A&W's Planning Journal! 1/22/11 - Disneyland Wedding - TR Starting on Pg. 5!

[Safflower]

I've been admiring the planning journals on here since he proposed, and now I think I'm finally ready to start a one of my own! :goodvibes We're shooting for a Disneyland Wedding in January 2011, and I can't wait! To get things started, here's our engagement story:

In January, we went on a family trip to Japan. One of our first stops was Tokyo Disneyland! As trip planner / tour director, I had spent several months getting everything ready to make sure that everyone would enjoy themselves on the trip. Little did I know that Will had been planning to propose to me while we were in Japan! He had been waiting until he could ask my father's permission in person, and seeing as we'd all be together on the trip, he realized that it would be the perfect time. We had joked about him proposing, but as I thought it wouldn't happen for at least another year or so, I was completely unaware that he had been planning anything at all.

Our first day at Tokyo Disneyland was really romantic- the trip was going smoothly and we were having a great time. I was so happy that I was finally getting to show Will all these neat things in Japan! Will took advantage of my distraction of being "tour guide" to take my father aside and ask him for my hand. Luckily, my dad said yes! :yay: Will's mother and sister were along on the trip as well, and they were already in on the plan.

The second day there, we went to Disney Sea. It was late in the afternoon, just before sunset when we rode Aquatopia. Will and I got on first, so we had to wait for everyone else to finish before we could move onto the next ride. The park was really quiet that day, so we waited off to the side where no one else was. As we waited, Will had his sister take a picture of us kissing in the sunset. She was about to put down the camera, since everyone else was off the ride, when Will asked her to take another picture. Just then, he reached into his pocket and said "I have a present for you".

When I realized what was happening, I burst into tears of disbelief! I couldn't believe that he was really proposing. He kissed me, and put the ring on my finger and I just kept crying. When I finally managed to let go of him to tell my mom (who wasn't in on the surprise), everyone was so excited! It was really perfect to get to have both of our families there when we got engaged, and it was so romantic for him to propose there! :love::love: Afterwards, I was still pretty worked up, so we rode Journey to the Center of the Earth to calm down, and then had dinner at the Miracosta to celebrate! The rest of our trip was amazing, but that moment definitely made the top of the list :goodvibes

Here's a picture of me saying "yes": http://gallery.me.com/skuldi/100311/IMG_2600/web.jpg?ver=12380279290001

I can't wait to start posting more about the wedding!

[Sarah <3 Disney]

Welcome!:goodvibes

That story and picture are so cute! I can't wait to read more! Especially a Disneyland wedding... those are few and far between on these boards. :rotfl:

[MainStMandy]

Ohhh I love your story!! Congratulations and welcome to the boards!!

[ghoulish delight]

Aww, I love your proposal story! :lovestruc It's too sweet! And of course I'm thrilled to see another DL bride!!! :banana: :yay: I'll be reading along, and am excited to see more from you!

Welcome and congrats!! :goodvibes

[pinkcow]

Ooh! Can't wait to read all of your plans! What a great proposal! :goodvibes

[pezaddict231]

Welcome to the boards! What a sweet proposal story, it really makes me want to go to Disneyland Japan!

[BecBennett]

Yay another 2011 planner! Welcome!

You both look so happy in that photo!

[Safflower]

Thank you so much for the warm welcome everyone! Today I want to share my stories of dress shopping...or, well, the dress shopping saga. After he proposed, finding the perfect dress was the thing that I wanted to do the most! After seeing the Kirstie Kelly collection for DFTW, I thought I had found what would be the dress. The one that I had my heart set on was the SB2722, after I saw it on a mannequin on a trip to DL (http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/dress.jpg).

I thought it would be easy- there is a salon in San Francisco that carries the dress collection, so I figured I could make an appointment, try on the dress, and buy it all on the same day. How wrong I was! I called the salon, only to find out that the dress had been discontinued!! :scared1:

Luckily the wonderful shop owner was able to have a sample shipped from LA for me to try on, and they said that they would still be able to make the dress for me if it was the one :woohoo: The day finally came for me to try on the dress, and I was so excited, but... it just didn't feel like it was the one! http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0215.jpg

So... I tried on every other dress that caught my eye :rotfl:
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0217.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0219.jpg

The shop was really great, and the owner did so much to help me! Even though I didn't find the right dress, she was so willing to work with me :goodvibes I would highly recommend Flair to anyone shopping in SF!

Next I tried looking at Pricilla of Boston. So so many beautiful dresses! http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0025.jpg

Nothing that was really my style though... or even close to my budget! I thought all hope was lost, but I kept making appointments...

(To Be Continued! :goodvibes)

[pezaddict231]

I know exactly how you feel, I loved a particular dress for over a year. I always thought that would be my dress. Then I tried it on, and I wanted to love it, but I just didn't. Don't worry, you'll find the perfect dress! Maybe have the consultant pull something that she thinks would work, that's how I found my dress.

[ghoulish delight]

I too had a dress in particular that I loved for nearly a year before I went dress shopping. Finally got to try it on, and it just wasn't the one for me either. :confused3 Funny how things work out!

Anyway, I'm veeeery excited to hear the continuation of your dress shopping saga! :cutie:

[Safflower]

I know exactly how you feel, I loved a particular dress for over a year. I always thought that would be my dress. Then I tried it on, and I wanted to love it, but I just didn't. Don't worry, you'll find the perfect dress! Maybe have the consultant pull something that she thinks would work, that's how I found my dress.

That's exactly what ended up happening! :rotfl: It makes sense to get their advice though- they see different types of girls in so many dresses every day, they should be able to tell what will work and what won't!

I too had a dress in particular that I loved for nearly a year before I went dress shopping. Finally got to try it on, and it just wasn't the one for me either. :confused3 Funny how things work out!

Anyway, I'm veeeery excited to hear the continuation of your dress shopping saga! :cutie:

I saw the first dress in the DFTW window that's in the breezeway between the Grand Californian and Downtown Disney- it was love at first sight, and he hadn't even proposed! Even though it isn't the one for me, I still stare at it every time I pass by the window :confused3 I just can't resist imagining it!

