So long and thanks for all the boxes

Hi everyone!

Real quick, because we have some business to attend to: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and THANK YOU for such an amazing wedding. It wouldn't have been the same without each and every one of you.

While we didn't get a chance to chat with (and hug!) each of you, there was a reason the rabbi had us turn and look at you all during the ceremony. Your smiles simply made our day. We can't wait to tell you in person.

Also, thanks to everyone for their generous gifts. They currently exist in the form of unopened boxes and envelopes. If you've been wondering if we got the gifts, the answer is "yes," we just don't know you gave it to us and what it is. :)

Finally, if you didn't get a chance to view the slideshow at the wedding you can do so now at clients.joelflory.com/tamarandmike. You can also see your pretty faces in the photobooth at http://www.thephotoboof.com/. The event code is: miketammy3.

Think that's all for now. Again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! You all rock.
Love n' hugs,
Tammy and Mikey Altfest

p.s. - go phillies.

Things to do in Pleasanton when you're in town for a wedding

OH MY - We're still blogging!!

Well, hello everyone! If my evil 7th grade math teacher, Mrs. Jennings, taught me any math at all, then I'm pretty sure we're 13 days away from the wedding. Awesome. Believe it or not, everything is ready to go and now we're just down to seating charts and answering questions like "what color linens do you want for the cocktail hour?" (yes, there's a cocktail hour!). It also means that we're too busy to blog so instead we've enlisted some help. (thanks, Papa and Mama Trong for the guest blog idea).

...We've been hyping it for months now and it's finally here. So, without further ado, we present to you the (wait for it... waaaaaiiittt....)

"THINGS TO DO IN PLEASANTON, CA" post!
(applause)

The following information was meticulously compiled by Joe and Liz Streng, of Pleasanton, CA, who we are forever indebted to for pointing us in the direction of suburbia when looking for a wedding venue. Joe also happens to be (*coughcoughmymanagercoughcough*), like, the nicest guy on earth. And Liz, among many, many other compliments, makes the best chocolate chip cookies on earth. hands down. Forget about it. Ask every employee of Edelman San Francisco who has jockeyed for position as soon as the "cookies in the kitchen" email goes out. It's dangerous. It's not even close. Seriously. I don't lie. Ever. They're that good.

OK... enough distractions. Here you go!

----

Greetings from Pleasanton, California, aka P-Town and/or the Second-Happiest Place on Earth. As a Parks & Recreation Commissioner and a resident of this delightful suburb for nearly 30 years, I speak on behalf of our 60,000+ residents when I express our collective honor for having been chosen as the site for this blessed event. With a late-Sunday start-time for the festivities, some of you may have some a few extra hours to explore this wonderful little hamlet. First, a few facts about the city:

• Pleasanton was actually named after Major General Alfred Pleasonton, but the U.S. Postal Service assumed there was a typo on the original map and changed the name to its current spelling. True story.
• Pleasanton has enjoyed national fame, including an extended monologue on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. It was also the filming location for the 1938 Shirley Temple classic Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
• Pleasanton has two high schools. The first and far superior is Amador Valley High School, the School of Champions, home of the Dons and proud alma mater of yours truly (Class of ’86) and his lovely wife Elizabeth (Class of ’87). The other is Foothill High School and the less said about this truly sad and failing institution, the better.
• Pleasanton is not to be confused with Pleasantville, the classic 1998 Tobey McGuire/Reese Witherspoon black-and-white/color dramedy and an All-Time Top 10 favorite of the groom.
  (editors note: the week Joe started at Edelman I probably made this joke three dozen times. Not so much because it's "funny," but rather because Pleasantville is one of my top-10 favorite movies of all time. Seriously. try me.)
  

So, I hear you saying to yourself, “Boy, Joe! Pleasanton sounds swell! What delights await us for our weekend visit?” Well, here are a few tips:

Best Hotel: Rose Hotel. Owned by Pleasanton’s most famous resident, NFL Hall-of-Famer John Madden, the Rose is the crown jewel of Downtown Pleasanton and home-base for the wedding party. Elegant and well-appointed, the Rose will be a lovely spot for a post-wedding nightcap.

