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Welcome to Melissa and David in Chicago!

We have created this website to help our guests prepare for our wedding weekend September 26, 2009. We are getting married in Chicago and are looking forward to having you here.

Please see the links at the right for all of the information you should need for the wedding day.

Below and to the right are a list of things to do while you are in Chicago before or after the wedding. We will add items to this as we continue to move towards the wedding day.

For those of you that can make it, we are so excited to have you to our city. We really love it here and are sure you will enjoy your stay.

If you have any questions, please drop us an email or a phone call.

Melissa and David

Hotel Room Block Expires Aug 28

Just a quick reminder to our out-of-town family and friends:

The cut off for the hotel room block we have reserved is August 28 (next Friday). You certainly don't have to use the hotels we have reserved, but if you want to I want to make sure you have that chance.

Please scroll down or click HERE for hotel info.

We are really getting excited. Looking forward to seeing you all.

David and Melissa

Feel Free to Make Comments

We made this website using a blog format. We did it because it was easy, free, and because we knew how to do it. As an added bonus, there is a comments section.

Feel free to make a comment on any of the posts. You could either tell other people that you are planning to take a tour of Wrigley Field, or you could ask a question about the hotel. Chances are, if you have a question, someone else is probably thinking the same thing!

Wedding Schedule

Friday, September 25
Meet for Cocktails (location and time, TBD)
This is an optional, very casual gathering

Saturday, September 26
1 PM: Wedding Ceremony
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
1010 W. Webster Avenue (Map)
Chicago, IL
There is a parking lot behind the church, street parking, and you can park in the Dominick's garage just north on Sheffield.

5:30 PM: Reception
Salvatore's Ristorante'
525 W Arlington Place (Map)
Chicago, IL
Parking in this area is difficult. There will be valet parking for $15 per car. We typically walk, take cabs, or use public transit.

Hotel Information for Chicago

Chicago has hundreds if not thousands of places to stay. Please feel free to investigate on your own if are looking for something a little different (something fancy, something funky, etc).

We have set up a discounted rate at two hotels in the River North neighborhood.  They are actually both in the same building, and both Marriott properties.

The first is SpringHill Suites, where you are able book a studio room with a king and a sofa bed for 134.00 per night. To get the group rate, just click the link or the logo below (or if you call Marriott reservations, you can mention you are with the Murphy/O'Brien Wedding).

SpringHill Suites Chicago Downtown/River North >>

The other option is at the Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/River North, where you can get a one bedroom room with a king and a sofa bed for 189.00 per night. The difference between the two is the Residence Inn rooms have a bedroom with a door and are a little bigger. To book those rooms, click the links below for contact info or reservations:

Residence Inn Chicago Downtown/River North >>

If these hotels don't meet your needs, there are many, many hotels in Chicago. I encourage you to look at Expedia.com or Priceline.com to find something that fits you needs. If you have any questions, feel free to email us!

Wrigley Field Tours

[Quick Quiz: How do you know this photo was not taken in 2009?]

Our beloved Cubs will be on the road the weekend of the wedding, but they are hosting tours or Wrigley Field.  In these tours you get to go all around the stadium, into the clubhouses, and through the press box.  

These tours are a good time, Dave did it a few years ago with his buddies Kyle Stout and Ryan Powell.

See the photo below as Ryan and I are listening to the tour guide pontificate on manual scoreboards.


Here is the link to buy tickets to the tour.

Thanks to Michael Rastall for the Great Photos

A big thank you goes out to Michael Rastall for the many of the photos you see on this site. He is our wedding photographer, and so far so great. If all of our vendors work out as well as Michael, this wedding thing will go very smoothly.

If you know someone getting married in Chicago, here is Michael's site for his business.

Here is a link to his photo blog post of our engagement photos.

If you would like to buy some prints, let me know and I will send you Michael's email on how to buy them from him.

Thanks again Michael. We are glad you are shooting our big day.

The Wedding Party

We are very exited to have our siblings and a few friends participate in our wedding day. We thought we would put these up so that you could get to know them better:

Co-Matron of Honor: Amy Jo Gharib
Amy Jo has been Melissa's best friend since they were in college at the University of Iowa. She now lives with her husband Mike in Cedar Rapids, IA.

Co-Matron of Honor: Shea Browning
Shea is David's younger sister, she now lives with husband Kevin in Chicago.

Bridesmaid: Patricia Murphy
Tricia is David younger sister, she is a grad student at the University of Kentucky in Lexington.

Best Man: Charlie Wittmack
Chuck is David's best friend since high school. He lives in Des Moines with his wife Catie and son James.

Groomsman: Kevin Browning
Kevin is David's brother-in-law, married to Shea.

Groomsman: Scott O'Brien
Scott is Melissa's younger brother and father of our favorite niece Adicyn.

Wait, you thought these would be funny, embarrassing photos of our friends and family?

Go See a Show - Son Volt at the Vic Sept 25

There is no lack of entertainment in Chicago. Melissa and I have been lucky to see a lot of concerts while we are here. One of the venues we really like, and is only two blocks from our apartment is The Vic. The night before the wedding Son Volt is playing there. Here is the link to the page to get tickets for that show. Dave would love to join you, but he has been told to skip this one. ;)

Where are Dave and Melissa registered?

Crate and Barrel
Bed, Bath and Beyond
Macy's

Directions and Addresses

Melissa and David's Apartment


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St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church


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Salvatore's Restaurant


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Residence Inn/Springhill Suites River North


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