[GoonieBride]

your story is tooo cute! welcome and looking forward to reading more!!

[Safflower]

So, after my first two appointments, I was feeling overwhelmed with choices and I really had no idea what type of dress I was looking for. I booked an appointment at Saks 5th Avenue, as at the time their bridal department was in the process of closing, so they were selling all of their sample dresses at great prices! There weren't too many choices, but I was lucky enough to get to try on a Vera Wang dress that was originally sold for $11,000!! :scared1:
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0038.jpg?t=1249239911

And then- the consultant brought me another Vera Wang dress, that with the discount would be less than half of my dress budget! :woohoo: It was amazing! It seemed like it was the perfect dress for me :goodvibes
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0040.jpg?t=1249239956

I had an appointment the next day at one more shop though, so I put the dress on hold so that I could sleep on it and be more sure. When I went to the other shop the next day, I looked at the dresses, but I didn't see anything that I thought was better than the Vera Wang dress. I thought that I had already made up my mind, and that nothing would be better. I still tried on a few dresses, just to be sure. The consultant helped me out a lot, and brought me some extra dresses that she thought would look nice.

The last dress that I tried on looked alright on the hanger, but I didn't think it would really be my style.... and then I put it on! It was amazing! Even though it was just the sample dress, it fit me perfectly :dance3:

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0180.jpg?t=1249240761

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0181.jpg?t=1249240795

Once I had it on, I didn't want to take it off- I had finally found the dress! :cool1:

[ghoulish delight]

Ooh, it's beautiful!!!! :lovestruc And you look so happy in it! Yay!! You're so tiny in it too! Pretty pretty!

[GoonieBride]

congrats!!! its a wonderful feeling when you find the dress isn't it!!! :yay:
im very happy for you!!

[MainStMandy]

Oh your dress is beautiful!! It fits you perfectly!!

[Safflower]

Oh your dress is beautiful!! It fits you perfectly!!

Ooh, it's beautiful!!!! :lovestruc And you look so happy in it! Yay!! You're so tiny in it too! Pretty pretty!

Thank you! :goodvibes


congrats!!! its a wonderful feeling when you find the dress isn't it!!! :yay:
im very happy for you!!

Yes! I felt so relieved once I knew that I had found it and didn't have to worry anymore :goodvibes I was beginning to think that I'd just have to settle for a dress that was only "OK" :lmao:

[Safflower]

Back in March we took some engagement photos and I wanted to share them with you guys :goodvibes I think they turned out really nicely!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3535/3790169390_8993e5e1fe.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3790169428_1603a49fde.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2589/3790169470_1fa9aab425.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/3790169548_4a905288ce.jpg

We already used some on our engagement announcements, but I'm thinking about maybe using them somewhere else too- I just don't know where else I could put them in the wedding :confused3

[Safflower]

A few shots of the ring too :lovestruc

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2519/3790169254_e17f15a2c5.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3790169194_5ae5a1520e.jpg

[MainStMandy]

Awww I love your engagement pictures! Very nice!!

[pezaddict231]

your engagement pics are so sweet! You could definitely use them for other wedding related things, you could use them in newsletters if you do them, or make a guestbook with them, you could blow one up and have a mat around it that guests sign...that's all I've got so far, but you can definitely use them in some way.

[ghoulish delight]

Your e-pics are so sweet! :flower3: You can tell you two love eachother lots! Also, your ring is gorgeous too!

[Safflower]

your engagement pics are so sweet! You could definitely use them for other wedding related things, you could use them in newsletters if you do them, or make a guestbook with them, you could blow one up and have a mat around it that guests sign...that's all I've got so far, but you can definitely use them in some way.

Ah! That's a great idea :goodvibes I'd love to put them in the guestbook, since I know most of our guests haven't seen the majority of our e-pics, so it'd be nice to have them see the rest. It'd make an even better keepsake then too :woohoo:

Also, we just had our first planning session on Wednesday! :yay: I'll have to post details soon, but it looks like we'll be able to do some of our crazy ideas :dance3: I was getting a little bit down / worried budget wise, so getting to talk to them really helped out. Thank goodness!

[ghoulish delight]

Do you have a set wedding coordinator yet?? If so, who'd you get?

Looking forward to you filling us all in on the PS details! :thumbsup2

[Safflower]

Do you have a set wedding coordinator yet?? If so, who'd you get?

Looking forward to you filling us all in on the PS details! :thumbsup2

So far we've been working with Traci, but I'm not sure if she'll be our set wedding coordinator? She's been great so far though! Even with my sometimes outlandish ideas :rotfl:

The planning session went well, and she was able to show us the different locations we were considering at the Disneyland Hotel. Have been talking a lot about budget though in this past week, and I feel like I'm just hitting a brick wall with the wedding plans. :headache: For the size of our wedding, we just don't feel like any of the choices that they have really fit "us" - not that we don't want to do Disneyland anymore! We're just trying to figure out how we can be able to afford to do things and still have the wedding be an expression of our relationship. Then again, I've also been talking / thinking about the wedding non-stop since our PS last week, and I've even had some wedding nightmares! :lmao: So perhaps it's time to step back for awhile so that we can figure out what's most important to us. I just want to know soon so we can get that contract signed!

[GoonieBride]

im sorry your stressing. maybe you need day the beach! sun, sand, water, and a good book to get your mind of the wedding.

glad your PS went well!! keep us posted! im excited to read all about a disneyland wedding. :cutie:

[CelticBelle]

hi! ill be getting married at DL just a few months after you. I absolutely love your dress! It fits you perfectly and looks stunning. I hope ill be able to find a dress that impressive. ;)

When you went for a planning session was that your site visit since you said you hadnt signed a contract yet? Im asking because I just sent my planning packet back to traci, and was trying to get a grasp of what well be going over during our PS.

Good luck with deciding on your locations!

