Amazing Lighting

If you haven't seen our wedding pictures yet (they are so amazing, thank you Dox Photo!), you may not have seen our great lighting! Mike from The Conference Experience came out and hung them all for us. We had a specific vision of garden lights hanging across the room. This was the design on our amazing invites (thanks to Paper Candy Prints) and we wanted to carry it through the whole event. Unfortunately it was pretty costly to rent these type of lights. SO Dan and I found them online at PartyLights.com and used a C7 string and G40 bulb (if you wanted those technical details). They were very low wattage which created a nice glow in the room and the awesome McNichols Building left up some illuminated art around the room. In addition, Mike added some up-lights and lighting for the band. His cost was VERY reasonable considering some of the quotes we got AND that he had to screw in 500 bulbs! I knew the wedding resale market  is pretty good and that I could sell them after wedding... what I didn't realize was that Mike would want them for his arsenal! So if you are looking for a similar feel as my wedding, be sure to call Mike! He has it! :)Here are some pics to get an idea:Reception lighting.jpg 

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Dance Floor lighting.jpg

The Name Change Game - Part 1

I wrote this post over on my wedding blog but I thought you all might find it helpful too.Name Change featured imageHello ladies! In all my post-wedding glow, I have been trying to get some business done! That involves changing my name to Haykin (something I was very excited about but did not do without thought). It is kinda a jungle out there when it comes to name changing. There are a lot of resources but I found out somethings while I was doing it that I thought I would share. This is only the first part (as evidenced by the title) because we are tackling the credit cards and bank accounts next. Be sure to come back for that information.Ok, let's get started. The name change game actually begins BEFORE you get married, at least in Colorado. While I cannot verify this for other states, I will tell you how it works here and you can be prepared to ask the right questions.

  1. Marriage License:This is a key part of changing your name. You can't do ANYTHING without it. When we went to get our marriage license, the clerk asked us if we wanted certified copies. Why would we need them, we asked. Well, it turns out that some places want you to mail them a copy of your marriage license (though I have not yet run into that) but additionally, I felt a heck of a lot safer carrying around certified copies than carrying our ACTUAL marriage license around. When we picked up our license, we ordered three certified copies. See if you can do this as well, as it will save you time on the other side. It already took weeks to get the license back... I would have been sad to wait for copies too.
  2. Social Security Card:This is your first stop once you have that marriage license in your hand. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. You can't do anything else until you are in the SS system with your new name. As far as I can tell, the Social Security Administration does not take appointments for SS card issues. That means you have to stand in line. It took me 2 hours (and I got there before they opened) to get to the counter and talk to someone. My advice here? Read this PDF on how to change your name with Social Security and fill out the form at the end. Bring it with you to the office. This speeds things up because if you don't, you will have to fill it out on-site. Notice they ask for SS numbers of your parents... yeah, I had to call my mom about that one! I don't know how it works if you don't have that information. Here is the document: Application For A Social Security Card. To find your local office, go here. At this appointment, you will need to bring:
    1. Marriage License
    2. Driver's License
    3. And if you haven't been there before... bring your passport just in case. They sometimes need evidence of age and US Citizenship and it can't hurt to be prepared.
    4. Your application form

    This process can be done by mail or in-person. I recommend in person because you cannot do anything else until your name is changed in the SS system. Once you have completed it on-site, you know when you can proceed to the next steps! You will not get your new card on-site. That takes a few weeks but they will give you a letter saying that it's happening with your new name.

