Chris & Patrick's VWL 7/5/13 Floral Update!!! 1/18/13

[sleepydog25]

And that's not all! Turns out, they had planned a secret bachelorette party for luv at Narcoosee's! Complete surprise and a wonderful treat. I'm sure luv will tell you all about it soon.

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

How sweet!

 

[luvvwl]

As P mentioned, last weekend I zipped down to WDW for a short girl’s weekend. Well, short for me while loosely termed “weekend” for others, lol! (meaning while I was only there Sat thru Mon, others were there from Tues to Tues. But. That’s how we roll!)

A little backstory. We have a group of friends who we first met because of a shared love of Disney. We try to make a trip every fall for the F&W and I think our very first one was back in 2005! We can’t all make it every year, obviously, but this year there were 11 of us.

We live about 2 hrs-ish from the airport so we were up at the pre-crack of dawn last Saturday to make the trek. P, awesome man that he is, drove me down and then came back on Monday to pick me up.

My flight arrived EARLY (if you can believe that) and I was on the Magical Express by 9:30 or so. Now. My destination was the Grand Floridian. And. We were staying in Sugar Loaf (which is Concierge Level). AND. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE BUS GOING TO THE GF. All 25 other passengers were going to the Wilderness Lodge. Seems like a no brainer to me, right? Drop me off first? Noooooooo. We had to go to the Lodge first. Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE the Lodge. That’s where we own our DVC and ALWAYS our first choice. But. As much as I love it, even I can see that in the great Resort hierarchy, it falls short of the GF. And, did I mention? I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON THE BUS GOING TO THE GF. And. I had my bag WITH ME. Not underneath the bus. It did not make even one iota of difference to that bus driver, oh no. We were going to the Lodge first. Period. End of story.

Now normally that wouldn’t bother me, but I was anxious to see my girlfriends. I didn’t get to go last year, so I was in a big hurry. Plus, having been up at the pre-crack of dawn, possibly even a bit cranky. But. I did get to see my beloved Lodge, so all was right with the world.

After all 25 passengers disembarked and took their sweet time getting their bags, we made quick work of getting over to the GF. Where I was met in style by 3 employees who knew my name and one of whom had my room key (no waiting in line to check in for me!) and escorted me to Sugar Loaf, my home for the next 3 days.

After dropping off my, I hopped on the monorail to meet up with my girls at the Magic Kingdom. We rode Peter Pan, saw Mickey’s Philharmagic, then did the Haunted Mansion. The girls wanted to hold out for tea at the Concierge lounge, but I was pretty hungry by then and when one of them said, “I want a taco salad at Pecos Bill’s”, I was in!!!!!

I think we rode Splash Mtn after that, and then some shopping on Main St (I was checking out things I might need for the wedding, lol) we monorailed back to the GF to get changed for dinner.

Or so I thought...

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Fine, leave your faithful readers hanging yet again!

 

[sleepydog25]

Fine, leave your faithful readers hanging yet again!

She's made up for it by regaling me about 15 times. . .

 

[luvvwl]

Part 2 - Surprise!!!!

So, where did I leave off? We had gone back to the room to freshen up for dinner. At 5:00 I went out to the CL lounge where we said we'd meet for some pre-dinner "free" CL offerings. Some of us were there promptly at 5; some of us were not. Which is par for the course with this group, lol! I sat down at one of the tables and, much to my complete and utter surprise, I was presented with my very own Disney Bachelorette/Bridal shower!!!!

Complete with Mickey ears

And a big, sparkly ring!

There were gifts all around!

And Cheers to the happy couple!

Some pics of my friends:

And a group shot before we headed off to our dinner at Narcoosees

Stay tuned for next time when we continue the fun at Narcooses and the Magic Kingdom!!!!!

 

[NAB]

My gosh all the familar faces I love it. I must say I got a sneak preview of the last pic over on FB.

And the presents , oh la la. Lucky P. Shower looked like a lot of fun.

 

[anewmac]

That is so awesome to have a great group join in with you there! Cant wait to see all the fun!

 

[jedijill]

What a fun surprise!

Jill in CO

 

[luvvwl]

The Rest of the Story...

After we drained all the CL champagne bottles dry we strolled over to Narcoosees for our dinner reservation. We had a short wait for our table. Some of us walked out onto the dock for picture taking opportunities while some of us caught each other up on life.

