Why Tim & Kath? (Our story ...)

Tim and Kath met in the winter of 2002, at Cafe Di Bartolo in Oakland. Tim, having recently left his career in London, was staying with his brother Roger near Lake Merritt while pursuing a more creative lifestyle. He quickly discovered the neighborhood cafe was a great place to read a book, or write in his perception journal. Kath had been living in the area and going to the cafe for years. They noticed each other right away, but several months passed before Tim struck up a conversation with Kath about writing and life--it turned out to be the first of many. More than once, Tim shared poems with Kath about a woman who was capturing his heart. Kath wondered who they were about, but never asked.

As winter turned to spring , Tim plucked up the nerve to ask Kath out on a date. Kath, still mending her heart from a prior relationship, harbored low expectations for members of the opposite sex, but decided to give Tim a chance. They went to Trio Bistro on Lake Merritt and time seemed to stop as they talked the night away, eventually closing the restaurant. Kath distinctly remembers pinching herself under the table, wondering if the evening was a dream. Though reality set in soon afterwards, bringing with it all sorts of obstacles and challenges, that first date planted the seed of hope in both Tim's and Kath's hearts that they might indeed have stumbled upon someone very special.

The challenges ahead were many--Tim had to reinvent his visa status numerous times to live and work legally in this country; while Kath struggled to peel back the layers of fear in her heart. Both had much to learn about themselves, and each other, but through it all--as friendship turned to romance, as budding romance blossomed into a deeper, more mature love--Tim and Kath held each other's hearts with the utmost respect, benevolence, and sanctity.

On June 29, 2006, Tim again asked Kath to join him for dinner at Trio Bistro on Lake Merritt. They sat at the same table as they had four years earlier on their very first date, and enjoyed a lovely meal. At its end, Tim handed Kath an envelope that contained a compilation of excerpts he'd written about her in his perception journal in the garden of Cafe Di Bartolo, back in that spring of 2002. And then he asked her to marry him. For a few more hours, time stopped for Tim and Kath. Then reality set in--the reality of planning a wedding! Read on for details about that ...

Why two ceremonies?

Although Tim has been living in the U.S. for almost five years now, nearly all of his family and old friends are back in England. It would be too much to ask all of those people to travel to the United States for our wedding, so we decided to shoulder the burden of the traveling and get married twice. Our first wedding, in Sonoma, will be the larger of the two. Here, we will celebrate with all of Kath's old friends, Kath & Tim's mutual friends, and (we hope) all of our immediate families. Our second wedding, in Gloucestershire, will be smaller and primarily for Tim's extended family and friends in the U.K. Unless you are a parent of the bride or groom, then no, we do not expect you to attend both ceremonies!

Where should I stay in Sonoma?

In coming, you will be visiting the famous "Wine Country" of California! We strongly recommend making your lodging reservations as early as possible, as this area welcomes many travelers. We suggest that you make the towns of Sonoma or Glen Ellen the base for your stay. There are many options from quaint inns on The Plaza in historic Sonoma, to luxury hotels and spas, to vacation cottage rentals. For assistance with planning your lodging, please follow the links below:

On The Plaza in Sonoma:

Sonoma Hotel, 110 West Spain Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. 16 rooms, continental breakfast, children "by arrangement." Rates $130-245. 707-996-2996. www.sonomahotel.com

Swiss Hotel, 18 West Spain Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. 5 rooms, continental breakfast, phone & TV in room, children welcome. Rates $150-200. 707-938-2884.

Ledson Hotel, 480 First Street East, Sonoma, CA 95476. 6 rooms. Rates $395. Call Michelle Ledson at 707-996-9779. www.ledsonhotel.com

Budget:

Sonoma Creek Inn, 239 Boyes Boulevard, Sonoma, CA 95476. An intimate, old-fashioned "motor hotel" reminiscent of stopovers of the 30's and 40's. 16 rooms, air conditioning, phones, cable TV, internet access, refridgerators, coffee makers. Rates $149-159. 707-939-9463. www.sonomacreekinn.com

House and Cottage Rentals:

Glenelly Inn, 5131 Warm Springs Road, Glen Ellen, CA 95442. 8 rooms, full breakfast, private bath, 2 rooms with fireplaces, children "by arrangement." Rates $150-300. Call Kristi at 707-996-6720. www.glenelly.com

Glenelly Properties, vacation rentals Rates $175-325/night; $1200-2000/week. Call Kristi at 707-996-6720. www.glenellyc.om/innlight/vacation.html

Glen Ellen Inn Cottages, 13670 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, CA 95442. Rates $100-225. 707-996-6409. www.glenelleninn.com

Luxury Hotels and Spas:

Kenwood Inn & Spa, 10400 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, CA 95442. Rates $400-700. 707-833-1293. www.kenwoodinn.com

How do I get to the Atwood Ranch?