Best Breakfast: Dean’s Café in Downtown Pleasanton. For those of you lucky enough to be staying at the Rose, Dean’s is an easy walk down Main Street. In the shadow of the famous Downtown Pleasanton arch, this breakfast mecca boasts the biggest selection of omelets in the Tri-Valley area. (Runner Up: The Rising Loafer, also on Main Street)

Best Lunch/Outdoor Dining: Blue Agave. No trip to Pleasanton is complete without enjoying a leisurely lunch in the outdoor patio at Blue Agave. Located directly across the street from Dean’s, this place has a MASSIVE list of Tequila-based beverages and a super-friendly staff. The menu is a little pricey, but worth it.

Best Pizza: Gay 90’s Pizza Company. OK, if you can stop giggling about the name, you’ll realize this is the best slice you’ll ever have in your life. Located on the far end of Main Street (but still an easy walk), two slices of Gay 90’s incredible thick-crust pizza will fill you up for the rest of the day and make you want to take a nap. A personal favorite is the half Maui Special (ham and pineapple) and half Jeff’s Special (sausage, pepperoni and red onions). Bliss.

Best Brew: Main Street Brewery. Across the street from the Rose, Main Street brews its own beer on the premises and serves great French fries (Honest!). Many a delightful afternoon has been spent lounging on the outside patio enjoying the signature Pale Ale.

Best Beer Selection: Hop Yard Ale House. OK, this is splitting hairs because it’s impossible to say one pub is better than the other, but without a doubt, the Hop Yard has the bigger beer list. It’s so big it actually changes daily. For those of you staying in the hotels closer to Interstate 580, this is a short drive down Hopyard Road. (Little known fact: Hopyard Road in Pleasanton actually got its name from the acres of hop fields that were planted on the outskirts of town.)

Best Way to Kill an Afternoon: Wine Tasting in Livermore. As you know, Mike and Tamar will be married at the fabulous event center located at Mitchell Katz winery in Pleasanton. I highly recommend taking a short drive down Vineyard Avenue to visit a few of the local wineries in nearby Livermore, an appellation that has truly started to gain recognition over the past 10 years for producing quality wines. At the very least, be sure to make the less than five-mile drive to enjoy a pre-ceremony lunch at Wente Vineyards. The outdoor patio is a picture-perfect spot to enjoy a chilled glass of the winery’s delicious and reasonably-priced Riva Ranch Chardonnay. For those who are feeling adventurous, here are a few other wineries to visit:

• Concannon Vineyard: Recently opened a wonderful new tasting room and home to the first-ever Petite Sirah grown in the United States.
• Murrieta’s Well: A personal favorite, the Meritage and Zarzuela are delicious and the tasting room has a great ambiance.
• Ruby Hill Winery: Almost (but not quite) within walking distance of Mitchell Katz, it’s a perfect place to kill 15 minutes with wine tasting if you accidentally arrive to too early and don’t want to be the first ones at the ceremony.

For those of you who don’t have time to make it out to Livermore, the Wine Steward just a few doors down from Blue Agave on Main Street has a terrific selection of local wines and a relaxing wine bar upstairs.

Best Golf Course: Pleasanton Fairways. OK, this is a total lie. The Fairways is actually a rag-tag nine-hole golf course located inside the horse track at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. (I’ve been playing it since I was 12 years old.) I’ve included it because if you are a golfer, the fairgrounds are within walking distance of Downtown Pleasanton. Bring your clubs and hit a bucket!

Well, there’s so much more to do and see here in Pleasanton that it seems unfair to wrap this up now, but I don’t want to overwhelm you. I hope you enjoy your time here in this jewel of Northern California. I look forward to seeing you at the wedding and when you visit our city, be sure to tell them “Joe sent me!”

30 days left (minus 1)

As of yesterday, September 18, we hit the "last month" mark. Wow.
We pretty much met our goal of getting "everything" done by yesterday. Amazing. There's still a lot to go, but it's all the little stuff that we couldn't do until now anyway, like seating arrangements. Which reminds us:

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR RSVPs, if you haven't already. (thanks!)

In the coming days/week we'll also be posting some cool information including...

• "Meet our Bridal Party"
• Fun stuff to do in and around beautiful Pleasanton, CA
• Much, much more! (as soon as we think of it)

We are unbelievably excited to see all of you! In the meantime, let's just relish the day.

Huskies are back!! (courtesy of A. Jacob Harms. © 2009. 9/19/2009)
L'shanah Tovah!

