Regarding Gifts

We have discussed it and decided not to register anywhere for wedding gifts. We did this for several reasons and with a few considerations in mind:

• Your presence is enough. We recognize that a lot of you will be traveling in order to attend and/or circumstances make it difficult to bring a gift, and we want you to know that the gift of your presence is absolutely enough.
• We are going into missions. Although the first few years of our marriage will be in the States, ultimately we will be going into the mission field. This means that we want to keep our material possessions at a minimum to reduce the complications of transportation and/or storage. 
• Our immediate future is uncertain. We are not currently sure if we will be moving immediately or shortly to Washington in order for Mary to attend her linguistic school. There are a few other opportunities on the table, but all of them would be aided by not having a whole lot to move.

If you do want to give a gift, we will receive it gladly. We ask that you give what comes to mind as useful and good for us. We trust that God will supply our needs.

• We are going to put any monetary gifts into an investment account to be used when we are ready to leave the Sates for the mission field (please let us know if you are interested in supporting us in missions on a regular basis).
• We are both book worms and outdoorsy people. So we enjoy shopping at REI, Next Adventure, Powells, etc.
• Needs:
• A queen-size futon mattress
• Some small bookshelves
• Your love and prayers
• Wisdom  :)
• That's all I can think of right now...

Potluck food - list of ideas

Here is a list of ideas and things to consider. You are of course welcome to bring anything you feel comfortable creating and transporting. :)

• Fun drinks - Martinellis, Simply Juice, etc. (no alcohol per. Park restrictions)
• Pasta salad
• Potato salad
• Been salad or taco Salads
• Cold cuts (like pork or salami)
• Chips & Salsa
• Fruit or fruit salad (watermelon, pineapple, cuties, etc.)
• Crackers or rolls
• Cheeses
• Twice baked potatoes 
• Sandwich platters
• Deviled eggs
• Pickles (or pickled things - artichokes, green beans, etc.)
• Deserts - cookies, cupcakes, brownies, joyfulness

• We are going to avoid peanuts altogether so as not to risk triggering allergies
• If you are making something vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free let us know so we can create courtesy labels for those guests with allergies or food preferences.

Wedding Details: What to expect, what to bring

We want this day to be a celebration, both of our marriage and of the friends and family who have been such a huge part of making us the people that we are.

We want to keep things low-key, shoes optional, come as you are!
The wedding is going to be informal, not out of disrespect for the institution of marriage but out of a desire to focus on our community and the relationships that have blessed us.

What to expect:
The event is going to start at the top of Mt. Tabor park. There is a natural cathedral of trees where Benjamin and Mary will be married by Pastor Bruce Arnold.

We invite guests who can to park at the base of the hill in the shelter parking area (P), walk past the sheltered reception area (R) and up the trail to the crest of the hill (W) where the ceremony will take place. The walk is less than 0.2 miles long and should take less than 10 minutes. Guests who do not feel comfortable walking this distance can park along the drive that loops around the top of the hill.



After the wedding ceremony the bride and groom will walk down the hill to the reception area. We hope that you can join us for the potluck following the ceremony.

What to bring:

• Please bring a picnic blanket or something equally portable that you feel comfortable sitting on (this will be for both the ceremony and the reception).
• Please bring a 5x7" card with a favorite family recipe, blessing, scripture verse, etc. We want something that helps us to celebrate you and the unique element that you bring to our community.
• The Reception will be a Potluck, so bring a dish or food item that is easy to transport and can be served cold. If you want to email us with details on what you are bringing that would be wonderful. If you don't feel like you can bring something because of traveling or limitations, don't worry! There is always enough to go around.