for the Wedding Bus to leave the Richmond Hill Hotel at 11:10, for anyone coming with us. Meet at reception and be on time!
For inquiries or late arrival notices, call the Groom:
Brad's mobile: +44 (0)75 1155 4448
Thanks for all the gifts we've been receiving in advance of the wedding, through the gift registry and otherwise. You're all very kind! Unfortunately, Amazon has no way to hold our inbound gifts, so if you're planning on ordering with them, we'd appreciate it if you simply hold off until Sep 5th, when we'll be back in the UK. Otherwise, the parcel may get bounced back to Amazon, after 3 unsuccessful deliveries!
Here are some details for the Rock & Rose. Have a look at the set menu we've got on offer for our guests, which includes vegetarian starters and a main to suit our veggie friends. Also, here is the seating chart for the Rock & Rose. Karen and I will be seated with a table of siblings and friends, with the parents, relatives, and others clustered at other tables. The layout is nowhere near as sparce in the diagram, so don't worry if it looks like you're off in the boonies; you won't be.
Regarding our coveted guestbook, thanks for the input so far! Don't be shy. Come on, more posts! We want more love! ^_^
See you on Sunday!
16 Aug '09 - Gift registration done & guestbook on-line!
Our gift registration is finally complete, and with only 6 days to spare. Phew, close one. We decided to drop the Argos registry, as everything was cheaper through either Amazon or John Lewis. We're sorry this took ages to get on-line, but there have been so many other tasks that took top priority. Anyway, they're both online now, so go check out the links on the 'Gifts' page. We don't belive in asking for anything we wouldn't buy with our own money, so we spent half of Saturday looking at reviews and comparing all the options before making our final selections. There are some very nice items on our lists, for sure!
A big surprise for you this week is the Wedding Guestbook, which you can see on the right side of the page, complemented by our favourite butterfly companion, Mr. Tom's. A colleague at work suggested that this site should have a place where our friends & family could drop their comments. So, after a bit of sleuthing and modification of an existing PHP plug-in, we now have a fully blown guestbook. We'll be sure to read every single entry that goes up there, so be sure to make your messages loving, enlightening, or entertaining!
Paper wedding invites were sent out early this week, so watch your mailboxes. If you asked for one, it's en route! They came out really well and we hope you agree. We'll post some photos of the invites once we know most of our recipients have received them, to give them a bit of a reward for their initial responsiveness.
Karen was able to finalize the deal with The Lavendar Bakery cupcake lady, so we can finally announce our dessert choice: lovely, fluffy wedding cupcakes! To tease you just a little, here are the descriptions of the 2 types that will be on offer. 1) Carrot cake with walnuts frosted with maple syrup & cream cheese icing. 2) Raspberry and coconut cake with cream cheese frosting. Yummie! That should be enough to torture anyone who decided not to come. Hehe. Also, for anyone with similar dietary requirement to Karen, we'll have the same cupcakes selection available in a "sans processed sugar" variety. Those will be sweetened with granulated maple sugar.
In other news, we finished off making the wedding proceeding pamphlets and the seating labels. We purchased some confetti and got a set of 10 disposible cameras for use at the after party. This way, those of you who are keen amateur photographers will have something to keep your shutter finger busy during the event! We hope we can get some truly memorable (and zany!) photos of our guests and after party this way. Of course, we'll share all the photos here after we get them developed to CD, so you'll get to see your works of art on-line!
Another major save for us was that Karen's new wedding shoes meant we didn't need to rush around seeking last-minute wedding dress adjustments. That was a huge weight off our shoulders, let me tell you! Also, I have been told that the veil and garter arrived this week and Karen went out to the big Westfield mall to make a few other final wedding accessories purchases.
Early into the hours of Thursday morning, Karen and I were scrawling out our wedding vows and carefully selecting what readings we wanted to have read. It only took us until 4:30 AM to get them done. Yikes! Thankfully, I did manage to survive the next day surprisingly well, despite getting up at 7:30 AM for work. That's another lesson learned to remember.
Karen met with our choice florist during the week and selected the flowers to be carried and/or worn by our wedding party. With the floral touch, we should have a bit of a nice colour palette to tie us all together. I can't wait to see what gets delivered on the day. It is certainly exciting when you start talking about strategies of throwing the wedding bouquet with your fiancée!