[Safflower]

hi! ill be getting married at DL just a few months after you. I absolutely love your dress! It fits you perfectly and looks stunning. I hope ill be able to find a dress that impressive. ;)

When you went for a planning session was that your site visit since you said you hadnt signed a contract yet? Im asking because I just sent my planning packet back to traci, and was trying to get a grasp of what well be going over during our PS.

Sorry I haven't been on recently! When we went down to meet with Traci we talked mostly about locations and bigger details. Since we live in the Bay Area, we can't go down to look at things as often as we'd like. Meeting with her before we signed the contract allowed us to get a feel for our locations before we got locked into somewhere we'd end up hating :rotfl:

I'm excited to read your PJ! Great to see another DL bride.

[weedee]

joining in popcorn:: Your e-pics are great!

[CelticBelle]

Sorry I haven't been on recently! When we went down to meet with Traci we talked mostly about locations and bigger details. Since we live in the Bay Area, we can't go down to look at things as often as we'd like. Meeting with her before we signed the contract allowed us to get a feel for our locations before we got locked into somewhere we'd end up hating :rotfl:

I'm excited to read your PJ! Great to see another DL bride.

thats basically what we did also. Were in the sacramento area so we went for a site visit during the half marathon weekend, and then they sent us our contract etc. Our planning session is 2 weeks away! :banana:

I cant wait until your planning session and we get to hear all the details. It sounds like youll have a lot of cool ideas.:thumbsup2

[pink_tink8i8]

aww your e pics are great and your dress is beautiful. Very princessy :)

[redboxcar]

Looking forward to hearing more about this. I'm a wanna-be DLR hopeful. :goodvibes

Linda

[Safflower]

Wow! I was gone for quite awhile! :headache:

Just a quick rundown of how the details have come together now that we're just a month away from the wedding!

Picked out the dresses for the BMs- they are by Jim Hjelm :goodvibes
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_photo-1.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=photo-1.jpg)

We also decided to do papercrafts as our centerpieces, using the patterns that you can download from http://www.disneyexperience.com/
We've done most of the attractions models, so we'll be setting them up on the tables in a pattern following the layout of the park! Then we'll use a park map as our seating chart and make fastpasses as the escort cards to let guests know where they are seated.

We've also selected our photographer (http://www.monabrooks.com/), our videographer (http://www.garnerfilms.com/video/carlos-laura/) and our makeup and hair artists (http://www.haircomesthebride.com/)

For my hair and makeup look, I'll be going with this style:
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_07Vintage-Down.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=07Vintage-Down.jpg)

We ended up going through a family friend for the floral and other decor items, mostly because we won't be using much floral (and his prices can't be beat!). Overall, we'll be using eggplant and white calla lillies, for a feel like this:

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_scan0003.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=scan0003.jpg)

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_eggplant-calla-lily.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=eggplant-calla-lily.jpg)

Now that I actually have most of our details together, I'll be sharing more photos in the next few weeks! Can't wait for the big day to be here! :woohoo::woohoo:

[Safflower]

Here is a quick pic of one of our centerpieces- the Liberty Square Haunted Mansion!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_photo-2.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=photo-2.jpg)

We'll be displaying it on an artificial moss mat with a few little gravestones in the back :goodvibes

[Safflower]

Thought I would share a few more photos of our centerpieces with you!

Disneyland 1998 Space Mountain
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-3.jpg

The Haunted Clock from the Haunted Mansion - it really works! The dial turns and the pendulum swings :goodvibes
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-4.jpg

These two will be on 1 table together -the Cursed Treasure of Cortez (from the PoTC movie) and the tower at the front of the WDW Pirates Ride!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-5.jpg

The old marquee at the Disneyland maingate entrance
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-6.jpg

The Nautilus submarine from the 20,000 leagues under the sea ride!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-7.jpg

Big Thunder Mountain RR - We'll be displaying this one on some little hay bales, to kind of tie in the fact that it's in Frontierland :goodvibes
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-14.jpg

Can't wait for the big day! Just a little longer!

[Mindyjoy]

Wow, you made all these? I'm so impressed! What a unique and creative idea for centerpieces!!

[Mindyjoy]

I'm just starting to plan my DLR wedding and I'm wondering if you don't mind sharing some of the details you chose, like location and menus? I'm just curious ... :goodvibes

[pixie921]

Those centerpieces are amazing!

[Safflower]

I'm just starting to plan my DLR wedding and I'm wondering if you don't mind sharing some of the details you chose, like location and menus? I'm just curious ... :goodvibes

Oh! Haha- I didn't share that, did I!

We'll be doing the Rose Court Garden as our Ceremony Location for an afternoon ceremony =)
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/RoseCourtGarden-DisneylandHotel.jpg

Followed by the Cocktail Hour in the Grand Ballroom Foyer, and the Reception in the Grand Ballroom :love:
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/GrandBallroom-DisneylandHotel.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/3-GrandBallroomCinderellaTheme.jpg

We'll be going with black Chivari chairs and satin eggplant linens with black napkins for the tables. Each table will have its own unique centerpiece of a Disney attraction :goodvibes

[Mindyjoy]

Oh my, I :lovestruc the Grand Ballroom so much! But it would look kind of silly with our guest list of about 40 :rotfl:

Can't wait to read more .... popcorn::

[Safflower]

Here is our menu as well! We're doing a duo plate, which I'm really excited about :goodvibes

Stardust Serenade
- Freshly Baked Breads and Butter

- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Balsamic Essence

- Grilled Filet Mignon and Herb Roasted Salmon with Cabernet Shallot Reduction and Sauvignon Blanc Butter Sauce
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Haricot Verts + Pear Tomato Piccalilli

- Individual Chocolate Fondue with Lemon Madeline, Purple Cassis French Macaroon, Heart Rice Krispy, Pound Cake with Raspberry, Chocolate Financier Cake and Fruit Empanada
- Coffee and Teas

We'll also be doing a cupcake display a little bit later in the reception, instead of a typical cake. We'll still be doing the cake cutting, but we really wanted to serve the fondue! So the cupcakes will be out while people are dancing to snack on.
The cupcakes will be:
Golden Vanilla Cake with Passionfruit Mousse Frosting
Pound Cake with Guava Mousse Frosting
(They are making the Passionfruit and Guava Frosting just for us! :woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:)
Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

I'll try to get some pics from our menu tasting as well!

