Belle and her Prince's Animal Kingdom PJ! Engagement photos!!!

[Belle2Be]

So as of 11-15-10, We are having an Animal Kingdom Wedding! There are a few things we're still waiting to "set in stone" , but it's definitely a go! We ended up switching consultants, which has been fantastic, Stacey is amazing!

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So since we officially went to the consultation, I'm going to start a planning thread!
We've been together for over 2 1/2 years, and have been engaged for almost a year. We're just now starting planning, and have our hearts set on a Disney wedding!

We initially wanted to get married on the beach, rent a couple of beach houses for everyone and all that, but then life happened and it just fell to the wayside. So then we figured we could get married on the Beach in Disney World, but found out that they aren't doing that anymore. So we looked around Epcot a bit, and fell in love with Italy! ----
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[Disney-Chick]

Congrats on starting your wedding planning. Italy would be a great location for a wedding. I did hear they were not doing beach weddings any longer which is unfortunate.

 

[FutureMrs.B]

Congratulations on beginning your wedding planning. An Italy wedding sounds like it's going to be beautiful. Can't wait to read more.

 

[Belle2Be]

THanks!
So I'm a nut and didn't take pictures of anything. WHAT??? I know. I honestly do not know what I was thinking. But thank goodness I have google, I found these 2 pics online-

Where the ceremony will take place-

and the other side with the recent-ish Pizza place

We'll stand up on that circle thing and do our thing, probably with a violinist or guitarist, then cross the street and have a nice brunch on the island, here

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I'm DIYing our invites, they are going to look like Passports, along with a list of other stuff I'll get to in other posts LOL.

We're also hoping to keep this as close to the 10k (or 12k) minimum as possible, so far with just the basics we're at 6-8k so thats ok. I'm planning on flying in a family friend to do our photography, but that might change as the date gets closer.

Thats all for my ramblings for now!

 

[FutureMrs.B]

Oh wow that's going to be so amazing you guys being on that little platform. I'm sure you'll get some great pictures. Can't wait to see them.

 

[Belle2Be]

Ok well I should start adding some more stuff here. I've been obsessing over this, up through all hours googling and lurking LOL. My colors are Orange and Blue, Like this

We aren't changing the table cloth or covering the chairs I don't think, but I do want to do the centerpieces if they'll let me, using something similar to this

but its black and open topped (the newer version) filled with Daisys or Sunflowers that are individually watered so everyone can take one after brunch.

I've got so many ideas for favors, but I love this for packaging

and of course I have to show my ring! FI picked it out 100% on his own, I didn't even know he was ring shopping

And thats all for today! Woohoo!

 

[Belle2Be]

I'm still waiting on "officially" setting the date, btw. Kristi Davis and I seem to be playing a bit of phone tag, that or she just hasn't returned my calls this week and now shes on vacay for a week. Doesn't she know how impatient Dis brides are????
So I've been looking over the prices, and have been getting a little overwhelmed. I mean, the dessert party for 30 people, she guesstimated at 2k. The show is only 15 minutes! 2k for 15 minutes??? Doesn't that seem a bit nuts? Am I missing something maybe?
Then the ceremony itself, we're very laid back people and only want something short and sweet, so maybe 15 minutes at most? There's another $2500 for 15 minutes.... Even the brunch will probably end up around 3k for an hour and a half. Plus the stupid bus we have to get for 5 hours even though we will only need it for 30 minutes max (and even then, I'd rather my guests could take the Monorail), and add a musician dude since iPods are a no-go in Epcot... I'm having a hard time even looking at a dress because of COURSE the only ones I love are about 1k, and I'll only get to wear it for and hour and 45 minutes since you can't wear your dress in the park
I'm just feeling a little bummed I guess, because at minimum we're going to total out at 15k, and that is a TON of money to spend on a total of 4 hours... Not to mention that since its a park (even though its the morning and the park is closed) we can't have Mickey or Minnie or anyone visit, I totally fell in love with Italy after we found out that they don't do beach weddings at GF anymore, but I'm having a hard time validating it... My FI is all for it, he's such a Prince LOL.

