Spring Trip to Maine Part 1: Arrival and The Engagement Shoot

We left for Maine on Friday May 8th taking an afternoon flight up. Not much really happened aside from running into an awesome bartender during our layover between Baltimore and Portland.

We got in late, but it was nice to see the family again. Being welcomed by hugs and smiles is always a nice reward after a long trip. Since it was so late it didn't take long for us to conk out that night.

The following saturday we headed to our first cake testing, Cricket joining us as we trust her culinary wisdom! It was pretty good too! But we wanted to try a few other places we had lined up. It was nice to spend the day hanging out with family and having fun.

The following morning had to be early for us - something that had been planned several months in advance. A pretty day, rather windy but nice and we were out the door headed to Boston by 9am (or at least that's what my adled brain seems to remember it feeling like)

We started our day about an hour earlier than we planned to, because Alan and I got into Boston earlier than we thought we would. The three hour drive wasn't bad, but the entire trip we felt so damned awful for not being able to spend the day with Alan's mom and a bit sorry about my mom as well - it was mother's day after all. Guess we have a whole year to make it up to them both (Love you Cricket & Momma)!!

We got to Boston around one, found a parking space and hoofed it to the apartment complex where Jacklyn met us outside. For a little while we sat around in the lobby talking, and Jacklyn got to do my eye make up because I'm incapable of success at those things (confession: Eye make up was the ONLY make up I wore that day). It was fun to have girl time with my photographer, I have to admit. We also met Jacklyn's partner in crime (who I THINK is her husband???) Chris. He kinda reminds me of a native American Indian because of his facial structure. He also had the pretty and long silver hair tied back in a pony tail. I really wanted to play with it, but thought it might be a bit awkward if I did.

We set out to the nearest T train station and got our tickets for the subway. The first couple shots we took was on the train. Everyone was looking at us, wondering what the heck was going on, and eventually a train security officer came stomping our way looking properly burly and annoyed asking what terrorist plotting we were up to. Chris showed them some of the pictures and thankfully the guard said just to try not to get in the way of other passengers. Finally getting off the train, Alan and I headed out of the station trying to find out way around. We stopped at these brick arches to take a few shots and told just to do cute stuff. We tried to comply.

apparently we did well. . .

We headed onto the Boston Museum of Science, taking pictures along the way. It was fun to laugh and joke with Chris and Jacklyn as we went onward. Getting to the science museum, some guy just HANDED us two tickets so the boys let us have them. Alan and Chris bought their tickets, we dropped off my bag and I switched out shoes then headed on our way to explore the museum!

Inside the museum there's this 'whirly gig' machine that uses various odds and ends to accomplish next to nothing, but it LOOKS SO COOL shows kids how gravity and engineering can go hand in hand. Either way it was a fun backdrop.

After a few clicks we got lost in our own little world. . .

We headed off into various sections in the green wing which held all the natural history stuff. Of course we had fun playing with the exhibits, seeing the stuffed animals (I had no idea a moose was that BIG) and shells!!!

Alan's nickname among many of our friends is 'moose' hence we HAD to get a picture with the moose.

Eventually we found our way into the blue wing, which held the technology and science part of things. Alan has a thing for the vandigraph generator and the tesla coils and . . .well the electricity exhibit brings the mad scientist out in him. He freaking LOVES this section. So we went to go play!

Of course we had to play with the plasma tube, and Jacklyn was literally bouncing with excitement over some of the many ring shots she got with this. Coolest. Ring shot. EVER.

Finally we headed up to the Lighthouse exhibit, which was upstairs. This exhibit is appropriately named but not what you think it is. I was thinking. . .fog horns, and light beams and ocean sounds

What I got was mirrors, fun with RGB lighting, optical illusions and crazy reflective surfaces. Jacklyn was beside herself with excitement over some of this stuff!

