... A local spot of tea

(so this tea is not from The Watts Gallery tea shop - but it does get your juices going. On my search for a pretty pic I came across the above from a cute cooking blog. Click image to go to the blog!)

If having tea with The Queen is a little too much for you then here is a local Surrey option. The Watts Gallery has a lovely little tea room. The gallery is currently closed for renovation unfortunately. But they have a beautiful chapel that is open and well worth a visit. The tea room and chapel are right outside Guildford.... and there's plenty of pubs around to have lunch in too!

Tea with the Queen

As my Dad so kindly pointed out in his Top 10 to do and see, Buckingham Palace will be open to visitor during the time of our wedding.
....So why not stop by and have a cup of afternoon tea with The Queen! There are a number of tours that take place round the palace. Check out the royal website and pre-book a ticket to avoid disappointment.

Getting to Woking from Heathrow airport

To get to Woking from Heathrow airport is very easy to do. Once you have cleared customs (don't forget to bring the address of where you are staying for your landing card), collect your bags and head on outside. Depending on the terminal you will arrive at, you either need to head to the bus station at Heathrow (T1+T2 - it's a 5 min walk) or to a designated bus/ coach stop. Please check out the National Express Woking Heathrow RailAir link to see where you need to be!
If all else fails speak to a nice person who works at the airport and I'm sure that they will point you in the right direction! : )

As far a I know, you don't have to worry about buying a ticket before hand. Just have some of these good old British Pounds ready to pay on board.

If you have any other questions or concerns about getting around please, please let us know. We're more than happy to help you out. x

Introduction to the wedding party: Molly

Last, but most definitely NOT least is Molly! Daughter to my cousin Nicole, Molly will be the youngest of the lovely bunch that we have walking down the aisle with us!
Due to the 3000ish miles that we have separating us these days, Mol and I haven't spent as much time together as I would like in the last few years. However, (without wanting to embarrass you Mol) we did spend a lot of time together in Molly's younger years. I'd spend my summer holidays looking after her.... going to the park, having picnics, drawing, to name a few things we got up to!
I am so excited to see you Molly and very glad that you will be there for our special day. x

Mike's top 10!

(My Daddy, Mike Daniels!)

Below is a list of Mike "Daddy" Daniels's top 10 things to do in and around the Woking/ London area.

The following are in no particular order;

Windsor Castle & Eton college – Second home of The Queen and the home of the school that teaches the UK's elite young men, including any royal boys! Windsor is about 20 miles from Woking

The London Eye - Britian's salute to the new millennium in the form of a giant ferris wheel! Easy to get to in Central London and only 300 yards walk from Waterloo Station.

(The London Eye - taken a Christmas time by me - Natasha!)

(The skyline from Embankment, right next to the London Eye)

The Olive Tree – this gastro pub is about 4 miles from Gorse Hill and has a great range of wine and excellent food.

Hampton Palace – A beautiful royal palace made famous by King Henry VIII and his 6 wives! The palace is about 18 miles from Woking. Easy to get to on public transport.

The Tower of London – Another one of Her Majesty's palace's, the Tower is also the traditional home of the Crown Jewels. Located in Central London.

(HRH Queen Elizabeth II in the jewels)

Oxford – the old university town is about 40 miles away but a great place to go, however you will really need a car as the train ride is quite long.

There are plenty of museums and galleries in London, including the Natural History Museum, the British Museum, the National Gallery (in Trafalgar Square), the Tate gallery and the Tate Modern (on the refurbished) South Bank of the River Thames.

Stonehenge – If you are into big, very, very old rocks and want to stare in wonder at how they go there then this is the place for you! It's a bit of a trek but if you have a car and the time well worth a visit.

(Stonehenge - lots of BIG rocks! A fun time , seriously!!)

Buckingham Palace and Tower Bridge are also great place to go BUT Buckingham Palace is only open ONE month a year and that’s August. So if you want to go you’ll need to book online and as soon as you can.

And finally for those in need of some retail therapy there’s some great shops like Harrods, Liberty’s, Harvey Nichol’s, Selfridges and Carnaby Street. All in central London and accessible by The London Underground.

Hope you find this useful.
Thank you very much for that Dad!
x

Introduction to the wedding party: Jason

Jason Stahl (aka, Stahl or Stahlie) and Stefan have been friends since their college days. How or when they meet exactly is a story that you will have to ask them. One, as I am not exactly sure how there paths first crossed, and two, because Stefan joined the fraternity that Jason was in... and there are many, many stories there!
That said, Stahlie is a dear, dear friend to Stefan and me. Always there with love, support and guidance from "Rock Enterprises"!
I would also like to mention that he has just married one of the loveliest ladies that I know, Theresa (pictured above on their wedding day)
We love you two dearly and can't wait to make many married life memories with you both! x

Summer reading list

(Bill Bryson. Notes from a small island. On sale in Amazon.com)

For those of you not so familiar with the British Isles, can I suggest that you read this book before you come to the UK... or after (it might make more sense!). I just started reading it- and although I'm not very far into it, the book is a funny insight into British foibles! And even as a native to the UK, I am really enjoying it! Add it to your summer reading list. x