We're engaged!
It's true, folks. Mary Pat and I are getting married. The news became official on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2005, at around 9:00 p.m. when I asked Mary Pat O'Connor to be my wife aboard a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan, below the Chicago skyline. To my utter delight, she said yes. It was an amazing evening and we're happy to announce the good news to our families and friends. We're very excited about our new life together and we welcome you to our site, where you can find everything you need to know about the big event.
"Friendship is never established as an understood relation. It is a miracle which requires constant proofs. It is an exercise of the purest imagination and of the rarest faith."
- Henry David Thoreau
Perhaps a bit of history is in order. Mary Pat and I met during our first year at law school at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. We were in the same student section, enduring the same difficult professors and assignments, and were eventually introduced to one another through mutual friends. I distinctly remember thinking how beautiful she was and making that observation to my friend Chris, who then informed me, unfortunately, that she had a boyfriend. But I could tell that Mary Pat was a unique and wonderful person, and we soon became friends. By the end of the year we were 'best buds,' as she says.
We had to go our separate ways when summer arrived--they were indeed separate, as Mary Pat had a job in her home town of South Bend, Indiana, and I had a job in Montgomery. But early that summer she ended the relationship she'd been in, and once I learned of this we began talking frequently and soon developed a correspondence that has remained, in essence, unbroken. We began dating once we were both back in Ada for our second year of law school.
In the year and two months since that time we have fallen in love and become deep friends, and we cannot wait to share our special event with all of you. We hope you can make it.
Please check the site occasionally for updates, and feel free to email us anytime.
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The wedding
The wedding will be held on Labor Day weekend, 2006, in South Bend, Indiana. South Bend is a delightful town located in "Michiana," near the Michigan-Indiana border. You can read about the town's history here.
The wedding and reception will both be held at the Blue Heron center on the Blackthorn
Golf Course, located about 15 minutes from downtown South Bend. A shuttle will be provided to and from your hotel which will run about every fifteen minutes or so.
If you're interested in playing golf (John Gage) you'll want
to go here.
Some of you may be pleased to note that we are having the rehearsal dinner at the College Football Hall of Fame, which is located a block away
from your hotel. The entire building will be open to us, so we will be able to wander around the museum as we mingle. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
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Where you'll stay
If you're coming in from out of town, you'll be staying at the South Bend Marriott. We're
currently arranging a group rate so don't book a room yet. There will be a continuous shuttle running from the hotel to the event, so you won't need to drive anywhere once you get there.
If you are interested in seeing the sights, the Marriott is located in the heart of downtown South Bend and is surrounded by places to eat, shop, and hang out, all within walking distance. The red dot is the hotel:
If you're interested in seeing the general area, there are a number of things to do. You might like to visit the campus of Notre Dame,
or the Studebaker National Museum, or the College Football Hall of Fame.
Go here for a comprehensive list of area attractions.
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Where we're registered
We are registered at Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. You can visit the stores themselves, or you can click the links below to view and purchase items online. So far we've registed for everything except china and silver, and we'll be registering for those after we move to Alabama in May.
Williams-Sonoma
1. Click on "Wedding and gift registry"
2. Click on "Give a gift"
last name: crook
first name: charles
Crate and Barrel
1. Under "Gift Registry" click "Give a Gift"
last name: crook
first name: mcd
Bed, Bath & Beyond
1. Click on "Bridal & Gift Registry"
last name: crook
first name: mcdowell
The Wedding Party
Maids of honor:
Erin O'Connor
Katy Watts
Ann Varga
Bridesmaids:
Elizabeth Zaseck
Caroline Crook
Laura Anne Dunlop
Mary Farej
Regan Rudolf
Julie Hinke
Best man:
Jim Crook
Groomsmen:
John Gage
David Musgrove
Daniel Crabtree
Richard Wright
David Williams
Adam Wilson
Zack Walker
Nate Weathington
The honeymoon
For the honeymoon Mary Pat and McD will be residing for several luxurious days in Costa Rica, on the northwestern coast near Santa Cruz, at a resort called Playa Conchal. Pura vida indeed!
