Monday, June 21, 2010

Wedding Week!!!!


After almost seven superb years of dating and 18 ecstatic months of engagement, we are so excited for this Saturday!

We know time will fly by on Saturday, so we wanted to take this time to thank our family and friends in advance for all of the support, encouragement, love and laughter that you have contributed to our lives.
You are our favorite people in the world and
we can’t wait to see you all very soon!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

It’s Not What, but WHO Are You Wearing

Let me (its Brandi!), be the first to say that for me, picking out the perfect dress to wear to a wedding (as a guest) is a challenge. You don’t want to be too formal, too casual or look like an extra bridesmaid. Why do guys have it so easy!?



Because our ceremony is on a boat, we’ve received a lot of inquiries about what guests should wear to our wedding, so we decided to address it on this blog.


• No, you don’t need to make a costume change! Whatever you wear to the ceremony on the boat will look just fabulous at the reception. However, if you have two outfits and just can’t decide, totally rock them both!



• June weather in Pittsburgh can be a little tricky (according to Wikipedia, the average high is 80, while the low is 56). If it is a pleasant day, the ceremony will be outside on the boat. You should prepare for some sun or a have a cardigan or wrap on hand for chilly weather (check the forecast). If it is raining, the ceremony will be inside, but still on the boat.


• The bridesmaids are going to look hot in some apple green dresses!

• Our wedding is not black tie – no need for the men to wear or rent a tux.

• There is no need to dress in theme (i.e. sailor or pirate), but don’t be afraid to purchase a seersucker suit for the occasion.


While Brady and I embrace personal style and creativity, jeans and shorts (sorry Ryan!) are not recommended wedding attire.


If you have any questions, feel free to contact Brandi!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

DJ...That's My DJ


While neither of us will be manning the turntables at the wedding, a lot of our upcoming wedding guests have been sending us song requests. So today, we wanted to give you the opportunity to record your request on this blog.

In the comment section, feel free to let us know what you hope to hear at our wedding!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Are we there yet?

We are so excited to have guests traveling to Pittsburgh from all across the United States! In fact, we have guests coming to our wedding from 14 different states!

For those of you flying, the Sheraton Station Square is about 20 minutes from Pittsburgh International Airport.

Cabs or an airport shuttle are the best way to get to the hotel. Cab rides are approximately $33.00.

Here are some cab numbers, in case there are no cabs on hand when you arrive.
* Yellow Cab (412-321-8100)
* Checker Cab (412-664-5600
* People's Cab (412-441-3200)
For those of you making the drive – it’s easy! In fact, we just spent some good ole time on the Pennsylvania Turnpike a few weeks ago!

The entire drive takes about 6 hours without traffic. If you are planning to leave on Saturday morning, we would recommend leaving around 6:00 a.m. in order to make the boat! And don't forget some cash for the tolls!

Here are the Mapquest Directions for those driving out from South Jersey:
• Merge onto the Atlantic City Expressway W (39.9 miles) Portions Toll
• Atlantic City Expressway W becomes NJ-42 N (7.3 miles)
• NJ-42 N becomes 1-76 W (2.0 miles)
• Merge onto 1-676 N via Exit 2 towards 1-676 N / Camden / Ben Franklin Bridge (5.6 miles) Portions Toll – Crossing into Pennsylvania
• Merge onto US-30 W via the exit on the left toward central Pennsylvania (2.7 miles)
• Merge onto 1-76 W (387.9 miles) Portions Toll
• Merge onto 1-376 W / US-22 W via Exit 57 toward Pittsburgh (14.4 miles)
• Take the Grant Street exit, exit 71A on the left (.02 mile)
• Turn left onto Fort Pitt Blvd. (.1 mile)
• Turn left onto Smithfield Street (0.0 mile)
• Smithfield Street becomes Smithfield Street Bridge (.3 mile)
• Turn Right and you’re at Station Square!

