Ceremony Details
Date: 30 June, 2007; 6:30pm
Location: Channing-Murray Foundation, 1209 W. Oregon St., Urbana, IL 61801
Reception Details
Date: June 30, 2007; 7:30pm
Location: The Bread Company, 706 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801
Registries
Before getting into the typical registry stuff, there are a couple things to consider. The first is that we have been together and living together long enough that we do not need many of the traditional wedding gifts -- thus the reason for the registries in the first place. There are some things like that we do want, but we also greatly encourage non-traditional presents. This is where you come in, oh creative wedding guests.
Are you a painter? A photographer? A sculptor? A furniture-maker? Do you like plants and growing things? We like ALL of those things. A painting, photograph or gorgeous plant is a creative and comparatively inexpensive alternative. So think about it...
Crate & Barrel: Crate and Barrel is a particularly dangerous store for Sascha, who has never met a kitchen store he didn't love. Now that he's finally found his single-piece stainless steel measuring cups, he's on the prowl for some other very specific items.
Williams-Sonoma: Along with some cookware, there's a few choice items that would be super-fantastic. Most of our current dinnerware dates back to a college-era "bring-your-own-place-setting party" -- though ecclectic is good, we have decided that it's finally time to upgrade.
Amazon.com: The cool thing about Amazon is that you can put things like subscriptions to the magazines you love and books that you seriously need to own, as well as bread machines and towels and other more traditional wedding gifts.
Pre-arrival Logistical Q&A
Question: What's the weather going to be like?
Answer: At the moment, Weatherdotcom is telling me that it will be around 86F/30C the day of the wedding, with no chance of rain and about 50% humidity. This is, quite honestly, our wedding present from the weather gods, because it is the best that could possibly be expected at this time of year. I was actually steeling myself for 95F/35C and 80% humidity with thunderstorms all afternoon.
Question: I'm heat sensitive. Will there be air conditioning?
Answer: Yes. However, bear in mind that the chapel the ceremony will be held in is over 100 years old and will cool down as much as is possible in a building that isn't insulated.
Question: I haven't booked a room yet. Where should I stay?
Answer: There are lots of options. A quick internet search will reveal dozens of hotels. Hotels in Urbana-Champaign tend to run around $60-100 per night. Below is a list of hotels, but these are not the only options by any means.
The Historic Lincoln Hotel: In the Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana. A strange, neo-Tudor place in the heart of Urbana, also approximately 15 minutes from the ceremony and reception. About $60-85 per night. Sorry cats, the Historic Lincoln is full up. For those of you staying there, I'm going to go in and talk to them this week to see exactly how many of you are staying there and where you all are so that maybe you can all make friends.
The Illini Union Hotel: 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana. In the University of Illinois Student Union, this hotel is centrally located and about a 5 minute walk from both the ceremony and the reception. Around $100 per night.
For more standard, national hotel chains, we recommend using Orbitz.com, Expedia.com or Travelocity.com to reserve a room. The major hotels are located further away - around 20-25 minutes from the wedding sites. Expect to pay between $50 and $100 per night at these hotels, depending on the hotel and the size of the room.
Question: How do I get there?
Answer: If you're flying in, you can come to any of the major airports in the area and drive in -- Chicago (3 hours away), Indianapolis (2.5 hours away), St. Louis (3.5 hours away), or fly directly into our very own Williard Airport in Champaign (airport code CMI) which is about a 20 minute drive from our house.
Question: I'm planning to arrive early and/or stay after. What restaurants would you recommend? Where can I get a good cup of coffee? What are your favorite bars?
Answer: There tons of restaurants in town, but some of them are better than others. Here is a list of where we like to eat, as well as the occasional recommendation when a place does one thing particularly well. All restaurants and bars in Urbana are non-smoking, but some bars in downtown Champaign continue to allow smoking.
Mirabelle: 124 W. Main Street, Urbana. A lovely bakery in downtown Urbana, Mirabelle has truly fantastic pastries. Their coffee, on the other hand, leaves a bit to be desired. Get pastries to go and then get coffee elsewhere.
