One of the many things I am thankful for… November 23, 2007

Heuer. Actually, the #1 ‘thing’ I am thankful for.

Thanksgiving will always hold a special place in my heart as two years ago, at about this hour, Heuer got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. ———->

I am so very lucky to have him as my partner and I will make sure I tell him this, every day, not just on this special day.

I ❤ you baby.

Has it really been three weeks? August 2, 2007

Things have been a wee bit hectic since Chris and I got back from Mexico, so I just wanted to reach out quickly and give you a little update.

(1) Photos. We have over 1500, yes that is 1500, photos to STILL go through so this is going to take some time. We are having everyone who took photos to post them online and we will be making this a master photo album of the trip. Chris has started to put some of the better (i.e. edited) ones into an album for us, which is where I would check back regularly if you are interested in seeing the trip in a condensed, and edited, version.

(2) We do have a video of the ceremony itself and should have that posted to this site within the next week. There was a bit of wind blowing, so we need to see if we can bring that sound down a bit. I know, we are way too geeky for our own good.

(3) Thank you cards. We are working on them. Promise.

(4) Reception in SF. We are still hoping to do something in October/November – just depends on how many projects I can line up for Chris between now and then.

(5) I am going by Mrs. Kristie WELLS, not HEUER. I am a 39 year-old woman who has built a reputation I actually way to keep.  I think I earned it.  🙂

(6) And for the record, my hair wasn’t really *that* big for the wedding. The wind is blowing at my back and making me look like a lion in this photo. Honest. Which I should also take this opportunity to throw a shout out to the wonderful kdon who rocked my makeup and hair for the wedding. Love you woman.

Ok, more to follow soon.

Meet the Men, Groomsmen that is… June 24, 2007

So Kristie has been on me to write this post for a few months now – since it is less then a week till we leave for our walk down the aisle, I figured I have waited long enough to tell you about the guys who will be accompanying me. Meet Scott Becker, Greg Marcellino and Coleman Hutchins – all good friends from college who are still friends with me after all these years, despite suffering through most of those 4 years of drunken madness at American University.

My best man (on left) is Scott Becker, all-star golfer, guitar player, entrepreneur, comedian and lover of the Jagermesiter. We have known each other since his first month at AU, which was during a particularly blurry time for me in my sophmore year. Scott was hanging out with some friend’s from Zeta Beta Tau in their dorm room, a pledge at the time. Since I was unusually hungry and atypically broke, the ZBT’s told me I should follow Scott to the vending machine and I should take anything I wanted under their authority. I took the Ding-Dong’s and we have been close friends ever since. Though we now live on opposite sides of the country (he is in North Miami), we are very fortunate in that we get to see each other and hang out at least 4 or more times each year. Over the past few years he learned to play the guitar and now performs about once or twice a month at various venues in South Florida. His company, Trust Event Solutions offers a golf event management software that is in use by many of the PGA Tour Pro-Am and Charity events. He recently navigated a very difficult time with his business as a result of some incompetent developers I sadly recommended, and I could not be more proud of his hard work, dedication and success. What a great guy to have as a friend and to serve as my best man.

Greg Marcellino (aka Zez, in middle) was my big brother in Phi Sigma Kappa. Oddly enough we did not really hang out a lot while I was pledging but afterwards we spent a lot of time together, especially in his Chevy Chase apartment. There are so many funny stories to tell about Zez, I hardly know where to begin. If podcasting and videocasting were available to us back in college, we would probably be in the entertainment industry by now – we were truly funnier than most anything you see on tv these days. His folks took me in and made me a part of the family when I lived in DC during school and especially when I lived there in the late 90’s – I even bought his dad’s yellow Cadillac Fleetwood for my pimp mobile! Their wedding was down in Puerto Rico and it was spectacular – he is one lucky guy to have Ivette for his wife and partner. When Kristie and I went to DC early last year, we had a chance to really get to know each other very well, especially nephew Ryan. I am so happy he and his wife are coming to the Wedding – it’s going to be a real treat to get to hang out with them again – I only wish we had more opportunities to do so.