[Safflower]

We had our menu tasting back in August- it was *fantastic*!! Everything was absolutely amazing. The staff took such good care of us!

We had a pretty big tasting- both sets of our parents came, along with FSIL and my Maid of Honor. We had to pay for the 4 extra people, but it was worth it to have all of us together! My parents live in Hawaii and my MoH is currently living in Japan, so this Disney trip was the only chance that all of us would have to be in the same room before the day of the wedding! :rotfl:

We had our tasting in the Sleeping Beauty Pavilion, which was really lovely! They were just starting to put the treatments on the windows to block out the construction.

The bread basket... (for all of the pictures, just click on them to see the large size!)
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_IMG_7619.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=IMG_7619.jpg)

We actually didn't get a picture of the soup! It was too delicious :rotfl:

The vegetarian option (ratatouille)
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_IMG_7620.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=IMG_7620.jpg)

Even I liked the veggie option (and I'm not a big veggie fan) - it was really quite nice!

The duo plate!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_IMG_7622.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=IMG_7622.jpg)

The little plate that they gave each of us for the tasting portions :goodvibes
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_IMG_7628.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=IMG_7628.jpg)

My favorite... the individual chocolate fondue!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_IMG_7638.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=IMG_7638.jpg)

We decided to change the items that will be included with the fondue just a bit, as you can see in my menu post up above. The chef is going to make us a purple macron to match our color scheme! :love:

And of course, we had to try some cake!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/th_IMG_7669.jpg (http://s568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/?action=view&current=IMG_7669.jpg)

As I mentioned in my menu post, the pastry chef also made us some special flavors of frosting. I grew up in Hawaii, and absolutely love Passionfruit and Guava. When I initially saw the list of cake flavors, I wasn't really interested, so I asked Traci if it would be possible to get something unique. Somehow, they made it happen, and it was just fantastic! Can't wait to have it on our wedding day :goodvibes

I'm really excited about our menu, and I hope our guests will enjoy it!

[jtanddolly]

You have done a great job building your centerpieces. I know how much work that takes to assemble them, and you must have a lot of patience to be able to trim and fold not just one but all of them.

I couldn't resist looking at your thread as you have A&W and I thought I would pass an idea on. Since your initials are A&W had you thought about including A&W rootbeer in your welcome bag/baskets? You could come up with a cute tag for the bottles with something fun like "it's AWesome that you are here - A&W" or "we think it is AWesome that you could make it - A&W"

Anyways...just an idea. I love welcome gifts...especially ones that are unique and or fun. You could also include a set of printables for them to make their own centerpiece. You could take the Disneyland sign and change it up to say something about your wedding instead of "to all that come to this happy place". If you are familiar with photoshop or have a friend that is...it would be an easy edit. You could even do it in MS Word by putting a textbox over the area.

[super_k0116]

subscribing! popcorn::

You have so many cute and creative ideas. Can't wait to see them all come together!

[Mindyjoy]

Thank you for posting your tasting pictures! I am in love with the little fondue but sadly it is out of our budget unless we only serve that instead of a main course. :lmao: And I would prefer cupcakes to cake so it is very nice to know that is an option!

Are you allowed to bring up to 4 people for your tasting? It would be cool if we could bring my parents along.

I am learning so much from you PJ, thank you so much for sharing! :hippie:

[Safflower]

You have done a great job building your centerpieces. I know how much work that takes to assemble them, and you must have a lot of patience to be able to trim and fold not just one but all of them.

I couldn't resist looking at your thread as you have A&W and I thought I would pass an idea on. Since your initials are A&W had you thought about including A&W rootbeer in your welcome bag/baskets? You could come up with a cute tag for the bottles with something fun like "it's AWesome that you are here - A&W" or "we think it is AWesome that you could make it - A&W"


Thank you! I'm lucky to have had some help from bridesmaids and family to get everything together :goodvibes It's been a big project!

I'm glad that you caught our little joke! We really wanted to serve A&W as our "signature" beverage at the reception, but it was a no-go since Disney is exclusive with Coke :confused3
Using it in the welcome bags is a great idea though! We'll be having lots of guests from Nothern California and out of state, so I've been wanting to do a little welcome gift. I wonder if we could get those mini cans!

[Safflower]

Thank you for posting your tasting pictures! I am in love with the little fondue but sadly it is out of our budget unless we only serve that instead of a main course. :lmao: And I would prefer cupcakes to cake so it is very nice to know that is an option!

Are you allowed to bring up to 4 people for your tasting? It would be cool if we could bring my parents along.

I am learning so much from you PJ, thank you so much for sharing! :hippie:

The fondue is great! Although it is a little pricey. Cupcakes were a great alternative to regular cake though - especially since Will isn't a big fan of cake.

Yep! You can bring up to 4 people to the tasting. Which is nice so that you can all make the decisions together.

I'm glad I can finally help someone after my total lack of posting before!

[jtanddolly]

Thank you! I'm lucky to have had some help from bridesmaids and family to get everything together :goodvibes It's been a big project!

I'm glad that you caught our little joke! We really wanted to serve A&W as our "signature" beverage at the reception, but it was a no-go since Disney is exclusive with Coke :confused3
Using it in the welcome bags is a great idea though! We'll be having lots of guests from Nothern California and out of state, so I've been wanting to do a little welcome gift. I wonder if we could get those mini cans!

If you wanted to really go all out with the A&W root beer idea. Get someone to redesign the logo using your wedding colors and maybe the year you started dating for the "since 1919" or the date of your wedding. Then you could use it to make bottle wrappers for the A&W root beer and other fun things like gift tags, stickers, etc. I made fun wrappers mimicking the labels for Mike & Ike, Good & Plenty and Jr. Mints for Amanda's (sccrmnky) candy buffet at her wedding using her signature colors.

