Photos!

Our photographers sent us the full set of photos on a usb drive and I've uploaded them to the flickr photostream. When looking at a photo, click on the All Sizes button right above the photo and you'll get access to the high resolution version for download. I think you can go pretty big in size -- 8 x 10 or higher -- and still be ok.

the unofficial wedding pics

I created a Megen and Ashley wedding flickr account for all the pictures our guests took at the wedding. Please email us pictures to add! We want as many pictures as we can get! You can email us at thechengs2008(at)gmail(dot)com. I'm also emailing people I know with the login and password info if they want to upload directly themselves.

We'll have our official photos in a few weeks.

Shuttle Service - update

If you RSVP'd that you will be taking the shuttle, it will leave the Residence Inn at 4:30 PM, stop at the Hilton at 4:45 PM, then head off the the Navy Yard. If you are staying at the Hampton Inn, the Hilton is just across the street.

To get back, the shuttle will make two trips - 10 PM and 11 PM (or whenever the reception is over, which is supposed to be 11 PM).

How to get to the Navy Yard

Directions to Navy Yard

From Alexandria • East on King St. towards Old Town. Right on S. Henry St. Merge onto I-495 E. After 2.5 miles, merge onto I-295 N (Exit 2B). Take M Street/Washington Navy Yard Exit. Straight onto 12th St. SE. Left onto M St. The entrance gate is at 6th & M St.

From Maryland • I-495 S towards Virginia. Take George Washington Parkway Exit (Exit 43). After 10.9 miles, merge onto I-395 N. Stay left to merge onto I-295 S. Take the S. Capitol St. Exit. Turn slight right onto S. Capitol St. Turn left onto M St. The entrance gate is at 6th & M St.

Once you get to the Navy Yard, you need to take the entrance on M Street to get in. Make sure you have ID to show the nice soldiers with the big guns.

Directions to the Catering Center at the Navy Yard:
After showing ID to guard, you'll be on Isaac Hull Ave/6th St.
After a curve to the left, Isaac becomes Sicard St
Stay on Sicard St. until it ends.
Turn RIGHT onto Parsons Ave/9th Street
The Catering and Convention center is a short, brick building on the left by the waterfront. You can park anywhere in front of the building.


Google Maps can help!

View Larger Map

Shoes and bands

We picked up our wedding bands this weekend. Also, picked up some new dress shoes for the big day, very comfy. Megen, who loves shoe shopping, tried to get me to buy another pair of new shoes -- for every day wear -- but one shoe purchase in a day is enough for me!

She's already found a pair of shoes for the wedding from Nine West - she wears them to our dance lessons to get a feel for them.

Dance, Dance

Signed us up for dance lessons next week. It's going to be wild.

Old Town Alexandria

Old Town Alexandria is a fun, interesting town with lots of great restaurants and bars, shops and historic sites to see. After our rehearsal dinner, we're planning on meeting up with our guests in Old Town for drinks - more details coming soon.

Visit Alexandria is a site with lots of details about Old Town.

Invitations have left the building

We finished the invites this week and mailed them out.

Sunday, sunday, sunday

Today we're off to order our invitations, order our wedding bands, and meet with a florist. We sent off the contract for the DJ this past week. Just need to book a guitarist for the ceremony.

Update

Bridesmaid dresses are ordered. We're close to picking a DJ, and strongly considering a guitarist for ceremony music.

I'm crazy stressed at work so Megen - who is totally awesome - is doing all the wedding planning. The house is starting to fill with candle holders, vases and other assorted wedding peripherals. We're having trouble finding more indoor smore makers, though -- but the candy buffet for take home favors should make up for it.

Rehearsal dinner - Megen heard there is an Irish pub on the Navy Yard grounds so we're looking into that, or maybe getting a room at Murphys which is in Old Town.

We're pretty set on our invitation design, just pricing vendors now. And right after I finish writing this, I'm leaving the office (I consider Sunday afternoons my "day off") to pick Megen up so we can go shopping for wedding bands.

Bridesmaid dresses

Megen decided on a bridesmaid dress this weekend. We've dispatched courier out across the intrawebs to get measurements and such. Her wedding dress is presently hanging in our guest bathroom on the hanger that goes on the door. None of our closet hooks are high enough. It was wrapped in a sheet so that I couldn't see what it looked like.

