HEAT WAVE!

Are you all packed? Well, be sure to include some summer clothes because Southern California is having a heat wave! The forecast shows the tempatures in the upper-80s and lower-90s on Thursday and Friday in Temecula. On Friday the ceremony is at 6pm so it will be cooled down a little by then and the rest of the night will be inside. If you plan on being outside anytime during your stay, be sure to pack summer clothes and stay hydrated!

See you all VERY soon! Safe travels!

Hotel Room Blocks-CUT OFF SOON!

We just wanted to let everyone know the hotel room block cut-off date for the Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites is on Thursday, September 16, which is next week! Be sure to make your reservations before that date in order to get the discounted rate on our block. The links to make reservations for both are below. If the room blocks fill up or the cut-off date has past, we suggest making reservations through hotels.com, priceline.com or a similar site for the best deal. There are plenty of hotels in the Temecula area, but that is a busy weekend with the Julian Apple Days and other events around the Temecula area, so make your reservations sooner than later. (Holiday Inn Express cut-off has already past.)

Hampton Inn and Suites

28190 Jefferson Avenue
Temecula, CA 92590
951.506.2331
1 King Bed - $105/night
2 Queen Beds - $114/night
Click here to make reservation

Embassy Suites

29345 Rancho California Road
Temecula, CA 92591
951.676.5656
1 King Bed - $147/night
2 Queen Beds - $157/night
Click here to make reservation

Wilson Creek Winery
35960 Rancho California Road
Temecula, CA 92591

A Day for the Bride to Be!

I just wanted to say Thank You!! so much to everyone who came to the shower and bachelortte party last Saturday. That day was so special to me and I really appreciate all of the love and support I have from my friends and family. And thanks for all of the generous gifts. We have been having a lot of fun this week unpacking and playing with all of our new things.

Also, special thanks to the bridesmaids! Lindsay, mom and grandma, the shower was beautiful. You did a great job planning! Kaeley and Amy the party bus and surrounding festivities were soooo much fun! I couldn't have asked for a better party.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

On a side note, if anyone has pictures from either party, I have an empty album for each that I need to fill. If you want to send me a CD or zip file or prints of any of your favorites, it would be greatly appreciated My address is below.

2626 1/2 S Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

-or-

lauren.e.ogard@gmail.com

Miss you all already and see you soon!! (26 days to be exact-YIKES!)

(Click here for travel info post.)

What are the Mr. & Mrs. up to?

If you are staying for a few days after the wedding, we'd love to try and spend more time with you. Below is our tentative plan for the Thursday-Sunday of that weekend. Please let us know if you want to join us at any of the places below.

Lauren: 517.256.4636 or laureneogard@gmail.com
Rob: 310.597.0544 or rwdabb@gmail.com

9.30.10
12-2pm • Manicure & Pedicure
Best City Nails
28310 Old Town Front St.
Temecula, CA 92590
909.308.1580 for appointments

2-5pm • Wine Tasting
We will be tasting at a few wineries, but don't know which ones quite yet. If you want to join, let us know and we'll have more details on which locations soon!

7:30pm • Cider & S'mores
Temecula Farmhouse
39175 Intrepid Road
Temecula, CA

10.2.10
12pm • Lunch with friends
We're planning to have lunch with friends at one of the wineries followed by some wine tasting, so let us know if you would like to meet up and we will give you more details on our lunch spot and winery stops.

4-10pm •  Disneyland
We will be meeting up with friends and family for the second part of the day. Dinner reservations have been made at Tortilla Jo's in Downtown Disney for 7:30pm so be sure to let us know if you plan on coming so we can make sure we have room for enough people. No balloon hats allowed for the new Mr. & Mrs. ;). If you don't want to go into the parks, Downtown Disney is free and has a separate parking lot that is free with validation. If you are going into the park, let us know and maybe we can ride a ride together!
Tortilla Jo's
1510 Disneyland Drive
Anaheim, CA 92802

10.3.10
10:30am • Brunch with the Mr. & Mrs.
Before we all head back home, we are going to open gifts, have brunch and say goodbye. Reservations have been made for 10:30am outside on the patio. Be sure to let us know if you can make it so we have enough room for everyone.
Harry's Pacific Grill
41577 Margarita Road
Temecula, Ca
$21.95 Adult brunch menu
$9.95 Children 12 and under

(Click here for travel info post.)

