Sari and Dylan

We had an amazing honeymoon in South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia. We took over 4,500 photos (and lots of HD video).

This is just a sample, keep returning to see more!

We took small planes like this from camp to camp. Each ride was 20 to 40 minutes, and low enough that we could see animals right out of the windows. Sari dreaded these small planes in the begining but by the end we both absolutely loved them.

The first thing we did when we got to our first safari camp was a helicopter tour of the delta. We took almost 600 photos on that ride alone! Stay tuned for some of the highlights. 

Here's an example of what we could see from the helicopter.

Us with our guide, Moses. I'm trying to show how close we were to the animals, but it was early in the morning and the buffalo were being camera shy.

Is there a better way to get around?

This photo was taken from our camp in Savute. The elephants were there from tea time till late at night and were amazing to listen to. I have videos to share soon.

For some reason I thought zebra sightings would be rare. We saw lots of zebs.

Our accomodations were amazing, especially for being in the middle of the bush. We had power (except when sleeping), running water, AC, heat, indoor and outdoor showers. It was like a 5-star hotel.

Yes we saw lions! And we took over 1,000 photos of them. They love being photographed. Just don't stand up or make any sudden moves.

Sari has never been so nervous!

As the sun sets each evening they always had our favorite drinks cold and ready for us, even when were were in the middle of a game drive. Just make sure there's no large animals nearby!

Sunset boat ride at Eagle River Camp.

Another sunset boat ride. You can't see in this photo but there are hippos all around us.

As I said this is just a sample of our photos. We'll be posting a lot more in the coming days! Also look out for our videos!

Sari & Dylan: Past and Present from Dylan Greene on Vimeo.

I can't believe the wedding is just 4 days away!  And many of you are going to be starting to come into town over the next couple of days.  We are just so excited to see everyone!!!  Here is a full schedule of the weekends activities.  We have indicated which activities are open to everyone.  We are so looking forward to a weekend full of fun with you all!!!!

 
Friday, May 22, 2009

5:00-8 pm     Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
                      All are welcome!
                      National Mall at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW
                      Look around the big fountain to find us
                      Drinks (Sangria, Beer, Wine, Soda) & light food are available for purchase 
                      in the Pavillion Cafe.

9 pm           Zengo for a late dinner
                   All are welcome!-- We would love for friends and family to get  tables
                   near us.  If you are interested, just call for a reservation at (202) 393-
                   2929 and ask for a table near the "Parnes" party.
                   781 7th Street NW
             

Saturday, May 23, 2009


2 pm          Walking Tour of the Monuments
                   All are welcome!
                   Meet at the corner of 15th & Constitution and look for the guide in the 
                   baby blue t-shirt
                   Go to www.dcbyfoot.com for more information

OR (in case of rain)

3:15           Portrait Gallery Museum tour (** Sari & Dylan will only be doing this  
                  activity in case of rain but feel free to enjoy it without us even if it's 
                  sunny**)
                  Meet in the lobby of the Portrait Gallery by Customer Service

5 pm           Wine reception in Hotel Monaco Lobby
                   Complimentary wine reception offered by Hotel Monaco for hotel guests.  
                   We will be there from about 5:00—6:00 PM

6:30 pm      Rehearsal Dinner
                   For out of town family (RSVP required)
                   District ChopHouse
                   509 7th Street NW

8:30-- . .    Casual meet up at the bar in Hotel Monaco (Poste)
                   All are welcome!
                   700 F Street NW


Sunday, May 24, 2009

5:45 pm       Shuttle to pick up wedding guests at The Hotel Monaco to bring them to Union Station    
                  
6:00pm       Guests to begin arriving at Union Station's Columbus Club for ceremony starting promptly at 6:30 PM

12 am          Shuttle to return from Union Station to Hotel Monaco     

     

Monday, May 25, 2009

9:30- 11:30 am       Brunch at Clydes Gallery Place
                               For out of town guests (RSVP required)
                               707 7th Street NW

The official schedule for Jazz in the Sculpture Garden has been announced.  The first night will be the Friday before the wedding so (weather permitting) we'll plan to have a casual meet-up there.  The program runs from 5- 8:30 PM.  I'm guessing we'll be there around 5:30 PM and stay till about 7 PM.  There is a small selection of food and drinks to buy at the cafe if anyone wants to eat dinner there.  They sell Sangria just on Friday nights for the Jazz concert.

The Sculpture Garden is located at 7th and Constitution Avenues across from the West entrance of the National Gallery.  We'll most likely be sitting somewhere around the fountain. 

