Thank you!!

 Thank you so much for joining us for our wedding, and the surrounding celebrations! We danced everything but the chicken dance, we laughed at all your wonderful jokes, we cried only good tears, we modled for awesome photos, we played with our own cardboard cutouts, we ate like Kings and Queens, we loved all of your wonderful faces and smiles and we filled our heads with happy, wonderful memories. We will post our wedding photos when we receive them in about a month. In the meantime, know that we are thinking of you and thankful for all

In case you want to see a bit more of us, our photographer Josh Aull posted some photos of our shoot in Golden Gate park on his blog. Sneak peak and link below:

http://www.joshuaaull.com/blog/2012/10/andrea-jerome-in-san-francisco/

Jerome's Birthday Party: Friday, Sept. 21, 9 pm

Jerome's birthday is the day before our wedding so we'll celebrate it a little earlier than usual. If you're available, please join us to raise a glass to Jerome for his birthday. Address and details below:

Time: 9 pm 

Location: The Irish Bank, 10 Mark Lane (Alleyway off of Bush Street near Kearney) - It can be a little tough to find, but it's worth the hunt. It's walking distance to the hotel and Stockton Street garage (cheapest parking spot close by if you need one). Look for the alleyway covered in flags and potentially drunk people. They serve dinner till 10, and have awesome chips, curry and Shepard's pie. 

We'll be in the main bar or back room.  Looking forward to seeing you there.

Shuttle Service from Wedding to Hotel

Zoom, Zoom, Zoommmmm

We know you'll have a great time on Saturday, September 22. But, how will you get home safely after all that dancing and laughing? If you're staying at the Hilton, or near Union Square we've got you covered.

We'll be providing shuttle service from the wedding venue to the Hilton from 10 pm till 1 am on Saturday night. The shuttle will pick up in front of the venue approximately every 40 minutes and will make it's last trip at 12:30.  We'll post a schedule by the door at 9:30 pm so be sure to check times and plan your dancing schedule accordingly.

Alternatively, you can call a taxi to get yourself safely home. My personal favorite is DeSoto, 877-691-2170. The venue isn't in a prime taxi hailing location, but Mission and Valencia Streets which are close by - check the wedding map for directions. If any locals have other taxi options please post them in the comments section.

Thanks for being such a smart, reasonable group and promising us that you won't drink and drive to or from our wedding. (Apparently there's a problem with texting while driving as well these days so, while I'm at it, I'd advise against that too.)

Sunday Funday: Post-Wedding Gathering, 1 pm

We'll be hosting a low-key gathering with light-snacks and beverages in Golden Gate Park on Sunday at 1 pm, following a great night of celebration, in the Dahlia Dell Garden. Please join us for some relaxed, sporty fun. So we can gauge the amount of snacks and drinks we need, please RSVP by commenting on this blog and I'll count you in.

The main drive in the Park (JFK) is closed on Sunday, so if you're driving find a spot on Fulton near Arguello and walk in. If you're taking public transportation use HopStop, and enter the Conservatory of Flowers as your final destination. Suggested bus route from the hotel is linked here: http://hopstop.com/?tid=kunl8jaew9nei0ui

The Best of SF: Our Personalized Wedding Map

We'd never leave you hanging in one of the best cities in the US. We want you to see and enjoy the best of the best while you're here. So, we developed a Google map with all the wedding locations and our favorite city spots. From the best museums in the city to the best bars to check out, we provided descriptions for each location and encourage you to see as much as you can while you're here. 

Specialty icons (mini volcanos) will help you find the wedding-specific venues, like the bar where we'll be celebrating Jerome's birthday on Friday night, the hotel, ceremony/reception location and picnic spot for Sunday brunch in the Park.


 If you're familiar with Google Maps use this link to download the map to your phone: http://goo.gl/maps/1y2VL (once the map appears in your browser add it to your home screen and you'll have an instant map link on your phone). If you aren't familiar with Google Maps - use the link to open the map in your browser and print a version for your car or purse. ENJOY!