 

[DisneyDiva84]

Welcome!

I just caught up on your PJ and yay for another Italy bride!! Thanks for posting those pics, they are the most recent i've seen of the site thus far and I love seeing the pizzaria done

Can't wait to read more

 

[FutureMrs.B]

Let me start by saying I love your colors and your ring in gorgeous! I also love that mickey lamp. I want one for my home. As for having a hard time justifying things I can totally relate. Right after DF and I became engaged and I started pricing everything at Disney I become very disappointed because the numbers I was coming up with were over my budget. However as time has gone by DF and I have tried to look at what's the most important things for us and focused on that. As of now we have a place reserved for the DP in Epcot but we are thinking if we get the whitehall room and patio we might just watch the fireworks from there and save some money. I'm not sure if I missed it our not but where are you having your reception? Because depending on that you'd get to keep your dress on for longer. You could have your ceremony in Italy but your reception could be elsewhere. Just an idea. My rationalization for my dress was I will wear it twice. Once on my wedding day and than DF and I are planning on doing a MK and Epcot portrait 2 days after our wedding. So I'll wear it again. Decisions Decisions. Whatever you decide just focus on what's important. If we all had money to splurge we'd go nuts..(I know I would), but most of us are on a budget. I'm not sure if you listen to the inside disney weddings podcast. This last one was really good. It was all about how to save money on your wedding. HTH

 

[goofyfordisney16]

Just singing onto your pj now, everything looks great! LOVE the ring and the location!

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

I'm here!! Italy is sooo pretty

You sound like me: $2500 for a few minutes, $8000 for 2 1/2 hours, $1400 for a dress I'm going to spill food on... and it goes on and on....

 

[LoveDisney!!!]

You said that you want a friend to do the photography, but I don't think outside vendors can do an in park wedding. I think they changed the rule a bit back.

 

[Belle2Be]

You said that you want a friend to do the photography, but I don't think outside vendors can do an in park wedding. I think they changed the rule a bit back.

A friend or family member can, vendors can't I'd rather have my friends and family enjoy my wedding, but I guess its not in the cards. Sucks because I haven't seen anything I like from the Disney photographers Photography to me is a personal as a dress is, so its really frustrating that they only allow their own. It's kinda like them saying "oh you can only wear one of these 3 dresses"

That is the biggest bummer. It is saving me thousands though, because if it were anywhere else I'd have to hire Roots

 

[Belle2Be]

I'm here!! Italy is sooo pretty

You sound like me: $2500 for a few minutes, $8000 for 2 1/2 hours, $1400 for a dress I'm going to spill food on... and it goes on and on....

LOL yes exactly!

 

[Belle2Be]

Let me start by saying I love your colors and your ring in gorgeous! I also love that mickey lamp. I want one for my home. As for having a hard time justifying things I can totally relate. Right after DF and I became engaged and I started pricing everything at Disney I become very disappointed because the numbers I was coming up with were over my budget. However as time has gone by DF and I have tried to look at what's the most important things for us and focused on that. As of now we have a place reserved for the DP in Epcot but we are thinking if we get the whitehall room and patio we might just watch the fireworks from there and save some money. I'm not sure if I missed it our not but where are you having your reception? Because depending on that you'd get to keep your dress on for longer. You could have your ceremony in Italy but your reception could be elsewhere. Just an idea. My rationalization for my dress was I will wear it twice. Once on my wedding day and than DF and I are planning on doing a MK and Epcot portrait 2 days after our wedding. So I'll wear it again. Decisions Decisions. Whatever you decide just focus on what's important. If we all had money to splurge we'd go nuts..(I know I would), but most of us are on a budget. I'm not sure if you listen to the inside disney weddings podcast. This last one was really good. It was all about how to save money on your wedding. HTH