All are welcome to join us-- both those who live locally and those traveling to DC.  It will be our first official wedding weekend activity! ( :   

Here's a map to help you get to the event:

 

From our photographer, Eli Turner:

Cherry Blossom time in DC can be quite hectic due to the unpredictable spring weather and the thousands of people who descend upon the mall to take in the beauty. This can make shooting an engagement session down along the banks of the tidal basin pretty tricky. After some hairbrained minor moving violations and sketchy parking spaces I finally got the chance to meet and photograph the lovely Sari and Dylan. We really lucked out that there weren’t too many people in the spots we chose and the weather conditions couldn’t have been more ideal. In my opinion overcast skies are far more preferable to bright sun. It’s true that you get a crisp, rich blue sky on a clear day but the soft quality of light on a overcast day is more flattering to people’s skin and on the backgrounds elements as well. This allowed the cherry blossoms to pop and not be washed out by the sun and there was beautiful light on their faces in every direction we turned.

 

Eli’s Blog: http://www.eliturner.com/blog/

Follow Eli on twitter: http://twitter.com/eliturner

Sari and I have less than two months until our wedding. Last week we had the tasting which was like being a judge on Top Chef. I'd love to describe what we tried and post photos of the food, table, and flowers, but that would spoil all of the surprises!

I’m sure you know about the Smithsonian, the free museums in DC, but you may not realize how many museums there are.

If you are staying at Hotel Monaco then you’ll be staying right across the street from one of our favorites – the Reynolds Center: American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery. In the map above it’s in the top center. It’s open from 11:30am to 7:00pm, and has free wifi in the courtyard. (Most DC museums close at 5pm and scoff at free wifi.) Make sure you see the miniature museum on the second floor, and the map of the US on the top floor.

Traveling between the museums: We enjoy walking and would walk to all of them, but when it’s too hot we prefer the Metro. The way it works is a little different than most cities:  Each person needs their own card, and you need to swipe it to leave the metro because they only charge you for the distance you traveled. This is different than, say, New York, where you only need the card to get on the subway and multiple people can use the same card.

There’s even more not on that map. The Library of Congress is right behind the Capitol and is another must-visit (except on Sunday when they’re closed.) The National Building Museum is directly between Hotel Monaco and Union Station. There are non-free museums as well. You could easily spend the day at the Newseum. The International Spy Museum, National Museum of Crime and Punishment, and Madam Tussauds are within a block or two of Hotel Monaco.

Want more? The DC Traveler is a blog about things to do in DC.  I just discovered it while writing this blog post.

Obviously there’s a ton to do in DC, and I haven’t even gotten into our other favorite thing about DC – the food!

For drivers, we've posted some directions to Union Station in "The Wedding" section.  If you do choose to drive, there is a parking garage attached to Union Station. We are also going to have a shuttle from The Hotel Monaco to Union Station the night of the wedding.  

There are also lots of other options for getting to Union Station and around DC during the weekend-- Metro, taxi, MARC train from Maryland, bus, walking, etc. . . . It's a pretty simple system and will take you to most of the major attractions in DC.  Even if you are driving into the city, we suggest parking your car and using public transportation to get around the city to see the sites.  The DC Metro Website is really helpful and will also provide information about busses.      

GMapImgCutter CASA, & Filnet Inc. - Terms of Use

If you are staying in the city, many of DC's sites are also walkable.  For those staying at the Hotel Monaco or one of the other hotels, you are within a mile of many of the Smithsonian Museums, the National Mall, The Library of Congress, The Spy Museum, lots of monuments and memorials, The White House and lots, lots, lots more. There is a ton to do and see!    

I just had to write a quick note to say how excited I am that it is just three months until the wedding!!!  As we are working on all of the details and trying to plan a fantastic ceremony and party (!!), one thing I keep thinking about is seeing all of YOU!  I am beyond excited about spending time with so many of our loved ones from so many different parts of our lives all at once.  Can't wait to see you all!!!

Soon it will be time for Sari and I to pick out our wedding bands. 

I had the best shopping experience at Robbins Diamonds in Delaware for Sari's engagement ring.  Before I arrived I had already talked to them about the style I was interested in and when I got there they showed a few that matched that style.  The first one I looked at was it, no compromises necessary!  I definitely need to thank my cousin Mindy for her generous help and the time she spent searching her extensive inventory to find exactly what I had in mind.  So I'm definitely looking forward to going back to Robbins Diamonds. 

Before we go we need to pick out the style we want.  We know we want our rings to match, and we prefer that they are kosher, which means no precious stones and no intricate artwork.  The sort of choices we are thinking are smooth vs pounded, simple vs bevels, etc.

What do you think we should look for in our wedding bands?

We're starting to compile our song list for the wedding.  We'd love your input!  Though we probably won't be able to use them all, we'd love to know what you all like to dance to.  So, add a comment below and tell us what songs you'd like to hear at the wedding.