Transportation update

Hi everyone -

Just a quick heads up that we added a bunch of new transportation information on the website. Limos, taxis, shuttles, etc.

You can visit our "getting around" page, or you can just download a .PDF file with all the information (and more) directly from our site.

Let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks!
B&G

Dress sharp. Dress fun.

As expected, we've had a number of people ask us about appropriate attire for our wedding. If you're wondering what 'dress sharp. dress fun' means, trust us, you're not alone!

We're neither conventional nor very formal so you shouldn't expect the wedding to be a stiff, black tie gala or anything. While it's a wedding and we ask politely that you treat it as such (garmently speaking), we also encourage you to throw whatever sorta flair into the mix that you feel comfortable with. In other words: your attire should be a reflection of you. (this goes for any day of the year, not just this one...)

Below we've given some examples of "OK" and "not OK." But before we get to that, we also want to address Colors. We've had a few people ask about appropriate colors to which our answer is and always will be: "don't worry about it." Seriously. Wear white if you feel like it. Wear bright pink. Wear neon. Wear colors that match your favorite sports team or college. It's all good. Really. We mean it. When you get to the wedding you'll understand why it doesn't matter. (Or if you know Tamar really well, you'll know why it doesn't matter).

Alright, so here are some examples of stuff that is OK.
First, you can never go wrong with the more traditional stuff...

But if you want to mix it up, here are some "sharp yet fun" examples of stuff that certainly won't be frowned upon...



(michael madsen=always. Chris Penn=never.)


(Better yet, the Bride would like you to actually bring Lily Allen as your guest)


(face it, we all would like to dress like a Bosstone)

In other words...wear what makes you feel fun and comfortable, but you won't embarrass those around you. Or something.

If you're still lost, here are some ideas of things NOT to wear (as if you needed to be told...)


(sigma chi, nerd!)


(yearbook regrets...)


(never mind that the groom looks like this on most days, sans stache)


(If there's such a thing as trying too hard, this is it)


(actually, if you ever look like Fred Durst, you're beyond help)


(gross)



("Hey, Scottie!" / "Yeah?" / "What's it gonna be?" / "One gin and tonic sounds mighty, mighty good to me.")

As always, ask if you're not sure!

55 days...or something.
T&M

2 months!!

August 18... September 18... October......................

Another Hotel

Hi everyone. Just a quick heads up that we added another hotel option on the web site.

We have a block reserved at the Residence Inn (across from the Courtyard by Marriott) with a few Studio Suites (one queen, one bath, full living area w/ sofa sleeper and fully equipped kitchen) for $79+tax/night, and some Penthouse Suites (two-story open loft: 2 queens, 2 baths, full living area w/ sofa sleeper and fully equipped kitchen) for $129+tax/night.

Planning is chugging along just fine and a few updates to come, once bachelor/ette party season is over.

be good,
m&t

75 Days to go

If 90 days made it "real," then 75 days mean it's official. Not so much because of the number of days, but because you are very likely to receive an envelope in the mail quite soon.

And in that envelope is another envelope, which contains some important information. It also contains another envelope, which contains a card that you're supposed to fill out and return.

...if you catch what we mean.

Like I said, it's official!

T-minus 90 Days

now it's for real...

139 1/2 Days to Go

Quick: Raise your hand if you're still reading this blog!

We know, we know... it's been practically an entire month and no updates. (Sorry, Lily)

That's not to say we haven't been working though. Actually, a lot has been accomplished. Amazingly, MOST of the major details for the wedding are locked up. Venue, catering, (booze), photography, music, flowers, cake, etc. In fact, Tamar had her trial appointment with a hair and make-up person yesterday. With 139 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes and 2.09 seconds to go until the wedding, we'd say that's pretty good, huh?

Oh, and invites are currently in the final design stages, and printing should begin within the next week or so.

How's that for jamming it out?

And for everything else? Well...quite a month it was. Here's a recap:

• The groom spent the better part of a week in Washington DC trying to make a difference then...
• ...came back to celebrate his birthday
• Then the father of the bride came for a quick visit...
• ...before the B&G traveled to the greater Sacramento are for the wedding of our good friend's Todd and Kathryn...
• ...and on the way back from that we got the exciting news that we'll be passing the engaged-couple torch to our good friends Scott and Tina who now get to learn what its like to be neck-deep in planning for the better part of a year.
  
