Olin Park Pavilion

Wedding Day

Wedding

Reception

Unique for this wedding

A Wedding Questionnaire

If you have a few minutes, answer some&nbsp;<a href="http://e.customeriomail.com/e/c/eyJlbWFpbF9pZCI6IlJKaThBUUVBQVdwa3RmT04yMF9rUkNsSW5rbUo5UT09IiwiaHJlZiI6Imh0dHBzOi8vZG9jcy5nb29nbGUuY29tL2Zvcm1zL2QvZS8xRkFJcFFMU2VXbHdsVEJOR2pzSGM2c05MbS16NmZjWjdBQzhQaEZZaU12Y0N1eEhNRFU1dzZhZy92aWV3Zm9ybSIsInBvc2l0aW9uIjowfQ/f41b9c0289e3cdace5dd1f0f6fc5bb3fb1ee43c6ecc54969bd83ff80cc652ae8" target="_blank">quick questions</a>&nbsp;about Molly and Jacob. We want to include some perspective from family and friends in our ceremony.&nbsp;Pick one, or answer them all!&nbsp;

Lawn Games

Do you have lawn games? If it's easy to do, please bring them! Anyone who knows us knows we love games of all kinds. They are a fun way to get to know people, which is what we hope you do at our wedding.&nbsp; Introduce yourself to our friends and family members on "the other side!"

Some ideas of what to rifle around&nbsp;for in your garage: - Croquet&nbsp; - Badminton&nbsp; - Bags / corn hole&nbsp; - Bacci ball&nbsp; - Ladder Toss&nbsp; - Kan Jam (frisbee game)&nbsp; - Kubb (Swedish game with blocks)

Please RSVP through our website

Rather than sending paper wedding invitations requesting that you send&nbsp; a response in the mail, we are asking guests to&nbsp;RSVP here on our website. We will send out an email asking you to RSVP, but if you're already on this website, you might as well respond now!&nbsp; (RSVP through the section tab at the top of the website that says "RSVP.")



Attendance: Can your young kids attend? Yes! We did not add baby/child names to the RSVP list,&nbsp;but know that they are welcome. Significant others are welcome as well. Note that the dinner will be provided via food carts which will be stocked to feed any additional attendees (so don't feel like you need to get us an exact headcount of your party).

First off, as an engineer, the idea of creative writing has been beaten out of me. So know that it took a lot of restraint to keep my fingers from going auto pilot into a bullet point list of facts&hellip; bear with me&hellip;



Molly and I first met at the O’Hare airport at 5 a.m. to accompany a student group to Nicaragua (it was safe back then). We were both new babysitters chaperones for the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student group at Illinois Institute of Technology – Molly works at the university and I am the student chapter’s professional engineer mentor. Molly wasn’t even supposed to go, but ended up filling in for another staff member at the last minute, less than a week before the flight. &nbsp;We both distinctly remember looking up the other on LinkedIn in preparation for this trip, and thinking something along the lines of “hmmmmm&hellip;..”

 







The first laugh we shared was in the security line leaving Chicago. Despite being at a meeting the night before where Molly went over the trip details repeatedly, a student thought the flight was in the afternoon, hadn’t packed, and woke up to the other students knocking on his door to get into the Uber. (In an interesting twist on responsible behavior, the graduating student who pulled an all-nighter partying with his fraternity is the one who somehow got this student to the airport.) 

 







Fast forward two hours, and TSA starts rifling through the “random” bag with loose objects thrown into a duffel, and comes across a half gallon jar of shea butter. We were as confused as you are that this made the packing list. (Sunscreen? No. Bug spray? No.) It is a miracle that we made it to Nicaragua.

 







A couple of months later, we started dating -- Molly, infatuated with my remarkable sense of style and “eclectic wardrobe” brought to you by Dig-n-Save, didn’t stand a chance. Very early on in our relationship we knew it was different than anything before, and moving in together was a natural, seamless transition. 