If you have any questions about traveling to Pittsburgh, feel free to contact Brandi or Brady!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

What to do in the ‘Burgh


Brady and I are thrilled that so many of our out-of-town family and friends plan to make the trip to Pittsburgh for our wedding!

If you are planning to make your trip a mini-vacation, let me (Brandi*) be your personal tour guide! Here’s some things that you “must do” in The ‘Burgh.

• A must do right outside the Sheraton are the famous Duquesne and Monongahela Inclines. This is where you will get the best view of the Pittsburgh Skyline.

• Let’s face it – wedding weekends all diets go out the door. A visit to Primanti Brothers should be on your list.

• If you are looking for a good bar scene, the South Side is a strip of bars located down the street from The Sheraton Station Square

• For the sports fanatics, across the river is PNC Park and Heinz Field. While there isn’t a baseball game during our wedding weekend, the parks are still something to see. While visiting the North Shore, you can dine at 36 (Jerome Bettis’s steakhouse) and The Great Hall at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh is also home to the Western PA Sports Museum (located in the Strip District).

• Interested in art? Not only have Michael Keaton (a grad of Brandi’s High School), Christina Aguilera, Mister Rogers, Dennis Miller, Shirley Jones, Jeff Goldblum and Gene Kelly called Pittsburgh home, but it is also the birthplace of Andy Warhol. You can see some of his best works on display at the Andy Warhol museum (located near PNC Park).

• If you have a few extra days, a trip to Kennywood is recommended. One of America’s greatest old fashioned amusement parks, Kennywood is home to some of the oldest wooden roller coasters. Fun Fact: The Ferris Wheel was invented in Pittsburgh and then shipped to Chicago for the World’s Fair!

The beauty of our official hotel is that it is located in walking distance to a number of resturants and nightlife spots. For dining, the list includes The Melting Pot, Hard Rock Café, Bucco Di Beppo, Joe’s Crab Shack. For some adult beverages, we would recommend Bar Louie and for the younger set there is Saddle Ridge and Buckhead.

If any of our Pittsburgh readers have a "Must Do" for our out of town guests to share, feel free to include it in the comments!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Meet Ryan

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our wedding party on our blog. Before we get into our final entry, we just wanted to say that we wish we could’ve profiled all of our fantastic friends and family … but there probably isn’t enough time in the year to recall all of the great memories we have with you all. Here’s to making another big one on June 26th.

And now, a man that needs no introduction … especially if you’re in South Jersey (this guy has his own student-run Facebook fan page dedicated to him). Ladies and gentleman, he’s big and loud on the outside but a sweet little puppy dog on the inside – meet Brady’s brother and best man, Mr. Ryan Smith.

About Ryan

* Brady and Ryan go way back … 26 years to be exact. About three months after Brady’s third birthday, he welcomed home his first sibling and they’ve been arguing with each other ever since. Nooo - just kidding of course. While the two have had their fair share of infamous verbal disagreements – it’s all in good fun. Let’s just say Ryan is the more aggressive and intense of the two brothers, but when you really get down to it – there are much more similarities then differences.

* Brady and his family are probably the only people on Earth that call him “Ryan.” To all others, he is affectionately known as “Smitty,” a common nickname given to those with the surname Smith – but one that he has certainly made his own. Brady’s theory is that “Smitty” never caught on to him as a nickname because his first name is just so damn cool.

* Mr. Smitty was an All-South Jersey offensive center and defensive end in high school for the EHT Silver Eagles football team, which he now is an assistant coach for. Ryan was a superior athlete in just about every sport he played, including baseball, hockey, and weight lifting. Brady always schooled him in pick-up basketball, though. You might also be surprised to know that big Ryan was actually a running back in his earlier youth football years – needless to say, he grew out of that phase.

