Registries

As the wedding quickly approaches, we have received several inquiries about where we are registered. We are currently registered at:

Direct Link to our REI Registry


Direct Link to Our Crate and Barrel Registry



Direct Link to Our Amazon.com Registry

Meet the Bridal Party: Bridgette (Bridesmaid)

Margaret says:
Bridgette and I became friends in elementary school. I went to my first concert with Bridgette when we were 11 or 12 years old. It was a concert sponsored by the Philly Rock Station WMMR and it was headlined by John Cougar (Mellencamp) and the Philadelphia reggae rock band, The Hooters... only The Hooters canceled. Boo! Bridgette and I were pretty upset since they were the bee's knees at the time. Honestly though I only really remember that we got to stay up late on a school night. It was great. That was the first of what would be many wonderful experiences including countless concerts, school dances, laser shows (yes, laser shows... it was the early 90s at the time), and late night snacking at her parents' house we would share over the next 18 years of our lives.

We have grown closer through the years as we have supported and inspired each other in our personal pursuits (many of which happened to be of the academic kind). We have also both moved far from our families (and the city) that we love, relying greatly on the knowledge that we can always go home and that good friends are just a phone call or email away. I try not to take for granted the amazing people that bless my life because I know that lasting friendships are sometimes rare in one's lifetime. I am so thankful that Bridgette will be there to support Eric and I in our marriage as we will support her in her upcoming marriage to a wonderful guy Chris. To another 18 or so years!

5th Grade in the Lunchroom
I am the cool kid with the awesome pink glasses.
Bridgette is sitting to my left with the surprised look.

Bridgette says:
Margaret and I met in elementary school, which means we have known each other since the age of Thriller and jean jackets. When two people have shared that many memories, including countless concerts, sleepovers, and nights in pool halls and coffee shops, one paragraph is an inadequate amount of space to describe our friendship. I will say that although Meggie technically stopped growing when we were in middle school, her heart and mind have more than exceeded her stature. Only a very kind and patient friend would continue to be my “chauffeur” to the suburbs after ten years ☺ Growing up beside Margaret has helped shape my outlook on life, even now as we both are torturing ourselves in graduate school. Some things have not changed – we still can giggle incessantly and have more fun than should be legal. Fortunately for Margaret and Eric, they have found the perfect complement to the other – someone who is unique, motivated, and inspired by life. I am honored to be a part of this momentous occasion and anticipate having many more adventures with both of them.

Top 5 Things to Do in Philadelphia

1. CHEESESTEAKS!
Eat a cheese steak! – you can find a great place to eat a cheese steak almost anywhere in the city. But check out Tony Luke’s, Pat’s or Geno’s in South Philly, or Jim’s Steaks on South Street. (Order one "whiz, wit," which means cheese whiz and with onions)


2. PHILADELPHIA ART MUSUEM
Run up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and pay homage to Rocky! The Art Museum is located along the Ben Franklin Parkway. The Art Museum has an amazing collection of modern and impressionist art among a representative collection of art and architecture from different time periods and countries.


3. READING TERMINAL MARKET
Tour the Reading Terminal Market and sample all the delectable delights in the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market in the country.


4. INDEPENDENCE HALL and the LIBERTY BELL
Visit the birthplace of the United States of America and symbols of our country such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.


5. THE PHILADELPHIA ZOO
Indulge your wild side and check out America’s first zoo – The Zoological Society of Philadelphia (located on 34th St. and Girard Ave.)


A NOTE OF THANKS: Special thanks to Bridgette for putting together fantastic lists of things to do in Philly, which we will post in sections on this site.

Meet the Bridal Party: Rob (Best Man)

Eric says:
You may have been able to guess that I would ask my brother, Robert, to be my best man. It seems like the standard choice for most brides or grooms to pick their siblings as maid of honor or best man. But let me address that in just a minute. First I'd like to tell you a little bit about my older brother. For one thing he's a mechanical engineer at Ford Motor Company. So if you have nay complaints about your Ford vehicle (as I have) I'll give you his work email address. Expect a response in about 5-10 years. Rob just finished building a pole barn to house his growing collection of semi-functional vehicles at his home near Detroit, MI. I actually did some drawings for him to help get the project through the process of building permits. And I think our Dad helped him wire it for electricity. So if this thing is still standing a year from now, it will be a minor miracle.

Rob and his wife, Shannon, recently adopted two pit bulls as a way to prepare themselves for the challenges of having children. So far, I think they've taught Vigo and Lily to stay off the dining room table, stop eating chocolate chip cookies out of the cupboard, and not chew the wood moulding from around the front door. Well done. I'd say you're both ready for kids!