 







A hop, skip, and a jump after that and we were heading to Yosemite on a hiking trip. One the third day, Molly, sensing something romantic was in the air, put on makeup and earrings before a day of hiking. I remember thinking it unusual, but honestly didn’t compute that she may have been on to me. That day ended without any questions popped, and the next day, with a 10 mile hike ahead of us, Molly decided that I wouldn’t possibly ask her to marry me during such a strenuous hike. 

 







At the midpoint (about 3 hours in), we ate our packed lunch and Molly and I sat together looking out at Yosemite Valley. I had the ring case in my hand, and was trying to figure out how to go about a proposal (“which finger does a ring go on”, “which hand”&hellip;). Molly was leaning back against me, and while I was gearing myself up for the big moment, she said, “Jacob, your heart is beating really fast!” My cover blown, I presented a ring and launched into a romantic monologue that had everything a proposal should have, save for the actual question, which I forgot to ask. (“Was there something you wanted to ask me in addition to giving me this perfect ring?”) 

 







Fast forward again, and here we are! Planning a wedding! 

 







We are so thankful for all the people in our lives who we get to share our time with, and are really excited to spend an evening with those of you able to attend our little event. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

How we met

Our Story

Parking

Olin Park Parking

If you're staying in one of the&nbsp;hotels where we have blocks of rooms,&nbsp;we recommend&nbsp;walking to Olin Park from your hotel if the weather is nice and you're able. (The three hotels are less than a half mile away.)&nbsp;If you're driving to the wedding, there's a parking lot very close to the Pavilion. You'll need to pick up a parking pass at the Pavilion, and then go to the lot and&nbsp;place the pass&nbsp;on the dashboard of the vehicle.Please don't drive on the grass.

Miscellaneous

Rather than sending paper wedding invitations requesting that you send&nbsp; a response in the mail, we are asking guests to&nbsp;RSVP here on our website. We will send out an email asking you to RSVP, but if you're already on this website, you might as well respond now!&nbsp; Can your young kids attend? Yes! We did not add baby/child names to the RSVP list,&nbsp;but know that they are welcome.

Do you have lawn games? Please bring them! Anyone who knows us knows we love games of all kinds. They are a fun way to get to know people, which is what we hope you do at our wedding.&nbsp; Introduce yourself to our friends and family members on "the other side!"

Some ideas of what to rifle around&nbsp;for in your garage:

- Croquet - Badminton - Bags / corn hole - Bacci ball - Ladder Toss - Kan Jam (frisbee game) - Kubb (Swedish game with blocks)

Details

Our Wedding

First off, as an engineer, the idea of creative writing has been beaten out of me. So know that it took a lot of restraint to keep my fingers from going auto pilot into a bullet point list of facts&hellip; bear with me&hellip;

Molly and I first met at the O’Hare airport at 5 a.m. to accompany a student group to Nicaragua (it was safe back then). We were both new babysitters... I mean&nbsp;chaperones for the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) student group at Illinois Institute of Technology – Molly works at the university and I am the student chapter’s professional mentor. Molly wasn’t original scheduled&nbsp;to go, but ended up filling in for another staff member at the last minute, less than a week before the flight. &nbsp;We both distinctly remember looking up the other on LinkedIn in preparation for this trip, and thinking something along the lines of&nbsp;“hmmmmm&hellip;..”















The first laugh we shared was in the security line leaving Chicago. Despite&nbsp;a meeting the night before where Molly went over the trip details repeatedly, a student thought the flight was in the afternoon, hadn’t packed, and woke up to the other students knocking on his door to get into the Uber. (In an interesting twist on responsible behavior, the graduating student who pulled an all-nighter partying with his fraternity is the one who somehow got this student to the airport.)















Fast forward two hours, and TSA starts rifling through the “random” bag with loose objects thrown into a duffel, and comes across a half gallon jar of shea butter. We were as confused as you are that this made the packing list. (Sunscreen? No. Bug spray? No.) It is a miracle that we made it to Nicaragua.















