We're back!

We are married! We are tan! We are home.

We promise much eye-candy later, but I wanted to post just one photo from our big day. I love this photo. It was taken (on film, mind you) by our good buddy Mike Worful. So many photos to share, but just this one for now. It was taken just after our first dance. I love it.

The Exact Spot

Bring a sweater.

No, SERIOUSLY. Maybe a heavy one. The last two nights here at the farm, the temperature has dipped into the low 40s. It has been unfailingly gorgeous during the day - 70 degrees, dry, sunny, blue skies - but once the sun goes down it does get a little nippy. And if there's a breeze you'll be all the more grateful to have something warm to snuggle into. Snuggle. It should be a little warmer by this weekend - highs in the 80s - but evenings will still be cool.

Directions from Hotel to the Farm

Ah, at last, the dreaded (by me) directions from the hotel to the farm. It's about a 20-mile trip, which is almost 30 minutes on these curvy roads. Just a suggestion, but you might want to use your odometer. If you're staying at the Best Western, there will be a map and written directions waiting for you in your room. And hopefully we'll have time to post some signs and balloons at key intersections so you can't miss it.


From the hotel:
Turn left out of parking lot. Go 0.6 miles.

At Chili’s, Turn left onto Highway 51 west.

Go 3.0 miles and, at the stoplight, keep straight onto the 51 SPUR.

Go 3.3 miles and turn left onto 82 North (it’s a “T” intersection).

Go 2.4 miles and make a sharp right turn onto 82A. This turn is badly marked, no stop sign, and it happens in the middle of a big curve.

Go 9 miles basically straight, and turn right onto E. 626 Road.
NOTES for this 9-mile leg:
• at 2.2 miles, keep RIGHT
• at 3.7 miles, pass Moody’s store on left
• at 6.6 miles, do NOT turn right, continue straight like we told you!
• at 7.2 miles you’ll go down a long, windey hill

After you turn onto E. 626 Road, go exactly 2 miles, and the driveway is on the left, sloping downhill.

Now, when it comes to the trip back to town at the end of the night after dancing and cocktails... good luck.

Big Day & Fish Fry Details

Ok, so here's the deal. The ceremony will take place at 5 PM, as planned. We went out in the pasture today around 5:30 and saw where the sun and shade were falling so we can best place the chuppah and the chairs to make sure no one has to endure harsh sunlight during the proceedings. Immediately following the ceremony, we'll take family photos and the cocktail hour will begin for everyone who isn't involved in the photo session. Dinner will be served around 6:45, and the rest of the evening will roll out on its own. We have some surprises planned. Watch out!

The next day, around 11 AM, the Fish Fry Creek Picnic (as we have chosen to name it) will begin. Bring yourselves and your appetite back to the farm - we'll supply everything else for a nice, relaxed, CASUAL afternoon in each others' company. Expect some fine fish courtesy of the infamous Delaney Erickson, tasty sides, beer, and (for the courageous) a swim in the creek. Feel free to bring your creek shoes and/or bathing suits if you want to go in (screaming).

If you have any questions, we are now at the farm: 918-868-2802. See you soon!

We have been sanctioned!

Today, as one of the many errands we ran in Tahlequah, we visited the nice lady in the court clerk's office and wrangled ourselves a marriage license! We are now allowed to get hitched at any time in the next ten days, after which we fill in the rest of the form with our officiant, turn it back in to the authorities, and walk away with our marriage certificate. Here's me with our license - check out the official seal:

We also dropped off my dress to be steamed, picked up our beautiful programs from our friend Lynn, got the car washed, and found some metallic pens to write in the guest book. Combined with lots of phone calls to vendors and helpful friends, we got a lot done today. See you in five days!

T-minus 10 Days!

I can't believe the wedding is happening in ten days. Furthermore, I can't believe that all this planning, organizing, and dreaming will materialize and then vanish all within an eight-hour period. I'm going to need a new hobby for the next year.

Anyway, because the wedding is ten days away we can all now start obsessively checking the 10-day forecast on weather.com. And right now, the last two days look like this:

Let's hope it stays this way!

Dance Lessons

Last night our friend Laura and her partner Matt came over and gave Jay and I a dance lesson so we don't resort to the generic sway or the less-generic side-by-side solo wiggle. Thank you Laura and Matt!

We're learning the two-step - it's an easy step with lots of variations and fun add-ons that aren't difficult to choreograph. We'll be practicing every night between now and the wedding, working on loosening up and keeping out from under each others' feet. Here's one of the moves we're working on:


We're going to put on quite a show...

Willow Branch Fish Farm in April

This is my mom's recently planted flower bed by the front gate. Just on the other side of the fence there is where the big tent will be for the reception, and waaaay in the back where the fence line meets the tree line in the upper right corner, is where the ceremony will be. Notice the excellent mowing - that grass is short! (It's usually about up to your waist.)

Pansies just off the front porch. Looks like Hilde hasn't had a chance to tromple and nap in them yet.

And on the slightly less bucolic but more exciting side, here's the creek below our house flooded by April storms. Mom assures me that the worst is over and the farm is quickly drying out. Better bring plenty of beer just to be on the safe side, though. In case we have to canoe out of there.