Cider & S'mores

We know a lot of our family will be staying in Temecula on Thursday night so please join us for cider & s'mores by the fire. Rob's mom has rented an amazing house in the hills of Temecula that has a nice outside area with a fire pit. If you are around that night stop by to say hi to the bride & groom before the big day!

Cider & S'mores
9.30.10 • 7:30pm
Temecula Farmhouse
39175 Intrepid Road
Temecula, CA

(Click here for travel info post.)

Things to Do!

We just visited the winery this past weekend and found out there are a few events going on in the Temecula area that our guests might be interested in. If you are sticking around for a few days, it's also Restaurant Week in LA starting on October 3. More information is below.

Kenny G Concert
10.2.10
South Coast Winery Resort & Spa
34843 Rancho California Road
Temecula, CA
wineresort.com

Julian Apple Days Festival
10.2.10-10.3.10
Menghini Winery (60.8 miles)
1150 Julian Orchard Drive
Julian, CA
julianappledays.com

Sip, Savor & Stomp
10.3.10 • 5-9pm
Wilson Creek Winery
35960 Rancho California
Temecula, CA
Wilson Creek Winery Events

Restaurant Week in LA
Indulge yourself in a selection of specially priced three-course menus from some of LA’s best restaurants. The restaurant list will be added to the website after September 1, but we know Drago Ristorante is going to be one of them. (Look at the spelling of that restaurant name and try to see something interesting about it.)
City of LA and surrounding areas.
Restaurant Week Website

(Click here for travel info post.)

Video Camera Needed!

Hi everyone! Hope your summers are going well. We are looking for a guest who has a video camera and tripod we could borrow to tape our ceremony. Please leave a comment if you have one that you wouldn't mind letting us borrow. Thanks!!

Be Our Guest!

Most of you are probably here because you have received your invitation! We're happy to know it made it to you safely. We wanted to repost a few pieces of important information in case you missed it in an earlier post. We have also included information about where we registered. Please let us know if you have any questions and we will see you in a few months (80 days to be specific)!

Airport Information

Hotel Information

Registries

We are registered at both Target and Macy's and because we know it is hard to travel with gifts, we have listed the closest location of each to the winery below.

Target (6.9 miles)
29676 Rancho California Road
951.676.2668

Macy's (8.9 miles)
40900 Winchester Road
951.541.3333

Bridal Shower - Save the Date!

Date: August 28, 2010
Place: Michigan Room @ the Michigan League
          911 N. University Ave.
          Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Time: 1:00-3:00pm
Hosts: Lindsay Ogard (MOH), Karen Ogard (MOB) & Deanne Morris (Bride's Grandma)
Registry: Macy's & Target

*Mailed invitations to come*

"The Proposal," Told by Lauren

Five years is a long time to be dating. Granted, we had started dating when we were 19 so we never felt ready to get engaged until mid-2009 when our 5 year anniversary was coming up. When we went to go look at rings on my birthday in February, I can't say I was even ready then, but within the next few months the fever set in. Unfortunately, a year out of college and finally settling in to our new LA life, the thought of an engagement ring, nonetheless wedding, seemed to be long distance.

Don't get me wrong, I thought about it and hinted about it and when Rob told me he wanted to plan a surprise weekend for our anniversary, I dreamed about it more than ever. Every move Rob made I scrutinized and picked apart with friends looking for clues (special thanks to my partner in crime: Jennifer). Knowing how good I am at investigative work, Rob hid his plans WELL. Let’s just put it this way; Rob had quite a few sick days in those few months and it never even crossed my mind. The small evidence I had found wasn't enough to make any conclusions and when Rob flat out told me it wasn't going to happen, knowing how much it was breaking my heart to hear it, I had no choice but to believe him.