  3. Driver's License:Here's something I didn't see ANYWHERE when I was looking up how to change my name... You cannot go from the Social Security office to the DMV in the same day. I had set myself up to do that and was told I had to wait at least 24 hours for the system to update. Yikes. That means two separate days in government offices. Also, at least in Colorado, you can make DMV appointments. That is great! I was in and out in 20 minutes! Remember to check with your local DMV for their requirements. This is only based on my experiences. Once you are there, they will ask for all your documents and process you. If you wear glasses, you will get the vision test again and then they will call you up to take a new picture (SMILE) and sign your new name... yes ladies, sign you new name so practice before you go! :) Once you have waited 24 hours, here is what you need to bring to the DMV:
    1. Your old driver's license (they will punch a hole in it because it isn't valid anymore but I kept mine since my credit cards are still in my maiden name... weeee! I get to say maiden name!)
    2. Marriage License
    3. Letter from Social Security or your card (but really they will just look you up in their system)
    4. CASH OR CHECKS! Most DMVs will NOT accepts cards! Bring cash or checks. It costs $21 in Denver, Colorado.
    5. Proof of address if you have moved. This includes:
      • Utility bill IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Pay check stub IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Credit Card statement IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Phone bill IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Mortgage or rent document IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Tax document IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Homeowners/renters insurance policy IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
      • Vehicle registration IN YOUR NAME WITH NEW ADDRESS
  4. Your Work:This last piece I have for you is somewhat vague. Of course, let your work know that you are getting married and planning on changing your name. In my case, my husband came onto my insurance so there was a lot of paperwork to do. To change the name with our payroll company, I needed a marriage license and a copy of my new social security card. The best idea is to speak to your HR or Finance folks and ask the questions. Every workplace is different but don't be afraid to have the conversation. In my office, I also had to put a work order in with IT to get a new email address. Who knows when they actually with start using my last name! :)

Well, that's what I have for your today. Stay tuned, I will update you on the next steps! And head on over to www.TheHaykins.com for more wedding related stuff!

And I'm back!

Hello! I would say sorry for the hiatus but I’m not. We are back from our amazing honeymoon and getting back into the swing of things. I can’t believe it all happened, that we pulled it all off, but man… it feels great to be married!In case you missed it, here is the New York Times article on our engagement. It came out the day we were married… more to come! 

Talia Davis, Daniel Haykin

Dox Photo
By ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY
Published: March 10, 2013

Small Garden, Big Yield: A MarriageTalia Hava Davis, the daughter of Iana Kade Davis and Rabbi Bahir Davis, both of Lafayette, Colo., is to be married Sunday to Daniel Solomon Haykin, the son of Elena Haykin and Michael Haykin of Centennial, Colo. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi is to lead the ceremony, with the bride’s father participating, at the McNichols Building, an event space in Denver.The bride, 31, will take her husband’s name. She is the senior manager for marketing of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, a nonprofit fund-raising group for Jewish organizations, in Denver. She graduated magna cum laude from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla., and received a master’s in public relations and marketing from the University of Denver.The bride’s father is a rabbi in Lafayette, where he also runs Rocky Mountain Hai, a spiritual group, of which her mother is the administrator. Her mother also works in Lafayette as an executive assistant to the chief executive officer at Ilantus Technologies, a security technology firm based in Bangalore, India. The bride is the stepdaughter of Danielle Davis.The groom, also 31, works in Denver as an investment adviser with his father, who runs a private financial investment firm in Centennial. The groom graduated from the University of Rochester. His mother retired as an electrical engineer in Longmont, Colo., at Seagate Technology, the hard-drive maker.The couple were introduced by a mutual friend in early April 2012. Halfway through their first date at a Denver wine bar, Ms. Davis texted her roommate. “This is the man I’m going to marry,” she recalled texting.A week earlier, Ms. Davis had acquired a small plot that needed tending at the community garden at Ekar Farm in Denver. By their third date she recruited Mr. Haykin, along with one of her friends, as gardeners.Mr. Haykin showed up with garden tools. For several hours they worked.Every Sunday they returned to the garden for “a big weeding date,” he said with a laugh. “We’d get dusty and dirty, and got blisters.”They also stopped by during the week to water, and six weeks after the seeds were planted, they sprouted, along with their relationship.“I was leaving for a trip,” the bride said, “and he took me to a cute bar and blurted out that he loved me. I started to tear up and said that ‘I love you, too.’ ”In September, with the garden in full bloom, Mr. Haykin proposed with a ring hidden inside a gardening glove. “Babe, come here, you have to see this,” she recalled him saying from where he crouched behind a couple of plants.“I came running, asking if it was a squash,” she said. He stood up with the open ring box. She froze.After she said “yes” at least a half-dozen times, he quickly tended to matters at hand. “Can you put this thing on your finger before I drop it in the dirt?” he said. ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY

And we are back!