After the museum we left to grab some grub. Back on the train we went, Jacklyn and Chris showing us some of the shots they got, talking excitedly and ALL of us talking about food. We were totally hungry. Jacklyn called her brother, had some phone issues (apparently iphone reception is not that great), but eventually we found a place to eat. It was a bowling alley and lounge bar called Kings. We shared calamari, nachos, and had some 'real food' to go along with that as well. All the while talking about photos, vegetarianism, art, and anything else which came to pass. Chris was even so nice as to pick up the tab!

We headed back to the train station to ride back to the apartments we met at, and parking. Jacklyn and Chris did some ninja camera moves on the train and got some pretty sweet shots! But this ring shot is my favorite:

Hopping off the train we hung around the terminal for a bit.

Heading out the the terminal Jacklyn told us she'd take some more shots as we walked back. She found this really awesome ivy covered wall which I'm totally in love with. For some reason it reminds me of James and Lily Potter before they lost 150lbs, which makes it all the more adorkable to me because I'm kinda obsessed with Harry Potter. This is the image:

After we got back to the apartment, Jacklyn and Chris grabbed our stuff out of their trunk (they kept some of the clothing etc we brought with us in their trunk so we wouldn't have to worry about it being stolen). We talked to Jacklyn for a bit more and finally said our goodbyes.

Alan and I left with an amazing sense of awe. We got our photos taken, I didn't freak out or mouse up, we had fun and best of all we totally loved hanging out with our photographers! Jacklyn had originally told me that the shoot would take about 2 to 3 hours, but all together we spent somewhere around 6 or 7 with them. We didn't even REALIZE this fact until I looked at the clock in the van. We had so much fun we didn't even realize how long we'd been gone or how tired we were.

So with the day behind us we headed home back to Maine and fell asleep looking at the stars from our bedroom window.

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If any of you are interesting in Jacklyn's Services or other works (she's got an amazing portfolio which includes everything from weddings to family portraits and some more risque stuff) head over to her website www.jagstudios.net! Rest assured that these are not the only shots that we took and there's loads more. If you'd like to see the rest, shoot us an e-mail at acmewedding@gmail.com and we'll give you all the info to do so!

More to come tomorrow!

- Carrie.

People Who Make It Happen: Jacklyn Greenberg

Something Alan and I both agreed we really wanted for the wedding day was a great photographer. We didn't want the 'stand and smile' kind of person, we wanted some one who was "made of creative awesome".

We both spent weeks going through websites trying to find the perfect person to capture not only us, but you guys too! Alan and I have horrid memories so having photographic evidence is probably a good way to remember our wedding day and who was there to help us celebrate! Anywho, it took us weeks to find just the right person but with constant vigilance we were able to find her!

Meet Jacklyn Greenberg!

She's totally not this innocent

Jacklyn, hails from Connecticut. She's an amazing artist with an amazing personality. Her excitement about what she does is absolutely infectious. So much so, that leaving a conversation with Jacklyn always has us smiling. Easy going, with a creative and colorful flare to her artwork, and eco-friendly, we were happy to give Jacklyn the job.

You can check out her work which includes not only weddings, but families, and everything else under the sun (including kids, omg so CUUUTE!!!) at her website which is also linked to her blog!

Jacklyn is more than happy for all of you to take your own photos during the day, all she asks is the space allowed for her to work.

If you have any questions for us to pass along to Jacklyn feel free to shoot them to acmewedding@gmail.com

FAQ Session 3 : How to Use This Blog

According to Wikipedia, Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQ are a list of questions and answers that pertain to one common subject. When it comes to big shindigs, anyone whose planned a party will tell you people ask a lot of questions - and generally they're the same ones. FAQ Sessions will be posted here for the purpose of answering questions that frequently pop up. If you have any specific questions or concerns feel free to leave a comment or drop a line at our blog e-mail: ACMEWedding@gmail.com. I'm sure we won't be able to think of everything you guys will end up asking us, so feel free to suggest subjects we should touch upon.