 
View Andrea and Jerome's SF Map in a larger map

 **Thanks to the amazing Marlis who helped me curate this map and added all the amazing locations I forgot (like the Bitter End and Tunnel Top)**

Registry Options

We deeply appreciate you attending out wedding, and finally pulled together a registry that fits our style. We wanted to give guests the opportunity to buy tailored gifts that felt, and looked, like them - since buying off of registries have never really been my cup of tea. 


So, we selected a variety of gifts from 4 different registries.  As we will be flying and already have full luggage all gifts should be addressed/delivered to Jerome's office (address below), not to our doorman-less home, or the wedding venue. Sadly, any gift aside from cards that end up at the wedding venue will likely live at Andrea's parents house for several months (and Florence Collins loves to throw things away) and any gifts shipped to our home will live at the UPS or FedEx office for several months (and the UPS man loves to leave illegible notes on our door).  So, without further ado, here's the options:


Deliver all gifts to:
Jerome Burgos
c/o Phillip Koether Architects
535 8th Ave, Floor 15
New York, NY 10018
Phone (212) 737-7109

Registry options:

HoneyFund (If you're a fellow traveler, support our 2013 honeymoon to Turkey,)

• Look up: Superherowedding, or Jerome Burgos
• Find: Details, and pricing for flights, adventures, and treats for our getaway to Istanbul, Cappadoccia and Duadasi. 
• How it works: Select the category you want to donate to and gift by credit card, check or cash (in person). 

BestBuy (Or if you are tech geek here are a few big ticket items we've always wanted to splurge on and would love your support, that you can chip in for with their 'Pitch In' card)

• Look up: Jerome Burgos
• Find: Television, camera and other such goodies
• How it works: (the pitch in card is at the top of the list, just add your contribution and it will allow you to send us an e-mail message for what item you would like your contribution to go to.)

MyRegistry.com (For some fun out-of the box shopping these items that make our home, and lives, a little more colorful)

• Look up: Andrea Collins and/or Jerome Burgos (search bar at the top of the screen)
• Find: A picnic cooler, awesome toothbrush holders, beautiful tea kettles, superhero water bottles and frames for our wedding photos
• How it works: Use the 'Buy' links to go directly to the website where the items are located and purchase. Since we didn't set up registries at each of these websites, be sure to have Jerome's work address handy for delivery. THEN, return to MyRegistry.com to confirm your purchase so we don't double up on gifts (the page will stay open automatically). 

Macy's (If you're a traditionalist, here are some the beautiful basics) 

• Look up: Jerome Burgos and/or Andrea Collins 
• Find: The kitchen goodies of our dreams including a new toaster oven, Le Creuset dutch oven, juicer alongside new bedding and towels for our fabulous guests and luggage for our travels 
• How it works: Most of you know this drill by now but any questions, reach out to Jerome directly (Andrea gets nervous twitches when she enters the Macy's in Herald Square/NYC)

The Proposal: Andrea Collins and Jerome Burgos

I always knew my proposal story would be a little different than most.  I knew there would never been a big sign at a baseball diamond up, or a fancy restaurant involved. Jerome simply knows me, and us, too well to follow a traditional formula. But, I never would have guessed the he’d come up with such an elaborate plan to completely surprise me and leave me in awe, the day we got engaged.

Of course, we batted around the idea of marriage when we first moved in together 11 years ago in San Francisco; but, we decided that it wasn’t for us and left it checked at the door for someone else to pick-up and carry away.  After we moved to NYC, at the end of 2004, we’d naturally revisit the topic from time-to-time, cracking the door just enough to debate the pros and cons before pushing it back out and shutting the door again.

So, what was the catalyst to do it now?

During a cold winter day around my 32^nd birthday we slipped into one of our favorite bars, Little Branch, early in the night. We’d been out, dressed as Mr. and Ms. Claus for the annual SantaCon bar crawl through town and decided to tuck ourselves into a booth for the night for a long chat. We talked about the future, and apparently I told Jerome that if we didn’t get engaged by the time we were both 35, we’d need to shut the door on marriage for good. I don’t fully recall this conversation, or the age 35 sticking in my head, but I’m glad I said it because it led to one of the best days of my life.

