Sunday Brunch

Oh Sunday! 

I am sure we could all use some hair of the dog. If you are still in town Sunday morning, we would love to invite you to brunch at my parent's "club" on the lake. Club here is used loosely to describe an establishment with a large open room and a lovely patio overlooking lake Springfield. 

Let us buy you breakfast! Join us for eggs, biscuits and gravy, a mimosa, a homebrew breakfast stout and some final hugs and goodbyes from the bride and groom. 

Sleep in, things don't get started until 10am. 

Lake Press Club
13 Club Area 
Springfield, IL 62712

click here for a map and directions

Hotel Check Ins and Shuttles

Hi lovely wedding guests! 

It is only 3 weeks away and Quincy (or should I say Qunicy?) and I are getting really excited! We are finalizing all of our plans and making the last minute arrangements, and understand that you are probably doing the same thing with your travel plans! 

We wanted to pass on the following little hiccups we have discovered help you fix them if you run into them too! 

The official check in time at the Drury Inn and Suites is not until 3:00pm on Saturday. The same time we are kicking off festivities! If you were hoping to check in early and get all dolled up at the hotel, this may put you in a bit of a bind. Not to worry! I talked with the lovely concierge at the hotel and he assured me early check in times are available. They are not fully booked on Friday night, and if you call ahead Friday or even Saturday morning on your drive down, you should be able to get an early check in! 

Their number is 217-529-3900

Then we thought, what if everyone one wants to be there at exactly the same time?! As we are having shuttles to the farm, we will have sign in sheets for guests at the front desk to pick their departure time  from the hotel. That way, you will know exactly when your ride will arrive and when to be ready. (thanks for the idea Jessica Record! Queen of organization). If you are staying at another, different hotel in the area, you should still be able to sign up for a shuttle at the Drury. 

We cannot wait to see you there and celebrate with you! 

Maps and Directions

Hi Friends, 

Google Maps does not like the address of the Schnirring Farm we have included on our invitation. In fact, it debates whether the farm exists in Springfield, Glenarm, and Chatham. We have simply concluded, it must exist in all 3 places at once. Regardless, it will still show me directions. Below is the link with driving directions from the Drury Inn and Suites on Dirksen drive to the farm. 

If you are headed south on highway 55, it is exit 88 towards Chatham and then a jaunt along the access road of the interstate until you take a left Poney Shoe Lane heading west. Such amazing road naming in central Illinois. Poney Shoe turns into Pulliam, and then a right onto Old Indian Trail. The farm will be on your left. 

If you are not planning on driving, there will also be a shuttle leaving from the hotel every 30 minutes or so to take travelers to and from the venue. We will try to have some sort of sign in page at the front desk with times so you can easily plan your departure. 

Happy Travels!

Map to Schnirring Farm from Drury Inn and Suites

RSVPs

Invites are officially in the mail! 

To save time and cost, we are doing a simple online RSPV. We set up a new email address for the wedding: 

Millerjohnwedding@gmail.com 

Let us know if you will be there in body (wooo!) or in spirit (alas), who and how many will be in your party, and any questions that you might have. 

We can't wait to see all of you very very soon! 

Menu

Tacos! 

The Texan in us just couldn't resist! When else in our lives are we going to have a chance to have an all you can eat taco buffet but our wedding? Sharing them with you will almost be as much fun as trying and eating every known option to make the menu decisions. 

We will be serving: 

Pork Tamales 
Rice 
Beans 
Fajita Veggies 
Hard and Soft, Corn and Flour: 
- Carnitas 
- Spicy shredded chicken 
- Shredded steak 
- Shrimp 

With all the fixings and chips and salsa with queso blanco on the side. Meat eaters and vegetarians alike should find something absolutely delicious. 

Dinner is served at 6, directly after the ceremony, and directly before dance offs. 

For dessert we are ordering cupcakes from the Chicago institution of Sweet Mandy B's. For a sneak peek check out their website below! Happy eating! 

http://www.sweetmandybs.com/

Hotels and Location Update

Accommodations and Locations update! 

