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!

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!

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.