[Tale as old as Time]

I love Love LOVE your centerpieces!! They look phenomenal!!! Where did you get them? Did you buy sets you had to build?

Thanks!

[Mindyjoy]

Safflower, I met with Traci last week for my site visit and she said she had a wedding coming up and the bride was calling everyday for last minute questions and details. (This came up not in a bad way, but because I apologized to Traci for contacting her so much and I hadn't even signed a contract - LOL - and she assured me that was normal.) Anyway, I thought to myself, I wonder if it's Safflower? :goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes

Anyway, whenever the wedding is, I can't wait to see pics. popcorn::

[KristiLyn]

I'm chiming in here a little late, but I had to tell you that I LOVE your centerpieces! They are amazing!!!
And I can't wait to see pictures of the wedding! We have the same exact hair/makeup inspiration pic!!

[SaidYes]

Wow! You are really talented to make those centerpieces! Your Disney land one is ridiculously good!

[Safflower]

Just a quick update as we wait to get off of the maiden voyage of the Dream =)

Here is our teaser wedding video!
http://vimeo.com/19268646

Enjoy!

[Mindyjoy]

Love the video!!!! I love the grand ballroom so much! You made a beautiful bride!

[Sccrmnky2005]

AMAZING Video!! Can't wait to hear about everything!

[Safflower]

I love Love LOVE your centerpieces!! They look phenomenal!!! Where did you get them? Did you buy sets you had to build?

They are available online from http://disneyexperience.com (http://thedisneyexperience.com) A wonderful man designs them and makes them available to download! I suggest printing them on a medium weight cardstock on a laserjet printer (not inkjet!) and having lots of extra sharp xacto blades on hand... along with quite a bit of time!

Safflower, I met with Traci last week for my site visit and she said she had a wedding coming up and the bride was calling everyday for last minute questions and details. (This came up not in a bad way, but because I apologized to Traci for contacting her so much and I hadn't even signed a contract - LOL - and she assured me that was normal.) Anyway, I thought to myself, I wonder if it's Safflower? :goodvibes:goodvibes:goodvibes

Anyway, whenever the wedding is, I can't wait to see pics. popcorn::

Haha! It probably was me- Traci and I were talking quite a bit before the wedding! I was always joking with her that I would wind up calling her almost every day... and that's about what happened :lmao: She was so patient through everything- she is just the best!

[Safflower]

Now that the wedding is past, I wanted to share some pictures of our save the dates and of our invitations :goodvibes

For our save the dates, we did a little flat card in a simple envelope- we went during the morning extra magic hours right before xmas to get a shot without anyone else in the picture :rotfl:
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/postcard_4x6_front.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/postcard_4x6_back-small_1.jpg

[Safflower]

For our invitations, my DH designed everything, and then we had most of the items printed at a local print shop that does letterpress and digital printing as well- they were amazing to work with! I would totally recommend them to anyone in the Bay Area/ California - http://mercuriobrothers.com/

The main card was done in letterpress, and everything else was flat printed.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-8.jpg


http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-10.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-11.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-12.jpg

[Safflower]

Here are some preview photos from our photographer as well- I can't wait to see more!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/166828_10150176004194762_7772659761_8736911_466240 9_n.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/180621_10150176004159762_7772659761_8736909_565390 _n.jpg

[weedee]

so pretty!! that bubble shot is the money, turned out beautifully

[jtanddolly]

Love the pictures. I think it is funny that your husband is holding the bouquet as you walk down the isle.

I loved your video. The lighting really made your reception look amazing! How did you spotlight your centerpieces?

Can you post a picture of your reception "ticket" I saw it briefly in your video and would love to see a better shot of how it turned out. Everything looked GREAT in the video.

[Mindyjoy]

Haha! It probably was me- Traci and I were talking quite a bit before the wedding! I was always joking with her that I would wind up calling her almost every day... and that's about what happened :lmao: She was so patient through everything- she is just the best!

You are right, she is the best!!!!!

I love everything you've posted; the invites are incredible!!! Please do a full Trip Report if you have time! :worship:

[Safflower]

Love the pictures. I think it is funny that your husband is holding the bouquet as you walk down the isle.

I loved your video. The lighting really made your reception look amazing! How did you spotlight your centerpieces?

Can you post a picture of your reception "ticket" I saw it briefly in your video and would love to see a better shot of how it turned out. Everything looked GREAT in the video.

Thanks! The lighting was a bit of a splurge, but I think it was totally worth it with how amazing the room looked! We had purple uplighting around the walls of the room, and then had the lighting team go and do pinspotting on each centerpiece. Basically it's like a tiny spotlight on each table- we thought about cutting them to save some money, but I am so so so glad we didn't. They really just made the room!

I'll ask DH if he's OK with me posting the ticket book up- he actually made an entire A through E-ticket booklet, with each ticket being a different part of the reception program. They were just stunning- I am so proud of everything that he did for the wedding :love:


You are right, she is the best!!!!!

I love everything you've posted; the invites are incredible!!! Please do a full Trip Report if you have time! :worship:

1 trip report, coming right up! I was so bored on the flight home, I started writing it out right then and there :thumbsup2

[Safflower]

Up until about two weeks before the wedding, we had mostly everything under control. My girl coworkers had even surprised me with a bridal shower on Sunday evening after work! Although we did have a lot of last minute preparations to take care of, we had mostly everything together by the time my parents arrived on Monday morning.

Well... At least I thought we had things mostly together. As we went over my to do list on Monday morning before I went into work, we realized that there were quite a few details that we still needed to finish up. It was such a big help to have my parents there early though, as I ended up giving them a huge to do list and then ran out the door for work.