When we first met, in Florence, Italy during our year abroad, I quickly learned of Jerome’s creative talents. He was an amazing cook, incredible artist and incredible humble musician. He wrote me a poem on a leaf for Valentine’s Day, and filled out an entire sketchbook with stories and drawings during our summer apart. And, after his move up to San Francisco and our move to NYC, I am still in awe of his talent and skill.

Then, in 2006 when Jerome learned that Benito wrote love letters to Margarita, decided to begin writing me love letters and sending them to me in the mail on freshly minted stationary. His dad, who was in the Navy and far from home used to write his mom letters to remind her of how much he loved her (full story here). Jerome wrote me letters while we were traveling, or sitting at home alone together. He kept his special stationary tucked away in his bag and wrote me when he had a few minutes to spare at lunch. They were amazing letters about why and how he loved me. They built into chapters about how our future together was better than anything he could have imagined and made me cry with happiness. They were, and are, honestly the brightest spot in my day every time a new letter arrives.

So, how could someone actually tie this 12-year long relationship full of amazing leaps and bounds, bumps and potholes, and incredible adventures together into a single day and tie-it perfectly with a bow?

Jerome and I were trying to come up with a good gift to give our parents for Christmas last year, since we decided to use our Christmas vacation for a trip to Brazil and wouldn’t be home to see them. We decided on homemade calendars and picked a date in early December to go to Central Park for a photo shoot. I asked our best friend Skye along, since she’s also a handcrafted gift kinda girl. The night before our day in the Park, during the unreasonably warm winter, I thought I talked Skye into dressing up with me so we could actually pose in some of the photos and really personalize our shots for our parents. Turns out she actually talked me into dressing up, but I didn’t realize that until months later.

That morning, Jerome decided to dress up as well, and slipped on one of my favorite outfits: black suit pants, silk and wool vest and red and blue tie.  We grabbed the subway down to 81 Street and entered the Park on the west side to meet Skye at Belvedere Castle, our first sight. When we arrived Skye was standing in center of the Castle’s plaza, among tourists, locals, cyclists and runners out for a busy day in the Park. We went to meet her and she stepped away immediately under the guise of being on the phone with her parents (her regular Saturday phone call).  Jerome leaned over to the bag Skye had left behind and told me he had a gift for me.

First, I received a beautiful photo book, filled with photos of our adventures over the years, and scanned copies of all my love letters. I couldn’t flip through slowly enough, I stopped on every page to take it all in. Each page had a new memory and meaning that I wanted to chat through with Jerome. But, now, he seemed a bit nervous and asked me to look back inside the gift box I had pulled the photo book from.  I pushed aside some tissue to reveal dozens of dry maple leaves, all with beautiful black writing on them, similar to the first leaf Jerome gave me more than 11 years ago. This is when I realized something big was about to happen.

He set aside the box and quickly told me of a conversation he’d had with my father that morning. I stood shocked for a moment and then started to laugh and cry, somehow at the same time. He pulled a black velvet ring box out of his pocket and bent down on one knee before presenting me with my grandmother Alice’s engagement ring. I immediately said yes and pulled him up to hug him. He slipped the ring on my finger before pointing out that he’d invited 2 of our friends to take photos and video of the event.  In true Andrea and Jerome fashion we turned the whole day into our engagement shoot throughout the Park.

Our proposal album and pictures of our engagement shoot will be on hand at the wedding.

Thanks for reading!

-Andrea

Let’s Get Together: Florence and Phil Collins

Florence was living in Glendale, CA teaching high school and Phil lived in Van Nuys working for United Fruit. It was a rainy night, but they both decided at the last minute to go to a ski club meeting in Eagle Rock.  Phil arrived first, and way eyeing the door at the first break when Florence and her friend entered the room.

At the close of the meeting, the club president invited everyone to a local bar for a drink. Phil approached Florence and her friend and chatted them up a bit, asking if they were up for joining the group for drinks.

Phil was running low on funds, and only had enough money for gas to get home and one drink so he arrived at the bar a bit late and waited in the parking lot until everyone had a drink before walking in.  Phil did spend some time deciding between Florence and her friend, and obviously he made the right decision! He asked Florence out the following Saturday night and she accepted just in time for him to slip out of the bar in advance of round 2.

