San and Chris
San and Chris are getting married in September!
The Bride
San Illustrator, Office Manager, Adventurer. @sanasaurus san-smith.com
Bride's Party
Katie once lived in Atlanta (which is when we met!) but now lives in NYC and is a fabulous illustrator for children's clothing! She loves reading, adventure, amazing food - oh wait a moment, Katie just gave me a better bio - "Katie is chubby, loud, but nice, and loves beer, dogs and coffee, and sometimes she draws stuff." hahaha Also, I should add, she's pretty hilarious!! @seekatiedraw seekatiedraw.com instagram.com/seekatiedraw
Molly works with me now (yay!!) but we have known each other for a few years before that. She majored in in Public Relations and also studied Japanese in college, and now currently works for Big Nerd Ranch's marketing team. She's a big sailor moon fan, loves comics/anime/costuming, is a cat lover but not quite crazy cat lady (lol), also loves collecting antiques & toys and appreciates cool vintage and/or retro things. @mollyadaly instagram.com/mollyadaly
Colleen owns her own business and makes "wearable planters" and other 3d printed things. She's an industrial design major, loves cute animals, dinosaurs, animal crossing on Nintendo DS (Katie and Sarah too!!), bike riding, cooking, adventuring, ugly dolls and cute things. She hopes to be a dog owner someday but currently just enjoys hanging out with other people's cute pups @colleeniebikini colleenjordan.com instagram.com/colleeniebikini
Sarah and I actually met many many years ago on LiveJournal, and then discovered we both knew Katie!! So we finally met in person in 2010 when I came to visit Katie in NY and have been close buds ever since. Sarah is an illustrator too and specialized in toy package design for a while! She's currently going to school to become a science teacher but still draws and crafts. She loves cute dogs (Katie and Colleen too), collects fun figures and dolls, plays a pink glitter bass guitar in her band and also the ukulele! @bennyville bennyville.tumblr.com bennyvillelove.blogspot.com
The Groom
Chris Instigator, Problem Solver, Adventurer. @ckdake ckdake.com
Groom's Party
Bob is a Cathodic Protection Specialist, keeping our national infrastructure safe (using science!) since 2007. I've ridden thousands of miles on bicycles with him since 2009, from snow capped peaks in Utah to spiral parking decks in downtown Atlanta, and I've only seen him in a bad mood once. He is getting married the week after us, so stop by his wedding and say hello! Bob never seems to mind driving (or anything really), but doesn't like cheese on his hamburgers for some reason. @thatsnogood
Mike is searching for a way to change the world at the intersection of bicycles, beer, bacteriology, and bioinformatics. By day he tinkers with genomes as a PostDoc at Georgia Tech, and by night he is either brewing beer or beating me up a hill on his road bike which may or may not be made out of bamboo. We noticed we kept running into eachother on our commutes into work in 2011, and have been drinking beer and riding bikes ever since. @mikeyweigand
David can't join us because he is overseas protecting our freedom as a Captain in the United States Air Force flying C-17s around. Thanks Dave! We met our freshman year of college in Fall of 2001 at Georgia Tech, 2 rooms apart and as the only two people with Apple laptops far before they were socially acceptable. I've slept under the pool table at his parent's house after staying up late trying to get our cameras to work with his telescope, and for a while our phone numbers were 2 digits apart.
Stafford has been peddling handcrafted internet solutions since 1998, and we probably would have teamed up back then had we known eachother. Our paths crossed countless times on bicycles in Atlanta, and he came to work with me at Highgroove Studios in 2011 to build some sweet web applications. Since he can never seem to decide what kind of bicycle he wants to ride, our metric is probably best counted in volume of cheese dip and/or number of tacos consumed together. If you need inside info on where the best coffee or burger in the world is, Stafford is your man. @srbiv
Wedding Events
Engagement
June 20th, 2014 - Decatur, GA.
Ceremony & Reception
September 27th, 2014 - Rhodes Hall, Atlanta, GA.
Ceremony and cocktail hour 6pm
Reception to follow at 7pm
Invited guests only, and we strongly discourage bringing any children under the age of 10.