All the staff seemed to know we were celebrating my engagement (maybe the ears gave me away??) and offered congratulations throughout the night. It was so fun! We all ordered different meals and/or split them then passed them around the table so I think between us all we must have had nearly every item on the menu!

At the end of the meal the staff presented their own little suprise:

I immediately took a picture and sent it off to P BEFORE passing it around the table for all to enjoy. I DO have a gown to fit into, you know!
After dinner we monorailed over to MK. We rode a few rides while waiting for Wishes! to start:

Then it was time for Wishes!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Wishes! from Main Street!!

Such a wonderful surprise and a moment I'll treasure forever!

 

[sleepydog25]

No, we haven't been posting much, but we've honestly not had a lot on which to update you. However, I am pleased to announce that we are:

Heading to Disney for Our Wedding Planning Event!!!​

(The above announcement was bolded, red-inked, and exclamation-marked in an homage to LOML, she of the bling-y ring and normal editor of this journal. The author makes no claim as to the trademark elements supplied herein.)​

We head out later this week and will be eating and drinking our way "around the World" while there, as well, since it's Food and Wine Festival time (no, I'm not drinking because of the planning ). I do believe that luvvwl is almost as excited about the planning trip as the actual ceremony coming up next summer. . .almost. . . I'm sure she will want to fill you in upon our return; heck, she might even do an update or two whilst we're there (I like the word "whilst" for some reason--sounds cooler than plain, ol' "while." That's not to be confused with "once-t" or "twice-t" as is often used in this part of the country which are just odd.--Editor's note.) ​

I have practiced my part in the planning meetings, too. To wit:
"Yes." Likely to be my most used word.
"Sounds good." Variation of "yes."
"What do you think, babe?" An affirmation of her choice.
"I defer to your judgment." Ditto.
"Whatever you think works best." Ditto while sounding more involved.
"That's your choice." Enabling.
"Hmm, I think so." Pensive.
"Is that really what you want?" Supportive.
"Make it so." Star Trek: Next Generation and shows unity.​

I think it will be a good trip, don't you? ​

Oh, and I almost forgot. Let's see if I can make these photos work. They are of the suit we found for me this past weekend (apparently cargo shorts were not going to work). It's hard to tell, but it has very light pin-striping in it, and the tie is composed of not-so-hidden Mickeys. It's a fun tie to wear to work, and now it will be part of the wedding. As you can see, it's a perfect complement to the dress (and the gorgeous woman who will be wearing it). I believe it's a Sean John, which means nothing to me, but according to my blushing bride is a Sean "P. Diddy" Combs line. . .okay.​

​

Okay, I believe that's it for now. We'll check in before we head out to Florida!​

 

[MickeysStarTrader]

Your girls' Disney trip looked like a lot of fun luvvwl! I wish you could plan my Disney World bachelorette party!

I absolutely love your updates! You really make me laugh sleepydog I love your planning session responses and I enjoyed your cargo shorts comment! Your tie is awesome and I love your suit - you'll both look great on your big day!

Have a great time at the world, I hope you both have fun at your planning session and I look forward to updates!

 

[sleepydog25]

Your girls' Disney trip looked like a lot of fun luvvwl! I wish you could plan my Disney World bachelorette party!

I absolutely love your updates! You really make me laugh sleepydog I love your planning session responses and I enjoyed your cargo shorts comment! Your tie is awesome and I love your suit - you'll both look great on your big day!

Have a great time at the world, I hope you both have fun at your planning session and I look forward to updates!

It was a special trip for luv and took her completely by surprise. Thanks for your compliments. We try to make it fun for everyone to read, though I will say that your comments that I will look great on the big day might be a tad early. The suit we found had pants with a smaller waist than what I measure. . .and I'm a tall, slim guy. I had to suck in my gut to get them to fit; thankfully, there's a little room to let them out, otherwise, I might be walking like Carol Burnett as Ms Wiggins (it's a dated reference, I know). We'll definitely keep you updated--thanks for dropping in!