You should fall into one of the following three groups. If you're at all confused about which group you fall into, please call (510 652 1012) or e-mail Kath. Otherwise, click on the links below for further instruction:

1) People who are staying the night in Glen Ellen, Kenwood, or Sonoma, you will be picked up at your hotel. For detailed instructions which include your individual pick up times and exact pick up locations, please click here to view the local guest pick up itinerary.

2) People who are commuting up for the day from the Bay Area will need to arrive a little early (2:45-2:55) pm to park in a designated lot in Sonoma. From there, you will be shuttled to The Ranch. Please click here for directions, maps, time table, and other helpful information.

3) People with children and people with special needs will drive directly to the ranch (by prior arrangement only, please). It would be best if you could arrive around 3:20. Please click here for directions and a time table.

The Sonoma Valley is about 75 minutes from San Francisco or Oakland. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours during weekends, holidays, and rush hours. Please consider that you will be sharing a shuttle with other guests, and leave ample time to arrive at your parking venue.

How do I get to my hotel?

Distance from regional airports:

San Francisco - 2 hours

Oakland - 2 hours

Sacramento - 1.5 hours

There are no convenient car rental agencies in Valley of the Moon. Rent at the airport, or use the Sonoma Airporter 707-938-4246.

Directions from San Francisco Airport: take US 101 North towards San Francisco/San Bruno; take 380 West to San Bruno; take 280 North to San Francisco; take CA-1 North to 19th Avenue/Golden Gate Bridge; follows signs to 101-North; take CA-37 East; take CA-121 North; take 12 (Broadway) North to Sonoma Plaza.

Directions from Sacramento Airport: take I-5 North towards Woodland; take the Main Street Exit towards Woodland; turn left on East Main Street; turn left to take CA-113 towards Davis; take I-80 West; take 12 North to Sonoma; follow 12 into the town of Sonoma.

Directions from Oakland Airport: take I-880 North to Downtown Oakland; take I-980 East to Walnut Creek; take I-580 to San Franisco; take Richmond/San Rafael Bridge to US-101 North; take CA-37 East; take CA-121 North; take 12 (Broadway) North to Sonoma Plaza.

How should I dress for the California wedding?

The Atwood Ranch is a private, working ranch in a rustic setting of vineyards, meadows, lawns, and terraces. Appropriate attire is elegant, but comfortable (please take care that your shoes are comfortable for walking around the Ranch). Things you may want to bring along: sunglasses/a sun hat, and a wrap--days are very warm in Valley of the Moon, but evenings can be quite cool.

Can I bring my kids ?

Our venue requires us to provide supervision for all younger children (under the age of 8) who are on site, at the following ratio: infants/nannies = 1:1; toddlers/nannies = 2:1; school children/nannies = 3:1. If you have friends or family who can watch your kids at home while you attend the wedding, that would be the easiest thing, logistically, for us and for the Ranch. That said, please let us know if you need to have your children nearby, as we can easily make arrangements for babysitting, either at your hotel, or somewhere at the Atwood facility.

What pre- and post-wedding events will be happening?

We are so excited to see you, especially our family and old friends who are coming from out of town! We would be honored to share the following meals with you:

Wedding Rehearsal: Saturday, May 26, at 3:30 pm at Atwood Ranch. Family and attendants please plan on being there! We will provide you with directions the week before the wedding.

Rehearsal Dinner: Saturday, May 26, at 5:00 pm. Cafe Citti Italian Trattoria. 9049 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood, CA. (707) 833-2690. Cafe Citti is a casual environment, and we will be seated outdoors on the patio--dress comfortably. The rehearsal dinner will mostly be family, but we'd love to catch up with any friends who are staying the weekend in Sonoma ... just let us know if you'd like to attend so we have an accurate head count.

Brunch, Monday, May 28, 2007 at 10:30 am, at the Breakaway Cafe. Please let us know if you'd like to join us. This will be a very small group as most of our relatives leave early to catch their flights.

What else is there to do in wine country?

