David & Ian - PJ & TR Sept 17th 2009 - Epcot UK/Attic/UK Lockside - TR Starts PG 14

[daveyc150]

Hi Guys

I have been trying to start this planning journal for some time now but just never seem to find the time. Hope you find it interesting and if anyone has any questions shout up!

I'm David and my partner is Ian and I am sure we will both be chipping into this journal so anything that one of us misses will probably be filled in by the other. We have been together since April 13th 2003, so that's about 5 and a half years (it feels like longer sometimes!!!). We met in February 2003 when we were both working in UK pavillion at Epcot, we had jobs as servers at the Rose & Crown. A very exciting time in both our lives, living away from home and also working in our dream jobs at Disney World. Unfortunately the International program runs only for 1 year so we had to come home, back to not-so-sunny England!

Since we got home we moved in together and for the last 2 years have been talking about getting married. It's legal for that to happen here in the UK now but it wasn't really what we wanted, we wanted the dream wedding at WDW (If only the money could afford that!). At the time we were looking, Disney was not offering same sex ceremony's onsite and we almost decided on a Vegas wedding (minues elvis and the pastel blue suits with the ruffles). So we were so excited when Disney decided to change their policy and allow us to hold our ceremony at there.

So we set about our planning just over a year ago when I propsed to Ian in front of Spaceship Earth (The Epcot Ball!) in September 2007. As I am sure you all noticed from the thread title we have decided to hold our ceremony in the United Kingdom pavillion followed by a reception at the Attic in the Boardwalk and then later on in the evening a Dessert Party at Epcot at UK Lockside (It really bugs that disney spells this incorrectly!!!!).

Our Wedding co-ordinator was absolutely amazing, she managed to get us all sorted really quickly and we got all the locations that we wanted, DFTW.

Our ceremnoy will be quite small probably about 20 guests, we will then leave orlando 2 days later to take the 7 night western Disney Cruise to Mexico!!!!

I have probably rambled for far too long now but I thought i'd include a couple of pictures from our recent holiday to Disneyland.

I'm the one on the right in both pictures (the one wearing glasses), Ian is on the left.

 

[rpmdfw]

Congratulations!

You're going to love it!

My partner and I also met in 2003 at Disneyworld!

And we just had our Big Fat Gay Disney Wedding(http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1831649) last month!

Enjoy every minute of it, it goes by quickly, but it's SO much fun, and so worth it!

 

[Wazzo]

Hooray!! Congratulations! I'm so excited to hear more. Our wedding is in the summer, and we have very similar locations!

 

[MegKate]

Congrats on the engagement! I love that you proposed in front of Spaceship Earth (my fav. Epcot thing).

I probably saw you two at the Rose and Crown - Feb 2003 is the first time I went there - now we have to go every year because my other half loves the yard of beer idea (even though it's only like two bottles!)

Again congrats are in order! I'm going to subscribe so I can keep up with you two - we're getting married about a month after you guys!

 

[DisneyBrideToni]

YAY CONGRATS!!!!!

I can't wait to hear about all your plans!!!!!!!!!

You two look like such a cute couple!!!! That is exciting that you met in Disney!

 

[daveyc150]

Thanks for all the nice comments, we will try and keep this as up to date as possible with lots of info. We are both really excited about all the planning, it's almost as exciting as the actual day!!!!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

Hooray for starting your planning journal! I remember when you first came on the wedding boards, and since then I've been thinking, "I wonder how their plans are going..."

 

[bridetobe789]

Congratulations! You guys are very cute together!! I'm glad you guys get to have your wedding @ the UK! Definitely seems like a happy ending to the beginning of a relationship! Not many people can say that they were married just about the same place they met !! Can't wait to hear all about it!

 

[daveyc150]

Hooray for starting your planning journal! I remember when you first came on the wedding boards, and since then I've been thinking, "I wonder how their plans are going..."

Thanks Carrie, you wedding actually encouraged us to look at other options for ours, the Attic and a theme park venue - without inspiration from you our wedding would probably be something completely different.

 

[daveyc150]

Congratulations! You guys are very cute together!! I'm glad you guys get to have your wedding @ the UK! Definitely seems like a happy ending to the beginning of a relationship! Not many people can say that they were married just about the same place they met !! Can't wait to hear all about it!