Of course, this is where things started to go downhill. Less than 15 minutes after I got to work, I had managed to spill an entire teapot of boiling water down the inside of my right forearm. Feeling like the clumsiest person on the planet, I had to go through my entire day with my arm coated in burn gel, worrying that my arm would still be bright red at the wedding. I also managed to completely freak out DH, but that's a given =P

Luckily, by the time I got home, my arm was looking somewhat normal, and my superhero parents had finished the entire to do list and even had time to run the dishwasher! This totally prevented what would have been a bridal meltdown. We grabbed a bite to eat and started to pack up to get the van ready for the next morning. And yes, we barely slept the entire week before the wedding ><

[Safflower]

Tuesday was another crazy preparation day. I was able to finagle starting a bit later for work so that I would be able to help my parents start loading up the van. To get all of our items for the wedding down to LA, as well as transport our bridal party and family to and from wedding events, my dad rented a 15 passenger van. Thank goodness he did that! We thought that the van might be too big, but it was just the right size. Our plan was to have my parent drive down to LA on Tuesday ( about a 7 hour drive), and then DH and I would fly down and meet them Wednesday night.

I was a bit worried about my parents packing up the van without DH or I there, just in case there was something that I had forgotten to put on the packing list. DH and I both had work on Tuesday, so I wasn't sure how we could make everything happen. This all changed a few days before though, as DH had to go in for an emergency temporary crown on Tuesday morning! He was able to get Tuesday and Wednesday off of work because of the crown and all of the wedding stress, so he was able to help my parents with making sure that everything got brought along to LA. They were able to fit everything in the van- both dresses, all 20 centerpieces, all of our luggage for the wedding and the honeymoon, and all of the little accessories that we needed.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0024.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0025-1.jpg

Dad and a very in pain DH were quite proud of getting everything into the van successfully... they almost ran out of room for my mom :rotfl:

While I was at work, they set off for LA, so by the time I got home the dining room was empty of boxes for the first time in ages, and DH and I were left with the very last of our projects to finish and the task of packing our overnight bags.

[Safflower]

On Wednesday it was finally time to head down to Disneyland! ...after making it through an entire day of work first. DH was able to stay home from work still, so he took care of getting the house ready for us to go and dropping off the cats at the boarding house/vet. I can't believe how many last minute little things we ended up having to do. I rushed home the second that I could leave work, we grabbed our bags and finally headed to the airport! We both couldn't wait to finally be away from the real world and enjoying our wedding weekend.

The flight down was quick, and before we realized it, we were landing at LAX. My parents came to get us, and then they took us over with our bags to the Disneyland Hotel! We had booked their Fairy Tale Suite, so I couldn't wait to check in. My SIL met us there with some additional wedding projects that she had done for us, and we headed to the front desk. A member of the concierge team escorted us upstairs to help us get settled and to show us all of the amazing things in our room!

Our pictures aren't quite enough to do it justice, but here is a link to the promo photos that they had of it on the Disney Parks Blog: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/11/fairy-tale-suite-at-the-disneyland-hotel/

IRL, the room is better than any of the photos make it out to be! The shower in the bathroom is also a steam room, which was incredible. It was like living in all of my childhood dreams :rotfl:

We started to unpack, and then we got a little surprise- complimentary Mickey cookies and milk! It was so sweet of them to have it sent up ^^ DH and DSIL headed out to the 24-hr WalMart for some forgotten items, and I curled up in that amazing bed, feeling so much like a princess. I'm pretty sure that our room was just pure pixie dust.

[Mindyjoy]

MORE MORE MORE!!! :yay::yay::yay::yay::yay:

I'm so jealous you got the Fairy Tale Suite!! I want to stay there so bad! :love:

[jtanddolly]

Wow...the fairytale sweet is AMAZING!!! I definitely want to stay there some day. What a wonderful way to start your wedding week!

And yes the lighting was a well spent expense as it really set the mood for your wedding.

I can't wait to hear and see more about your wedding! And ask your husband (pretty please with a cherry on top) if he will let you post pics of the tickets.

[Safflower]

Here are some pictures of our reception programs!

DH and I wanted to do them in the style of the classic Disneyland A-E ticket books. While we couldn't get our hands on a vintage copy, it was just the 55th anniversary at Disneyland - which meant lots of ticket book themed merchandise! We were able to get a good feel of what they should look like from the reproductions that Disney had put out.

DH recreated everything entirely on his own, and then we printed each one out on our fancypants laser printer on some medium weight cardstock leftover from our centerpieces project. We used an industrial paper cutter to cut the outside edges to size on each assembled book, and then hand cut the ticket edges on the interior. With some help, assembling and cutting them took an entire Saturday :headache: but I think they were worth it!

Each ticket book was personalized for each guest- the name on this one has been blurred out since I didn't have a blank one handy at home!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-15.jpg

Inside :goodvibes
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-16.jpg


The "C" ticket was our menu card
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-17.jpg

The back-
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/photo-18.jpg

[Safflower]

Thursday was a complete surprise! I had gotten a call the night before from 3 of my bridesmaids telling me to meet them downstairs in the lobby at 9:20. Not only was that an oddly specific time (especially coming from the three of them!), but they didn't mention anything else, so I knew I'd be in for a bit of a crazy day. I managed to wakeup even before the alarm went off- very much out of the ordinary for me. I met my girls downstairs, along with my parents, and we were off!

Our first stop was a lovely teahouse brunch, with fresh homemade scones! They were just amazing. After that, they whisked me away to a spa day! All of my bridesmaids had chipped in for my mom and I to both get a massage, and for me to have my nails done. It was such a welcome surprise! They took me to a Burke Williams spa, which was just amazing. It was so so so luxurious!

After we managed to drag ourselves away from the spa, our next stop was Disneyland with just my bridesmaids and me =) they gave me a list of 10 silly things to do while we walked around the park. The park was also super quiet, so we were able to almost walk on any ride we wanted to! Once my list was complete, it was about dinner time, so we walked over to Downtown Disney. Just when I thought the day was over, there were more surprises!

For dinner, 2 of my other bridesmaids and a good girlfriend of mine met us at the restaurant. We had such a fun dinner together!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/169045_10100150852562083_3207100_53722146_2180430_ n.jpg

Most of my bridesmaids live rather far away, so items so nice to have a girls night to catch up with them. We went back to their hotel room, where they had more surprises waiting- including quite a bit of champagne and strawberries!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/168459_10100150852686833_3207100_53722148_7824088_ n.jpg
Eventually (after some other interesting activities) I was dropped back off at my room, with more secret instructions for Friday.