So the weekend was here and I STILL had no idea what was planned. For those of you who don't know me, I hate surprises. I am an absolute planner and to not know where we were going or what I should pack was torture. I think I packed about 8 outfits for a 2 night trip if that says anything. That morning I happened to be getting my hair done by one of my good friends (and famous hair stylist), Meagan. After that, we made a quick stop at home and then headed East on the 10. At this point Rob had to put our destination in the GPS so I was able to see what city we were headed to: Lake Elsinore. Thanks to advanced technology, I was able to instantly look up what was around the Lake Elsinore area. The first result showing up on my phone was Skydiving. A sense of panic took over my body and I threatened Rob that he better turn the car around and take me home if that was his plan!

After a few minutes of making me sweat, Rob suggested I continue searching the surrounding areas of Lake Elsinore and on the next page of search results I found it was 15 miles from Temecula. Earlier in the year we had taken a road trip to Temecula with Kaeley for our annual Easter celebration and had a great time. Rob then spilled the beans and told me he was taking me to dinner at Wilson Creek Winery's Creek Side Grill. This is the winery known for their Almond Champagne that we fell in love with on our previous trip. FINALLY, I knew the plans and was REALLY excited. At one point I think I even said that surprises were so much fun...little did I know!

So we stopped in Lake Elsinore and checked into the Holiday Inn Express, which is a really nice, new hotel. We went upstairs and checked out our room and Rob suggested that I start getting ready for dinner. I thought this was a little strange because we didn't need to leave for awhile, but I said ok and changed into my new dress. When I was all changed Rob told me to sit on the bed because he got me a present to go with my new dress and to close my eyes. My mind starting racing at this point, wondering if he would be down on a knee when I opened my eyes, but telling myself not to get my hopes up at the same time. When I opened my eyes, there he was with the most perfect and beautiful ring and saying the words "Will you Marry Me?!"

Of course I said yes and gave him a hug, but he must not have heard me because he asked again! At first it felt very surreal and then it started to sink in and I got really excited and emotional. I am thankful he knows me well enough not to propose in public because I would have really embarrassed myself. I called my parents and brother first, followed by my sister and grandparents. We also sent out a mass text to friends and family (and facebook ;)) with the ring on my finger. The supportive responses we got from friends and family were so comforting and special.

The surprises didn't stop there...that night we had a delicious dinner at the Creek Side Grill at Wilson Creek Winery where Rob had arranged for a custom label on our bottle of Almond Champagne at dinner. The next day we did some wine tasting at a few wineries and then made our way to Angeles National Forest for a night of camping with the bears. Even though camping isn't the most glamorous way to spend the night, it's something so close to home for Rob and me. We grew up camping with our families and took our first trip alone to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan. That trip was a pivotal moment in our relationship. You really can tell a lot about a person by how they camp! The next day we got back to LA and ended a nice long weekend with a couples massage. This was a huge step for Rob and something I have always wanted to do with him. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend.

Looking back almost a year later I still smile thinking about that weekend. Who would have guessed that a winery we went to on a wine tour would have turned into such a significant location in our relationship. And who would have thought that guy in front of me in Biology would become my best friend and partner for life. The world works in mysterious ways and I never understood why my parents would move me to Michigan, turning my whole world upside down. Now we know, even though you may not get it at first, everything happens for a reason! We can't wait to see all of you in October!

Airport Information

Since many of you will be flying into beautiful Southern California for our wedding, below we have listed information about the surrounding airports. Most of them are pretty comparable in distance, but the ticket prices may vary for each location. Be sure to plan for traffic on weekdays, especially between the hours of 4-7pm.

Ontario International Airport
Ontario, CA 91761
Approximately one hour from Temecula without traffic (57.6 miles)
Airport Code: ONT
Click here for additional information.

San Diego International Airport
San Diego, CA 92101
Approximately one hour from Temecula without traffic (62 miles)
Airport code: SAN
Click here for additional information

John Wayne Airport
Santa Ana, CA 92707
Approximately one hour, 15 minutes from Temecula without traffic (68.1 miles)
Airport Code: SNA
Click here for additional information

Long Beach Airport
Long Beach, CA 90808
Approximately one hour, 20 minutes from Temecula without traffic (80 miles)
Airport Code: LGB
Click here for additional information

Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Approximately one hour, 30 minutes from Temecula without traffic (92.8 miles)
Airport Code: LAX
Click here for additional information

Hotel Information - Room Blocks

With the wedding less than 6 months away, it is time for all of you to start your planning also! We have placed room blocks at three different hotels within the Temecula area from Thursday, September 30-Sunday, October 3, 2010. We have listed the locations and rates of all three below. If you would like to make your reservations through the room blocks, please click on the link provided or call the hotel and tell them you would like to book through the "Ogard-Dabb Wedding Room Block." There are plenty of other hotels in Temecula so don't feel pressured to book with these.