Coleman Hutchins (right in photo) is also a member of my fraternity, though he joined in my Senior year, so we did not get to hang out too much, but what I do remember from back then is how much I liked this guy – smart, fun and laid back – a good combination all around. He reached out to me when I was working for the US Mint after seeing my name on a memo (his firm, Fleishman Hillard, was doing the PR for the Mint at the time). We have been good solid friends ever since. When he left FH for a while to strike it out on his own, I had the good fortune to bring him in to work with me on my Palm contract, putting him up in my house for a short while. That was an awesome time to have a great friend around as we got to go to tons of concerts, ball games and even golf in Colorado. In late 2005 , having returned to work with FH, Coleman invited me in to work with him and the DC office on some social media projects. During 2006, the work I was doing with him and his very sharp team in DC was my primary source of income – while I don’t work with FH any longer, we are still great friends and talk regularly about what is happening in the industry and our lives. Most importantly, Coleman is someone I respect and can have fun with – definitely in the friends for life category. I am really honored that he is taking the time off from work to come join us and be one of my groomsmen.

So, I could go on and on, and probably should, but I have to get to other work now. If you are coming to the wedding you are going to have a great time hanging out with these guys – I can hardly wait to see them all on the golf course together…

The hidden costs of a destination wedding…

I have planned a few events in my lifetime and thought I was pretty darn good at budgeting needs and associated costs by now. I thought this, that is, until I started doing the checklist of all the things we need to do before we head to Mexico, and suddenly realized how many little ‘big’ things I forgot to factor in…

• Cat sitter – $350
• Home alarm system – $450+monthly expense (so let’s just call it $930 for one year)
• Cables and other tech stuff – $250
• Suitcases/bags – $150
• Personal trainer – $1,600 (which hindsight tells me, we should have put in more than 1-2 days per week in the gym as it really made no difference – but that is our fault, not the trainers)

And I guess while I am at it, I should add in the ‘play clothes’ we have purchased as we both needed some ‘beach attire’.

In the blink of an eye, I just added $3,700 to the cost of the wedding. Crazy.

Now, some of these things aren’t really wedding expenses, meaning we should have done them anyway (alarm system, trainer), and I know in the long run, this will seem like peanuts as the destination wedding is still about 1/3 of the cost of what it would have been if we got married in San Francisco, but it never ceases to amaze me all the little ‘gotchas’ that pop up.

So just a word of advice to anyone else thinking of a destination wedding, well this applies to any type of wedding I guess, just be sure to have an extra credit card (or two) laying around for all the things that may come up during the planning process. You will be thankful you have that cushion.

Photo credit: Refracted Moments

Whitening our Choppers

Since neither of us lost the 30 pounds we would have liked to before the ‘big day’, we are now doing everything else we can to take the focus off our plump bodies.

First stop – BriteSmile.

They promise an hour and a half of your life for a whiter, healthier looking smile. So of course, I signed up us. If you have beautiful pearly whites beaming in the Mexican sunshine, no one is going to be looking at your double chin, right?

Chris and I head down to their Union Square ‘lab’, don some funky orange glasses, settle into a really comfortable high-tech looking chair, turn on Battlestar Gallactica, slather on some bleaching gel, and chill out for a while. Note: more photos are available on Flickr.

It’s a pretty simple process really, done in three 20-minute sessions. Apply gel. Apply light. Apply gel. Apply light. Apply gel. Apply light. Rinse. Smile widely at everyone you pass on the street.

The only thing I didn’t like about the process was the requirement to eat nothing but white foods for 24 hours afterwards to ensure your teeth have time to ‘recover’ (they dehydrate the teeth to get the whitening gel inside, so anything you eat within the first 24 hours could badly stain your choppers). As we were walking through Safeway, I quickly realized how much I enjoy food with color. Steak. Spinach. Red wine. But it was only for 24 hours so we managed to find a way to suck it up and be good. Oh the sacrifices we have to make to be beautiful. :()

We are now a couple of days later and I am not sure I see a real big difference, but my teeth feel whiter (if that makes sense).   I do find myself smiling a bit more than I did before so I guess it made sense to spend the money…

Now remember -no looking at my bingo wings…focus on my teeth.

What I do for love…. the pre-wedding back wax. ouch! June 22, 2007

So Kristie really wanted me to get my back waxed for our weeklong destination wedding in Mexico. I have done it for her before, so I reluctantly obliged, but this time, I set up my Canon HD Video Camera so everyone could see what it was like…

Now, the thing is, it is really not so bad – over in under 20 minutes really, but it does hurt like crazy bad. Some parts of my screaming is really NSFW – other parts of my screaming are very much like a little girl. It is very funny though I need to make a short version of this but don’t have time…

PS – The kind woman who did this for me is a real pro and very good. The salon was a bit worried about being mentioned in this, so I won’t give the name or her name here, but I do reccomend them highly, so if you are looking for someone good to do it, let me know and I will put you in touch with them.