But let me use an analogy to illustrate probably the most important thing I'd like you to know about my brother. I tend to somehow relate just about everything in my everyday life back to my running career. And one thing I know is that on a training run or in a race, it is hard work to be the frontrunner. It takes more mental and physical energy to lead the pack, break the wind, and set the pace than it does to follow. Often, the frontrunner makes it possible for those following to surpass the goals that even they have set for themselves and achieve times that they could not have run on their own. So to complete the analogy, my older brother Rob has been and continues to be the frontrunner in my life. He has always led the way for me through school, sports, boy scouts, career, and many other life choices. Following his lead has given me the ability to face life's challenges and choose my pursuits with confidence. I love him for that and I hope that I can someday return the favor by leading the way for him. That is why I am proud to have my brother Robert stand by my side as best man at my wedding. Best man, best bro, best times.

Eric visiting Rob at RIT.

Rob says:
Well let me start off by saying I am Eric's older and wiser brother – and he knows it. We grew up in Freehold, NJ and had a lot of good times together – although our parents would probably tell you that we weren’t the best behaved boys in the world – but that comes with the territory – not our fault they had two boys. We did Boy Scouts together, played little league, soccer, took art class, and did a lot of family camping trips across the country. I seem to remember Eric getting away with a lot more then I was – although he knew exactly which buttons to push when it came time to battle our parents. Those memories seem so far away now – but are still very vivid in my mind. After high school I went away to college in Rochester, NY and he went to Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. He wanted to do architecture and I was interested in engineering. When you grow up with a sibling and spend the better part of 18 years around them it is certainly hard to part ways and move to different parts of the country. I think the fact we are both happy in the careers we chose and the places we ended up (although I have lost count of the places Eric has lived the past 5-8 years) eases the pain of only being able to see each other several times a year instead of being able to walk across the upstairs hall and punch him the arm….anyway – I too will not give away too much information here as I still have a speech to write – which I have been mentally preparing for the last 5 years since he gave the best man's toast at my wedding – just remember paybacks are hell…..

I believe Eric and Margaret have truly met their "match". They have similar interests, are extremely competitive, and really complete each other. I will divulge one story I remember Eric telling me so as not compromise my forthcoming toast. I think it was in Pittsburgh – Eric told me that he and Margaret had gone out to play pool – at a local billiard hall. She drove and when they got to the billiard hall Eric walked inside but Margaret was still outside. He went back out to see where she was and she had opened the trunk of the car and was pulling a cue stick case out. He got a little nervous but that is not where it ended. She opened the cue stick case, screwed the two halves together, and then came the final straw. She proceeded to put on a billiard glove. I think it was at that moment when Eric realized that he would be in competition (the healthy kind of course) for the rest of his life – and I don’t mean the running kind.

I think we are all looking forward to this wedding – which has officially been a decade in the making….since they celebrated their 10 year "dating anniversary" last weekend. I look forward to meeting all of Eric and Margaret's friends and being able to participate in their wedding and support their marriage for years to come.

Meet the Bridal Party: Marian (Maid of Honor)

Margaret says:
Marian and I first met in elementary school. And she soon became one of my closest friends. She is always there for me and up for hanging out at any time of the night. And that is forever comforting for me. I am constantly impressed by Marian's intelligence and moxie. She is a wealth of knowledge and seems to know the answer to any question that you may possibly have... I encourage you to engage her in a conversation on sports, politics, or astronomy (just to name a few). She is also a good source for all things Philly.

Our friendship is a testament of many years of supporting and challenging each other. She has added so much to my life and I am very grateful. We share a love for good food especially for late night meals in Chinatown and cheese fries at Geno's. I remember one time when we ate something like 25 ravioli... each. It was a special achievement. In 6th grade, I believe I was the first to introduce Marian to heavy metal music (Bret Michaels and Vince Neil anyone?) and she returned the favor by introducing me to alternative music in high school. I attribute my good music taste to her.

This just barely touches the surface of what Marian means to my life. Eric and I feel so blessed to have her in the our lives and in our wedding. Her incredible organization skills and attention to detail have been invaluable. And we know that we will be forever indebted to her.

Our 6th grade class portrait - Ms Taggert's class
I am the first one from the left and Marian is the third from the right in the first row

Marian says:
What is there to say about the forthcoming nuptuals that will not give away any of my carefully planned speech? Hmmm. Let me start with the basics and trick Margaret into a false sense of security. I've known Margaret since 4th grade. She was one of my first friends at my new school, though that friendship didn't form until the 6th grade. It took me a while to figure out 'the gap' and cliques. Not only did Margaret instantly become one of my favorite people of all time, she introduced me to some of my favorite foods: green mint chocolate chip ice cream, salsa and chips, ubi, lumpia and cheese wiz on just about anything. Our friendship has had some odd twists and turns to it, but we always came back to each other.