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Hey everyone! We're really glad that you guys have decided to pop on by and check out
what's going on here on our blog. We're trying to keep it updated with information
on anything and everything we can possibly think of you keep you guys in the know on what's going on.

A good deal of you know what a blog is and how to use it, but some of you (like my Mom) may not. So we're going to go over a few basics on how to use this blog to leave us comments on our posts, vote in polls, how often to check back, and other stuff. So lets get started!

1. How do I comment on a blog entry?
A blog entry is pretty much any specific article you see here. Each entry, near the last few words of the article has a small bit of text at the bottom. Each are links, and you can leave a comment on the entry by hitting the comment button. Simply write your message in the appropriate field and choose an option from the "comment as" drop down menu. The menu allows you to post as anything from your AIM screen name to Anonymous. Choose which you'd like to post as and hit 'post comment'. Your message has now been posted on the comment section of our blog. You should not have to sign up to leave a comment here. If you run into any problems please shoot us an e-mail at acmewedding@gmail.com and we'll see what we can do to fix the issue.

2. Why would I leave comments?
Short Answer: It helps us get feedback from everyone, and keeps us in contact with you (and visa versa).

Long Answer: Leaving comments helps us know if we're even getting across the ideas that we want to correctly. By leaving comments you can suggest ideas, and pose questions. Comments allow you to get to know other people who may be coming to the wedding, and they also help us to make sure we're giving you all the information you may need on a subject. It's an easy method to keep us all in touch with one another. Comments can, in general, be pretty entertaining too.

SO, LEAVE COMMENTS! We WANT to hear back from you!

3. What is a Poll? Is it an Ad?
A poll is just what it sounds like. A question is posed, and a group at large (that means you guys) get to give us your answer. No, the poll is NOT an Ad. The poll is made by us, though we're open to suggestions on topics. To participate in a poll, simply read the question and choose the answer which best fits your opinion. That easy.

4. How often do you plan to update?
Alan and I plan on updating this thing a least once a week. I have a personal goal of posting something about every three days, but we'll see how that turns out. Rule of thumb, check back once every few days to see if we've updated. If we haven't feel free to bug us about it!

5. There's a button at the bottom that says 'Older Posts'. What is this?
If you've found a button that says older posts, that simply means we've got a back log of old articles. Think of it like turning the page in a book. You've read the first page, and now you want to catch up on the next - so just hit the friendly "Older Posts" button. You may have read them, but if we suddenly go on a posting frenzy and you need to catch up, check the 'older posts' button to make sure you haven't missed anything.

6. I have some other questions, which may or may not pertain to this blog. How do I contact you?
Simply drop us a line at our blog e-mail acmewedding@gmail.com!

Hope this helped!

- Carrie

How We Met: Carrie's Perspective

It seems kind of crazy, you know? Meeting someone like Alan was something I never
planned on. In high school I was serious about getting into college. I was serious about my education to the point that I swore to myself I wouldn't get involved with anyone because lets face it, love is a HUGE distraction. If I found a guy he'd have to wait because I was going to focus on school.

Then I met Alan, and that 'focus on school' thing went right out the window. Well, kind of.

I actually remember seeing Alan on Orientation day at school. All the new freshmen were brought into a single room (because our class was a small group) and given the lowdown on how this whole 'college' thing worked. Before the lecture began I remember Alan coming into the room with a black sketch book under his arm. He was wearing jeans, a black shirt with this ludicrous spoof of The Matrix on it, and a blue over shirt with orange and red flames going up the side. Height of fashion right there. It may be sad to say, but he was honestly one of the better dressed guys in that room. Animators aren't generally known for their fashion sense, even after college.

He sat down a few desks behind me and started goofing off with the other guys. Speaking of goofy, I also remember thinking, "Dude, the guy has a really goofy laugh." And in the back of my mind I was a little charmed by it. I drew to pass the time till the lecture started. I didn't really think much of the guy with the goofy laugh after that.