I was so surprised and overjoyed that my bridesmaids and girlfriends had done so much planning to give me such an amazing day! I couldn't believe all of the effort they had put into it. I loved having a day where I didn't have to plan anything and I could just enjoy my time with them- all of the stress io had been feeling about the wedding got left behind, and I was almost ready to party!

[Fay]

Really LOVE your wedding video! Think its brilliant! :banana:

Did you sing the hillary duff song!? FAB!

XXX

:flower3:

[jtanddolly]

Thanks for posting a few pics of the coupon book. Your husband did a great job! You are both so creative.

[Mindyjoy]

Loooooove the ticket book, so creative! I have a question, did you get any comments from Disney about using their castle icon on your programs? I originally had that same castle in my logo but got nervous about using it after reading the contract. I now have an awesome new castle to use in my logo (thanks jtanddolly :goodvibes) but I'm curious if Disney made any comments about you using it.

[Safflower]

Really LOVE your wedding video! Think its brilliant! :banana:

Did you sing the hillary duff song!? FAB!


Thanks! When my DH and I entered the reception hall, we sang the ballad version of the song together :goodvibes and then DSIL and I sang the pop version together! It was a lot of fun.

Thanks for posting a few pics of the coupon book. Your husband did a great job! You are both so creative.
Haha! He's definitely the creative one :lmao: More projects to come soon!

Loooooove the ticket book, so creative! I have a question, did you get any comments from Disney about using their castle icon on your programs? I originally had that same castle in my logo but got nervous about using it after reading the contract. I now have an awesome new castle to use in my logo (thanks jtanddolly :goodvibes) but I'm curious if Disney made any comments about you using it.

Ah... as we created everything on our own, and did not use any third party companies for printing etc, I would file our creations under a parody. Of course, we didn't run anything by Disney :rolleyes1 We didn't actually think about that part of the contract until just a week or two before the wedding, and by that time it was too late so... we just went with it!

[Safflower]

Even though I thought things couldn't get better after Thursday, Friday totally proved me wrong! All of my lovely ladies came to get me from my room in the morning, as I left my poor DH behind for another day of fun =P

In the elevator on our way downstairs!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/180121_10100150853669863_3207100_53722172_7481315_ n.jpg

I was still surprised that they had even more tricks up their sleeves. We started walking through Downtown Disney, so I figured we were going to head back to the parks, but not quite! As we were passing Catal, I spied my two grandmas outside the restaurant! I was so happy to get to have brunch with them. We walked into the restaurant and headed upstairs, and who was waiting for us? All of my female relatives! I was totally blown away!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/168645_10100150853849503_3207100_53722175_736795_n .jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/168624_489527933181_654313181_6098670_1832172_n.jp g

Since almost all of my bridesmaids, and all of my family members live outside California, I hadn't really done any of the bridal shower/bachelorette stuff. So, after my awesome bachelorette party the night before, my family and friends had gotten together to throw me a beautiful bridal shower as well! I don't get to see most of my family members too frequently, so I felt so lucky that they were all able to come out to the wedding early to spend some time with me. Most of them live a good 2500+ miles away ( in both directions), so it was amazing to have them all together, especially without all the hubbub of the wedding day going on.

After our delicious meal, there were even more surprises! Together, they had put together a scrapbook of our memories together- they were even able to include those that were not able to make it.
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/179376_10100150854727743_3207100_53722193_4775997_ n.jpg

Of course, it was so well put together and so thoughtful that I got rather teary- which meant that almost all of my bridesmaids started to cry as well :rotfl: That was definitely a common occurrence in the time leading up to the wedding!

My family members started to make their exit, and my girls and I were off again! This time, to meet my DH and his boys, along with our photographer, at Disneyland. We ran into some of our friends while we were there, and they handed us the "Just Married" buttons, which are so so easy to find at Disneyland! However, since we weren't married yet, we had to fix them a little bit...

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/170254_10150139405817433_665442432_7824982_2423647 _o.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/170039_10100153978567543_3205811_53799807_25974_o. jpg

Thanks to a handy sharpie, we were now "Almost Married"! :lmao: We still grabbed two more buttons on our way out to wear to the parks on Sunday though :rotfl:

We played around for a little bit, and then DH and I headed back to our room a bit early to meet our outside coordinator prior to the rehearsal. Because we were bringing so many of our own items, it would have been too difficult to have someone from the wedding party set it up on Saturday. We sped through what to do with the centerpieces, and then headed down to the rehearsal!

[Safflower]

After rushing through how to set up the centerpieces and reception items for the next day, we almost ran down to the rehearsal. Amazingly, we ended up being only ten minutes late! I was trying to be on time for things for the most part during the wedding weekend, but things were clearly not going to be on time. DH hates my chronic lateness, so I figured that I would at least try to start things off on the right foot!

The rehearsal ran fairly smoothly for the most part- our bridal party was very forgiving and marched back and forth for a whole hour while we practiced everything. We also got a chance to meet our *amazing* Disney Coordinator, Herta. She was a total lifesaver! While I thought she might be a little too quiet for us at first, she got us right into order and didn't waste any time at all. She was also fantastic on the day of, but I'll get there soon enough!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/DSC_0265.jpg

After our ceremony rehearsal, we went over to the Grand Ballroom to practice a bit for our reception entrance. Our plan was for DH and I to enter the ballroom singing the ballad version of "What Dreams Are Made Of" from the Lizzie McGuire movie. I was so glad that we got a few minutes in the ballroom to practice this! The girl from Disney Entertainment was so on the ball to be at the rehearsal to make sure that everything would be correct on the day of the wedding. All of the CMs that helped with the wedding were just wonderful <3 I felt so lucky that they helped us so much!

