Wedding Memories: I'm On A Boat

Almost everyday I'm (Brandi*) reminded of the Smithkowski wedding. You see, the window in my office overlooks the Sheraton where we were married and when I pick up documents from the printer, I see the Gateway Clipper dock.

Today, I discovered the cutest t-shirt from Wear Pittsburgh that serves as a kitchy wedding reminder that I thought I would share!

The "I'm On A Boat" video shows what I see out my work window and a reminder of our wedding weekend!

(Source)

10...9...8...It's Smithkowski Anniversary Eve!

On the eve of our first wedding anniversary, we wanted to reflect about the weekend celebration that was.

It really was so great to see all of our friends and family in one room for the first and probably the last time all together. We loved seeing the New Jersey people become BFF with the Pittsburgh folk. We loved watching our aunts become instant friends. We loved hearing stories about all of the alcohol and cookies consumed. The battle wounds earned. The Patron shots shot.

But one story that we really loved and still love to this day is that of our dear friends, Lauren & Ramy.

Lauren is Brandi’s friend and Ramy is Brady’s friend – both friendships dating back to the early high school years. While Lauren doesn’t recall all the details, she met Ramy during our wedding weekend and immediately dubbed him her “fiancé.” Typically that would scare a dude away, but something sparked between these two and they’ve been dating ever since.

So cheers to you, Ramy & Lauren on your one-year meeting anniversary!

Here’s our favorite picture of your courtship.

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!

I Did It All For The Cookies

When it comes to a Western Pennsylvania wedding, Pittsburghers don’t remember what the centerpiece looked like, what color the bridesmaids wore or even what they ate for dinner. They remember the cookie table.

In the next 120 days, we will begin blogging more regularly to prepare you for the celebrations surrounding our upcoming nuptials. So where else to start but with this thing Pittsburghers love – a wedding cookie table – written by the person who co-writes this blog and loves the Steel City ; )

A cookie table is basically a number of long tables that feature a variety of cookies that the bride’s family bakes in anticipation of the wedding. The cookies are displayed on trays and on dishes of different heights. It’s common to see about 2,000 cookies at a wedding for around 200 people. The tables are typically inside the reception room along a wall. This cookie table to the right is from good friend Pam’s Wedding (we go back to kindergarten) As a bridesmaid, I helped tray (and eat) these cookies the day before the wedding!

According to Wikipedia, the cookie table tradition began in Youngstown, Ohio – not too far from Pittsburgh. Some sources say that during the Depression, women in the bride’s family made cookies because they were cheaper than an elaborate wedding cake.

Just like Pittsburgh dominates football and hockey, this cookie phenomenon is sweeping the nation. The New York Times profiled the Pittsburgh Cookie Tradition in December of 2009. I’ve had some Chicago brides ask me to explain the tradition (Hi Courtney!) and want to incorporate it in their wedding. I told them to rev up their Kitchen Aid and get their family baking now!

You can read the full New York Times Story, “The Wedding? I’m Here for the Cookies” by clicking this link.

Here’s some things the New Jerseyians need to know before you approach the cookie table:

• There will be an enormous selection of cookies. This is your opportunity to pig out. If you want away from the cookie table(s) at our wedding with a plate of cookies, you didn’t do a good job. You need to fill up at least two boxes to take home.

• If you eat a dozen cookies at the wedding, no one will judge you. They will pat you on the back and tell you to eat more.

• If there is a cookie you are obsessed with, we can get you the recipe. Pittsburgh people share.

• There is an art to tray-ing the cookies. When you meet one of the bakers at the wedding, tell her that not only were the cookies unbelievable, but that you adored the display. That will score you some huge bonus points with the Blumling ladies (my mom’s sisters).

• For all those single people house, use the cookie table as a pick up line. It’s much more “sweeter” than saying “Let’s go do a shot.”

• Yes, we will still have a cake. In fact, the hotel has an exclusive contract with a prestigious Pittsburgh bakery. But if you don’t see anyone from Pittsburgh eating the cake, it’s because they are saving room for the cookies.

If you have a special recipe or cookie that you would like to feature, please let us know and we can certainly arrange for your signature cookie to be added to the spread!