The Castle on Peachtree Street, Rhodes Hall 1516 Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30309
Image from Gary Curtis
About Rhodes Hall
Built in 1904, Rhodes Hall is one of the finest intact expressions of late Victorian architectural design in Atlanta. The Romanesque Revival house was inspired by the Rhineland castles that Rhodes admired on a trip to Europe in the late 1890s. Architect Willis F. Denny designed the unique home with Stone Mountain granite, incorporating medieval Romanesque, Victorian, and Arts and Crafts designs as well as necessary adaptations for an early 20th-century home.
The grandest feature of the interior is a magnificent series of stained and painted glass windows that rise above a carved mahogany staircase. The three-panel series depicts the rise and fall of the Confederacy from Fort Sumter to Appomattox, and includes medallion portraits of over a dozen Confederates.
While it was originally the residence of Rhodes Furniture founder Amos Rhodes, today it is a house museum and the upper floors of the "castle on Peachtree" are also headquarters for The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
^topDirections and Parking
Parking
Free guest parking is available behind Rhodes Hall at 1495 Spring Street. The lot consists of approximately 48 parking spaces. Additional parking is in the adjacent lot belonging to Peachtree Christian Church.
Directions
Rhodes Hall 1516 Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30309
- From I-85 Southbound: Take Exit 84 for 10th, 14th & 17th Streets and bear right toward 17th Street. Turn left onto 17th Street. Pass W. Peachtree Street and turn left onto Peachtree Street; proceed through two traffic lights. Rhodes Hall will be on the left at the corner of Peachtree Circle and Peachtree St. For parking, continue past Rhodes Hall. Turn left at the next light onto Spring Street. Free parking is located at the end of the block on the right.
- From I-75/I-85 Northbound: Take exit 251A for 17th Street. Turn right onto 17th Street. Pass W. Peachtree Street and turn left onto Peachtree Street; proceed through two traffic lights. Rhodes Hall will be on the left at the corner of Peachtree Circle and Peachtree St. For parking, continue past Rhodes Hall. Turn left at the next light onto Spring Street. Free parking is located at the end of the block on the right.
- From I-75 Southbound: Take Exit 250 for 10th/14th/16th Street and take ramp to 14th Street. Turn left onto 14th Street. Pass W. Peachtree Street and turn left on Peachtree Street. Travel north on Peachtree Street approximately one mile. Rhodes Hall will be on the left. For parking, continue past Rhodes Hall. Turn left at the next light onto Spring Street. Free parking is located at the end of the block on the right.
Travel and Accomodations
Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport
The airport is located about 30 minutes away from hotel accommodations and the wedding site. You can either take a taxi or our public transit, Marta, to your preferred hotel near the venue.
Public Transportation
- Marta Bus and Rail service itsmarta.com
The closest MARTA station is the Arts Center station on the red/gold rail line, just over a 10 minute walk, or bus 110 that departs from the Arts Center (along with the Lenox and Buckhead stations) and has a stop out front. If walking, take the West Peachtree Street exit out of the Arts Center station and turn right on West Peachtree Street. Rhodes Hall is just over two blocks up on the left.
Taxis
- Uber uber.com/cities/atlanta
Our preffered taxi service is Uber! Uber can take you from the airport to Midtown Atlanta for $35-75 depending on your preferred car style. Uber is also a great option to visit other locations in Atlanta that Marta isn't near. If you'd like to use Uber you will need to download the app on your smart phone and set up an account before arriving in Atlanta.
- Atlanta Checkered Cab atlantacheckercab.com
Straight forward basic cab service company.
Hotels
We have a block of rooms reserved at the Residence Inn-Midtown at 17th Street for up to 2 nights September 26th-28th. This hotel is walking distance to the venue. Studio Suites are $119/night, and 1 Bedroom Suites are $129/night. To reserve a room and receive the discounted rate, you must call the hotel at 404-745-1000 and mention that you are in town for the Smith/Kelly Wedding OR use this special link to book online: Book a room At Residence Inn Atlanta. Checkin time is 4pm, check-out time is noon. You are responsible for paying for your own room. Please make your reservation by September 5th, 2014 to guarantee your room at this rate.