But our paths crossed in our 'History and Trends of Animation" class, which was taught by a very knowledgeable, very tall, very long winded, professor Mike McGill. It was a late class starting at 6pm and going on till 10pm, well after that if Mike got onto a particularly interesting topic. After the first class I went downstairs to wait for a shuttle which I wasn't even sure was going to come. According to some of the students in the lounge the bus often came early and then never showed back up for the students who let out late. I must have looked a bit apprehensive as I was thinking about the long walk back to the dorms down Roswell Rd after 10. Perhaps this may have been what caught Alan's attention. Whatever the reason, Alan walked by me, then turned around sharply and asked, "Do you need a ride home?"

I agreed, which now that I think about it, was probably a bad idea. Mom always told me not to accept rides from strangers, but it was the guy with the cute goofy laugh and dark hair that fell into his eyes. . . and I was an awkward art chick. Who in their right mind would try anything with me?

We started talking. We were both awkward at first, but loosened up with the small talk. "Sooooooo, Where ya from? . . . MAINE!? Why are you all the way down here?!. . . School? Dude there's an animation school in New York. . . Yeah, my mom would probably freak if I went to live in New York City too." And somewhere between that and, "God, I hate hummers," Alan visibly relaxed and we enjoyed our few minute ride back to the dorms. He dropped me off, I thanked him, and walked down to my apartment dorm glad to have a possible friend.

The next class went the same way. In fact, we had two classes together. He sat beside me in our 2D Design class and we gabbed some more as we worked on the asinine measuring exercise.

Upon our second history class, Alan again gave me a ride home. Again, I thanked him and left for my dorm.

The next week (which I'm fairly sure was when he started playing with my hair in class. even though Alan denys this completely, I point to the fact he still absently plays with my hair on occasion in the car, when watching movies, etc) we walked together back to his car, and talked as we puttered along Roswell Road. There was a pause, a break in the conversation and then Alan piped up, "Are you hungry?" I nodded vigorously, as I hadn't eaten since lunch.

Alan pulled into a place that looked promising. At least the lights were still on. So we got out of the car, and trotted inside. Upon coming into the foyer I knew we were in a place that was way over our heads. Green velvet carpet. Polished wood everything. Chandeliers. It looked like a Vanderbilt hunting lodge threw up all over the place. Alan and I glanced at each other, perhaps saying a few words, then bolted, probably leaving a very perplexed hostess behind us. We ran all the way back to the car and fled to the nearest bar.

Alan paid for my meal, making me feel awkward not only because of his easy generosity but because that meant it was officially a date. Upon being dropped off at my dorm I picked up my bags from his trunk, and kissed his cheek in thanks. For the second time that night I bolted back to my dorm and immediately called a friend back home freaking out over the fact I just had an impromptu date. My plan was failing! SCHOOL first! Guys Later!!! My friend proved no help as she wanted to just talk about whether he was cute or not. I had to admit he was. . .

The next day was an off day for me. I got up, did some menial stuff, and went for a swim. Upon getting back from my swim, the girls in my dorm room looked to me reproachfully saying a "guy" had been by asking about me. He'd left his apartment dorm number with them. Armed with this information I cleaned up and left for apartment number H16.

I knocked on the door after hoofing up 3 flights of stairs, only to have one of Alan's roommates, Wesley, answer. Alan came to the door once summoned and explained he was just wondering if I wanted to hang out. I was happy with this and said sure. He was really the only friend I had in the whole dorm complex as my own roommates were more interested in seeing how much alcohol they could hold before puking. He introduced me to his other roommates: Josh, Wesley, James, and Mike (who happened to be absent at that moment). He showed me around the apartment, a three bedroom where as mine was a two. Upon coming to his abode I was happy to poke around in his music collection, admire his art and envy his luck in landing his own room.

I sat down in his computer chair, he on the end of the bed, and we just talked about anything and everything. Music. Movies. Family. Maine. North Carolina. The Army. Art. And then that awkward silence. He was looking at me funny. The kind of funny where he had this big lopsided grin on his face, the kind that made me laugh nervously and ask, "What?"