• Then last night the two of us capped off the month by taking advantage of a rare night together and had the most amazing caramel pudding ever before catching Up in 3D which not only made us extremely proud to share a zip code with Pixar but convinced us that there is little chance a better movie will come out this year. If you're reading this and haven't seen it yet, please stop wasting your time and direct your browser here instead: http://www.fandango.com/up_114055/movieoverview. Seriously. You'll thank us later.
  

All for now. Off to make use of the day. Which means I'll be watching the Giants game.

twiddling our fingers,
T&M

"Online Engagement"

Good morning virtual world, and happy weekend!

Not much has happened lately...except a lot of work and travel. Hopefully some planning will get done this weekend, but in the meantime we wanted to share some fun news with you.

We found out this week that our engagement session has been featured on both Rock n' Roll Bride and is currently the newest post our our amazing photographer Joel Flory's blog!

As you can see by that picture to your left, we met up with Joel and his wife/teammate Cara at the Ruby Press Bridal Soirée in San Francisco, which too should be blogged about somewhere by someone in the near future. And who knows, we'll probably show up on one of those too!

So, here we are...blogging about blogging and being blogged.

Online "Engagement" in every sense! (<-- G2B is a PR nerd)

M&T

Buckling Down!! (174 days to go)

So, it's been a week...

...But you asked, so here it is - ANOTHER UPDATE!!!

Despite living such busy lives, it never ceases to amaze us how easy it is to back-burner wedding plans when a) you spend 50+ hours a week doing silly things like "work," b) the wedding is "only" 6 months away, and c) You had most of the big details done a month ago. (oh, and d) the Giants are were on a 5 game winning streak (darn you BFW!!))

So, with (most of) a day (mostly) to ourselves, the B&G took advantage and buckled down to get some planning done. Quite productive we were. As you can tell by this riveting picture (yes, taken while planning was in progress. seriously.), it was quite an intense one. Worked on the Ketubah, messed around with the guest list, researched the honeymoon, came to some pretty awesome conclusions on flowers/centerpieces (mad props to the w2b on that one), figured out some of the music stuff...and a whole lot more.

We also took a comprehensive inventory of everything that needs to be done and assessed where we were/are with all the plans.

Verdict: Doing great.

Couple of upcoming things - hopefully in the week to come - like adding the "Getting Around" section to the website (yah, I know, said that before...). And making the honeymoon plans (deep breath) final. Woo.

That's it for now. More soon.
Enjoying the Lull,
M&T

P.S. - Hi Lily.

6-Month Pre-versary

Today officially marks 6-months until our wedding. Wow. It seems like only yesterday I (the groom) was asking Tamar if "that meant 'yes'." Not that our half-year-until day is anything special, as we're "celebrating" it apart (her: surprising her friend halfway across the country; him: watching Brian Wilson destroy a brilliant game thrown by Tim Lincecum in SF) , but still kinda cool to think about.

Six months sounds like a long time, but I'm gonna guess it'll speed by reeeeeaaaalllyyy quick. Anyone care to chime in? (please, be/have been married)

Stuff left to do:

• Find a florist, or similar option
• Make-up, hair and all that for the girls
• Tuxes for the boys
• Cake
  
• Develop the extensive "do not play" list for the DJ, which will probably include virtually every song you're expecting to hear
  
• Book the honeymoon
  
• ??? Probably a zillion other things, but I'm more concerned with watching The Wire right now and killing time before I go to Taco Bell you love it.

We R Seksy!!

Well, if there's been any sort of "news" since we started the blog, here it is: Our engagement photo shoot!

If you can't tell, we split up our session between SFMOMA (where we had our first date) and Treasure Island (the one in between SF and Oakland - not the Vegas casino or Stevenson novel).

The pictures speak for themselves, but we'll go ahead and say it anyway: Joel Flory (our photographer) rules. We had an awesome time taking all 1800+ of these photos and we hope it shows!

If you'd personally like to order any of them, Joel is giving a 25% discount on orders over $100 for the next 30 (well, 28) days. $pend, $pend, $$$$pend! ... And just think, if you come to our wedding, you too will get the honor of being in one of his photographs.

