Heath + Nicole

Friends & Family, We are getting married in our hometown at The Family Farm on July 25, 2015 at 3:30 PM. We cannot wait to celebrate with each of you in this very special place we both call home. Our wedding is as much about our community as it is about us, and we hope to make it a truly special day for all.

A WORD ABOUT THE FARM

The Family Farm is a secretive, private retreat in the redwoods. The property crosses both Portola Valley (Nicole's hometown) and Woodside (Heath's hometown) and lies exactly halfway between their families' homes. 

It also has an intriguing past. It was founded, fittingly, by a group of journalists who split off from San Francisco's Bohemian Club in 1901. 

GETTING THERE

Shuttles will be provided from the two recommended hotels to and from The Family Farm and after party. If you are staying elsewhere, you are welcome to park at one of the hotels and catch the shuttle. 

Shuttles will depart the Epiphany Hotel on Saturday at 2:45 PM
Shuttles will depart the Rosewood Hotel on Saturday at 3 PM

You may also drive your own car to the Farm. If you go this route, be sure to arrange in advance for a safe ride home! 

LATE NIGHT

We will provide shuttle service back to the hotels starting at 9 PM. We will also be shuttling late night revelers to Woodside's historic Pioneer Saloon at 11 PM.

We have rented out the Pioneer until 2 AM and booked our favorite local bluegrass band, Windy Hill.

Shuttle service will run from the Pioneer back to the hotels on the half hour.

POOL PARTY

On Sunday, guests are invited to a poolside brunch at the Thomson's home in Woodside at 10:30 AM. 

EARLY BIRDS

For those in town on Friday morning, Heath and Nicole will lead a trip up Windy Hill, and organize lunch, a wine tasting at the top, and a ride back down. Email them if you are interested!

KIDDOS

We love your kids almost as much as you do, but due to space constraints at the venue, children are not able to join for the wedding ceremony and reception. 

NEARBY AIRPORTS

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) 15 miles 
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) 16 miles 
Oakland International Airport (OAK) 39 miles

GETTING AROUND

We will be providing shuttles to and from the wedding and after party, but recommend that out-of-towners still rent a car for easy cruising!

ACCOMMODATIONS

We have set limited rooms aside at the following hotels. Please let the hotels know you are with the “Perlroth Thomson Wedding.” Summer is busy! So please book your hotel as soon as possible.

The Rosewood ($395 and up)
650-561-1500 
2825 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, CA

Heath & Nicole will be staying here as it is close to home and ripe for poolside lounging. 

The Epiphany ($219 and up)
650-666-3311
180 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 

A brand new Joie de Vive hotel right smack in the middle of downtown Palo Alto. Do not stay here without getting a peppermint milkshake at the Peninsula Creamery down the street. 

For those of you who are interested in renting houses in the area, we suggest searching the following for homes in Portola Valley or Woodside:

airbnb.com
homeaway.com
vrbo.com

SHUTTLES

Shuttles will transport guests from the two recommended hotels to and from the Family Farm. If you are staying elsewhere, you are welcome to park near one of the hotels and catch the shuttle. A shuttle schedule will be provided closer to the wedding.

You may also drive your own car to The Family Farm, located at:

The Family Farm
1400 Portola Road, 
Woodside, California

LATE NIGHT

Shuttles will run late nighters and newlyweds to the Pioneer Saloon at 11 PM for bluegrass and brews with Heath and Nicole's favorite bluegrass band, Windy Hill, and from there back to the Epiphany and Rosewood hotels. 

DRESS CODE

Black Tie Optional. Woodside and Portola Valley typically see warm summer days and cold, cold nights. We'll be outside so be sure to bring something warm because it will get chilly! Also please keep in mind that our wedding will take place outdoors on grass so flats or wedges are highly recommended.

KIDDOS

We love your kids almost as much as you do, but due to space constraints at the venue, children are not able to join for the wedding ceremony and reception.

QUESTIONS?

