Where to Stay
all the accomodations and transportation details

Registries
announce registries? is that done?
let us tell you why we've included this

What to Expect
and what NOT to Expect ...
a little about our plans

Our Symbology
claddaghs and fleur de lis and ankhs ...
oh my, what does it all mean?

Do you need to contact us?

You can email us at:
17feb@chaosangel.com or 17feb@heretek.net

Hotel Services & Amenities

We were going to include a list of local attractions and entertainment here on the site. However, the Hotel Concierge Desk and the The Hotel Website offer listings of nearby restaurants, area features and entertainments and a comprehensive guide to the local area - a much more complete listing then we would be able to compile - and we feel confident that we can recommend you to their information and guest services for such things. Basic toiletries and amenities are complimentary with your room

The Hilton Garden Inn Boston/Waltham is located in the center of Massachusetts' high technology and business corridor, at the heart of historic sites at Lexington and Concord and the educational centers of Brandeis, Bentley and Boston College.

Automated Teller (ATM), Baggage Storage, Elevators, Gift Shop, Laundry/Valet Service, Lounge, Luggage Hold, On-Site Convenience Store, Room Service, Safety Deposit Box, Business Center, Express Mail, Fax, Complimentary high-speed internet access in every guest room and secure remote printing to the 24-hour business center, Photo Copying Service, Printer, Complimentary fitness center, with whirlpool, Fitness Room, Pool, All the comforts of home - a fridge and microwave in your room and 24-hour Pavilion Pantry® convenience mart for last minute impulses, Babysitting Service, Children's Menu, and discounted Breakfast rates for our Guests.

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Stonehurst Estate
The Robert Treat Paine historic house

The Robert Treat Paine - Stonehurst Estate website:
http://www.stonehurstwaltham.org/

The Ceremony and Reception will both be held at the Stonehurst Estate on the evening of 17 February 2007.

Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and Frederick Law Olmsted, Stonehurst the Robert Treat Paine Estate, is the only museum devoted to these two pioneering figures in American architectural and landscape design history. At Stonehurst, these close friends and collaborators forged a uniquely American architecture by focusing on the intimate, almost seamless integration of the natural and man-made worlds. Richardson and Olmsted, like Winslow Homer, Emily Dickinson and Mark Twain, were among the great artists of the post-Civil War era who asserted cultural independence from Europe by cultivating an aesthetic deeply rooted in the American landscape. In 1883, Robert Treat Paine, Jr. and his wife Lydia Lyman Paine commissioned Richardson and Olmsted to design a great addition to their summer house in Waltham, Mass. The Paines were a socially minded family. Robert Treat Paine founded building and loan associations and institutes to improve the quality of life of the working class. Stonehurst embodied the ideals the Paine family held dear and to which they believed every American had a right: an abundance of healthy, clean air and a spiritually uplifting and restorative environment. The Paine family grounds appropriately became a public park in 1974, when descendants donated the 109-acre estate to the City of Waltham

Stonehurst · Robert Treat Paine Estate · 100 Robert Treat Paine Drive ·
Waltham, MA 02452 - Phone 781-314-3290 · Fax 781-894-8684 · info@stonehurstwaltham.org

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Traditional wedding etiquette books and advice say that announcing your registries isn't something one does, that one should wait until asked. However, in this day and age, one also has to respect that people have busy lives and complicated schedules. It isn't always easy or convenient to find the time to call or write in order to make the request.

More, we are both well aware of the reality of our families and friends being scattered across large distances and we do not wish anyone to feel pressured into finding a way to get in touch.

So, we've thrown out the traditional mores on this one and included our registries here for the simple convenience of those who might like to know.

And, of course, it should go without saying, your attendance and willingness to share this joyful and special day with us is all the we truly ask of any of our guests. Each of you who joins us in our celebration brings a gift beyond measure in your presence.

Our Registries

1. Bed, Bath and Beyond, Registry number # 2347893

2. Target Target Club Wedd Gift Registry # 010001229000158

Click on the names for online access

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What we really mean to say here is that there will be both traditional and non-traditional aspects to this wedding (depending on what you consider tradition to be). Because it is a secular wedding, it won't include the "traditional" rites from religious ceremonies, although it will have very spiritual aspects and echoes or aspects of religious practices that are allowable without the proper clergy of the respective faiths. Because it is a ceremony entirely of our own creation and writing, it may have some non-traditional aspects, or aspects you are not as familiar with.

This is why we have created the Symbols section of this page (below), a Traditions page, and the Vision section of this website.

The Symbols section will explain the theme of images we have used and why we've chosen them.

The Traditions page will discuss aspects of traditional wedding ceremonies we have and have not included today, and explain why, both in context of our personal preferences and their historical origins and meanings.

Lastly, we have created the Visions section to talk about the unique elements of the ceremony and our beliefs on marriage, as well as the details of what you will see in the actual ceremony itself.

As far as what not to expect, don't expect to hear the traditional wording of any one faith. We have spent months and months taking what is more important to us from the words of our individual beliefs and weaving them into a single cloth to create a ceremony that reflects both of us completely. We have also decided not to engage in some of the traditional wedding practices you may be familiar with. Please visit the Traditions and Visions sections to understand our decisions.

If you have any concerns or questions, please let us know and we will be more than happy to discuss it with you!

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SYMBOLS TRADITIONS VISIONS

There are four symbols that you will see echoed in our decor, in our invitations, in our program, and all around you this day. Those symbols are:

• The Fleur de Lis
• The Lotus Flower
• The Claddagh
• The Ankh

Let us share with you what these symbols represent to us and why we have chosen to use them to represent our union.

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The Fleur de Lis

The Fleur de Lis is for our joie de vivre - joy in life - and is our symbol to remind us to always appreciate the simple joys and beauties in everyday life.

The Lotus Flower

Lotus blossoms are sacred flowers that represent faith and love, peace and enlightenment. It is our symbol for lasting love and for faith and devotion towards each other.

The Claddagh

The story of the Claddagh is one of romance and old tradition, standing for the outstretched hands of friendship encircling and supporting the heart, which is crowned by compassion and wisdom. It is symbolic of the deep and abiding friendship and mutual support at the foundation of our relationship.

The Ankh

Ankhs are ancient Egyptian sigils that represented the sanctity of life and the hope of eternity. The ankh symbolizes our committment to a long life together.

If you find this interesting and would like to learn more about any particular symbol or wedding tradition, we've provided a page that discusses our chosen symbology in depth, giving historical and religious discussions about the Ankh, the Fleur de Lis, the Lotus Flower and the Claddagh. There is also more information about Irish symbols and customs. Please enjoy!

The In-Depth Symbols Page