On their first date he taught her the useful skill of playing pool, they went to dinner and then to a belly-dancing nightclub in Hollywood, where Phil's barber was a musician.  They sat on huge pillows and sipped on exotic drinks, which ended with their firs kiss. Florence's parents must have known that this was the real thing because the first time that Phil and Florence drove from Southern California they arrived at midnight; Florence went to bed and Phil and Florence's mother Alice stayed up all night talking. Early in the morning Phil had his first encounter with Florence's younger sister Stephanie, who wanted to know everything about the new person sleeping on the living room couch.  After Alice's sister Florence met Phil, she went out and bought a suit to wear to the wedding even though there was no talk of engagement yet.

On one of their later visits to San Francisco from LA, Phil took Florence to the Crown Room, a bar in the Fairmont Hotel with a beautiful view of the city. It was there he asked her if she would “like to get together,” having chocked on the correct line, “will you marry me,” and happily she agreed. They got married in San Francisco, and hosted their reception at the famed Clif House (which has since been rebuilt, twice).  

A few years later they moved up to Northern California, and had Brian. Three years after that they moved to Fairfax, and had Andrea (who got the bigger room). 

Love in the Islands: Margarita and Benito Burgos

Margarita Almendros Almeria, was born on August 27, 1943.  The daughter of Vicente and Rosalia Almeria,Margarita grew up to be a serious and joyful young lady. She was always very attentive in her studies and very courteous to others.

Benito Alli Burgos was born April 1st, 1946 to Angel and Consejo.  He was a soft spoken, confident and handsome young man.  

They both were from the same town in the Philippines and shared some of the same friends in the community. When he was in his early 20’s Benito injured himself and the Almeria family, who were family friends, was filled with nursing and health care students. Benito decided it would be a good idea recover at their house, and get well before he headed back to work.  

During his recovery at the Almeria house, many different suitors dropped by and courted Margarita, who was a very beautiful girl.  She did not pay them too much attention, as she was more concerned with her schoolwork and helping her family.  Benito could not agree more! He thought the other boys were not good enough for Margarita and that she should not waste her time.  Little did she know he had other intentions for pushing away the local boys.  He also wanted to court Margarita - once he was well again.

Benito, being the noble man he is, knew he must financially provide for his lady and his future family before Margarita took him seriously, a trait that he also instilled in his children. So, he joined the US Navy, which was offering US citizenship to its recruits at the time. He knew the far away land would provide many opportunities that were not available locally. Little time was lost before he was being shipped off to boot camp.

Shortly before he left, Benito told Margarita of his intentions, but wanted to ensure a stable career before pursuing her. So, while abroad in the US, he sent Margarita many letters of his adoration and how he was going to love and support her and as soon as he could, marry her. The letter writing was a lesson Jerome also learned. Many years later, Jerome took his fathers idea and slowly used the letter writing as a strategy in his marriage proposal to Andrea. After Benito got back to the Philippines, he and Margarita were in a blissful relationship and got married on April 1st, 1970.  April 1st is also Benito's birthday, which is also another similarity to Jerome as his wedding is September 22, a day after his birthday.

Benito and Margarita had their first son, Jeffrey Almeria Burgos later that year.  Benito continued his Navy career and was often in the US and apart from his family for long periods of time. At the urge of Margarita's father-in-law Angel, Margarita and Jeffrey moved to the states on Jan 9, 1974 to be with Benito. They moved to Alameda, CA and Nevada before ending up in San Diego, CA where Benito was stationed for most of his career. They gave birth to two more loving boys, Jonathan and Jerome later in the 70’s. Benito and Margarita still live in the same house where they raised the boys in Pauma Valley, CA.

Groomsmen/Best Men

I am please to introduce you to my Best Men (in order of time known).  I have not one person who is my “Best Man” as I consider them all my “Best Man.”  They have been with me through the many stages of my life and are equally important and have learned a lot through each of them.

Jeff Burgos (years known: 35 and counting) - My Oldest Brother.  He’s always been the type of brother to look up to and dependable whenever you need him.  Every time we get together we have some great laughs.  And if ever in a competition, he’s someone you want on your team.  In case he doesn’t know, I’ve always thought of him as the most amazing role model.  And I still have the blue Nike Hooded Sweatshirt he gave for me for my high school graduation.  The sweatshirt may fall apart one day, but Jeff never will.