LOL my numbers are pretty high and they don't even include the "really wants" like Mickey, the Cinderella coach, the MK photoshoot...lol I'm sure you understand! I think the reception in Italy isn't any more expensive than anywhere else, and this way we don't have to use the bus again (so basically we have to pay $600 for 30 minutes of use of the charter bus... There's gotta be another option...)That's a good idea about moving the desert party, at this point I'm not 100% sure we're going to even have it, I loved the idea at first but when I saw it last week, it was neat, but I'm not sure it's worth the whole dessert party thing. I think we just wanted to make a whole day of Epcot, except now I'm wondering if we should change it up and do the morning in Epcot then the evening in MK, just because there isn't a ton to do in Epcot. The thing is, to me whats important is just getting married, I think my FI is more into the whole wedding bash thing than I am.
I'm also a little down about it because my family is like "Disney World??? I don't think we'll be able to make it" and I haven't even told them the date! Talk about your party poopers...

 

[Belle2Be]

Just singing onto your pj now, everything looks great! LOVE the ring and the location!

Thanks!

 

[FutureMrs.B]

Oh man I'm sorry to hear that about your family. But hey you might be able to do the escape than and save money. Hopefully they change their mind though. Regardless it's your special day. I'm sure things will start to fall into place and your day will be magical.

 

[Belle2Be]

Oh man I'm sorry to hear that about your family. But hey you might be able to do the escape than and save money. Hopefully they change their mind though. Regardless it's your special day. I'm sure things will start to fall into place and your day will be magical.

Oh man I wish, unfortunately FI's list is pretty long LOL.

 

[Belle2Be]

Happy Dance Happy Dance

My love for Disney has been revived Not that it ever left, I guess I should say my love for my Disney wedding has been revived I went to Michaels today, ahhhhh. I could spend HOURS in Michaels. It's right up there with Barnes and Nobles, actually. Martha Stewart has a GREAT PR guy, or whoever the person is who designs the packaging. I just want to buy it all. Do I have a need for it? Uh, no. What the heck am I going to do with 6000 different hole punches? But they look so scrumptious! Not to mention I never go without a 40% off coupon, which means I HAVE to buy something, right? It would be a shame not to... I did good though today, crazy sales, I spent 5$ and ended up with some thick foam stuff for the Mickey/Epcot stamp I'm going to make, (any graphic designers here?), paper to do another test run of my Passport invites, a single flower for my nearly 3 year old (where did the time go?), and more paper for the mickey and castle confetti I'm going to make
Can you believe Michaels didn't have any Hurricane lanterns? Crazy. Dang I knew I needed ribbon for something! Add Ribbon Wands to my list of things to DIY

Now I have a color question. We love blue and orange (not orange like pumpkin orange, more like a yellow tangerine orange) partly because they are my FI's college colors (eyeyiyi that's what you get when you marry a Frat president I guess) and partly because while I love pink and orange, I'm not a pink person. But now that it's all in Italy, I'm wondering if we should change it? Blue and orange don't seem to really go with it all... But I'm not a red person either, so I don't want to be completely in warm colors...But I'm also not wanting to go all ultra christmas-y or wintery either... But maybe like a darker Blue and white with orange accents? What do you think?

(Sorry I'm a bit rambly, I had a Chai Tea Latte,oops!)

 

[Belle2Be]

So for an update, I think we're doing some restructuring. I'm really not happy with the way the Italy wedding was going, or how stiff Disney is with their wedding rules We are looking into a Swan and Dolphin wedding though, and that might give us the Disney and personality we want without the $$ or too many concessions on our part. So, as of now, the new plan is a Beach ceremony at the S&D, with some decor Then for our "reception", we're going to bus/taxi/limo it (not sure of the means of transportation yet) to the Polynesian, and enjoy the Spirit of Aloha show and dinner, and then off to Sago Cay(?) for the dessert party, to be visited by a couple surprise characters This would put our total (minus attire, rings and room, none of which are included in the minimum expends anyway) under 8k, and including everything we want so I'm very excited about that! There are several things up in the air and stuff, but it's the latest anyway