With the ceremony and the rehearsal mostly planned out, it was time for our rehearsal dinner! DSIL and DMIL had chosen Bubba Gumps at the Anaheim GardenWalk mall- it's just a short walk or drive away from the Disneyland Hotel.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/IMG_0166.jpg

It turned out great! While we didn't have a totally private area of the restaurant, we had our own space and were able to mingle and run around between the tables. The menu was awesome, and the pricing was really reasonable considering how much food we got! DSIL was also kind enough to add on drink tickets, so we got to enjoy a little booze as well… although I was quite shocked when I saw my grandmas drinking straight bourbon!

DH also was rocking his new and improved groom hat- we added on some ears to his black fedora :goodvibes Too bad he has kind of an odd face in this photo!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_7560.jpg

We also gave our bridal party their gifts- an accessory for the girls, and a beer mug for the boys. We did everything through Things Remembered, so each one was personalized- the girls got a little poem on theirs as well.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/DSC_0520.jpg

After our awesome dinner, we said goodbye to almost everyone, and actually headed back into Disneyland! Even though we had to be up super early the next morning, we couldn't resist watching the fireworks one last time before getting married. With our photographer in tow, we ran into Disneyland to get a nice spot on Main St. for taking some photos.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_7769.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_7823.jpg

And of course, since we were there and the parks were a little slow… we had to run over and watch World of Color too! Our photographer hadn't watched it yet, so it was so much fun to see the expression on her face =)

After the two shows, we were totally exhausted. It was only Friday, and the wedding weekend was already crazy busy! We managed to crawl into bed around midnight, with a 6:00AM wakeup call for the next day- UGH ><

[Mindyjoy]

YAY! I can't wait to see more!!!!!!!

[Safflower]

Finally ready to start writing about the big day!

We started off quite early with some snacks up at the E-Ticket lounge. The staff had seen quite a bit of us over the last few days, so they had gotten used to me running around in my bride ears =)

DH went to take care of all of the last minute details, while I met my girls at the Frontier room to start our hair and make up! With 10 of us getting dolled up, it was quite the process!

I was so proud of all of my girls for getting up and over to the hotel on time- for all of them to be finished on time, they had to be there at 7:30! To make things a little easier, I ordered some snacks and drinks from Disney. I was so glad that I did this, since then I knew everyone had at least a little something to eat before the wedding. Plus, the hair and makeup girls were really happy about it too!

My lovely BMs were kind enough to steam all of the dresses and get everything set up for me, so it was a pretty stress free morning!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5234.jpg

Shoe shot!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5207.jpg

Rings in my dress
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_7943.jpg

The girls did get a little bit silly though…
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_7923.jpg

The only problem that we had was that my hair took a little longer than expected, so we were running late for the first look. Once the girls had gotten me into my dress, they attached a mini Eeyore onto my underskirt- Eeyore is DH's favorite character =)
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_7969.jpg

Even though I was running about 15 minutes behind, it ended up being OK, as it took longer for DH to coordinate with the AV people that we expected. We had quite a production team in the ballroom!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/CRN_8044.jpg

Traci coordinated moving the location though, so we still had our first look :) We moved it from the Grand Californian hotel to just near the lobby of the Disneyland Hotel. The location wasn't as pretty, but I was still glad to see him before the ceremony. I get nervous very easily, which is why we spent the night before together and had a first look. Not the most traditional, but I don't think we would have had it any other way!

Picture with the girls before DH got there
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_8060.jpg

Getting nervous!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_8076.jpg

After our first look, we headed over to the coach to have me practice getting in and out. With my gigantic dress, it was much more difficult than I thought it would be! Herta was a good guide though, so I managed to make it in and out safely.

For my bouquet, I carried something from each of my grandparents- 3 of them are gone, but I still wanted to have them with me. I used my grandfathers ring, my grandmothers broach, and my other grandfathers music handbook. My grandma also let me borrow her rosary :)
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_8249.jpg

My girls were a little nervous to go down- my MoH and Will's Best Maid were singing their entrance song, so they had the spotlight all on them for a little while!
http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_8347.jpg

And then all too soon, it was really time to go down the aisle!

[Safflower]

We made "fastpasses" to let our guests know about our reception details- we put a little map on the back, so guests could find our ballroom easily!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5455.jpg

My groom waited patiently at the end of the aisle for the girls to make their way down…

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5363.jpg

Major Domo and Herta helped me out of the carriage- I was so nervous I would fall in front of my guests! Those steps coming out of the carriage are so tiny! Herta actually had to grab my ankles to guide my feet to the steps.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5415.jpg

We wrote our own ceremony, and DBIL was our officiant. We were so glad that we could do something so personal for us- our families were really understanding about it =) We did two readings, and then a rose ceremony.

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_8443.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5595.jpg

Afterwards, we took some portraits with the family and the bridal party!

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/20110122-165554-2.jpg

My dress was quite large, so I couldn't move too much during the portraits- it took too much time to move me back and forth. So, occasionally, I just hid behind my DH! :lmao:

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/20110122-164332.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/20110122-164339-2.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_9165.jpg

http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss130/safflower/_MG_5671.jpg

Once we finished up with our pictures, we had some time to meander over to the reception room and enjoy our cocktail hour!

Reception photos soon =)

[Mindyjoy]

Everything looks so pretty! I love the fastpass idea! Too cute! And I think I spy Traci in one of your pictures .... :cutie:

Can't wait to see the reception!

[Safflower]

Our videographer posted the finished highlights- I couldn't resist sharing!

http://vimeo.com/22319835

I just love the way that everything turned out! :banana:

[MissManners]

Our videographer posted the finished highlights- I couldn't resist sharing!

http://vimeo.com/22319835

I just love the way that everything turned out! :banana:

That video just made me cry! It was too perfect! I can only hope my wedding turns out that wonderfully!

[Tale as old as Time]

That video just made me cry! It was too perfect! I can only hope my wedding turns out that wonderfully!

You said it perfectly!

[FairytaleBride73]

Everything looked so wonderful! It was so sweet how they threw you a surprise bridal shower!