Specific Address of the farm is: 

Shnirring Farm 
9951 Old Indian Trail 
Chatham, IL 62629

In our previous post we suggested the Drury Inn on Dirksen drive in Springfield for accommodations. Nice big rooms with couches and common space, a large lounge and bar area to spend time with others outside of rooms, and a pool. It is also easy access to my parent's house for rehearsal and night before festivities and to the venue on Saturday. My parents have booked a block of rooms there and we are planning transportation to and from the Drury at a couple different times on Saturday evening for those people who do not want to drive to the wedding. 

However, we also know that lots of you may very well be bargain hunters, and are looking for the best possible rate! That being said, we would like to recommend any of the hotels located there on Dirksen drive. That way you can still bank on the trolley to and from the venue, have easy access, but perhaps find a better deal. 

Or, if you are planning on driving to the venue and do not need transportation help because you are forgoing liquid encouragement... the Baymont Inn on Interstate 55 is very close to the farm and might be a little bit cheaper. It is also located right next to a Cracker Barrel for Sunday brunch! 

Links to several of the hotels are located below: 

Baymont Inn

Hotels on Dirksen Drive Springfield

Attire

Let's start with some facts. 

1. We are getting married on October 12th. I have done some research: In 2008, the high was 82 degrees. In 2009, it was 52. In 2011, it was 88, and last year it was 62. Crazy. 
2. We are getting married outside in a tent with removable sides and heaters 
3. But, we still have lovely indoor bathrooms on the property and a covered bar 
4. There will be wicked games of badminton, croquet, bocce ball, and possibly a potato sack race. 
5. We would love you to stay as long as you like, even if it means changing out of your awesome dresses and suits and into jeans when it gets dark. 

Quincy has dreams of a Gatsby-esc suit and vest, am me, I am wearing a long white dress, but YOU? You on the other hand have endless possibilities. I have, in recent years, used several of your weddings as excuses to add fabulous dresses to my collection and highly encourage you to do the same, but maybe a fabulous jacket or sweater to match? It is in a field, so high heels may be discouraged... so wedges? flats? cowboy boots? And plan B outfit for when you accidentally fall in the pond and need to change before you get on the trolley back to the hotel.

Think picnic or garden party, but more than anything think something comfortable so you can have fun.

** An added note on shoes! Quincy and I recently attended our friend Jessica's beautiful wedding in Long Island at a golf course overlooking the ocean. I, smartly, decided to wear by 3 inch tall black suede heals, not realizing just how much of the event would be taking place outside. I looked awesome, but the golf course received and unscheduled aerating as I noticeably sank inches into the ground with every step.  Our entire wedding will be happening out of doors. I would suggest flats, boots, and wedges!  

Long Distance Travelers!

Greetings out of towner friends! I am aware that a home town wedding may not be the friendliest location for flying, so we wanted to make some suggestions and offer some help to make sure nobody felt restricted by travel. 

The easiest, cheapest, and closest airport to get to Springfield is actually St. Louis, not Chicago. Only 90 minutes from my parents' house, it has a southwest terminal and quite a few direct flights. 

If you are flying in on Friday October 11th, Quincy/my brother Sam is planning provide "trolley service" ie, rental van from St. Louis to Springfield to give everyone a lift up. I know if may take some coordination of travel times, but aiming to arrive around lunch time or early afternoon would be ideal. Let us know what your ticket options look like and we can help you figure something out! 

We will also be working out the best option for transport back to St. Louis Sunday. We are hoping to host breakfast, but we understand everyone has busy lives, and perhaps not Columbus Day off, but you are still welcome. 

Speaking of welcome! As we are having anything but a "conventional" ceremony... there isn't too much of a purpose for a rehearsal dinner Friday night. Regardless, we want to see as much of our out of town friends as possible while you are here. My parents have offered to host everyone to their parents house for beer, bbq, and fun Friday night. No speeches, minimal jokes about the binding ties of matrimony, just a bonfire, homebrew, and time together in more comfortable clothing (at least for me... not that my wedding dress isn't AWESOME)

It's a card? It's a ticket? It's a Coaster!

