We've Been Blogged

On a cold and rainy March morning, it's nice to relive the steamy, hot summer day that was our amazing wedding.

Kristin + Zak: Panorama Lodge Wedding | camerasandlight.com

Click the link above to visit our wonderful photographer's blog and escape to summer for a few minutes.

Reliving the Magic

For anyone who couldn't be with us and anyone who wants to witness it all over again, click the image below to watch the video from our wedding day on YouTube. The ceremony is in there, as well as other bits and pieces of the day, all filmed by the one and only Shane Corbin.

Click here to watch it on YouTube.

Don't judge his work too harshly, we paid him in beer. Thanks for giving us this record of our special day, Shane.

We have photos!

Photos have the magical ability to recall the sights, sounds, smells, and emotions of a moment. And they can transport you, even if you were never there in the first place. Capturing the essence of our wedding day was very important to us since some of our friends and family members were not able to join us. Please enjoy the beautiful work of Kelly Goode of June Lion Photography. We think she did an amazing job and hope you do, too!

link: http://junelion.smugmug.com/Weddings/Kristin-and-Zakks-Wedding
password: kuzda

Here's hoping you all had a very Merry Christmas and sending wishes for a fabulous New Year!

Cheers,
Zakk & Kristin Kuzda

Sneak peak of our wedding photos!

Our photographer, Kelly Goode of June Lion, has shared a preview of our wedding photos! Click the photo below to get to the album. Enjoy... ♥

Lost and Found

After the wedding, we found a few items and we are not sure who they belong to...

Are these yours?

What about these?

And who left behind their sweet little kitten?

Also, a few people lost some some things...

Did you accidentally take home a brown flannel shirt?

(this is not an exact replica of the missing shirt)

Or a gray North Face fleece shirt?

(this is not an exact replica of the missing fleece)

Or this man's dignity?

(this is an exact replica of the man without dignity)

Please let us know if you have any information about any of these items.

Get your toast ready!

Do you like it light, medium, or dark?

Buttered, with jam, or with beans on top?

Just kidding! We're talking about the Prost! Salut! Slainche! Cheers! kinds of toasts!

We invite everyone to offer a toast during the reception, if you are so inclined. So sharpen your pencils and put your thinking caps on ahead of time to craft that special message you want to share with us.

Let the laughter ring, the tears fall, or the inside jokes fly! We are open and want everyone to be involved!

Wait, what's that? You're not able to make it to the wedding? Well then, why don't you write a toast and ask someone to read it for you?

You can assign someone to read it in your place (or we would be happy to assign someone). Just send us your toast by email with the header: "Don't read! Toast from [name] for you wedding!" and we will gladly hand the secret message off to a trusted friend or family member to share with us on our special day.

Thanks so much for choosing to be a part of our celebration!

Cheers,
Kristin & Zakk

Only a week to go

Gift Registry

Many of you have asked where we are registered. And while we appreciate your desire to shower us with gifts, we want you to know that there is no obligation to do so. Really.

But since you asked, we did create a gift registry in case you are inclined to get us something. Because nearly everyone lives several states away, we wanted to come up with options that would be easy and not require additional fees (like shipping and handling). So Zakk used his fancy programming skills to create The Hazy Rain Tricks Gift Registry.

Click the image to go to the registry. Or don't. Really, it's okay either way. We love you regardless.

The Story of Kristin and Zakk

Here's the story of Kristin and Zakk, from Kristin's perspective...

The year is 1999. My sister, Nicole, had been staying with me in Cleveland during her summer break from college.

When she told her boss at Arabica coffee shop that she would have to quit to go back to school, he asked if she knew anyone who could replace her. Since I was about to start grad school and needed a part-time job, she suggested I take her place. Nicole had told me stories about her coworkers, so I had an impression of each of them before I even worked there. Zakk walked in at the beginning of my second shift, so I introduced myself and told him that I had heard he was the quiet one who didn't talk. I quickly followed that up with something like, "Well, that's not gonna fly with me. You're gonna have to talk." Yep, typical bossypants Kristin. I don't know if he realized what he was in for. As far as I was concerned, there was no way we weren't going to be friends. Lucky for me, he obliged and we spent a lot of time laughing and goofing around while we were supposed to be working.