The Courier Cafe: 111 N. Race Street, Urbana. The Courier is our favorite place to have breakfast. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try the salad bar and the coffee of the day.
Strawberry Fields: 306 W. Springfield, Urbana. Strawberry Fields is a natural foods store with a cafe attached to it. They have good vegetarian food and excellent coffee. In the store, you can purchase organic fruit and vegetables, vegetarian/vegan snacks, vitamins, etc.
Milo's: 300 S. Broadway (attached to the Lincoln Square Mall), Urbana. Milo's serves lunch and dinner and has a good array of gourmet foods. Try the upside down pizza – it's delish!
Crane Alley: 115 W. Main Street, Urbana. Crane Alley is a bar / pool hall / restaurant. They have some of the best french fries ever and the pool tables bill by the hour.
Siam Terrace: 212 W. Main Street, Urbana. Siam Terrace is our favorite Thai restaurant. We've never had anything we didn't like there. They also deliver, so you can order food directly to your hotel room.
Caffe Paradiso: 801 S. Lincoln, Urbana. Paradiso is, in Faith's opinion, the best cafe in town. They serve Intelligentsia coffees, pastries from Mirabelle, and have sandwiches, soups and salads. It's a wonderful place to just sit, read the paper, enjoy a cup of coffee and relax.
Cafe Luna: 313 E. Green Street, Champaign. Cafe Luna is a little slice of European bistro right on campus. Their sandwiches and soups are particularly good.
Fiesta Cafe: 216 S. First Street, Champaign. Delicious Mexican food in downtown Champaign. Burritos that, while they are not quite as big as your head, could almost definitely feed two. Unless you are starving to death, do not order 3 burritos or chimichangas.
The Blind Pig: 120 N. Walnut Street, Champaign. The Blind Pig is more English than many pubs in England. The Blind Pig has been called the best beer in downstate Illinois and is in the top 50 best places to drink in the United States. It's also really down to earth and is wonderful place to just sit and enjoy a few drinks.
Radio Maria: 119 N.. Walnut Street, Champaign. Located directly across the street from the Blind Pig, Radio Maria serves quality fusion cuisine. Try their new tapas bar – it's fantastic. On weekends, they also have a really wonderful brunch menu, but they don't take reservations and it's popular so arrive promptly at 10am.
Kofusion: 1 E. Main Street, Champaign. Kofusion has sushi and fusion Asian food. On Monday, sushi is $1 per roll. Be adventurous – try something new!
Schnucks: At the intersection of Vine and Main Streets, Urbana. An all purpose grocery store. Open 24 hours – for the benefit of you Canadians, you can buy alcohol (beer, wine, liquor) at grocery stores here, so an extra liquor store is unnecessary.
Question: Where can I pass the time during the weekend?
Answer: There is often live music throughout the week as well as on Friday and Saturday nights. For current information, pick up a Buzz magazine (free and distributed to most cafes, restaurants, gas stations, etc.) and check the calendar. The Buzz should also have a list of venue locations, but most live music occurs in downtown Champaign.
There are also several movie theaters. For all your blockbuster, mainstream movie needs, go to the Beverly Theater on N. Prospect in Champaign. The New Art Theatre in downtown Champaign plays independent films.
As far as shopping centers go, the Market Place Mall has hundreds of stores where you can buy all sorts of things you probably don't need. The N. Prospect area in general is home to most chain stores – Target, Best Buy, Borders, etc. are all located on or off of N. Prospect. Downtown Champaign also has many little boutiques where you can buy clothing, art, jewelry, antiques, etc.
Question: I brought my laptop. Where can I find wireless internet so I can check my email?
Answer: Many if not most cafes have wireless internet access for those with laptops. Here is a list compiled by the Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Project (CUWiN), where Sascha serves the Executive Director. While CUWiN tries to keep this list as up-to-date as possible, there may be new places, while others many no longer be available.
Last Updateed 4 June, 2007. For more pictures, click the photo below.