He just shook his head, with that smile and shrugged, saying something along the lines of "Nothing."

More silence, aside from the music we'd stuck in, the Titian AE sound track was blasting through the speakers of his computer as we talked. Sometimes I'd sing along.

Then he asked me a question. A question I, in my years of experience in high school, should have recognized.

"Carrie, would you like to go out with me?"

And I answered the dumbest way possible. I said the most stupid thing one could EVER say when one is being 'asked out' by a guy. Poor little, innocent, and naive Carrie had no clue what he really meant in that statement. It was a loaded phrase. A proverbial fork in the road that only had two directions to take Yes Road, or No Drive. Some how I ended up crashing into the median. His question was simple, "Would you like to go out with me?" and in my infinite wisdom I answered:

"Sure, where?"

Alan's expression went from goofy smile to flabbergasted befuddlement. He blinked a few times, obviously realizing just how stupid I must be and repeated his question, although a little slower. "No, I mean. . .go out with me."

In my head the only thing I could think of was places we could possibly 'go out' to. There were restaurants, and shops, the movies, and a mall around the area though I wasn't sure where, maybe a bookstore! Gears turning, but clunking in the wrong direction. I was still driving along that proverbial median.

Alan again blinked - at this point probably amazed that he had to explain the concept of 'going out' to me. "As in. . .boyfriend and girlfriend."

Let me explain that in high school, I never had a guy 'ask me out'. I never had 'a date'. I never honestly had anyone interested in me in the slightest or if they were they were awful quiet about it. I was the awkward girl. The strange chick who drew all the time. I was the one people talked to about their relationship problems, because I didn't HAVE any relationship problems (namely because no one was interested). I'm the strange chick people would pick on, and laugh at. The fat girl. The one random people would adopt and try to fix with make up. Boys didn't look at me in high school, or if they did it was out of an academic need. The only thing I was wanted for by guys was on the team jeopardy in Biology class, or maybe to help someone with vocabulary memorization or Latin translations. Guys just weren't interested in me. To be fair a guy had asked me out once before - but 3rd grade notes that say "check yes or no" don't count. So that said, I had no prior experience in this real life 'asking out' thing.

And now here was a guy, a real guy, a cute real guy, formally asking me out - and I didn't even REALIZE it.

I'm not sure if I turned white or red first, but at some point I think I managed to turn a slight shade of purple from the embarrassment. You could have fried an egg on my cheeks, or at least it felt like it.

I don't remember what I said honestly, just that it was along the lines of,"Yes."

Ever the gentleman, Alan asked if he could kiss me and I do remember saying yes to that one. I'm glad I did. We were unofficial for a long time, though we really didn't act like it. We made it offical, though mainly to ourselves, on August 24th of that summer.

And things just fell into place from there. In fact, everything fell into place so easily between us. We get along so well. We do our best work together, as a team. We are a team. Some people might say we 'fit together like two peas in a pod,' but I don't think that's quite it. It's like two puzzle pieces that lock into place mid fall when you shake out the box. It was that easy, and that much of a surprise (or at least to me).

It's amazing. Absolutely amazing that someone like me ended up with someone like him. I consider myself drunk with luck when it comes to Alan. I don't know what I did to get the awesome karma that brought this guy to me but I'm glad I have it.