I don't precisely remember when I met Eric. My college years (well, my first set of college years) were hazy at best. Was it in Pittsburgh? Sure. Philly? Of course it was! Who knows... all I do remember is that I liked him right away and I especially liked how he was (and still is) with Margaret. I have never met a more perfectly matched couple, despite their differences in temperament, activity levels, and family life. It is truly a pleasure to see how well they get on with each other and how much they respect each other.

That being said, it is not all peace and placid waters with these two. They are both living and vibrant people who are energized by challenges and life in general and I feel that they have met their match in each other. What these two individuals accomplish in life might very well put the rest of us to shame, but I am quite comfortable staring at the burning stars in the night sky.

Why Is It So Cold Here?

Well I moved to Salt Lake City from San Diego on January 8th after strategically packing almost everything into and on top of my car and enduring a 2-day drive through Las Vegas and St. George. By the way, you can ignore the 100-lb weight limit for the roof rack of the Ford Escape. At some point during the trip, the weather went from 60 degrees and sunny to about 30 degrees and snowing. Since I've been here in SLC, it's even gotten down into the single digits, and we've had over a foot of fresh snow. Everyone here assures me that this is an abnormally cold winter. Liars, all of them. But that's okay.

Margaret and I have been taking advantage of the mountains and snow by doing some snowshoeing, skiing, and cross country skiing. These were all firsts for me, and I think Margaret took some guilty pleasure in seeing me fall on my face on the slopes today. Yeah she did. Just look at that grin. But I survived with no major injuries...just some wounded pride from watching third-graders snowboard circles around me.

This past week we saw "Smart People" which was part of the Sundance Film Festival based in nearby Park City. The movie was filmed entirely in Pittsburgh and set at Carnegie Mellon University, thus the attraction for us to buy tickets off some sketchy guy at a coffee shop. It was nice to see the Donner desk in all of its glory on the big screen. Good story. Ellen Page was awesomely sarcastic, but Thomas Haden Church stole the show.

Right after moving I started working at a medium size architecture firm here in SLC. Great space, cool people, and a 10 minute commute. They're strong on design, and the office has two dogs. So that all worked out pretty well. My next goal is to start taking the registration exams. And maybe get LEED accredited. But probably not all before May, so don't give me a hard time at the wedding. That's it for now. Stay warm and see you soon.

Accommodations

We have blocked hotel rooms at a couple of hotels near the Union League. We will update this posting as we get new information. Please note the cut off dates.

The Inn at the Union League
140 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, (215) 587-5570

Union League is also the reception site. The rate is $159/night and includes breakfast. We have blocked rooms for Fri May 23,2008 through Mon May 26,2008. To make a reservation call 215 587-5570 and reference the Tarampi/Egenolf Wedding. Please note that the Union League has a dress code of no jeans, sneakers, tee shirts or athletic wear at all times. Khaki’s and golf shirts are fine. Please look at the website for further information about the Union League dress code.

Holiday Inn Express Philadelphia Midtown
1305 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, (215) 735-9300

The rate is $169/night and includes breakfast. We have blocked rooms for Sat May 24,2008 through Sun May 25,2008. To make a reservation call (215) 735-9300 and reference the Tarampi/Egenolf Wedding. Reservations need to be made on or before Monday, March 24, 2008. Parking is $21.00 per day.

Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, (215) 625-2900

The rate is $179/night. We have blocked rooms for Fri May 23,2008 through Sun May 25,2008. To make a reservation call (800) 228-9290 or (215) 625-2900 and reference the Tarampi/Egenolf Wedding. Reservations need to be made on or before Friday, April 25, 2008.

Residence Inn by Marriott-Philadelphia Center City
One East Penn Square Philadelphia, PA, 19107, (215) 557-0005

The rate is $179/night for Studio Suites and $199/night for Studio Double/Double. We have blocked rooms for Fri May 23,2008 through Sun May 25,2008. To make a reservation call (215) 557-0005 or (800) 331-3131 and reference the Tarampi/Egenolf Wedding. Reservations need to be made on or before Friday, April 25, 2008. The rooms include full kitchens.

Marriott Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown
21 N Juniper Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, (215) 496-3200

The rate is $189/night. We have blocked rooms for Fri May 23,2008 through Sun May 25,2008. To make a reservation call (800) 321-2211 or (215) 496-3200 and reference the Egenolf-Tarampi Wedding. Reservations need to be made on or before Friday, April 25, 2008.