Yay! Save the Dates are finally in the mail! Not only will these awesome coasters help you save the date for our big day, but they will also save your table tops! We wanted something fun and tried to include a couple in each envelope... because you never need just one coaster. 

It is starting to seem so close and exciting! Enjoy!!! 
 

 See?! Functional! Thanks Sam for sharing! 

Location and Hotels

         We are getting married at the Schnirring family farm near Chatham, Illinois. Bill (Willie as I have always heard him called) is a childhood friend of my grandfather and his lovely wife was a close personal friend of my grandmother Martha. They played bridge together once a week, every week for more years than I have been alive.

It is really 1 big shindig, party in the tent, wedding in the tent, games and fun in the field surrounding and hopefully nobody falls in the pond. (My money is on Derek.)

 It is a little bit of a hike from the hotel, so we will be ordering trolleys from the hotel for those who are concerned about making the drive after a day and evening of festivities, but there is plenty of parking too.

We have secured a block of rooms at the Drury Inn and Suites, information below. It is a central location from my parent's house, the farm, downtown Springfield, and my parents' "club" on the lake where the prewedding party Friday night will be held. Since we are not having a ceremony per say, the traditional night before rehearsal dinner has been scratched for another opportunity to spend time with our out of town friends.

It is quite possible we have not reserved enough rooms, but can easily add more to the block if necessary. Let us know if you have any issues with your booking and we can help you take care of it! 

https://wwws.druryhotels.com/Reservations.aspx?groupno=2181987

 3180 S Dirksen Pkwy Springfield, IL 62703               

(217) 529-3900

Reservations under the Pettyjohn/Miller Wedding

Hats?

Many of you who have known me for years (and Quincy too!) may be wondering to yourself... was she really serious when she said I should wear a hat to her wedding? Or was is just some sort of ruse? Well, please let me assure you that I was COMPLETELY serious and if you were not fortunate enough to get to go here.... 

You should now use my nuptials as a terrific excuse to purchase something like this: 

 Or perhaps something even more flamboyant?

 Or something more classic?

 Or something more manly? 

 

Quincy and I will be wearing hats to better pose with our croquet mallets, crystal whiskey tumblers, badminton birdies, and oh, friends. Please see links below to some of our highly suggested haberdashers and milliners. Or just google the derby for more inspiration. You would be amazed at the amount of retailer on etsy who want to make your head adornment dreams come true. Happy shopping! 

Goorin Brothers Hats
Brooks Brothers
Anthro 

Registry

Registering for gifts is awesome. It is like shopping with an unlimited budget. I actually felt guilty afterwards like I had just purchased tons of things I shouldn't have, like when I get my bonus paycheck in June... but then remembered what Nicole Cooley told me. If you don't register for lots of things you want, you just get a whole bunch of chip and dip bowl sets. I think she has at least 3. Quincy and I registered at: 

Sur La Table

Williams Sonoma

REI 

So far, these are my favorite items on the list:

 

You will not be surprised that a majority of the stuff is for our kitchen. You set Quincy and I out in Sur La Table and tell us to ask for whatever we want it's like kids in a candy store. Nobody NEEDS that many different baking variety pans, but they are so pretty and have so much potential! I think Quincy may have gotten a little carried away with the collapsible salad spinner and the carrot spiral cutter... but I definitely need those mini cupcake and tart pans. 

More than anything though, we would love to have you THERE. My we signed the contract for our tent, tables, chairs, twinkle lights, and dance floor in March and my family is eager to welcome you to my home town. We are so excited to have so many people we love in the same place at once. xoxox

Save the Dates

This weekend, Quincy and I finally got down to making our save the dates. Quincy has been experimenting with screen printing in the past year and was convinced it would be an awesome DIY project. It all seemed to be working so well in the intital stages, but about 30 coasters into printing and only 1 we could use, I went online and submitted his awesome design to a print company. Expect them in the mail soon, but until then....

Our date is October 12th, 2013. We can't wait to see you there!