Residence Inn Atlanta Midtown/Peachtree at 17th 1365 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309
The Residence Inn is a pretty standard hotel (with free breakfast and internet), but if you want something fancier there are a few other nice hotels in the area that cost a bit more. We don't have a block anywhere else, so you are on your own!
Things to do in Atlanta
Sightseeing
- Piedmont Park - About a 15-minute walk from the Arts Center MARTA station is the large and histori Piedmont Park. It hosted the Piedmont Exposition of 1887 and the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, and today features multiple playgrounds, ball fields, running track, tennis courts, lake, swimming pool, dog park and plenty of greenspace to stretch out in.
- The Atlanta Botanical Garden - The Atlanta Botanical Garden is located near the Woodruff Arts Center and Piedmont Park, closest to the Arts Center Station on the red/gold rail line. In addition to the gardens themselves, there are regular events, including Cocktails in the Garden, art installations and Sun Trust Concerts in the Botanical Gardens. If you exit at the Marta Arts Center Station, the only option is to walk 25 minutes to the gardens through Ansley Park.
- Centennial Olympic Park and the CNN tour - CNN broadcasts out of downtown Atlanta and offers CNN studio tours. Centennial Olympic Park is across the street, making pairing the two attractions together a great option. The park offers a variety of concerts, 4th of July fireworks, iceskating in the winter, 4th Saturday Family Fun Days, Screen on the Green, festivals and the Fountain of Rings that is popular with kids.
- Margaret Mitchell Museum - Tour this turn-of-the-century home where Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind. Exhibits tell the story of Margaret Mitchell's life, her book, the movie and their profound impact on US history.
Entertainment
- The High Museum of Art - Atlanta's major art museum, the High Museum of Art features traveling exhibits, permanent collections, films, lectures, teen programs and adult social events such as Friday Jazz on the third Friday of each month and Thirsty Thursdays.
- Woodruff Arts Center - The Woodruff Arts Center is located directly next to the MARTA station, making it an easy destination for families. Choose from the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art or art education with the Young Audiences program.
- The Georgia Aquarium - The Georgia Aquarium is one of most popular tourist attractions in Atlanta at 225 Baker Street NW, and there are several options for getting there on MARTA: MARTA guide to the Georgia Aquarium
- The Fox Theatre - The Fox Theatre is an historic landmark in Atlanta located at 660 Peachtree Street NE, closest to the North Avenue MARTA station. The venus was built in the late 1920s as a Yaarab Temple Shrine Mosque and hosts musicals, shows, concerts and the Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival. The theatre is one of the easiest destinations to get to on MARTA. After exiting the train, go to the north end of the platform, following the signs To Fox Theatre. Walk through the AT&T building where there is an indoor mall. Keep moving straight ahead and there will be a street exit onto 3rd Street. Turn right on 3rd, then turn right on Peachtree Street, the next intersection.
Shopping
- Atlantic Station - Atlantic Station is one of Atlanta's newer development projects featuring retail stores, restaurants, movie theater, outdoor movies, festivals, live music, holiday events and regular performances by Cirque du Soleil. Or check out the ongoing exhibits: Bodides ... The Exhibition and the Titanic Artifact Exhibition.
- Lenox Square Mall is located at 3393 Peachtree Road, just across the street from the Lenox MARTA Station, making it one of the easiest destinations to get to on MARTA. Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Neiman Marcus are the main tenants
- Phipps Plaza is one of Atlanta's upper-scale shopping malls located near the Lenox and Buckhead MARTA stations. From the Lenox Station, follow the signs pointing to Lenox Mall after exiting the train and go up the tall escalator. After exiting the fare gates, keeping walking straight ahead alongside Lenox Road. Walk about three blocks and turn right onto Peachtree Street. Phipps will be at the next stoplight on the left. If you don't want to walk, you can get on bus 25 at the Lenox Station.