We are really excited to be having it in the UK pavillion, I even remeber the exact moment that we met. I had been there for a few months and it was Ian's first day and I was his trainer. It was a couple months after that when we finally got together.

 

[IndyBride]

Hooray for another PJ!! Great start and we can't wait to hear all the details!!! I'm glad you were able to have your ceremony at the best place on earth!

 

[epcot1982uk]

Just thought I would say "Hi" and introduce myself!

Here are few more pictures of us both in the first few months after we met. I always like the planning journals with a lot of pictures, so I am going to try to put a lot in here!!!!

 

[MegKate]

You two look so happy together! Love the pictures!

 

[daveyc150]

OK so as you have probably noticed now, I am rubish at this!

Things have been busy here over the last couple of weeks with work and trying to make plans for next year so I just haven't found the time to get on here and write and update.

SOOOOO many things have been organised over the last two weeks I feel like I am super organised but then I realsie all of the things that haven't happend yet and start to in planning mode. We have booked our flights, our hotels, photographer (Misty) and had a planning session. We picked our food and planned out the day and it all even sounds like it's within our budget so far.

I promise to do a proper update soon but we are having officiant issues at the moment - we just can't decide who to choose?

So if anyone has any suggestions please let us know!

David

 

[epcot1982uk]

I just wanted to share pictures of our "Save the dates". I know that Disney send them out for you, but we wanted to make something a bit more personal, plus I have been planning to make these for over a year!!!

Save the date cards

Cards and envelopes

When we were at WDW last year David asked for some extra blank room keys so that we could make them. I used clear self adhesive printer paper and tried to re-create the design of an existing key to the world I had.

The envelopes were the hardest part because the part where it looks like a rubber stamp was actually printed on. My printer chewed up more envelopes than came out right!!! I think they were worth it however, because all our guest have commented how cool they were.

 

[padisneyfour]

Very cool idea! I love it! Well done....

 

[daveyc150]

Ian is definately the creative one out of the two of us, I just don't have enough patience.

 

[Disney-Bride2010]

Love the save the date cards! Very cute!

 

[Glampire31]

It all sounds so wonderful... I can't wait to read more.... Congratulations!!!

 

[daveyc150]

OK, I guess it's time for a bit of an update. As I mentioned when I started this journal we had picked the date and location that we wanted and Ian has posted our save the date cards. We sent out the save the date's in July this year, we knew we were aiming for the 17th but since we hadn't confirmed yet and most of our guests are from the UK and will probably spend at least week in Orlando we asked them to save a week just in case.

Our wishes came true on the 18th of September when Disney called to let us know that we had our locations and they were getting the contract organised. We really wanted to get the contract signed as quickly as possible in order to meet the October cut off date for using an outside photographer at a theme park location. We have heard mixed reviews of the Disney photographers, I think that if you are going to spend a lot of money on your wedding photos you at least want to know who will be taking the pictures before the day of the wedding and see samples of their work. But anyway everything was sorted and organised super quick and we were really excited when our contract arrived in the mail with two Mickey Groom ink-bends (I am sure Ian will post a picture of these).

Since then we have been fitting the planning in around work and other activities and we are making good headway with it all. We had our planning session with Disney a couple of weeks ago where we went through the whole day step by step and out planner as pulled together our first BEO. Amazingly we were bang on where we expected our budget to be so we were really pleased as we got more than we expected too.

We also booked out flights a couple of weeks ago and our hotels are also now booked. We decided that we would stay in a couple of locations, so will be hopping between Port Orleans and The Contemporary in the first week followed by our cruise in the second week and then back to Pop Century for the third week. We are really excited to stay at The Contemporary as we will have a Magic Kindom view!

We booked Misty for our photography, we really like her style and were pleased to hear that she had recently won an award.

Ian has been wearing his creative cap again and has been making invitations this weekend (pics to follow later). I know that I am biased but they are amazing!

I think that covers everything so far other than that we have a session with the floral people on Monday. Not really sure what to expect, as their is no bride it may be a short session!

It feels like the wedding has taken over our whole lives, if we aren't working we are planning something or talking about the wedding, it makes me wonder what I used to do before it?????? ...and what i'll do afterwards????