 

[sleepydog25]

We're back from our wedding planning trip, and it was a good, albeit short, stay at our beloved Wilderness Lodge. We've some pics that we'll post soon, and we'll also provide more details of what we did, where we went, and what we ate and drank (though I'm likely going to do a small TR over on the TR forum). In short, we came, we saw, we drank (okay, and ate). Oh, and we actually did some wedding planning, too.

 

[tinydancr06]

What a sweet surprise the bachelorette/bridal shower was! It sounds like it was a fantastic girls trip!

Can't wait to read about your planning trip!

 

[sleepydog25]

Our flight to MCO from CLT was A-OK, and we headed to DME ASAP. I just love using acronyms. I had to be convinced to fly for this trip since I prefer driving, but luv had made a salient point that we'd spend nearly 20% of the time we had for this trip driving if we didn't fly as it was a shorter stay than normal. Admittedly, it was refreshing to not feel so road weary after getting to the World, and the ride on DME was enjoyable in the sense that one begins to get excited about the visit while waiting in line to board the bus.

Our flight arrived shortly before 10 a.m., and about 40 minutes later we were pulling up to WL on the DME bus. We never fail to get slightly giddy when we arrive at our second home, and though we've stayed at several other resorts, WL best speaks to us. Our room wasn't ready, nor were we thinking it would be, so we dropped off our bags at the valet and proceeded inside escorted by Jack the Ranger. As we had checked in online before leaving home, he showed us to that particular counter spot and retrieved our paperwork. Attached to the folder were two "Just Engaged" buttons. That was an extremely nice touch, though to be honest, we had two already which we put on once arriving at MCO. Since the room wasn't yet available, we strolled hand-in-hand around the Lodge and its grounds. We were mildly disappointed that very few Christmas decorations were up even though we had figured it was a few days too early for them. Sure enough, Ranger Jack told us that the big effort would start the following Monday--our departure day, naturally.

As you would expect, we made our way to the fourth floor of the Lodge to the Sunrise Terrace where our wedding will take place in approximately 231 days, 23 hours, and 53 minutes. Approximately.

Looking out from the Sunrise Terrace

The lovely bride to be

Where our wedding guests will sit

After hanging around the Lodge awhile, we hopped on a bus for Downtown Disney to grab lunch and shop. I was more interested in one of the two options. . .I'll leave it to your powers of deduction to figure out which one. We hit a few shops and lunched at Portobello where we were pleasantly surprised by both the quality of the food and the service. It's not a place we'd ever heard much about, but it offered a slightly more appealing menu than did Cooke's of Dublin which had been our first inclination. Despite a humorous admonition by our server not to spill my glass of wine, I managed to do just that halfway through the meal, and it was promptly cleaned up and replaced with another glass of wine even though I had drunk half of the first glass. The incident was handled quickly, quietly, and calmly, so I felt less like an idiot than I could have.

After lunch, we stopped in to pick up our APs at guest relations there in DD. The vouchers for them had been left with our room packet, and this was yet another first for me since I've never had an AP before. Flush with success for securing the passes, we stopped into a couple more shops, then headed off to take a few pictures at the Grand Floridian and, drum roll please. . . . .Franck's. . . . .

 

[MickeysStarTrader]

I'm enjoying the TR so far! Did the excitement build up more driving to the Lodge on DME rather than driving yourself? Sorry you missed the Christmas decorations, they are AWESOME at the Lodge!! The best in my opinion. But you know what that means? You need another trip! Sunrise Terrace is so beautiful, I'm so happy for you both that you can get married at your favorite place! I wish I could get married there, but we really couldn't choose only 8 people to join us, that wouldn't even cover our immediate family how did you choose who to invite?

 

[sleepydog25]

I'm enjoying the TR so far! Did the excitement build up more driving to the Lodge on DME rather than driving yourself? Sorry you missed the Christmas decorations, they are AWESOME at the Lodge!! The best in my opinion. But you know what that means? You need another trip! Sunrise Terrace is so beautiful, I'm so happy for you both that you can get married at your favorite place! I wish I could get married there, but we really couldn't choose only 8 people to join us, that wouldn't even cover our immediate family how did you choose who to invite?