The flower girl, Martie, loves her Aunt Megen. In fact, she once referred to me as Aunt Megen's friend. My cousin, Sonia (Martie's mother) emailed us this story -

Speaking of Aunt Megen, last week Martie was pretending to talk to a bunch of people on her "cell phone". She talked to her Aunt Sue, her dad, and Aunt Megen. Her conversation with Aunt Megen was hilarious. Martie said "He did WHAT? He's being silly again?!" I'm guessing the he is Uncle Ashley. Then you guys discussed having a St. Patrick's Day party with everything green. And then when she said good bye only Aunt Megen got an "I love you".

Wedding Update Part II

Yeah. Still nothing. Megen's parents are coming to visit this weekend for Easter.

Wedding Update

Um. Yeah. I got nothing. I'm sure we'll get on it soon...

First registry gift

We got our first registry gift -- clients of Megen's who had an event at her hotel, they loved her so much - and knew she was engaged - they went on Crate and Barrel on their own and got us a wedding gift. That's pretty cool.

Day of Coordinator

We met with a day of coordinator that we really liked tonight. I really want us to have someone to run the show for the day and really take care of schedule and vendor issues so Meg doesn't have to.

Relatives from Taiwan

I managed to get in touch with my Aunt in Taiwan. We're sending them Save the Dates and I've emailed them about the wedding. Hopefully, some of my family in Taiwan will be able to attend.

Hotels

I updated the links for the Hotels, specifically the Residence Inn.

Registry

Scanning stuff for our registry is one of the best parts of being engaged. We are registered at Macy's, Crate and Barrel and Amazon.

Macy's

Crate and Barrel

Amazon

Hotel rates updated

I added the hotel rates, and links to making reservations online. Check it out on Hotels.

Travel Information

By Plane

National (DCA) - closest to our hotels.

Dulles (IAD)

Baltimore (BWI)

NOTE:
If you are flying, National Airport is the ideal choice. It has its own metro station so you will not need to rent a car to get to the hotels in Old Town. All our hotels are within walking distance to the King Street metro station on the blue line.

By Car
Directions to the Catering Center and general directions to the Navy Yard

By Train
Amtrak arrives to Union Station in DC, which is also on the Red Line metro (DC's subway system).

Where to Stay!

Here are our hotels where we've placed room blocks. I'll update later with rate and links. We'll also list some other hotel options available in Old Town, or if you'd rather stay in DC.

We plan on having shuttles pick guests up from our main hotels to and from the reception/ceremony site at the Naval Yard.

All the rates are good for Friday 7/25 and Saturday, 7/26.

Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town
1456 Duke Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.548.5474
$109 per night, ask for O'Neill/Cheng Wedding or make your reservation online.
The group code is OWROWRA - clicking the link will fill this in automatically.

Hilton Alexandria Old Town
1767 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.837.0440
$159 per night, ask for O'Neill/Cheng Wedding or make your reservation online.

Hampton Inn Old Town/King Street
1616 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703.299.9937
$139 per night, ask for O'Neill/Cheng Wedding

Mailing to Canada is 69 cents

Just fyi.

Save the Dates

Mailing them out today. Well, most of them. Missing a few addresses. We've been visiting a store called Paper Source, one of Megen's favorite stores. Its pretty amazing place, actually. Lots of interesting graphic designs.

I get to use the gun

I've been promised that when we go registry shopping, I get to use the gun. Sweet.

Addresses

So, um, we don't have addresses to anybody. Good thing we have Sonia (my cousin), Sarah (friend) and Megen's mom.

Hotel Info (so far)

Our hotels are the Residence Inn, the Hilton and the Hampton Inn - all in Alexandria. I'll have their actual names, numbers and maps soon.

Scoping out Old Town

I posted more travel details. We walked around Old Town yesterday and scoped out walking distances of our hotels. At a leisurely walk, it took us 10 minutes to get to the shops and restaurants on King Street and 30 minutes to get to the waterfront.

We decided on having our hotels in Old Town because there is so much to see and do, and its close enough that we can shuttle folks to the Navy Yard. Or if guests want to drive themselves, it should only take around 15-20 minute to get there.

And you really don't want to stay around the Navy Yard - its ugly, not safe, and there is nothing to do. Until the new ballpark is done and the urban renewal is complete around the DC waterfront, nobody should have to visit that area.

Old Town is beautiful, has great restaurants and shops, and gives our guests a nice way to spend a Saturday before our wedding.

Bridal Showcase

We're headed to this Bridal Showcase this weekend at the Bethesda North Marriott. Primarily looking for lighting, florist, DJ. Looks like its going to be a fairly big show.

6 months and counting...

Reception and ceremony location? Check.
Photographer? Check.
Bride's dress? Check.
Tuxedo rental reservations? Check.
Save the Date magnets? Check.
My grandfather's mailing address? Check.
Deposit for honeymoon? Check.