Canada’s finest export: Our photographer June 14, 2007

I am so very excited that Kris Krug has agreed to photograph the Wells:Heuer festivities.

Kris has an amazing eye with a true gift of capturing the energy of his subjects. I understand he is also very good at Photoshop, so I working with him to make sure I am airbrushed down a bit to a size 2 if possible. I know, I know. He is a photographer – not a magician. 🙂

Seriously, we are so very lucky to have him there with us not simply as our photographer, but as our friend.  Thanks buddy.

The beauty of modern technology June 2, 2007

So as the big day edges closer, Chris and I have been trying to figure out a way to include those of you not able to join us physically on the beach in Mexico.

I think we found the solution. Enter uStreamTV. We have been playing with the technology here in San Francisco, and are working on getting connectivity while South of the Border so we can video the festivities. If we can make that happen, we will be streaming live, which means you can be there, watching the very moment we officially strap on the old ball and chain and I turn over my crown as I will no longer be the Queen of the Spinsters Club.

So, watch this site…if we can get it working we will announce it here.

We are also doing some ‘old fashioned’ things and will be videotaping the ceremony and taking photos as well. All of it will be posted once we are back, so you will have a few options to follow along. That is, if you so desire.

The proposal November 24, 2006

 

November 24, 2005. Negril, Jamaica.

——————————————————

I will give this to Chris. The boy can keep a secret.

The details:

We were in Jamaica for Chris and Jenn’s wedding – enjoying a week long vacation at Couples Swept Away filled with amazing food, sunshine and fun times with some of our dearest friends.

The trip fell over the Thanksgiving holiday, and that Thursday night the entire group (all 26 of us) found ourselves at The Palms chowing on fish, duck and fried plantains – watching the transformation of the restaurant into a disco right before our very eyes. As the lights dimmed, and the rum punch flowed – we were ready to get our groove on.

And groove we did.

Half way through the night someone started one of those ‘dance circles’. You know the kind. You form a circle on the dance floor and watch as one or two people go in the middle and dance like they have never danced before. The circle this evening was pretty big and consisted of most of our party, plus another 50-60 or so of the hotel guests who seemed to find our group fairly entertaining.

Though he was standing next to me not but a minute ago, I realize Chris is now across the circle from me, smiling like a Cheshire cat and signaling for me to meet him in the middle. ‘Oh no’, I say with my creative hand signals as though I am not shy about embarassing myself in public, the music they were playing at the time was simply not moving my feet enough to get down. Then Hot, Hot, Hot came on. Not normally a favorite dance song for me, but inside clicked. So I look across the floor at my consort, his hips shaking and his hands gesturing for me to join him, so into the middle I went.

Next thing I know, I am being swirled around so hard that I ended up back in the crowds. Dizzy, laughing, wanting to get back in there with him – I turn around only to find him down on one knee, smiling even wider than before as he holds a ring in the air.

Then come the words I never expected to hear…

‘Will you marry me?’

Holy crap. Confused, buzzed, electrified, and thinking it all a joke (some history here, I had tried to propose to him the night before – sort of as part of a dare)…I walk up, punch him in the shoulder (hard) and say lovingly…’what the %&*# are you doing?’

Then I looked down and realized it is not just ANY ring, it is his grandmother’s ring. The one she wore proudly for 53 years before she passed on. The love of his grandfather’s life. A woman Chris thought/still thinks the world of. And he is presenting her ring to me. Shit. This is for real.

Realizing I needed to act quickly (and nicely)…I hold his face in my hands and while kissing, laughing, and then hugging – I said ‘yes’.

Then of course all hell breakes loose. Hugging him. Hugging friends. Kissing him. Kissing friends. Champagne corks popping. People toasting. Everybody in that room celebrating our love (and the cojones of my boy).

Now, mind you, no one there knew he was going to propose. Thankfully, some of our friends were quick to react with their cameras so some of the moments are available to share with you. Wow. Chris English even got a great shot of THE exact moment. Thank you CE, I will be in debt to you forever.

The night was truly amazing. The moment itself. Having our friends there. Getting photos too. Makes me smile thinking back to it still.