* Brady was thrilled when Ryan announced he’d be attending West Virginia University with him, giving Brady another shot at teaching him the ropes (Brady was also a senior when Ryan was a freshman in high school). Ryan spent two years at WVU, and while he ended up transferring to Rowan University for its physical education major, Brady is proud to note that Ryan earned a 3.2 GPA his last semester as a Mountaineer, going out on top. In fact, Ryan made the Dean’s List while at Rowan, something his wiser older brother never accomplished before.

* For those who don’t know Ryan well yet, he’s a Nike fanatic – and that’s putting it modestly. He’s probably paid for one of Phil Knight’s mansions all by himself. And of course, another of Smitty’s famous quirks is his disdain for long pants. He wears shorts every single day, no matter what season it is, and often moans and whines like a little girl when he has to act like a normal person and wear pants to a wedding or even jeans to a nice club.


Q&A with Ryan

Who would play the lead role in a movie about your life?
The black girls in school say I look a lot like rapper Bubba Sparxxx but I think the nod would have to go to actor Kevin James. I think we have a lot of similarities in our XXL athletic build, tremendous sense of humor, and love for Nike and beautiful women.

Favorite memory with Brady
Aside from all the big parties and concerts in high school as well as the shit show we call WVU, I'd have to say being on the field pregame at the Dolphins-Broncos game in Denver and the whole weekend in Denver, CO.

Favorite thing about Brandi
Her and her family’s love for partying.

What’s your favorite adult beverage?
OK let’s go in reverse chronological order:

Now = Citrus Vodka with a splash of water and of course Pat-Ron
Post college = Bud Light
College = Anything
High School = Keg

What was your first job?
Fellow groomsman Ramy tricked me into working at this beat ass restaurant because there were a few good looking broads that worked there. It ended up that my job was washing dishes in a 4x4 ft room in the middle of the summer. Let’s just say I didn't make it past two days of employment there. First real job was the BOX!!!! (Chatterbox Restaurant in Ocean City)

When you were 10 years old, what did you want to be when you grow up?
Bartender/Professional Football Player

What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I have over 20 pairs of Nike’s and I color code my closet and drawers.

What are you most excited about Brandi & Brady’s wedding?
Refer to groomsman Jason Sacks' question below … and seeing my brother on hopefully one of the happiest days of his life not worry about anything and have fun with the people that he cares about.

Which one of your fellow groomsman has the best chance of falling off the riverboat at Brady/Brandi’s wedding?
Hands down Ryaaann Daaaaviiidd Plllaaat.

Editor’s Note: Ryan submitted a nice little story about Mr. Platt, who, by the way, has officially now taken the “Most Likely To Fall Off The Boat Award.” The story is about a time when Mr. P actually did fall off a boat and Ryan came to his rescue. The details are slightly too risqué for this blog though, so if you want to hear the whole story, ask him at the wedding.

What song(s) do you hope to hear at Brandi & Brady’s wedding?
"Live Your Life” by T.I. ft. Rhianna and............. JUICY!!

You get to make a speech at Brandi & Brady’s wedding … can you give us a sneak peak of what you’ll be telling the invitees?
First of all let’s just say that I hope I don't offend anyone because I am not going to sensor any of it. My speech is going to have a lot of humor to it about my life as I know it with Brady Michael Smith with a touch of some real brotherly love.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your older brother?
There's too much to include in this Q&A, but if I had to pick something it would be that he taught me it’s OK to be a kind person with a good heart.

What’s your favorite subject in health/P.E. to teach the kids?
Health = Sex Ed … kidding that’s just OK to teach. Drivers Education is my favorite. Volleyball is my favorite to teach in P.E.

If you had to call one offensive football play with the game on the line, what would it be?
First of all there is not nearly enough information in this question that I need to make a good call. I need to know how much we are down by, where are we located on the field, how much time is left, weather conditions, if our kicker is a bitch, time of day, and who we are playing. Without all of that information above, I would go with a sprint out pass to get the Q outside the pocket with a good set of routes and a chance to take it on his own for the game. Let’s call it Trio Rt. 411 Flood Switch w/ a BS Post.