We are so grateful you are making the trek and want to make this a lovely weekend for all. If you have trouble booking your hotel or have other logistical questions, feel free to email us or contact our wedding planner/savior, Amy:

Amy Kaneko Events
650.561.4430
nicoleheath@amykaneko.com

ABOUT HEATH

Heath Thomson is the love of Nicole's life. In 2013, Heath bought a school bus on eBay and drove it across the country with his dog Homer. Somewhere in Iowa he summoned the courage to call Nicole. Over the next year, he transformed his bus into a kitchen and started cooking meals in between the crop rows at farms across Northern California. When he wasn't building and cooking, he was spending time with Nicole. He fed her, a lot, and took to calling her "my Lotti"-- short for agnolotti, the pasta dumpling. He is a really good skier, but not as good as Nicole (on groomers). Also, he is the best person Nicole has ever known.

ABOUT NICOLE

Nicole Perlroth is the love of Heath's life.  She is an investigative journalist who is not afraid of the Chinese military, Russian mobsters or the N.S.A. She can often be found doing hard-hitting interviews in her nighty from their living room. When she is not bringing justice to the World Wide Webs, she likes singing along to African tribal music in the shower, eating Heath's cooking (especially the pasta!), and interrogating Heath. Heath gets away with nothing. Nicole is a really good skier, but not as good as Heath (in powder).  Oh and Heath wanted to marry her five years ago.

We're excited to show you the place we both call home! There is a lot to do and much of it requires an adventurous spirit, so we've marked activities in standard ski form. 

For those in town on Friday, Heath and Nicole will meet you at the base of Windy Hill at 9:30 AM for a trek up the hill for lunch and a wine tasting at Fogarty Vineyards at the top (and a ride back down). Email them if you are interested! 

♢♢ WINDY HILL

Grab a backpack, sunscreen, water and a deli sandwich at Roberts Market, and hike up Windy Hill for sweeping views of the Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. This 7.5 mile hike starts from Nicole's backyard and can take 2+ hours. Your reward at the summit are views all the way to the Pacific Ocean. It gets hot in July so it's best to start before the fog burns off in the morning. We suggest parking at the Portola Rd. entrance-- for directions click here-- and following the Spring Ridge trail map to the Skyline summit and back. Then, grab a beer at the Alpine Inn.

♢ FOGARTY VINEYARDS
A short drive from the top of Windy Hill, and a windy drive from Portola Valley and Woodside lies Thomas Fogarty Vineyards, a gem of a vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. At 2000 feet above sea level, few wine regions can match the climate, soil, and vertigo inducing views of the San Francisco Bay Area. There's a reason this activity is marked with a ♢. Motion sickness sufferers, this drive is not for you! 

♢ ALPINE INN

The Alpine Inn is an old roadhouse we locals call "Zott's,"  short for Rossotti's, the original owners. The President of Stanford called it "vile and a disgrace to San Mateo County." Heath and Nicole simply know it as the place they used to go after AYSO soccer games. These days most people know it as a Hell's Angels favorite, or the place where the Internet was born. The entire digital universe is in orbit around a nondescript picnic table in the back, where the first email was dispatched. Zott's is more about the beer and nostalgia factor than the food, but it's worth a stop and if you look closely, you may just find Heath and Nicole's initials etched in the tables out back.

O THE GOOSE

You haven't lived until you've tried the deviled eggs (see picture) at The Dutch Goose. The burgers on sourdough baguette are a favorite. If you look carefully, you may find Heath and Nicole's 8-year-old initials etched here, too.

O THE VILLAGE PUB

"The Pub" is a Michelin-starred gem in Woodside. It's also where Heath first trained as a chef in high school. Everything here is tres bien. 

O BUCK'S

Next door to the bakery is Buck's, probably the most famous breakfast spot in Silicon Valley. That's Shaquille O'Neal's size 23 shoe hanging on the wall.

O SHOPPING

Stanford  has one of the most beautiful "malls" in the country. Or, stroll down Palo Alto's University Avenue and grab a milkshake at the Creamery. 

O SPA TIME

The Sense Spa at the Rosewood will take good care of you. 

Friends,

We are registered with:

Heath Ceramics, Heath's namesake and our favorite store in the whole wide world. Click here.

and

Zola, an easy-to-use online registry that enables us to register for gifts, all in one place: www.zola.com/registry/nicoleandheath 

n + h

Friends!

Wedding invitations are still making their way through snail mail! Please RSVP by June 10. 

We love you so!

n + h