Hampton Inn and Suites
28190 Jefferson Avenue
Temecula, CA 92590
951.506.2331
1 King Bed - $105/night
2 Queen Beds - $114/night
Click here to make reservation
Last day to make reservations: Thursday, September 16, 2010

Holiday Inn Express
27660 Jefferson Avenue
Temecula, CA 92590
1 King Bed or 2 Double Beds- $119.99/night (2 night minimum stay for Saturday reservation)
To make a reservation, call 951.699.2444 and let them know you would like to book with the "Ogard-Dabb Wedding Room Block."
Last day to make reservations: Monday, August 30, 2010

Embassy Suites
29345 Rancho California Road
Temecula, CA 92591
951.676.5656
1 King Bed - $147/night
2 Queen Beds - $157/night
Click here to make reservation
Last day to make reservations: Thursday, September 16, 2010

Location of ceremony & reception:
Wilson Creek Winery
35960 Rancho California Road
Temecula, CA 92591

E-Session with Keri Doolittle Photography

It's been a long time since we have posted, but we have been accomplishing many tasks in the past few months! We will be having another blog very soon with information about our hotel room blocks, but in the meantime, here are a few of our favorite pictures from our engagement photo session in case you haven't already seen them on facebook.

First we have to give you a little bit of a background story on this experience. Our photographer, Keri Doolittle is actually Lauren's second cousin and she is a GREAT photographer. We could not be more happy and excited about having her capture one of the most important moments in our lives. So, on to the e-session...Keri came from Denver, CO to LA to take our pictures which was great! We had a tiny scare leading up to the day of when the forecast was FULL of rain! All three of us were constantly checking weather.com and we spent the Friday night before searching for the perfect umbrella to embrace the rain. The day came and it wasn't looking like the best day to be taking pictures in SoCal, but on our way down to Venice to meet Keri, the skies miraculously opened and the sun popped out! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting and the pictures turned out to be beautiful. Be sure to check out Keri’s blog, she really does amazing work.

Our Story

Today we have been dating for 5 1/2 years so we thought it'd be a good day to share our story.

At least Biology class was good for one thing...

In 1999, Lauren and her family moved from Seattle to Williamston. Rob and his family had also moved to Williamston a year earlier from Lake Orion. Rob sat in front of Lauren in Mr. Jolin's biology class, first semester of our freshman year of high school. To say the least, we both shared a common dislike for this subject. Through the next year we became good friends and started dating on April 25, 2000 (Rob's 15th birthday)! We spent a fun summer together and decided our high school years would be spent best if we were on our own paths and broke-up right before our sophomore year started. Ahhh...high school love.

Skip to senior year of high school...

Our senior year of high school is really when our story starts. By this year our groups of friends had merged together and many nights you would find Lauren and Angelee meeting Rob and Adam (Best Man) at "the Gut" (an informal car show where locals would show off their most prized possessions: their cars). We were simply friends at this point, even though Lauren's mom always asked why we weren't dating. We even went to prom together...with different dates of course! Needless to say, it was a fun year and we had a great friendship.

Ferris is TWO hours away?!?!?

We both remember that day very clearly. Lauren had already moved into her dorm at MSU and Rob's best buddies were helping him move into his dorm at Ferris State University. It wasn't until the two hour drive up to Big Rapids that Lauren realized Rob was going to school so far from East Lansing. During our freshman year at college we kept in touch and exchanged many trips to visit each other in our new homes. Best friends at this point, we spent many late nights on AOL instant messenger telling stories of our first college experiences. The summer of 2004 we all returned from our first year at college and a lot of our friends had grown apart, but we just grew closer. That summer we were together every free minute. Eventually our friendship grew into more and we started dating, but this time was different.