Jonathan Burgos (years known: 35 and counting) - My Second Oldest Brother.  The kindest and most warm-hearted guy I’ve ever known.  I tease him often about our “disagreements” growing up, but I’ve learned how lucky I am to have him as my brother.  I can’t express enough how much I love the way he interacts with people and makes everyone feel great.  There is no one that can say anything bad about Jonathan, because that’s my job.  And truthfully there is nothing bad you can say, I know he will be there to help me through the hard times and to celebrate through the good times.

Michael Fisher (years known: 21 and counting).  I met Mike my sophomore year in High School, but we really connected through a love of R&B music and singing.  It was Mike that helped me understand that friends are the family that you choose.  I never felt so accepted outside of my immediate family and it allowed me to really open up and express myself.  I spent so much time with him, I had my own key to the Fisher house.  If I ever have kids, I do plan on telling many incriminating stories of Uncle Mike as examples of “what not to do”, but it will all be balanced with some shining examples of “what to do”.  If there is one person who can really make me laugh anytime, anywhere, its Mike.

Ian McAlpine (years known: 21 and counting).  I also met Ian my sophomore year in High School.  We bonded in Health class and Driver’s Ed.  Then got to know each other really well when Ian got me a job at the local movie theater one day after my car broke.  I actually kind of crashed it, but never told my parents (until now that is).  Ian introduced Jerome to Punk Rock and to also be brave and question everything you know.  Although I'm older than Ian, I learned a lot from him (but I’ll never tell -  It’s okay it is shown here, as I don’t think he can read).  Ian really showed me it’s okay to walk your own line, and truly exemplifies how to own your individuality.

Bob Alexander (years known: 16 and counting).  I met Bob at Architecture school at CalPoly Pomona.  I really owe Bob a great deal, as it was Bob that really allowed me to expand his horizons.  It was Bob’s idea that I should go to Italy to travel and hopefully meet some Italian Girls.  To my benefit I did not meet any Italian Girls, but instead I met my future wife Andrea Collins.  Throughout college I took Bob’s passion for learning and life to heart.  He always had everything together and was always a shining example of how to follow your passion and execute your dreams.  He always believed in me, even when I did not, and I am forever grateful.

Brian Collins (years known: 11 and counting) - Andrea’s Older Brother.  I was cautious after hearing stories that Brian was a very protective older brother and was allergic to BS and nonsense.  All true, but his commanding personality is matched by his compassion.  I was immediately thankful that we got along and through the years I’ve learned that family members can also be your best friends.  I am lucky, he is a person I enjoy spending time with, even though I am a little battered from a few occasions where “spending time” got out of hand.  I am hopeful for many future occasions, and also scared.  I am honored to have him as a brother and friend.

Michael Ringseis (years known: 10 and counting).  Mike is Andrea’s oldest best friend and now one of my best friends.  He grew up down the next street from Andrea, but in the best possible way, never grew up.  I met Mike while visiting Andrea in San Francisco and once I moved to San Francisco he helped me explore the best parts the city had to offer.  He has showed me you can still be a kid at heart and growing up is not about settling or selling out.  He’s our biggest fan for moving back to San Francisco, and he himself is good enough reason.  Unfortunately, we’ve disappointed him the past few years, but true to form, he remains persistent.

Bridesmaids

The lovely ladies on Andrea's side have been through thick and thin with her, traveled the world by her side and are the funniest, most beautiful ladies you’ll ever meet. From coast to coast, it simply doesn't get better than this group of girls. This is what makes each of them shine, along with how they all came into Andrea’s life (told from Andrea’s perspective, and listed on order of when they met):

Mar with her deer friends in Japan

Marlis, a.k.a. ‘Mar’:  The Washington girl who found a perfect home in San Francisco. Her laughter is contagious, and her giggle is even better. She manages to keep me housed, intoxicated, and highly entertained every time I visit SF. She has an amazing talent of calmly dealing with crazy people - which may explain why she thinks I'm a-ok. We met through my best friend from childhood, Mike, about ten years ago, and I haven't let her go since. She is the most organized, efficient person I've ever met aside from Jerome (which is saying a lot). 