After a few months, we started hanging out after work. We would often head back to my apartment after getting off work. Zakk would immediately pick up my acoustic guitar when he walked in and start "noodling", as he calls it. I always enjoyed hearing him play and my guitar had never seen so much action.

Although we were spending time together outside of work, we really were “just friends” for the better part of a year. Not that anyone believed us, but maybe that’s because they saw what we weren’t ready to admit yet…which is that we were falling in love with each other.

So how did we go from “just friends” to a boy and a girl openly in love? Well, not gracefully, that’s for sure. It was after one of those late nights at my apartment after work when I walked Zakk to the door to say goodnight. I remember thinking that he seemed a little uncomfortable, and that’s when it happened…the kiss and run. Although he had worked up the nerve to kiss me, he apparently didn’t have enough left over to stick around and find out what I thought of it! And let me tell you, this was no romantic, lingering kiss. It was so abrupt and he was gone so quickly that I wasn’t even sure what had just happened! I was laughing as I closed the door and sank slowly to the floor in giddy bewilderment.

It was a couple of days before we talked again and I was starting to get nervous about what that kiss may have done to our friendship. Then Zakk called to invite me to dinner. He still lived with his parents, but his family was going on vacation so it would be just us.

He cooked orange chicken for dinner and tried to make chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert. Although the chocolate didn’t harden or stick to the strawberries very well, I was really impressed at all the effort he put into the evening. After dinner, we sat close on the couch, watched “There’s Something About Mary”, and laughed until we cried. Then we kissed again. And this time it was sweet and romantic, and nobody ran away.

That was our first date...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Love and Fireworks

Today is our 11 year anniversary.

When Kristin asked Zakk if he had any ideas about how to celebrate our anniversary this year, he responded with, "We're getting married. Isn't that enough?" Of course, she said, "No."

So we started off the morning with brunch at the John Street Cafe and then we took a walk down to Cathedral Park, where Kristin took lots of pictures.
As we headed back towards the car, we happened upon a sign that led us to free beer at Occidental Brewing Co.
Of course, Zakk couldn't pass up an opportunity to check out a new brewery, so we went in and tasted their brews, a Kolsch and a Hefeweizen, both of which were pretty darn good.
Then we wandered through downtown St. John's (a nearby neighborhood here in Portland) and checked out an antique store, where we were surprised to find a swim cap wearing balloon making eyes at us.

All in all, a good day so far. Tonight we are planning to make a fire in our back patio fire pit and hang out with Zakk's sister (say "raclette", Emma!), who arrived last night and will be staying with us for a bit.

Interestingly, we have the same anniversary as our best friends Danielle & Alex Gillet. Happy anniversary guys! Hope you have had a lovely day together.

Why We Love Portland...

If you plan to spend some time in Portland when you come out for the wedding, there are loads of things to see and do. Here is a fun little video that shows some of the many reasons why we love Portland!



Of course, they don't depict us as having nearly the amount of rain that we actually experience.
But you are all coming to visit in the late summer, so you don't need to worry about rain anyway!

Check out the Travel Portland website for information on things to see & do, hotels & deals, transportation & maps, and much more.

You can also order a free copy of Travel Portland magazine to help you plan your trip or just to learn more about the town we have called home for the past 7 years.

Hazy Rain Tricks

What the heck is with your blog name? Where did you come up with that? I don't get it...

These are just a few of the comments we've gotten about "Hazy Rain Tricks". But this title has more meaning than you may realize.

Portland is often hazy rainy, which can definitely play tricks on your mind. Especially after several months of it. At least for Kristin. Zakk, on the other hand, is perfectly happy with gray, cloudy skies and rain. In fact, he says he prefers it to sunshine. Kristin thinks he is crazy. She needs sunshine. The more the better!

The other meaning behind "Hazy Rain Tricks" is more hidden. Zakk had the clever idea to try to make an anagram out of our names for the blog title. And while there were several bizarre options, like Cranky Zit Hairs and A Zany Rich Skirt, this one seemed quite perfect. After all, marrying Zachary and Kristin is what this is all about right?

Want to make your own anagram? Try this Anagram Maker and post your favorite results in the comments!


Photo courtesy of KATU Reporter Valerie Hurst.