A couple of months later, we started dating -- Molly, infatuated by my remarkable sense of style and “eclectic wardrobe” &nbsp;didn’t stand a chance. Very early on in our relationship we knew it was different than anything before, and moving in together was a natural, seamless transition.















A hop, skip, and a jump after that and we were heading to Yosemite on a hiking trip. On&nbsp;the third day, Molly, sensing something romantic was in the air, put on makeup and earrings before a day of hiking. I remember thinking it unusual, but honestly didn’t compute that she may have been on to me. That day ended without any questions popped, and the next day, with a 10 mile hike ahead of us, Molly forewent makeup thinking&nbsp;that I wouldn’t&nbsp;possibly&nbsp;ask her to marry me during such a strenuous hike.















At the midpoint (about 3 hours in), we ate our packed lunch and Molly and I sat together looking out at Yosemite Valley. I had the ring case in my hand, and was trying to figure out how to go about a proposal (“which finger does a ring go on”, “which&nbsp;hand”&hellip;). Molly was leaning back against me, and while I was gearing myself up for the big moment, she said, “Jacob, your heart is beating really fast!” My cover blown, I presented the&nbsp;ring and launched into a romantic monologue that had everything a proposal should have, save for the actual question, which I forgot to ask. (“Was there something you wanted to ask me in addition to giving me this ring?”)















Fast forward again, and here we are! Planning a wedding!















We are so thankful for all the people in our lives who we get to share our time with, and are really excited to spend an evening with those of you able to attend our little event. We look forward to seeing you all soon!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our Story 1

Photos

Registry

Wedding Party

Q + A

All three of&nbsp; the hotels below are within walking distance of Olin Park, less than half a mile away. If you are using the block of rooms, make sure to use the link we provide to get the price that is reserved. We'd also suggest looking at the hotel websites or other booking websites -- sometimes the wedding block rate isn't the best rate. However, if you do book a room externally, note that you won't be together with the block of rooms.&nbsp;Because this is Memorial Day weekend and Madison is a happening place, make sure to book your room&nbsp;in advance.&nbsp;

General Information

Price:&nbsp;$152&nbsp;/ night&nbsp;(must book 30 days in advance for this rate) Rooms in block:&nbsp;10 rooms&nbsp;reserved for&nbsp;two nights:&nbsp;Saturday and&nbsp;Sunday night&nbsp;(May 25 and May 26) Is there a minimum number of nights?&nbsp;No. Booking one night only is fine. Location:&nbsp;walking distance, less than .5 mile from&nbsp;Olin Park Shuttle?:&nbsp;Yes, before 6 p.m. Breakfast provided?:&nbsp;No

Sheraton Madison Hotel

Price:&nbsp;$129&nbsp;/ night&nbsp;(must book 30 days in advance for this rate)&nbsp; Rooms in block:&nbsp;15&nbsp;rooms&nbsp;reserved for&nbsp;three nights:&nbsp;Friday,&nbsp;Saturday, and Sunday&nbsp;nights&nbsp;(May 24,&nbsp;25, and 26)&nbsp; Is there a minimum number of nights?&nbsp;No. Booking just one night is fine. Location:&nbsp;walking distance, less than .5 mile from&nbsp;Olin Park&nbsp; Shuttle available?:&nbsp;No Breakfast provided?:&nbsp;Yes, continental Pets welcome here&nbsp;for $25 per night.

Comfort Inn Madison - Downtown

Price:&nbsp;$159&nbsp;/ night&nbsp;(must book 45&nbsp;days in advance for this rate)&nbsp; Rooms in block:&nbsp;15&nbsp;rooms&nbsp;reserved for&nbsp;two nights:&nbsp;Friday and Saturday&nbsp;night&nbsp;(May 24 and&nbsp;25)&nbsp; Is there a minimum number of nights?&nbsp;Yes, there is a&nbsp;2 day&nbsp;minimum for booking because it is a holiday weekend (Memorial Day is Monday, May 27). If you call, you can likely switch a Friday to a Sunday if you prefer arriving on the day of the wedding and staying Sunday night. Location:&nbsp;walking distance, less than .5 mile from&nbsp;Olin Park&nbsp; Shuttle available?:&nbsp;Yes, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (you will&nbsp;need to coordinate with hotel) Breakfast provided?:&nbsp;Yes, continental

