WOW!

I can't believe how fast the time is going, we'll be seeing all of you in no time. Rita and I leave for Hawaii 2 weeks from tomorrow. We get in Friday, July 24th and we leave for our honeymoon to Bali on Tuesday, August 4th. We're getting more and more excited each day, it's gonna be a lotta fun.

Anyway, if any of you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask me. Right before we leave I'll be sending out a PDF document to the extended fam with all sorts of important information in it like people's phone numbers, directions, times you have to be places, etc. So be looking for that in your inbox in a couple weeks.

I'm sure you've started to figure out what you want to do while you're in Hawaii, but if you need some more ideas, here's a link to the magazine 101 THINGS TO DO ON OAHU, I would maybe print out the coupons on the back page also. If the link doesn't work for you don't fret because this magazine is available in the airport as soon as you arrive. Otherwise, if you're the type to see where the wind takes you, I back that 100% as well.

Can't wait to see each and every one of you, this means the world to us.

RSVP and Stamps

If you decide to mail RSVP after May 11th, you will need to add 2 cents to the envelope. We just realized after sending out all of the invitations that the price of postage will be going up to 44 cents. Sorry for the inconvenience everyone!

Invitations have gone out!

By now you have hopefully received our invitation and are making your initial or final plans to attend our wedding in a little over 3 months from now! The cold winter has finally passed but we jumped over spring and the hot summer has quickly taken over, bringing temps up to the 90's in New York City!

We hope you all will be able to attend our special day... but in the event that you cannot make it we understand and know that you are all with us in spirit. Our RSVP date is June 15th so please try to put the response card in the mailbox as soon as possible so that we can begin to finalize our plans for our special day.

For all out of town guests, we have made previous posts with tons of information about accommodations in Hawaii. As the day gets closer, we will add more info on other fun things to do during your stay in Hawaii but please feel free to call or email Dan or Rita with any questions.

Our Registry information can be found on the weddingchannel.com site under either of our names or click here to go directly to our wedding channel page. As you will see on the wedding channel site or by visiting either of our 2 registries we have only registered at Amazon.com and Travelersjoy.com so far since we don't really need very much. Thanks to the many great stores accessible in the New York city area and to two great sets of generous parents, Dan and I have managed to furnish our apartment with beautiful furniture, gadgets and gizmos, appliances and more already hence the lack of items listed on the Amazon registry. We don't really need anything and since we don't live in Hawaii where the wedding is happening, we thought it would be very difficult to transport any boxed items back to NYC with us.

Of course as they say, your presence means more to us than presents but if you choose to give a gift please consider helping us have the best honeymoon we could hope for. More information on honeymoon contributions can be found on travelersjoy.com.

Can't wait to see everyone there. We are looking forward to spending time with our family and friends and of course to getting hitched this summer!

Flights

Hello everyone,

FYI, flight prices have dropped considerably in the last couple days. Especially the direct flight from Newark to Honolulu. I think it would be a wise move to book while it's cheap and get a good deal on a flight to Hawaii. It's hard to say how long it'll stay at this price, it's the lowest I've seen it in a long time.

Happy New Year!

Aloha Everyone!

Just thought I'd drop a quick post to the people who are checking this site and think that we disappeared. Wow we haven't posted anything since September? The time goes by so quickly. What year is it? 2009?!?! you've got to be kidding me!!

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a smooth transition into the new year. Rita and I spent a wonderful Christmas with my parents and sister in Hawaii. The weather was lovely, and yes the occasional cloudy day (I have to put that in there or else Rita will say something about it). We were able to do a lot of wedding planning and we're almost all set for our special day. I do know one thing and that's that we are both really looking forward to August 1st and sharing a wonderful time with you all at Turtle Bay.

As far as new information, the day after Rita flew back to New York, I took one final trip down to Turtle Bay and took a personal look at the condos they have on site. I checked out a handful of really cute and clean 1 bedrooms they have that sit right on the golf course. They have a lot of different options depending on how many people you're traveling with and so on. They're pretty affordable and I think would be a great option for those of you who want to be real close to the wedding site but rather have a kitchen and a living room and be able to treat it more like a temporary home rather than a hotel.

Oh and the best part is, if you book a condo and mention the McCormack / Naman Wedding you get 10% off. The site is http://www.turtlebay-rentals.com/ Then just click on the above tab that says "property list"

Alright, hopefully another post in the works....talk to you all soon.

And here's a nice picture of the new family to be from brunch the weekend of our engagement party in SF.

Map Out Your Stay

Get the most out of your visit to Hawaii by deciding what makes the best trip for you! Do you like hotels, pool side drinks, short walks to restaurants and shopping, than you might want to consider staying in Waikiki. On the flip side if you prefer to relax on less crowded beaches and enjoy the small town feel, you may want to stay in a house rental on the North Shore - from Mokuleia to Kahuku - there are plenty of options from 1 bedrooms for 1-2 people to plantation homes for 8-12 people, some right on the beach and some that are in walking distance to the beach. Haleiwa, the main town on the North Shore, is a surf community with a few locally owned shops, boutiques and restaurants.