Sonoma Jazz Festival, May 24-27. Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr, Smokey Robinson, Robert Cray Band, and more ... for information and tickets go to www.jazzsonoma.org

Muir Woods National Monument. Amazing redwoods along the California coast. http://www.nps.gov/muwo/

Golden Gate National Parks. This web site offers information about a network of public parks and recreational areas along the California Coastline, north of the Golden Gate Bridge. http://www.nps.gov/goga/

Russian River. Swimming, kayaking, wine tasting, and more. For more informatin, visit http://www.russianriver.com/

Russian River Wine Road. Over 120 wineries and 50 lodgings in Northwest Sonoma. www.wineroad.com

Napa Valley Balloons. Hot air balloon tours of the beautiful Napa Valley. www. napavalleyballoons.com

Napa Valley Wine Train. Year round gourmet excursions. Lunch and dinner daily. 1-800-427-4124. www.winetrain.com

Sonoma Plaza. Designed 150 years ago by the Mexican Governor Mariano Vallejo, the Sonoma Plaza is a National Historic Monument. The eight-acre park, filled with stately trees and pedestrian paths has at its center the Sonoma City Hall. Surrounding the Plaza are numerous shops, restaurants and historical sites. http://www.sonomavalleyvisitors.com/html/sonoma_plaza.php

Jack London State Historic Park. Visit Jack London's grave site, hike his Beauty Ranch Trail, and see the houses that Jack and Charmian London designed and lived in. http://www.parks.sonoma.net/JLPark.html

Shopping at NapaPremium Outlets

Shopping at Petaluma Village Premium Outlets

Are Tim & Kath registered ?

The greatest gift we could receive is the honor of your presence at one of our wedding ceremonies, so please let that be your priority. Wedding gifts are neither expected, nor necessary. For anyone who is moved to offer a gift, we have a registry at www.macys.com. If a traditional wedding gift registry just isn't your style, click over to our plant registry.

How do I get to the Lords of the Manor?

Lords of the Manor (www.lordsofthemanor.com) is in Upper Slaughter, near Bourton-on-the-Water, in Gloucestershire. The Lords is situated two miles from the main A429 road between Stow on the Wold and Cirencester. The hotel is a 10 minute drive from Kingham train station, which is on the mainline from London Paddington. Please plan on arriving around 12:30.

To view a map: http://www.lordsofthemanor.com/images/map.gif

Where should I stay in Gloucestershire ?

The A249 road is dotted with adorable Cotswold villages, offering a variety of accomodation, from family-owned and -operated bed and breakfasts to self-catering guest houses to fancy hotels. Below are some suggestions, but feel free to explore on your own: a wealth of information is available at http://www.cotswolds.info/

In Bourton-on-the-water:

The Ridge Guest House. Situated on 2.5 acres, roughly one mile from Bourton-on-the-Water. 5 Rooms available. Room tariffs from £60-80 (for double or family board). +44 (0)1451 820660. http://www.completely-cotswold.com/bourton/accom/ridge/ridge.htm

Southlands Self Catering Cottage in Bourton-on-the-Water. A non-smoking guest house that sleeps up to five. 01451 821987. Or e-mail: info@southlands.bb.co.uk

Windrush Self Catering Apartments in Bourton-on-the-Water. Two apartments available, 3-day break ranges £100-140. For more information call Arthur on 07710 404942. http://www.windrushapartments.co.uk/

The Dial House Hotel. A hotel in Bourton-on-the-Water with rooms and suites from £110-190, and a restaurant. Telephone 01451 822244. On the web: http://www.dialhousehotel.com

In Stow-on-the-Wold:

Stow Lodge Hotel. A Lords of the Manor equivalent in Stow-on-the-Wold, with restaurant, bar, grounds. Children over 5 are welcome. Rates from £191. Call 0044(0)1451 830485. On the web: http://www.stowlodgehotel.co.uk/stowlodge.htm

Old Stocks Hotel. Located centrally in the market square, this small hotel features several different room sizes, welcomes childrens and well-behaved dogs. Rates from £35. Telephone: 01451 830666. http://www.oldstockshotel.co.uk/

The Mews Bed & Breakfast. Tucked away in central Stow-on-the-Wold, and run by an older couple and their rescue cat. Well-reviewed. Rates from £50. 01451-831-633. On the web: http://www.themewsfoxlane.co.uk/

What pre- and post-wedding events are happening in England?

In addition to the traditional wedding breakfast, which will take place at Lords of the Manor immediately after our ceremony, we are also hosting an after party on the evening of 30 June at the Frogmill Hotel (www.thefrogmill.co.uk), in Andoversford. Tim is anxious to spend some time with friends and relatives, so please join us! Directions will be posted in June.

How should I dress for the UK wedding?

Lords of the Manor is a 17th century , former rectory turned elegant, country house hotel, nestled in the Cotswolds. The Lords is tranquil, elegant, and refined. Appropriate dress is formal day attire.