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Madison Central

<a href="https://www.theedgewater.com/">Edgewater Hotel</a> (2 miles from Olin)<a href="https://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/wisconsin/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-madison-MSNDTDT/index.html">DoubleTree Hotel</a> (1.7 miles from Olin)<a href="https://parkhotelmadison.com/">Best Western Park Hotel</a> (1.7 miles from Olin)<a href="https://www.graduatehotels.com/madison/">The Graduate Madison</a> (2.0 miles from Olin)

Other Hotels in the Area

Travel

Brat Fest will be going on the weekend of our wedding nearby. So that's... exciting. Brat Fest is a volunteer-run nonprofit festival&nbsp;that&nbsp;has evolved into a yearly tradition -- there will be free music, events, and of course, many, many brats. If you don't like the wedding food, just wander over and get yourself some meat wrapped in bread. "Since 1983, the World’s Largest Brat Fest has sold more than 3.8 million brats to help raise almost $1.75 million to benefit 100+ local charities. Brat Fest brings the community together each Memorial Day weekend&mdash;rain or shine&mdash;for 4 days of free music, fantastic food and family-friendly fun to help kick off the start of summer in the heart of downtown Madison, Wisconsin."

Brat Fest

Stroll 16 acres of outdoor gardens featuring stunning landscapes and Midwest-hardy plants. Outdoor Gardens are free & open daily.

Visit the tropics in the Bolz Conservatory, filled with exotic plants, fragrant flowers, orchids, free-flying birds, and a waterfall. $2 admission; free for Members. Free to all Wed. & Sat. 10 - noon.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

The Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square is a Saturday tradition in Madison, Wisconsin. You’ll find the season’s best bounty of vegetables, flowers, meats, cheeses, and specialty products from approximately 275 vendors throughout the year.&nbsp;Over 150&nbsp;members attend every Saturday. All of the items for sale are grown, raised, and produced in Wisconsin by the person behind the&nbsp;stand.Date: Saturday, May 25Time: 6:15 am – 1:45 pm

Dane County Farmers Market

<a href="https://thecooperstavern.com/">Cooper's Tavern</a>&nbsp;- European style tavern with a good whiskey list (they also have a private seating area called the "snug" - if it is available ask for it!) 



<a href="http://www.gennaslounge.com/">Genna's Lounge</a>&nbsp;- Cocktail lounge with a small stage (often hosting local bands / open mic nights)







<a href="https://www.grazemadison.com/">Graze</a>&nbsp;- Madison gastropub on the capitol square with good foods&nbsp;and a good drink menu.&nbsp;







<a href="https://www.greatdanepub.com/">Great Dane</a>&nbsp;- Local brewpub with a beautiful courtyard seating area

 







<a href="https://ianspizza.com/">Ian's Pizza</a>&nbsp;- Home of&nbsp;the macaroni & cheese pizza as well as several other interesting options







<a href="http://www.letoile-restaurant.com/">L'Etoile</a>&nbsp;- Fine dining option&nbsp;offering a seven-course tasting menu. Very tasty, but pricey

 







<a href="https://www.parthenongyros.com/">Parthenon Gyros</a>&nbsp;- This was Jacob's favorite restaurant as a kid (and often a birthday treat), they serve up great (if high calorie) gyros







<a href="http://sardinemadison.com/">Sardine</a>&nbsp;- Classy eatery on Lake Monona with a great brunch menu

 







<a href="http://www.theoldfashioned.com/">The Old Fashioned</a>&nbsp;- Bar / restaurant with killer fried cheese curds

Downtown restaurants and bars (a short list of Jacob's favorites)

The Isthmus is a Madison's Arts and Entertainment publication with a great events page. Check out the website for some additional things to do around town!

Molly & Jacob

Molly & Jacob

Photos