Our ceremony and reception is being held at Turtle Bay Resort, which also has hotel rooms and villas for those who have a little more money to splurge on your trip. Regular ocean room rates run around 330 a night and our wedding rate allows for 10 percent off your stay - they don't allow blocks.

Dan's family lives in the center of the island in Wahiawa, but there is no where to stay around there although like any other town in Hawaii it offers pharmacies, restaurants, post offices.

So don't forget the most important fact about Oahu, it's an island and nothing is that far away! Unfortunately, mass transit isn't great on the island so you may want to go in with a few people and rent a car. From Waikiki to Turtle Bay it takes 1 hour and 8 minutes to drive. If you stay on the North Shore, Haleiwa is about 20 minutes to Turtle Bay and 45 minutes to Honolulu. 

I made a very detailed map highlighting the most important features of Oahu for your stay during our wedding. You can click below and actually download a larger version to understand the setup of the island. The towns listed on the North Shore are the ones we suggest you choose from. Look at the sites that we provided for you such as VRBO and Houseaway  to get ideas on places. If you want to stay in one of the many Waikiki hotels, we recommend you look at sites such as expedia, travelocity, orbitz to book a travel deal including your flight, hotel and car rental which might be a less expensive option for those who prefer staying in a hotel but want a less expensive option than Turtle Bay. 

The Namans have booked a beach house rental on Kam Highway near Haleiwa from Monday July 7, 2009 until Tuesday, August 4th, 2009. Kam Highway is the main and only road that can take you through the North Shore and up to Turtle Bay, so you will always pass right by us. :) Remember, also you can always call or email Dan or Rita if you have any questions. 

Vacation Rental Info

ALOHA!

Hi everyone, hope you’re all doing well. Here’s some information for you so you can start planning your trip to Hawaii. Below is a list of links to various vacation rentals on the North Shore of Oahu. When you have time, start perusing the links below to get an idea of what’s out there. All these places have been personally recommended by my Dad’s colleague so I have no doubt that they’ll be both beautiful and affordable. Also just so you know, once you’re on the North Shore, you won’t be far from Turtle Bay (the site we’re having the reception) It’s an island so nothing is ever that far away. ☺

These are great places to stay if you want to avoid paying too much at the resort. The majority of them are houses or apartments right on the beach or in walking distance to it. Each link has a ton of places listed, so take a look around and try and find something that’s right for you. Think about how large your party is, if you want to stay on your own or in a group. And my only advice to you is to reserve these spots sooner than later because you can always book your flight later but it’s nice to know you’ll have a nice place to stay.

Also, keep in mind that Turtle Bay Resort has a ton of accommodations as well. You can stay in their luxury hotel, villas along the beach, or cottages on the resort grounds. Check out (http://turtlebayresort.com/book_online/book_online.asp) If you're booking at the resort make sure to mention that you're attending the McCormack / Naman wedding to receive 10% off your room, villa, or cottage. (This discount only applies if you book by phone)

And there are plenty of privately managed condos on the resort grounds that can booked by going to http://www.turtlebay-rentals.com/ Click on the tab that says property list to get a better sense of what types of places they offer.

I hope this is some useful information that will make planning your trip much easier, if you have any questions feel free to email me at newyorkhawaii@gmail.com

Mahalo,

Dan

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/hawaii/oahu/north-shore

http://www.homeaway.com/USA/Hawaii/Oahu/North-Shore/r5856.htm

http://www.hawaii-beachhomes.com/ (Norris 637-2568)

http://marianneabrigo.homesandland.com/ (Mary Ann Abrigo 637-3511 – she has a lot of her vacation rentals on http://www.vrbo.com)

http://www.keikibeach.com/ (Greg & Annie Gerstenberger 638-8229)

http://www.firsthawaiianvacation.com/home.htm (Sterman’s vacation rentals)

Also on North Shore:

www.vrbo.com/73267 & www.vrbo.com/149628 Marti Steek, manages these two

The date is set!

Hello Family and Friends,

Dan and I have decided to setup a blog to give you information regarding our impending nuptials. We have set the date for Saturday, August 1st, 2009 to commence on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. For all of you unfamiliar with Hawaii, this island is the most populated out of all and maintains the capital in Honolulu which is where you would fly into. See map below:



Our ceremony site is yet to be determined but we are going to have a Catholic priest marry us, be it in a church or in the chapel on the resort that is often used for mass services and weddings on occasion. But we have indeed confirmed a reception site, Turtle Bay Resort, on the north shore of Oahu in the town of Kahuku. It is a beautiful location that is set apart from the heavily touristed area of Waikiki, but not a far drive if you want to stay in the many hotels located on that side of the island, as well as shops.

Dan and I will be providing you with a few options for accommodations which i recommend you pursue sooner rather than later as prices and availability may go up, even before flights do. There are hotel rooms right on the resort if you like or bungaloos for the larger crowd, also condos on the resort that are owner rented and last but not least, north shore rentals where you can stay in someone's house/apt and save a little bit of money but still have a lovely place to stay. I will gather all of those resources and post them on this site when we know more.

Love everyone,

Rita and Dan/ Dan and Rita