Ben & Angela's Wedding Registry
Benjamin Caldwell & Angela Balsiger
June 9, 2018
We're humbled by the kindness and generosity of those who have inquired about wedding gifts. Since we're in our 40s, we're lucky enough to have most of the stuff we need. So what we've done instead is craft our registry around various experiences we would love to share as a couple.
Our SoKind registry here compiles our list of gift requests, but does not sell the gifts directly. If you would like to 'claim' a gift, be sure to click on the 'Give this gift' button so the gift will be claimed in your name, and so that we won't receive any duplicates. Then, you can follow our instructions on how or where to give the gift. Thank you and we hope to see you in June!
Ben and his friend Aimee started a nonprofit to provide reduced-fee counseling to those in need, and quality training for prelicensed therapists. Please help support their work!
Our favorite fancy night out in LA. The Bazaar is known around the world for its molecular gastronomy.
They're a new addition to Major League Soccer, and they play at USC. So they basically hit all of our sports-fan requirements. A pair of tickets to an upcoming home game would be great! (We'll leave the kids at home, they're a little too young to enjoy it.)
We've been to LACMA many times -- our office is less than a mile away, and we used to live a short walk from the museum. They're worthy of support, and as members we would make it back even more often. Dual membership would be ideal.
Before we had kids, Angela used to go to all of the movies. Since Layla was born, Angela has been to two movies, seeing the end of one of them. Let's fix that at our neighborhood's best dinner-and-a-movie venue.
USC is a pretty big part of Caldwell family life in the fall. We love cheering on the Trojans at the Coliseum! Game tickets are always appreciated. FIGHT ON!
www.stubhub.com/usc-trojans-football-tickets/performer/6342/
Perhaps the greatest sushi every encountered by man. This would be a super special treat!
Another super special treat. There are some pretty cool science experiments going on in this kitchen.
This theater is definitely a film-snobs-only kind of club--perfect for Angela's cinematic snobbery! Tickets here to pretty much anything would make an awesome date night.
www.arclightcinemas.com/en/locations/los-angeles/hollywood/showtimes
Osteria Mozza is an incredible Italian restaurant in LA that has been a favorite of Ben and Angela's for a long time. I mean, they have a mozzarella bar. Need we say anything else?
For those of you who aren't familiar, the greatest outdoor venue IN THE WORLD for listening to some of your favorite John Williams show tunes--er, I mean classy, fancy-pants philharmonic music--would have to be the great Hollywood Bowl. Check out their schedule. Amazing.
The Los Angeles Music Center is a throbbing hub of performance. And for Angela, tickets to anything dance-related is pretty much heaven.
Angela's father has been wrongly incarcerated for over a year as a result of unconscionable government corruption. As the family fights for his freedom, donations to this upstanding organization would mean the world to us.
This is a true family favorite. We spend many joyous Saturday afternoons at this family farm where the girls can ride tractors, pick strawberries, and feed the baby goats. Season passes would make our summer full of sun, fun, and freshly-picked fruit!
Another beloved family favorite. Camille (Angela's sister) got us a membership last year that was well-loved and oft-used. We expire in a couple of days, so a renewal would be a perfect gift!
So, Tifa Chocolate & Gelato is a little local gem that you should probably make a point of visiting on your way to or from Oxnard. If you're any kind of chocolate lover, you'll see why. Try the drinking chocolate. Seriously, it might kill you softly.
We have family and friends scattered all over the country, so we spend A LOT OF TIME on those blue and orange planes. What better gift is there than a visit with you!
This is a very cool, very inspiring children's museum in Pasadena that we love taking the girls to for some cerebral stimulation. If you're a local and you have kids too, make a date to join us!
For our fellow Gen X-ers, this club is the quintessential 90s era haven. Dirty carpets, cigarette smoke, grumpy owners covered in tattoos...pretty much the good ole days! Their calendar is usually chock full of our favorite 90s cover bands. Hella fly, home skillet.
Okay, you big spenders out there, we're just like every all-American family in the country. Disneyland tickets would be INCREDIBLE. Be warned that we probably wouldn't use them until next summer when Keira is old enough to enjoy it.
Think Blue, everybody! We'd LOVE a chance to take Layla and Keira to Dodger Stadium for the first time. And for added convenience, they offer a quaint little Family Four Pack...
We still haven't had a chance to visit this new(ish) fancy pants place! Dinner here would be an experience to remember.
It's right down the street for us, and just a little too posh for our pocketbooks. But if you think we might like a couples massage, or perhaps a his-and-hers scrub...WE WOULD.
We've been meaning to do a tasting at this place since we moved to the West Valley, but you know, kids...
Help introduce us to some local flavors!
