Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Thank you for visiting our wedding website. We're so excited you're here! We're looking forward to welcoming everyone in Czech Republic. Our wedding is located in the beautiful Czech countryside in Spring 2022. Attire is cocktail. For more information on the ceremony, check out the Q&amp;A section. To RSVP to our wedding, please click the link above and fill in your information. On our wedding website, you'll find everything you need to know about our love story, our wedding and attending our wedding in Czech Republic. We've put together a brief guide to navigating transit into the city center, transit around Prague, things to do and more on each page to help visitors to the country. COVID UPDATE: As of right now, if you are vaccinated and boosted, you will not need a COVID test to enter the country.

To help you plan your trip, we've put together these guides to help you figure out where to stay, where to eat, and where to go. Find all the documents <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gN1rMLMdqH3Y-WoZcFeHhTr9Xj1zR7WN?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.

Our Wedding

How We Met

We first met at a Coffee Bean in between my office and Thomas' apartment on a sunny Sunday in Mission Valley, San Diego. At the time, Sam was set to leave San Diego for a month to visit Czech Republic... little did she know that four years later, the couple would be living there!Two days after our first meeting, we met at Studio Diner for a late dinner after my night shift and talked for several more hours....and the rest is history!

Our Love Story

We have been dating for about five years, and every day has been an adventure! For the first three and a half years of our relationship, we lived in San Diego. We love to cook together, travel together, rock climb together (and quite literally catch each other when we fall), see lots of theater and work out together. Since we've met, we've explored so much of California's beauty, including Mammoth Lakes, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Big Sur area and so much more. We've even backpacking through parts of Sequoia National Park and Yosemite, too! In addition, we have visited France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, too. We loved Europe so much, we decided to move here!

Our Engagement

In November 2019, Sam planned what seemed to be an ordinary trip to New York City. The plan was to see "Oklahoma!" on Broadway (at last!) and visit some friends around the city, as well as eat some delicious food. The Sunday of our trip seemed like just another day. We met up with some friends, got cookies and went to go see "Oklahoma!" on Broadway together. When we went to see "Oklahoma!" Sam secretly thought Thomas might propose to her then...but he didn't. Little did Sam know that Thomas had the engagement ring in his pocket the whole time! Later that night, after dinner with a friend, Thomas suggested they go to a bar. But when we got to the bar, Thomas suggested we do something we had always wanted to do - visit the top of 30 Rock. 30 Rock wasn't just another place for Sam. In college, she traveled from Boston to New York to camp out for "Saturday Night Live" tickets and ended up seeing 13 shows, some of her fondest memories. In addition, she always loved sleeping on 49th street and looking up at the building, wishing she could work there (later, Sam worked at NBC 7 San Diego for 6 years!). When we reached the balcony overlooking downtown, Thomas hugged Sam, kissed her and got down on one knee with a beautiful ring. Sam was completely shocked and immediately started crying tears of joy (and of course said yes!). We spent the rest of the night wandering around the Top of the Rock, looking out at the city at night.

The next morning, we waited in line for some of the most delicious bagels of our lives as a newly engaged couple and then flew out of New York City to go home to San Diego!

Our Story

Getting to Czech Republic

We love living in Czech Republic, and we decided to have our wedding in a small chateau in the beautiful Czech countryside. To help you plan your trip, we've put together these guides to help you figure out where to stay, where to eat, and where to go. Find all the documents <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gN1rMLMdqH3Y-WoZcFeHhTr9Xj1zR7WN?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. To enter the Czech Republic, you will need a negative PCR test (if you are not vaccinated) and your proof of vaccination. To get to Czech Republic, <a href="https://www.google.com/flights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">look for flights</a> into the capital city, Prague. There are many options to fly into Prague. Several airlines operate direct flights from New York to Prague, including United and Delta Airlines. However, it may be best to fly into another European city and transfer to Prague. Consider looking at all your options through a site like <a href="https://www.google.com/flights" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Flights</a>.

Transport from the Prague Airport to City Centre

Once you fly into Prague, you can take a public bus to the city centre, where a metro, street car or train can take you to your final destination. The public bus is the cheapest option - and a fast, reliable option, too. Read about the<a href="https://www.prg.aero/en/public-transport-buses" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> public bus here</a>. In addition, the city has allowed Uber to operate at the airport. An Uber can take you directly to your final destination as well. No matter what option you pick, there are a number of options to get to and from the airport. Here's <a href="https://www.prg.aero/en/transport-airport" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the complete list</a>.