For those of you who are actually thinking of getting married soon and would benefit from our lessons learned, I'll be posting all of our wedding materials on-line after our honeymoon in Majorca. That way, you'll get to see how we budgeted, how we overran that budget a little, and the types of documents we put together to disseminate all the wedding information before and during the wedding.
With only 6 days to go, we are both extremely excited and optimistic about our big day. As the stress falls to one side, we begin to feel the great momentum that's building and we can't wait to share this incredible celebration with all of our friends and family. Best of luck with your flights and trips on the Tube. We'll be hugging you soon!
09 Aug '09 - All aboard the Wedding Bus!
We've just booked a 16-seater coach to taxi our guests from venue to venue on our big day. We're lovingly calling this the "Wedding Bus". Best of all, it will be free for all of you, so you won't need to worry about booking individual taxis to get from place to place!
In other news, after hours of shoe shopping at the weekend with my lovely lady, we finally found shoes that will suit her for the wedding ceremony. For any of you that know Karen well, you'll know she's not a big shoe shopper. This made the process that extra bit challenging. However, despite the low odds of success, we stuck together and emerged victorious from what felt like years of "sole searching".
This Sunday, we went hard at work on crafting our wedding invites from the supplies we picked up a few weeks back. The results look fantastic. Thanks to everyone who requested an invite. Sadly, we won't be able to make any extras due to... let's say, the current economic crisis, but for the 20 people who did ask for an invite, know that they will be in the post this week! For everyone else, we'll put up photos of the final design so you can see the final product.
Last week, I mentioned an issue regarding the size limitation of the Register Office. Karen spoke with the officials and we have their final word. Our 50 guests will definitely be a tight squeeze, so we're urging everyone who wants a seat to get to the venue early. We'll give preference to those who arrive early. Additionally, we're alleviating the problem a bit by following American tradition and having the groomsmen and bridesmaids stand up front with us during the ceremony. Fingers crossed, we'll get everyone into the room.
To reward those of you who read our updates weekly, here's a sneak peek at what we'll be sending through the post! As a separate bonus, I've scattered another couple of images around the site, if you're willing to go look for them. Happy hunting.
PS - Thanks for waiting patiently. We planned to get the gift registration done this Sunday in time for this update, but haven't managed it just yet. We have this action tagged as a priority and will be finishing it off soon. I'll let you know as soon as our list is online.
02 Aug '09 - Wedding dress & tux now in hand
Karen's dress arrived earlier this week and she has hidden it away from me, tucked away deep in one of our closets. She ordered it about 4 months ago while out in Idaho in the U.S. with her mom. So, having the dress arrive on time and still in one piece after a lengthy trans-Atlantic journey was a big relief in itself!
Also this week, we went into Moss Bros, a local suit shop, to hire out a tuxedo. Instead, we found one that fit well enough to walk away with. So, that's me sorted for a tux. If you want to see a photo of the waistcoat and cravat, check it out on the 'Dress Code' page. This will give you a clear idea of the Groom's attire. For obvious reasons, we can't do the same for the Bride! That's got to stay a secret to me.
Last week, I forgot to mention that Karen and I had ventured into town and found the stationary we've been hunting for. We're still looking for that last final touch to finish off our design and then we'll be able to fabricate and post out our lovely, custom invites.
Now, for a spot of unfortunate news. Our would-be videographer friend cannot shoot for us, as he'll be off on holiday. Luckily, I've got a decent quality digital video camera myself, but we're looking for volunteers with amateur video experience who'd be up to the challenge of operating the video camera for part of the day. E-mail me at bradford.a.peyton@gmail.com if you're interested in helping us out.
Our guest list has grown to 50 guests! (including the photographer) Go check out the 'Guest List' page to find out who's coming. This is fantastic news for us. It wasn't long ago that Karen and I were concerned about not getting enough of a group together for a "proper" wedding party. Now, we're even a bit over-subscribed. The wedding ceremony venue is a relatively small government building that only permits 40 people in the room. So, we might have a little problem on our hands, but we'll get back to you once we figure out the score with the venue operators.
