Hello, all! This letter was originally supposed to be part of your holiday card, but my track record for getting cards out these past years has been just plain awful. Oh, well. So consider this, if you will, a belated "Happy Holidays!", and let me get on with the show.

The big news is (and this may not come as much of a surprise to a lot of you) Al Kinsella and I are getting married on April 29th, 2000, and we would dearly love to see you there. To facilitate this, we'd like you to save this date and consider getting your hotel room and airfare arranged ahead of time.

We've done a little research, and here's what we've found. Our church is in Downers Grove, so we picked a nearby hotel for our reception. The hotel we chose, the Lisle/Naperville Hilton, has graciously set aside a block of guest rooms for the occasion. There are king and double rooms available for the price of $82.00. See the Hilton card for more details. For those of you who feel that this may be a little steep, we've also located several other hotels in the area with different rates. A big map of the two areas (church and reception) and the list of hotels and prices are on the next couple of pages. Keep in mind, though, the convenience of being able just to go upstairs after the reception. *grin*

We have two different airline opportunities for those who will be flying in from parts abroad. First, American is offering the following deal: "Your out-of-town wedding guests will save 5% off any published fare on any American Airlines or American Eagle flight when they use your special reservation code. Plus, they'll receive an additional discount of 5% for tickets purchased at least 60 days in advance." You'll also get a reduced rate on car rental: "Special Rental Car Rates: American Airlines provides your guests additional ways to save on travel to your wedding. Now, when you contract your wedding through Group & Meeting Travel, you'll receive unlimited Avis cars at reduced rates - always. Low rates ranging from $32-$52 per day, or discounts off promotional rates, whichever is best. Available to drivers 18 years or older." Just call 1-800-433-1790 for the American Airlines Meeting Services and refer to STAR file #0740UN (those are zeroes, not O's).

US Airways has a slightly more complicated plan: "For 10 or more guests flying on US Airways, discounts of 5% off the lowest applicable fare and 10% off the unrestricted Coach fare are offered. Plus, if your guests purchase their tickets at least 60 days in advance, they will receive an additional 5% discount. These discounts apply to all published fares, including MetroJet's low fares." If you want to try this offer, call the toll-free number 1-877-US GROUPS and reference Gold File 57151370.

Another reason for this mailing is to make sure that I have your correct address. Just because you've given it to me before doesn't mean that I have it now. I would greatly appreciate it if you could email it to me at kpitsch@catinc.com, or call us at (847) 803-0898, or send a reply to 851 E. Grant Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60016.

Assuming the actual invitations come through on time, expect to see one showing up around the beginning or middle of March. If you don't get one by the beginning of April, please let us know – we'd hate for you to be a victim of misplaced mail.

In any case, we hope to see all of you on April 29th!