Hello! I would say sorry for the hiatus but I'm not. We are back from our amazing honeymoon and getting back into the swing of things. I can't believe it all happened, that we pulled it all off, but man... it feels great to be married!In case you missed it, here is the New York Times article on our engagement. It came out the day we were married... more to come! 

Talia Davis, Daniel Haykin

Dox Photo
By ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY
Published: March 10, 2013

Small Garden, Big Yield: A Marriage

Talia Hava Davis, the daughter of Iana Kade Davis and Rabbi Bahir Davis, both of Lafayette, Colo., is to be married Sunday to Daniel Solomon Haykin, the son of Elena Haykin and Michael Haykin of Centennial, Colo. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi is to lead the ceremony, with the bride’s father participating, at the McNichols Building, an event space in Denver.

The bride, 31, will take her husband’s name. She is the senior manager for marketing of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, a nonprofit fund-raising group for Jewish organizations, in Denver. She graduated magna cum laude from Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Fla., and received a master’s in public relations and marketing from the University of Denver.

The bride’s father is a rabbi in Lafayette, where he also runs Rocky Mountain Hai, a spiritual group, of which her mother is the administrator. Her mother also works in Lafayette as an executive assistant to the chief executive officer at Ilantus Technologies, a security technology firm based in Bangalore, India. The bride is the stepdaughter of Danielle Davis.

The groom, also 31, works in Denver as an investment adviser with his father, who runs a private financial investment firm in Centennial. The groom graduated from the University of Rochester. His mother retired as an electrical engineer in Longmont, Colo., at Seagate Technology, the hard-drive maker.

The couple were introduced by a mutual friend in early April 2012. Halfway through their first date at a Denver wine bar, Ms. Davis texted her roommate. “This is the man I’m going to marry,” she recalled texting.

A week earlier, Ms. Davis had acquired a small plot that needed tending at the community garden at Ekar Farm in Denver. By their third date she recruited Mr. Haykin, along with one of her friends, as gardeners.

Mr. Haykin showed up with garden tools. For several hours they worked.

Every Sunday they returned to the garden for “a big weeding date,” he said with a laugh. “We’d get dusty and dirty, and got blisters.”

They also stopped by during the week to water, and six weeks after the seeds were planted, they sprouted, along with their relationship.

“I was leaving for a trip,” the bride said, “and he took me to a cute bar and blurted out that he loved me. I started to tear up and said that ‘I love you, too.’ ”

In September, with the garden in full bloom, Mr. Haykin proposed with a ring hidden inside a gardening glove. “Babe, come here, you have to see this,” she recalled him saying from where he crouched behind a couple of plants.

“I came running, asking if it was a squash,” she said. He stood up with the open ring box. She froze.

After she said “yes” at least a half-dozen times, he quickly tended to matters at hand. “Can you put this thing on your finger before I drop it in the dirt?” he said. ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY

A Wedding From A Distance

Daniel and I both have friends and family overseas who cannot make the trek to Denver as well as friends and family in the US who can't make it either. We wanted to find a way that we could share this day with all of you.We will be webcasting the wedding with the help of Ustream. Go here - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-haykins - on March 10th, around 4:45pm Denver time, and join us for our wedding!More info to come! :)

Wedding Brain

You've heard of baby brain? Well I have wedding brain. I can't remember anything. Not only can I not remember anything... I have the attention span of a gnat. Seriously.I start to work on something and then I start something else then I think of something else then something jumps into my mind then I do something then...Then I have 72 tabs open in Firefox, 18 different documents open, four different Adobe products open, I haven't eaten lunch and it's nearly 4pm. Now, this isn't just wedding related... this is everything related. Call your mom, finish that script, write a press release, make a logo, write a blog, call a vendor ... it goes on.I really think this is a thing... wedding brain... Wait. What was I talking about?