Mel en route to Central Park, 2012

Melissa, a.k.a. ‘Mel’: The Southerner of the group. She donned a wedding dress and exchanged vows in Central Park June 9, 2012, after some quick planning and organizing with Jerome and me. She is one of three teachers in the bunch, but the only one who was brave enough to let me into her classroom and talk to her kids. We met about seven years ago on a friend blind date at Rudy's Bar in NYC, and then she moved all the way to Nashville to escape me...which didn't work. She is still trying to teach me how to spell and will likely send edits back to this blog post. 

Skye at PS1, 2011

Skye:  The Kiwi with the most. She dazzles on the dance floor and has several amazing tricks up her sleeves (just ask her about the cereal box game). She is an incredible photographer, explorer, traveler, artist, urban designer, teacher, and best of all...friend. She's taught me how to see to the positive side in any situation, regardless of the number of times we've been stuck out in the rain or swimming at a trash filled beach. She also invented 'Andrea time' which includes a 30-minute buffer before the agreed upon arrival time (unfortunately I found out about it).  We met through the Columbia crew about seven years ago, where she now teaches during her summers.

*Skye was one of the two incredible photographers who shot my surprise proposal in Central Park.

Dee at NYC's Highline Park

Davina, a.k.a. ‘D’:  The NYC Aussie. This girl knows how to throw one hell of a party and has gone to amazing lengths to make me laugh (including doing the "Single Ladies" horsey dance). She makes you smile in any crazy situation, surfs the shores of Rockaway, and loves to hit the open roads (and skies) to see every corner of the world. We've traveled to Brazil, Argentina, and Maine together and only have a few war wounds to prove it. We met at work, attempting to do PR and Marketing for crazy people, about four years ago.

* Davina is also the incredible videographer and editor who compiled our engagement video.

Kaite lapping up some LA fun

Katie: L.A. born and bred. She lives there now, in one of the most beautifully styled apartments I've ever laid my eyes on. She is one hell of a bartender, chef, tour guide, and punk rocker. She knows how to tour NYC and took some of the best photos I've ever seen of my little town. She's my kind of girl; she can handle herself with grace but isn't afraid to get her hands dirty.  We met on her trip to visit her old college friend Jerome (you may have heard of him) a few years ago.  Obviously, we instantly became friends and she is now one of the top highlights to visiting L.A. (that is, until we convince her to move to NYC).

Hilton Union Square Wins the Race

Hi all,

So, after some searching we've decided to book a block of rooms at the Hilton in Union Square.

For those of you who are traveling from out of town, this is in the middle of it all and just a short taxi ride away from the wedding location. And, for local residents, it's a perfect excuse to play tourist for the night in one of the city's hotel towers - with a view of it all.

We plan to stay there Friday and Saturday night, but blocked rooms from Friday, Sept. 21 - Monday, Sept. 24 in case you need a few days to recover. Rooms are $199 per night plus SF taxes, and include 1 King or 2 Double beds. Hotel details and link to booking engine below. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Book here: http://bit.ly/K0VGqo

Details:
Hilton San Francisco Union Square
333 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco, California, 94102
Tel: +1-415-771-1400
Photos/Video Tour/More Info

Parking:
Hotel offers parking for $53 per day (seriously)
Across the street there's a garage for $20 per day (I'll provide a link and name closer to the date)

Can't wait to see you there. I'll be the one by the swimming pool pretending that SF summer comes with a bit of heat.

-Anderome

The Proposal

Before I write up the story, which could take me the better part of this year, I must share the beautiful video our friend Davina made for us. Our hope is that you will all feel like you were there, enjoying the day with us, as all of you have helped us reach this point in our lives.

Kodak Gallery: Andrea and Jerome's Gallery

Our engagement photos in Central Park and some snapshots from our recent travels:
Kodak Gallery: Andrea and Jerome's Gallery

Welcome!

Howdy! Welcome to the wonderful online escape into our wedding. As we pin down a venue and date, which we realize will feed into everything else, we'll do our best to keep you updated and entertain you with photos and funny stories about each other (starting with Jerome, of course).

Xo,
Jerandra