- Carrie

How We Met: Alan's Perspective

Carrie and I met early in our first quarter at AIA. It was July in Atlanta, and the city was doing what it does best in the summer, which is to steam-fry anyone with the sheer gall to stand outside for longer than five minutes. Fortunately for us, the school seemed to have a policy of consistently refrigerating the five story office building that constituted our campus at temperatures more conducive to keeping penguins. That may be a bit of a exaggeration, but when you're looking back at the first few weeks of college from the other side of the diploma, the memories tend to take on a cartoonish technicolor hue. So when I say those memories seem plain vanilla in contrast to my first memories of Carrie, I hope you can appreciate how perfectly we fell together. By some bizarre cosmic coincidence, we were both bitten by the animation bug and had therefore enrolled in the Media Arts and Animation program offered by the school. This meant that eventually our class schedule collided and I ended up in a classroom seat adjacent to a bright-eyed and bubbly Carrie learning about the history of animation. Its at this point our accounts seem to differ. According to Carrie I was sitting behind her and she first noticed me when I absently started playing with her hair. I, being a gentleman of integrity, insist I was sitting beside her and did no such thing. Regardless, we met each other there, and I can say with happy confidence that neither of us ran screaming out the door, and no furniture was permanently damaged. After class, I was on my way out to my car and saw her waiting for the shuttle to the dormitories, which were about two very hot and urban miles away. On a whim, I offered her a ride, which very well have been one of my better whim-decisions ever. On the ride to the dorms, we found out that we had a lot in common, including the fact that we were both out-of-state transplants. One car ride turned into several, which turned into a dinner date that included fleeing from a fancy steak-house once we realized that they would not be receptive to seating two kids in jeans and t-shirts. One thing led to another and on the 24th of August, 2004 we were, as they say, officially an item. I have a feeling Carie will be posting her perspective on how we got together soon.

-Alan

Special Rates on Airfare!

I ran across something interesting - AirTran, an airline that Alan and I use quite often, has sales and webdeals on airfare prices!

At this moment in time they've got specials running for one way tickets to various cities that they cater to, including Portland Maine.

A one way ticket from Atlanta to Portland is priced at $79; where as, a ticket from RDU or Charlotte to Portland is $59. There's also ticket prices reduced from a crap ton of other states, including, California, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and more.

Go check it out at www.airtran.com

FAQ Session 2: Travel

According to Wikipedia, Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQ are a list of questions and answers that pertain to one common subject. When it comes to big shindigs, anyone whose planned a party will tell you people ask a lot of questions - and generally they're the same ones. FAQ Sessions will be posted here for the purpose of answering questions that frequently pop up. If you have any specific questions or concerns feel free to leave a comment or drop a line at our blog e-mail: ACMEWedding@gmail.com. I'm sure we won't be able to think of everything you guys will end up asking us, so feel free to suggest subjects we should touch upon.

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200 years ago it would take days to travel to the nearest town in a rural area. 200 years ago it would take weeks to get from one state and into the next. 200 years ago it took MONTHS to get from one side of the continent to the other, suffering frost bite, malaria and dysentery along the way (Oregon Trail anyone?). Good thing it's not 200 years ago.

Travel is regarded by many as a luxury, or that bane of some poor businessman's existence. Either way, Travel can be fun and it doesn't have to be as expensive as people tend to assume it is. You have several options, depending on how much time you have and how much money you'd like to spend, going from road trip to train to flying jet plane.

Your best friend in any search for bargan travel is the internet. There are slews of websites that can offer you quotes on travel costs for tickets from buses to planes.

One of the things Alan and I really enjoy is traveling together so here's some tips we came up with to make sure you get the best bang for your buck. The majority of tips here are assuming that you will be flying, though many are transferable between methods of travel.


1. Travel Light. No. Seriously. TRAVEL LIGHT. You really don't need five pairs of shoes. If you can manage it, try to pack something the size of a basic carry on item. All airlines have a limit of two carry on items per person. Small rolley bags are fine for carry ons. Traveling light also keeps you from having to pay luggage fees. That's right. Luggage fees. As of this writing, US Airways is asking $15 per checked bag. So in the long run, traveling light could save you a few bucks. 'Travel size' toiletries are your best friend (if you're packing bags as a carry on, make sure your liquid/gel items are under 3oz and packed in a clear plastic baggie according to TSA standards) when packing light; However, keep in mind that if the hotel is going to provide it anyway, why are you bringing it? Hotels now have complimentary everything, fromthe standard fair of shampoo, conditioner, soap and lotions - to tooth brushes, razors and toothpaste. Check with the hotel you're staying at and ask about what items they offer should you forget something.