Recently

I am actually growling at Jay, even through it looks light I might be making some weird forced smile. Taken last night at an event in town, by our dear friend Geoff Story - who is also shooting our wedding. We *heart* you Geoff!

Well, maybe just one photo.

I love this photo by the never-not-interesting Michael Worful. A shot from inside the bachelor party "limo bus." This thing took us everywhere. Mm-hmm, yup, it took us there, too.

From left: S. Trouvere, J. Fram, M. Virag, A. Fram, D. Garfield, and S. Fram.

The Sass Parties

Our dear bawdy friends threw us the much-anticipated bachelor and bachlorette parties last night (separately, of course) and we are both still alive, dignity intact. I will not divulge details, but we both had nights to remember. No photos to post - we will keep our secrets, thanks.

May starts tomorrow.

Jay's wedding ring arrived today - I'm sure he'll want to write about it himself, but I just wanted to voice my opinion on the matter to tell you that it is exquisite. You might wonder what an exquisite men's ring might look like, but you'll see soon enough and you'll understand my adjectival choice. It's perfect!

The wedding is just over three weeks away. I can not believe it. This Saturday is my bachelorette party, then I have a week to finish my final semester papers and turn them in, and then I have one week at home to wrap everything up and hop into what will certainly be a tightly-packed wedding mobile, headed for Oklahoma. And between now and then, I will also celebrate Jay's brother's birthday, Mother's Day, my sister's (totally awesome) graduation from veterinary school, and my (maid o'honor) sister's birthday. Lots and lots of goodness happening in May.

Also, don't worry about Jay and I taking off for our honeymoon in Belize, which is immediately south of Mexico and all the current craziness. Swine flu ain't nothin' compared to our big love.

The farm after rain.

We're standing in the yard, looking out the gate and down the driveway toward the road. The reception tent will be just outside the gate and in the pasture to the right. This polaroid was taken the day after a hard rain. It looks sopping wet here, but actually the yard was gorgeous and lush; it was a beautiful partly cloudy day. Here's hoping we don't get a hard rain on May 23, 2009. Cheers!

Secret Password

I just called the Best Western in Tahlequah and released all the unreserved rooms that we had set aside for our wedding guests. But if you haven't yet staked your claim, I have learned that you have only to utter the secret password to receive the reduced rate: "Fram/Jones Wedding." Very sneaky. The only difference between today and yesterday is that all the rooms are now open for the general public to reserve, so they might get booked up.

In other words, don't dally.

See you there!

Last Day for Discount at Ye Olde Best Western

We have to release the rest of the reserved rooms at the Best Western tomorrow, so if you haven't booked your room yet... you should do it now! Give me a call or an email if they give you trouble. The rate they gave us is $65, and I really don't know how much of a discount that is (how much could a Tahlequah hotel room really be?), so maybe you could still get a decent rate after tomorrow. It is Memorial Day weekend, though, and a lot of people come to town to play on the Illinois River. Hotel contact info here.

The Best Man

A.L. Fram wears a black suit by Hugo Boss. Orange tie by Prada. Glasses by Georgio Armani. Suspenders by Dolce & Gabbana. The rakish good looks are not for sale.

Yet another accessory...

Not because it's all that warm, or because I necessarily need one, but I have sprung for this gorgeous shrug from couture designer Holly Stalder. I'm getting it in black lace to wear after the ceremony as the night progresses and I feel the need for a slight costume change. She's going to add a special rhinestone accent to it as a compliment to my headpiece and earrings. I think it will nicely echo Jay's dark suit/white shirt combo for photo purposes, aside from being undeniably sassy and fully featuring vintage goodness.

By the way, there's only about five weeks left until the big day. I am so ready.

Six Years On

This picture was taken on January 31, 2003, at 6:42 PM. We're in my old apartment on Russell Blvd., about to go out for our second, maybe third, date. Look at Jackie's expression: you can tell we don't know each other very well and we're not used to standing that close. I was still a photo assistant, not yet shooting fully on my own. Jackie was a development (fundraising) coordinator at Girls Inc., a non-profit in St. Louis. This feels like a loooooong time ago, career-wise and love-wise. And hair-wise.

Other things that spanned 6 years:
* World War II (1939-1945)
* Time between The Beatles' first trip to America and the release of Let It Be, basically their final studio album (1964 - 1970)
* The dot-com bubble (1995 - 2001)
* The marriage of cousin Steve and Lisa (late 2002 - present)
* And of course, the U.S. war in Iraq (2003 - and counting)
* What else? Leave us a comment.

Your cell phone won't work.

Not even if it looks like this. Yes, I know it's impressive, but still no. Once you get within about 5 miles of the fish farm, cell phone service will bid you adieu, completely, until you head back to town. I have never met anyone whose phone worked while they were out at the farm. So please, if you're new to the area, print out some of the handy directions from this blog, keep your map with you, and don't assume your iPhone will get you there. I know, I love mine too, but trust me on this one.

Lucky tip: There will be a highlighted local map waiting for you in your hotel room.