Two hours isn't that far away...

The first year that we dated we were going to schools two hours away and still managed to see each other every weekend. Sometimes a week was too long and we would meet in Grand Rapids to see a movie on Wednesday night. This year Lauren also realized she wasn't happy in the advertising program at Michigan State University and wanted to find a new school with a public relations major. Luckily for us, Ferris State University has an outstanding public relations department. So, Lauren made the decision to leave the best school in Michigan (at least when it comes to basketball) and head up to the Big Nasty! It was a risky decision, but possibly one of the best she'd ever made. Ferris State University was a great school for both of us and has provided us with the knowledge and confidence to be where we are today.

LA LA Land...

In December 2007 we graduated from FSU and decided to move to Los Angeles, CA. Lauren got an internship at Riester Public Relations, Rob got an interview with American Honda and we were on our way! Looking back today, we think we might have been crazy...or just REALLY hopeful. After 48 hours straight through with a brake change in New Mexico (read: Rob and Alan changing brakes outside of Car Quest), a terrible snow storm in Flagstaff and a cash-only toll road at 4am, we had made it to where we are today. After two years of living in LA, we are happy to say we have two great jobs, a great group of friends, a cat (that thinks he is a dog) and a perfect sized apartment. The last 5 1/2 years of our lives have honestly been amazing and allowed us to not only build a great friendship, but an even better relationship.  Stay tuned for a future post of "The Engagement."

Moral of the Story: Everything happens for a reason.

Happy New Year!

And with that new year, we can finally say we will be married THIS YEAR!

It has been a busy past three months since we last posted in October, but we have a lot of updates. First of all, we would like to introduce our wedding party!

Maid of Honor: Lindsay Ogard

Lindsay is Lauren's sister and one of her best friends. She currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI and is going to University of Michigan for engineering. She also holds season tickets to the football games...better luck next year! ;)

Best Man: Adam Dunn

Adam is Rob's best friend since high school. He is currently living in Williamston, MI and going to Eastern Michigan University for Construction Management. No pressure...but we can't wait for his best man speech.

Bridemaid: Kaeley Olsen

Kaeley is Lauren's best friend from Ferris State University and on. Kaeley is currently living in Maricopa, AZ and shares Lauren's love for event planning. She will be making many trips to LA in the next nine months to help Lauren with what we do best!

Groomsman: Alex Ogard

Alex is Lauren's little brother (and taller than her). He is currently living in Williamston, MI and finishing his Junior year at Williamston High School. Go hornets!

Bridesmaid: Amy Miller

Amy is Rob's older sister. She is currently living in Williamston, MI and has two beautiful kids. We are excited to share the fun of Disneyland with Amy and her kids after the wedding!

Groomsman: Matt Eickhoff

Matt is one of Rob (and Lauren's) great friends from Ferris State University. Matt is currently living in Northridge, CA, working at Cal State Northridge and has the best game nights one could imagine.

Flower Girls: Angela Miller & Hailey Waurio

Angela and Hailey are both nieces of Rob's and soon to be (officially) Lauren's. Angela just celebrated her 8th birthday with Easy Bake Oven cakes and all. Hailey is the newest addition to the Halsey/Kipp/Waurio/Dabb/Creagh/Miller family and is working on polishering her walking skills before October.

Ring Bearer: Korey Miller

Korey is Rob's nephew and soon to be Lauren's. He can't wait to learn from Uncle Rob how "everything in a car works."

Although these have been some busy months, the ball is still rolling! Here are a few exciting tasks we have accomplished since we last updated:

• Lauren's dress is ordered!
• Rob has picked out his wedding party attire.
• Both of us have our wedding bands picked out.
• Bridesmaids have ordered their dresses.
• Pastor Dean has agreed to come out for the wedding and marry us!

Stayed tuned for many more (frequent) updates to come! We will make sure to provide details about tickets and hotels very soon. Our engagement photo session with Keri Doolittle is taking place in less than a month in LA! Keri is flying out from Denver, CO to take our pics, so look out for more of her amazing work.