Check Your Mailboxes

... because the invitations are out! We hope that you will all be able to join us for our wedding, but we need to know one way or the other. Instead of sending out the traditional RSVP cards, we're asking you to RSVP either by phone or online. Hey, we're Generation Y-ers... at least we're not asking you to text and/or facebook message your reply!

(1) Phone - call us at the phone number provided on the RSVP card. If you get our voicemail, feel free to leave a message. For each guest, we'll need to know what you'd like to eat - steak, salmon, or something vegetarian.

(2) RSVP - visit www.jonandtamar.com. Go to the RSVP link:


Then type in your RSVP code that's on your RSVP card (note: it's case sensitive):


The page will generate the names of each person included on your invitation. For each invitee, please list if he/she/you can attend or not, the entree selection (steak, salmon, veggie). Feel free to leave us a message as well!

Deciphering the Save the Dates

You've likely received your save the date cards by now, and may wonder what all of the "stickers" on our record player are about.  So here's the breakdown:

1. Dave Matthews Band performed a free concert at the Great Lawn in New York's Central Park, which was one of the first concerts that we attended together.

2. We love documentaries, and got to see a screening of Once in a Lifetime (a doc about the New York Cosmos professional soccer team) and actually won a door prize - a free shirt that wound up in Zach's (Tamar's little bro) wardrobe.

3. Whenever we go back to Toronto, we make it a point to see the Maple Leafs play.

4. We love to ride the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus... even though, as the saying goes, "I ride the bus.  Which in LA is the equivalent of eating out of a dumpster."

5.  In both New York's Webster Hall and Toronto's Kool Haus, we got to dance like fools at The Shins concerts. 

6.  Another free concert we saw in New York was the July 4, 2006 concert of Belle & Sebastian.  We arrived there after (1) locking ourselves out of our summer sublet and (2) weathering a lightning storm outside - near a metal stage.

7. Now that we live in LA, we are bound to patronizing Wahoo's Fish Tacos.  But we usually just go there to get free stickers.

8. Our favorite show is Big Bang Theory.  We challenge you to a game of Rocks, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock.

9. We met as freshmen living on John Jay 8 at Columbia.  Roar, Lion, Roar.

10. Whenever we're visiting Jon's folks in Markham, a night is not complete without a trip to Second Cup.

11. During spring break of sophomore year, we went to Paris, France to visit Tamar's cousins.  We had a great time, while feasting primarily on panini and crepes.

12. Jon introduced Tamar to the brilliance that is Nirvana.  He spent his childhood emulating Kurt Cobain with his cousin Nicholas.

13. In sophomore year we headed to Astoria to attend a Czech street fair and wound up with postcards and other swag for Czech Airlines.

14. Jon relocated to Los Angeles to attend law school at UCLA.  We finally had an athletics program to support.

15. We had a blast attending the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006, and were thisclose to Zach Braff at the world premier of The Last Kiss.

16. In senior year we took Art Humanities and became extremely intrigued by the work of Andy Warhol.  Even though Factory Girl vilified Jon's hero, Bob Dylan.

17. The fire dancer is one of the icons of Dave Matthews Band, our favorite musical group.  We attended 9 DMB concerts while we were living in New York.

18. A continuation of #12, Tamar realized that Unplugged in New York is, perhaps, the best Nirvana album ever.

19.  Jon likes The Germs, and snuck in this sticker when Tamar wasn't looking. 

20. We used to take the 9 subway line between Columbia and downtown.  Then they cancelled the 9, so the 1 runs on its own. 

Public Square at Bloor & Yonge?

Tamar here.  It's been a busy week (despite only 3 work days) and I'm happy to say that the Save-the-Dates are out.  As noted on the cards, if you would prefer to receive an eco-friendly e-mail invite (designed by Jon, of course), shoot us an e-mail at invites@jonandtamar.com.  Otherwise, feel free to explore our website.

When I was in my second year of grad school, I was living at Queen's Park (Avenue Road) & Charles Street, which is a couple of minutes walk to each of our host hotels.  I'd constantly frequent the intersection of Bloor Street & Yonge Street (right by the Marriott) because I could catch both transit lines there, it was near the Dollar Store (which is amazing when you're an RA on an annual budget of $6/resident), and it was near plenty of restaurants and pubs.  During this time, there was a planned project at 1 Bloor Street East - right at the southeast corner of the busiest intersection in Toronto.  They knocked down a bunch of smaller buildings and were planning to build an 80-something story building with a hotel, residences, and retail uses.  Toronto, in my opinion, is primarily a low-rise city, so this would definitely shake up the skyline a bit. People waited overnight during the winter for the opportunity to buy a condo in the first stage of construction.  

As a result of the recession, the project's developer thought about reducing the height of the building to save on construction costs, and ultimately the project died before fully going for review.  The Toronto Star recently published an article about how there's some interest in turning the space into a public square, similar to that at Yonge and Dundas.  And it looks like the Toronto Public Space Committee is backing this up.

So when you come to the wedding, you may be across the street from a public square, a blank slate, or maybe even a condo tower (though the latter is unlikely).  I guess you'll just have to wait and see. 

A rendering of the (now dead) One Bloor East project

Yonge-Dundas Square

Save the Dates Almost Out!

Jon designed our save-the-dates and we received our copies in the mail this weekend.  So now we're busy writing out addresses and getting them ready to mail.  Hopefully we'll have them all stamped and sent at the end of this week.  Though if you've found our blog, then you already know our date!

We still have a ways to go before sending out invites, but if you prefer to receive your invite as a PDF (by e-mail) to save (part of) a tree, just shoot us an e-mail at invites@jonandtamar.com.  

Our wedding planning has been progressing, and we're excited to send all of the details with you soon!  In the meantime, check out our website, also designed by the fabulous Jon.