Braggy,
T&M

Hotels=Fixed! (186 Days until...)

Hi Y'all! The hotel situation has been, uh, situated! Here's all the info you need for the two hotels we've set aside rooms in:

Courtyard by Marriott, Livermore (5 miles from venue)
Contact: Nicole Holland-Goodrich, 925-243-1000 x2205
Email: nicole@cylivermore.com
Rate: $92/night; Full Breakfast: $11.95 / Continental: $7.95
Mention "Danziger/Altfest Wedding"

Pleasanton Marriott (12 miles - but near a mall!)
Contact: Mariam Qayum, 925-847-7567
Email: mqayum@pyramidhotelgroup.com
Rate: $89/night; Breakfast: Complementary
Mention "Danziger/Altfest Wedding"

Or, if you're looking for a bit of luxury, we also recommend you check out the Rose Hotel in downtown Pleasanton. There aren't any special rates there, but you get what you pay for (a lot!!).

Remedied,
M&T

Hotel drama

OK, so we lied. Maybe the hotel situation hasn't been 100% fixed. And for that, we apologize.

...but it's our nature to pass blame and that's what we're doing: it's the hotels' fault!! (seriously, it's their fault...)

We're looking into it first thing tomorrow (Monday, 4/13) and even contemplating adding another block and another hotel, just for fun!! As soon as we know all is well, we'll let you know.

But by all means, keep calling them. If you have any problems, please don't hesitate to contact us!
Lodged,
T&M

Bedikat Chametz

It's been just over a week since we sent out the save the date, and the response has been great! Thanks to everyone who has written us. It's made this whole "wedding" thing much more of a reality, and we couldn't be more excited.

Anyway, just a bit of passover house cleaning....
- If you had problems making reservations at either of the hotels in which rooms were set aside, all should be fixed now. Just took them a few days to get us in the system.

- The biggest question we've had is, "how do I get around?" Check our website soon for all that info (we'll announce it here). If feasible, we do recommend renting a car.

- The most frequent questions: "Did you film that video all by yourselves?" and "how did you do the fridge thing?" ANSWERS: "Yes" and "it's complicated." :-)

All for now. Chag sameach.
Unleavened,
m&t

Visit by the FOG (196/195 Days until....)

We are currently enjoying a visit from the Family of the Groom (FOG).

Yesterday they accompanied us to a cake tasting in Rockridge which resulted an severe food comas for the MOG (mother of the groom), and one SOG/SSBM (sister of the groom/superstar bridesmaid)......while the other SOG/SSBM took this photo.

Immediately following this moment, the groom and the DOG (dad of the groom....FOG was taken) took in game 1 one of the Final Four with 1/3 of the groomsmen. And spent half the time justifying -- or rather, skeptically clarifying -- $10/slice for wedding cake. (as if.....)

The day was capped with memorable-to-say-the-least dinner at Flemings in Palo Alto during which the entire restaurant got to share in some extremely exciting news (which we won't share here because it aint ours), thanks to the bride's "best. reaction. ever."

Now off to visit the venue...
Full,
T&M

Engagement Photo Phun (198 Days until...)

Just got back from our one hour-turned-two hour engagement photo session with our photographer, Joel Flory. Joel is the bestest, without question!!

Tammy and Mikey traveled all over the Bay Area with Joel for this shoot. We're sure you'll be a-mazed when they're available for public consumption (within two weeks...don't worry, we'll tell you). Not so much by the photos, but rather the amount of costume changes. (sigh...)

If you can't wait to see 'em, here's a preview snapshot of the groom, taken by the bride while she was changing in the xxxxxxxx xxxxxx parking lot (that's right, even the locations are top secret at this point).

Now comes the monumental task of the week: sending out the save the dates. If you're reading this, that means you got it. So, uh, that's pretty awesome. Thanks for stopping by!

Photogenically,
Tammy and Mikey

P.S. -- The video over there to your right? Watch it... ---->>>

Up and Running!

Hey there -- thanks for visiting! Welcome to our new blog.
Not much here... clearly we have some work to do, but please check back often for updates.

In case you can't tell, we're getting married on October 18, 2009 in Pleasanton, CA (near San Francisco). Check out our wedding website at www.tammyandmikeycom, and please watch that video over there on the right (a lot of work went into it!)

Much love,
Mikey and Tammy