The wierd part too is the song it all happened to. Not one of my favorites (or wasn’t before anyway), but something made it all happen then – to Hot, Hot, Hot. And when I did a little research and read the actual lyrics, I realized it really was meant to be. That place. That night. That song.

As Buster Poindexter so eloquently says:

Me mind on fire, me soul on fire
Feelin’ hot hot hot
Party people, all around me
Feelin’ hot hot hot

Oh what to do, on a night like this
Music’s sweet, I can’t resist
We need, a party song
A fun, Jamaican jam

So we can boom boom boom boom
Yeah arroom boom boom boom

See people rockin’ yeah people chantin’
Feelin’ hot hot hot
Keep up the spirit come on let’s do it
Feelin’ hot hot hot

It’s in the air, celebration time
Music’s sweet, captivate your mind
We have, this party song
This fun, Jamaican jam
So we can boom boom boom boom
Yeah arroom boom boom boom

Feelin’ hot hot hot
Feelin’ hot hot hot

Looking at those words – several pop out at me which I highlighted as they really hit home and capture that night. Chris and I have been on this incredible journey, and as I think about the 50+ years we have ahead of us, I can’t believe how lucky I am to have him in my life. And of course, how lucky he is too. Don’t get me wrong…he is an amazing man, but I am not bad either.

Oh. And happy one year ‘engagement’ baby.

‘Match’ made in heaven…well, online at least. October 28, 2006

Yep. Chris and I are Match.com kids. And it all started with a wink. A simple feature in Match.com that allowed Chris to signal he liked my profile, giving me the opportunity to wink back or simply ignore it. I remembering reading his profile and wanting to pick up the phone immediately. The words he chose to explain who he is and what he hoped for in life were exquisite, and his goals seemed completely in line with mine. Ok, it didn’t hurt he was easy on the eyes too. So, I winked back.

I think there was one or two emails between us that same day and then a phone call next. We chatted for an hour, and then decided to go to dinner (sushi) at a little hole in the wall in Pacifica (where he lived). I can’t explain it, but deep down I must have known Chris was ‘the one’ as I did something I had not ever done before on a first date. I brought him a gift. It wasn’t anything expensive, but I wanted to set myself apart from the other girls. So I gave him a Magic 8 Ball. Why a Magic 8 Ball you ask? I don’t know. I was looking for something goofy. Something I bet no one else would ever bring him. I also had one when I was little and remember the fun my friends and I had asking the 8 ball a question and seeing what answer it gives you. So I thought, why not? And you what? It worked. To this day, he still teases me about that gift – but he is still the proud owner of it! 😉

So back to our first date. Sushi dinner. Pacifica. After two hours conversing over sake and California rolls, we realized we weren’t quite ready to end the date and decided, on a whim, to go see a movie (Lost in Translation). Now, this is not the normal thing to do on a first date as movies tend to inhibit conversation. But it felt right. And it was cool to be able to sit in the dark with him by my side and not feel like we had to talk. Wierd, but I think our subconcious was telling us we had years ahead of us to chat. So anyway, five hours after I presented Chris with the Magic 8 ball, I said goodnight. That was October 1, 2003.

We both had trips to New York planned (separate weeks) and several other commitments (dates) we had to keep before we could meet up, so it was a month before we saw each other again. My birthday had just passed, so Chris offered to take me out to celebrate so we headed over to Jesters for dinner and then ended up at Jillians for a little game of pool (which he preceeded to kick my ass in). Though I tried to fight it, by the end of that second date I was smitten. Take me out of the dating pool, I no longer wish to swim. Now, I will admit it took my boy a while longer to realize he was meant to be with me (I think he held out until on our 5th or 6th date), and it happened when it did as a friend was pointing out how amazing I was (thanks Livio!). But that is neither here nor there. It was fairly quick for both of us.

Within four months, we were talking about living together and by our six month anniversary, I had sold my condo and moved into his beach house in Pacifica. Two months later we found ourselves packing again and moving into the San Francisco flat we now call home. A whirlwind of activity in a short amount of time, but all steps we were taking to build a life together.

Two years living ‘in sin’ (as my mom likes to say) leads into our engagement, but I will save that for another post as this is already longer than I expected. I just wanted to provide you with a little background of how we came to be.  There is a lot to tell in the story of Chris and Kristie, so buckle in and (hopefully) enjoy this ride of ours.