Staying in Prague

You may need (or want!) to stay in Prague before or after the wedding. Prague is a beautiful city positioned around the Vltava river with centuries of incredible history at your fingertips. The city is divided into regions which indicate the location of the neighborhood, starting with Praha 1 to Praha 22. Praha 1, or Prague 1, is downtown Prague and the most central location - but also the most expensive. However, there are several other beautiful neighborhoods, too. When booking accommodation for Prague, think about proximity to public transit, which operates frequently (and cheaply) will take you to all the main tourist attractions. Consider staying in a neighborhoods like Old Town / Staré Město (Prague 1), Little Quarter / Malá Strana (Prague 1/2), Nové Město (Prague 2), Vinohrady (Prague 2), Karlín (Prague 8), Smíchov (Prague 5) or Holešovice &amp; Letná (Prague 7).

Getting to Chateau Mcely

We will arrange transport to and from the wedding venue on the day of the wedding and the day after the wedding. The buses will pick up and drop off at the Prague Florenc bus station. Please check the Q&amp;A for the latest information.

Where to Stay in Mcely, Czech Republic

Chateau Mcely will be able to accommodate a select number of family, wedding party guests and friends. There will be additional accommodation nearby. More to come later.

Travel

Things to Do in Prague

Prague has dozens of incredible sights around the city. Here are some of the most popular, can't-miss sights. To help you plan your trip, we've put together these guides to help you figure out where to stay, where to eat, and where to go. Find all the documents <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gN1rMLMdqH3Y-WoZcFeHhTr9Xj1zR7WN?usp=sharing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.

The Prague Castle is one of the most popular sights in the city and offers a beautiful view of the town, as well. The castle lies within a complex built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia.&nbsp;

Prague Castle

Charles Bridge is a historic bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic and arguably one of the most well-known sights in the cty. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century.&nbsp;

Charles Bridge

Old Town, or Staré Mesto, is a lively cobblestoned square with landmark attractions such as the medieval Astronomical Clock and the Gothic Church of Our Lady Before Týn. It's one of the sights you just can't miss in Prague, and it's in the center of Praha 1.

Prague Astronomical Clock

The Old Jewish Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery and one of the largest of its kind in Europe with one of the most important Jewish historical monuments in Prague. It served its purpose from the first half of 15th century till 1786. Renowned personalities of the local Jewish community were buried here; among them rabbi Jehuda Liva ben Becalel – Maharal, businessman Mordecai Meisel, historian David Gans and rabbi David Oppenheim.&nbsp;

Old Jewish Cemetery

The National Museum is a Czech museum institution intended to systematically establish, prepare, and publicly exhibit natural scientific and historical collections. The National Museum houses nearly 14 million items from the areas of natural history, history, arts, music and librarianship, which are located in dozens of museum buildings.&nbsp;

Národní muzeum

Wenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings. It is also the place with the busiest pedestrian traffic in the whole country.

Wenceslas Square

The Petřín Lookout Tower is a steel-framework tower 63.5 metres tall on Petřín Hill in Prague, built in 1891. It resembles the Eiffel Tower and was used as an observation tower as well as a transmission tower. Today the tower is a major tourist attraction and has a park and restaurants on the hill.

Petrin Tower

Kampa is an island in the Vltava river in central Prague on the side of Malá Strana. Charles Bridge crosses its northern tip and is connected to the island by the street ulice Na Kampě. It is separated from Malá Strana by a narrow artificial channel to the west called the Devil's Stream, a waterway dug to power water mills.&nbsp; Kampa is a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy scenic views of the city.

Kampa Park

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries; the City Library was also nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. In 2009, the Technical library and the Municipal library moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6. It is in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic. In 2005, the Czech National Library received the UNESCO Jikji prize.

Klementinum

Things to Do at Chateau Mcely

Chateau Mcely is located in a small rural town to the northeast of Prague. The property has a number of activities for guests, including <a href="https://www.chateaumcely.cz/en/mcely-spa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spa facilities</a> featuring an outdoor natural whirlpool, sports courts, a meditation garden and more.

Things to Do

Lexie is Samantha's sister, soulmate, lifelong best friend and wedding-planner-from-across-the-globe. Lexie and Samantha grew up playing imaginary games in their grandma’s backyard in the Czech Republic, and now as adults have gone on adventures through Yosemite, Catalina Island, Oregon, and more. Lexie can’t wait to be Sam’s Maid of Honor and right hand woman on her special day!

Lexie Tatro

Hanna and Sam's friendship started with "wait, you went to school in Holland too?" at college orientation and they've been inseparable ever since. Since then, they have traveled to three different continents together (so far) and plan to soon add Europe to the roster when Hanna comes over to Prague for Sam's wedding.

Hanna Klein

Sam and Katie met in college and bonded over a love for musical theater, desserts, and YA books. They’ve had adventures all over New York and Southern California, and Katie can’t wait to add Prague to the list when she goes to support Sam and Thomas on their big day!

Katie Wurtzel

Charlotte Tatro

Matt is the father of the bride, though you will recognize him right away - Sam and her father look almost identical! The two have a shared love of cooking, and baking, and even made ice cream together growing up. 

Samantha & Thomas

Samantha & Thomas

Photos

Photos from our five years of travels and adventure