Our BIG DAY is less than 3 weeks away and neither Karen or I can believe it. This has been a quick 3-month blitz and we hope you all thoroughly enjoy the celebrations. It's shaping up to be exactly the amazing party we wanted to share with our family & friends!
01 Aug '09 - Website glitch
'News' page re-named to 'Home'.
The entire navigation menu system which was previously "maintenance-heavy" has been replaced by a few handy lines of PHP include code, to allow for easier future updates. Some of our wonderful audience noticed the transition on Saturday, August 1st when the site looked like half a jigsaw puzzle spilled across their internet browsers. However, I managed to piece the puzzle back together and now it looks the same as ever. That's technology for you. Phew!
27 July '09 - Venue info available
We have published a provisional schedule for the day over on the 'Venue' page, so go check it out. Included are a few photos of our chosen venues, to give you a taster of what to expect.
This past weekend, we took a trip out to check out the No 8 Hill Rise champagne and wine bar, to see if it would suit our needs as an extension to our day, so we can mingle with our lovely guests for longer. After Karen and I were treated to free drinks (I got 1, she got 3!), we decided it was the place for us. Nice staff, good music, and a comfortable little bar with a capacity for 60 people, when we only really need 45 (max).
Another quick note about the dress code. "Formal" does NOT mean our wedding is a "Black Tie" event. You do not have to come in a suit with a little black bow tie and a hidden gun in your belt like James Bond. We'd like people to be as made up as they can be, to match the formalities of the day, but anything "dress casual" and up is fine by us.
Also related to the dress code, we've been asked if a pastel green can fit into our selected colour scheme. After a hard think, we've said "yes". If you don't look good in blue or blue-green, then coming in green is just as good. If your attire matches the theme of the website, then you're good to go.
Gift registration remains on hold. An update to our guest count is overdue.
20 July '09 - Updates
The group hotel is offering a discount before 25 July 2009. Details will be circulated by e-mail tomorrow. Anyone booking into our group hotel, the Richmond Hill Hotel, should quote Travel Trade booking reference "TT14181" and "Brad Peyton". You can get a room with breakfast for £89 or £109 per night for a single or double, respectively. Call reservations on 0870 903 0900.
The Registered gifts have been de-priortised for now, but we will get that updated as soon as possible. Apologies for the delay, but Citi is working Brad to the bone right now!
12 July '09 - Lots of updates!
Pages added for 'Wedding Party' & 'Guest List'. Updated 'RSVP', 'Hotels', 'Dress Code', 'Gifts', 'Photos', & 'Movies' pages.
Reception venue booked - Rock & Rose
Photographer booked - Ashton Lamont Photography
Wedding rings ordered - Dianna Stevens
We found a 4-star hotel suited to our group booking requirement. The Richmond Hill Hotel is only 15 minutes walk from the register office and is located just up the hill from our previous recommendation, The Petersham. At lower prices and sporting a pool, it's the perfect choice for our group booking.
Here are the negotiated rates: (pending confirmation)
£89 single / £109 double - cost per night with breakfast included
There's been a high demand for regular website updates, so you'll now see a weekly update from us every Monday. Check in each Monday for the latest news!
27 June '09 - 'Dress Code' & 'Photos' pages updated. Wedding invites sent out by e-mail.
15 June '09 - Wedding site is now online. More updates to come.
Here is the original 'Home' page header, which was replaced on 20 Sep '09 with a lovely photo of the newly weds:
Welcome to our wedding site!
We plan to post all the latest information here regarding our wedding plans. Karen is working very hard to pull off a gorgeous wedding and we'll be documenting her efforts here. I will join her in posting status updates with our latest progress. We might live miles away, but that doesn't mean you can't join us for the ride. We sincerely hope you enjoy following our story!
As our wedding day swiftly approaches, we want all our family and friends to know that all of our wedding photos and videos will be hosted right here after the wedding (or post-honeymoon if there's no time before we fly off to celebrate!). So, gear up and get ready to document the day we finally tie the knot!
- Brad & Karen
12 June '09 - We've got a date! 23 August 2009. Clear your calendars and when you get an invite, book those flights straight away!