2. Maine is a cold, rural, and beautiful place. Please pack accordingly. Long sleeve shirts, light jackets, warm socks and maybe a pair of mittens and a scarf - and for the love of all things awesome, PLEASE DO NOT PACK HEELS. You're gonna be in MAINE, OUTSIDE. Heels will not keep your feet warm, so toss the nice 'formal' shoes and slip on a pair of boots or sneakers under that pretty dress, or swanky slacks.

3. Wear your jacket, don't pack it.

4. Buy your tickets well ahead of time to save yourself a few bucks.

5. Be open to leaving on an odd day or at an odd time. Flights that leave around noon can have more seating avaliable, and give you more time to get ready (and beat traffic for that matter) aside from saving you a couple bucks. When booking your flight, departing and returning on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thrusday can also save you cash. At the present moment, ticket prices can dive from $50 to nearly $100 less if you travel on these "off days".

6. Eat something, or bring something with you on your plane to snack on. Because of 'cost cutting' most airlines now won't even give you a cup of water without charging you $2 bucks, much less a bag of peanuts. Belive it or not, travel, even the 'hurry up and wait' kind, can really drain the body of a lot of energy because of stress or anxiety that builds up. Accelerated heart beat, worrying, running to gates, keeping an eye on the kids in the terminals, etc etc etc. Making a small purchase of a bagel or a sandwich with a bottle of water or a cup of fruit to bring on the plane is a good idea - especially if you're traveling with little ones. Understand that the TSA has got it out for liquids and gels now, and they won't allow bottles of water/cups with water in them into the terminals. As far as food is concerned, pack a bag of chips, or non perishable snacks in your purse or second carry on if you'd rather not buy.

7. On the note of food: Bring an empty water bottle or normal sized travel mug with you. Throw it in your purse or laptop bag. Water fountians are avaliable at most restroom areas, and these things don't have to be thrown away. So if you're jonesing for a drink save the two bucks and help the enviornment at the same time.

8. Shop around for ticket prices. Yeah this is probably a given, but still I figured it needs to be said. Finding the best price can take time and patience, using websites like farecast.com help with telling you when to buy your tickets. Airline ticket prices go up and down constantly, farecast.com keeps tabs on the trends and predicts when the best time to buy is going to be. So check it out. I've found the best prices on a website called cheaptickets.com.

9. Travel with a group. Some airlines, like Delta, offer discouts on prices for groups of 10 or more. You can contact Delta's group travel information at 1-800-532-4777. Other airlines do group travel and discounts as well so if you find an airline with a great price online, call the airline directly through their normal website and see if you can get an even better deal, with more company along the way. If a lot of you are coming from one area why not make a party out of it?

10. Make sure you have ample time between connection flights. Getting a direct flight is nice, but it's not always avaliable, so more often than not you're gonna have to switch planes. Planes headed for Portland, Maine tend to stop at Philledelphia, Washington, New York, and on the rare occasion Boston. Have at least an hour layover between your flights as this leaves ample time for you to get to your gate and decompress before taking off again.

11. Bring a book, or something for entertainment while on your flight. Having a book, something to knit, a handheld game to play, or just something to do, can really help the time on your flight whizz on by. Of course there's always the option of just looking out the window at the world below, or talking to those around you as well. Most people on planes are desperate for something to do, as some won't be as prepared as you - so it's easy to find someone to talk to. . .sometimes rather you want to or not.

If any of you have any other tips that may be useful for travel, or you're trying to get a group together feel free to drop us a line at ACMEWedding@gmail.com and let us know about it so we can share!

. . .And I have to wrap it up here as this:

. . .keeps staring at me, making pathetic noises & demanding to go out.

Must obey the Corgi.

- Carrie.