Finally, I come from a family of bakers. When I got engaged, they really didn’t care about the proposal story or the ring or where the wedding will be. My mom and her four sisters drafted a list of cookies and assigned flavors. This cookie meeting took place in July 2009 – almost a year before the wedding. The baking began around Christmas and if you are wondering where all the cookies are being stored…my mom received a new freezer as a holiday gift to house her creations. As you will see below, the baking has begun!

(Sources: Wikipedia, New York Times; Photos: Pam’s Cookies from Bella Pictures)

Hello New Visitors!

Welcome to Brandi & Brady’s Wedding Blog! You probably stumbled across our little site after receiving a Save-the-Date card in the mail. We started this blog this past June and we do our best to update it on a regular basis with info about our wedding, bridal party, family and everyday adventures.

If you are visiting the site for the first time, we encourage you to catch up on previous posts by clicking on one of the "labels" on the right side of the web page. Here are some good frequently asked wedding-related questions you might want to know the answers to:

• What is this Web site and why should I visit it?

• So, where are you getting married?

• How did you guys meet?

• Who is this chick Brady is marrying?

• Brandi found a guy to put up with her non-stop talking? Who is this guy?



• Can I get more details on the hotel, ceremony and reception?
o The Sheraton Station Square is the official hotel of the Bonkowski/Smith Wedding. This is the site of our wedding reception and it's a stone's throw from the Gateway Clipper, the boat where our ceremony will take place on. We encourage you to book your hotel room as soon as possible to get our special wedding rate. In fact, the hotel created a handy little Web site for people to easily book rooms, here (we've also added a link on the right side of our blog). More travel tips and a listing of alternate to come in future blog posts.

o The most important thing to remember is if you plan on attending the ceremony, boarding begins at 2 p.m. sharp - so don't be late! The boat sets sail at 2:20 p.m., and we'll begin our voyage over to the point where Pittsburgh's infamous Three Rivers merge and exchange vowels with the skyline in the background.

• By the way, what's the deal with that oversized mirror you are staring at on the Save-the-Date?
o If you’ve been to Chicago and received the full Brandi & Brady tour, then you know all about The Bean - inexplicably one of the top tourist attractions in the Windy City.


o The Bean, which is formally known as “Cloud Gate,” is located in Millennium Park and has become a landmark in its few short years of existence. Designed by artist Anish Kapoor and constructed from 2004-06, the Bean is made from 168 stainless steel plates welded together, yet has no visible seams. Tourists love it because of the creative photos you can take (or at least, attempt to), with the sterling reflection of the Chicago Skyline in the background of each shot.

o We felt The Bean was the perfect way to show a little Chicago flair in our Save-the-Date. Brandi & Brady would also like to give a very special shout out to groomsman and photographer extraordinaire Jason Sacks for taking not one, but two rounds of our S.T.D. pictures. Mr. Sacks is now available for hire to photograph your save-the-dates, senior portraits, pets, and bah mitzvahs.

'Burgh, Boat & Booze

So by now you know, we’ve set a date. Now you might be wonder where the festivities will take place.

The answer – Pittsburgh, PA.



I bet about half of our readers are waving their Terrible Towels in excitement. The other half are jealous that the Penguins and Steelers dominated Philadelphia in hockey and football in 2008-09. Yes, it’s an ongoing battle in our house too.

After we had a draft guest list in place, we realized that the Brandi & Brady wedding has over 120 out-of-town guests. So that was a huge factor in selecting our wedding site.

Reception
Our wedding celebration will take place at the Sheraton Station Square. This gives our visitors the chance to experience some Pittsburgh bars and eateries in walking distance from the hotel. There are also some awesome views of the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline.

Ceremony
With the reception site in place, we did some brainstorming on local churches, outdoor sites, etc. and then it hit us – The Gateway Clipper. With some smooth talking, Brandi convinced Brady to get married on a boat (shown below).

This is how it will work folks. The boat dock is a hop, skip and jump away from the hotel. Guests will board the boat at 2:00 p.m. and we will set sail on one of Pittsburgh three fine rivers to the point in which the three meet. There, we will exchange vowels (weather permitting, this will be outside on the top deck). One she says yes and he says heck yeah, the boat will sail around a little and then head back to the dock. After that, we’ll all head over to the Sheraton where we will party like it’s 1999.

(Photo Credits: Brandi's camera, Starwood Hotels, City of Pittsburgh)