Pic-a-nic in the park!

If you are going to be in Hood River on Friday, please join us at Toll Bridge Park for a welcome picnic.

The park is just a 20-minute scenic drive up Highway 35 towards Mt. Hood. Bring your camera and plan for some time to stop at the fruit orchards along the way!

There is a playground for the kids, horseshoe pits for the adults, and we would really appreciate everyone bringing a dish and a beverage to share.

We do understand that most people will be traveling, so we want to point out that there is a lovely grocery store called Rosauers in Hood River, as well as several restaurants in the area that you could get take-out from for the picnic. Please don't go to too much trouble! We're sure it will turn out just fine if we all pitch in.  :)

Zakk and Kristin will provide hamburgers and hot dogs, as well as the plates, cups, silverware, napkins, and coolers full of ice for beverages. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions at all.

Also, please email or call to let us know if you are planning to attend. We look forward to seeing you!

Cheers,
Kristin & Zakk


THE IMPORTANT DETAILS:
Welcome Picnic at Toll Bridge County Park
Friday, September 9th at 5pm
Bring a dish and a beverage to share
RSVP by phone (503-473-4071) or email (kristin.pdx@gmail.com)

View Zakk & Kristin Tie The Knot in Hood River in a larger map

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

What's the weather going to be like?

It may be a little early to check the weather forecast for our wedding day, but here is what weather.com is predicting at the moment...

Delightful! We like that...

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.

What to Wear (and What Not to Wear)

Many people have asked about what the attire will be like at our wedding. So we pulled together some ideas of the dos and don'ts for your education and enjoyment.

You don't need to dress like you're going to the royal wedding (unless you want to). That's right, despite Zakk's English heritage, you are not required to wear hats to the wedding (again, unless you want to).

On the other hand, this is not the county fair. Please do not wear your cut-off jean shorts and tennis shoes or your...

In all seriousness, this is going to be an outdoor wedding and we want our guests to be comfortable. Please do consider something dressy casual and keep comfort in mind. Ladies, consider a low or no-heeled shoe to avoid sinking into the grass or having trouble walking.

We intend for the celebration to go on into the evening, so you should probably bring a sweater or something warmer to change into in case it gets chilly as night falls.

Here's a snapshot from weather.com of what the weather might be like on the day of our wedding:

Typical Weather for September 10 Here are average weather conditions for the day of your wedding:

Average High Temp:78°F Record High Temp:96°F (1944) Average Low Temp: 46°F       Record Low Temp: 37°F (1964)

Past Weather for September 10 Here's a look at past weather in your area for the past three years. Year Weather Hi/Lo (°F) Rain (in.) 2010 AM Clouds/PM Sun/Wind 73/53 0.00 2009 Partly Cloudy 90/54 0.00 2008 Partly Cloudy 83/50 0.00

Still not sure what to wear? Please feel free to post questions or comments on the blog or send us an email.

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.