Thank you for all your kinds comments--we hope to entertain a little as we go along. First, let me answer your questions. I'd say the excitement level is actually a little higher for me when we drive since we pass by so many "checkpoints" that we've come to know on our drives down. Further, we have a couple of CDs that we play when driving--the first is full of Disney songs from rides, shows, and attractions. That one goes in when we pass Jacksonville and turn onto I-4. The second is a compilation I made of Lodge music, and that CD goes a half hour or so from entering WDW property. Once we hit the World, there are a few must plays on the Lodge CD, such as the theme from "Silverado" and as we prepare to turn onto Timberline Drive, the theme from "Quigley Down Under." Although I transferred those songs onto an iPod, and although we listened to the same songs on the bus drive, it just wasn't the same. That being said, the excitement on DME was still wonderful.

Too bad all the decorations weren't quite up, but we got to see those last year, and even this year we took in the Osborne Lights which is my second favorite Christmas sight to see behind the Lodge lobby. As for how we decided who would be invited, it was simple. As luv as said before, this isn't the first rodeo for either of us, and the expense for many to travel to WDW would be more than some could bear. In the end, we wound up inviting our just our kids and their spouses/significant others. That's five kids plus three SOs and us. Who better to share our love with than our kids?

Coming up: Chillaxin at Franck's

 

[sleepydog25]

Before we departed DTD, LOML wanted to find a few items (read: bride and groom Mickey ears), so we proceeded to nose around a few shops.

This was the first attempt:

As you can see, I was tremendously thrilled to look like an Easter Island statue. We moved on.

This one worked well enough.

My ears are actually a Mousketeers hat turned around backward as the other similar hat with plastic ears didn't fit as well.

Here we are with our matching accessories.

I look a little like Steve Martin's character in "Roxanne." Sigh.

Chillaxin at Franck's

After our delightful meal at Portobello's, we hopped a bus to the GF to visit Franck's. It was a stop that luv had been planning since the moment I popped the question, I'm quite certain. Being that we are only doing the Escape package, having an actual planning session isn't part of the deal; however, that doesn't mean one can't stroll around the grounds of Franck's and take a few pictures.

We enjoyed our moments walking around the entire wedding pavilion area and taking in the sights. As you can see, it was a clear day, though a bit chilly. If the sun hadn't been out, we'd have been in light jackets or sweaters. Our sales consultant had graciously mentioned dropping off our wedding details packet (with our choices for flowers, cake, music, etc.) while we were visiting, so we stopped in at Franck's to drop off the packet. Just stepping into Franck's meant a lot to luv--I could see it in her eyes, here the emotion in her voice. Some moments take on a special meaning beyond their face value, and this was one of them. We have been sprinkled with a huge amount of pixie dust, and this snapshot in time was deeply meaningful to luv, and by extension, to me. We didn't need a consultation, just taking our picture outside the door meant the world to us.

 

[luvvwl]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year wishes to everyone!!!

We've had a busy, busy past few weeks!! Little bits and pieces to update you with regarding the wedding, but it's coming along really well!! Only 6ish more months to go!!!!

I ordered a few things (really, who wouldn't??) First some more accessories, because well, who doesn't need more accessories, lolololol??

These are David Tutera hair clips. They're basically snaps and go in really easily. Except. If you recall, I'm planning to wear my hair in a low back curly bun, sooooo I've enlisted the help of my youngest daughter for hair. I really did struggle with having Beaute do my hair and makeup but in the end, I decided I really do like how I do it myself and I think it'll be an awesome experience to share with my daughter!

This is a bracelet by Tejani. The photo is from their website since it hasn't arrived yet:

I'm don't think I ever posted this, but some time ago I bought a wedding hanger from Etsy which I love, love, love!

After the wedding, we're going on a cruise on the Dream! My very first cruise ever was in 2011 (also on the Dream) and it was soooo much fun. We have a trip report on the cruise board somewhere, if anyone is interested. It's such a different experience being adults only. Anyhoo, I scored the perfect dress for our dinner at Remy's!

And here are the awesome shoes I found!

I made two forays into the DIY area, well three if you count the wedding invitations. The first was some flip flops I bought at Old Navy. They were on sale for something like $3 a pair, so I bought white, pink and blue to match the tank tops I did over the summer. Hey, that's FOUR DIY projects in total, go me! Anyway, the flip flops have not worked out so well. I bought some rhinestones and some supposedly super awesome stay put glue, but guess what?? Not so much. Soooo. I may or may not have matching flip flops for my tanks! Oh well, maybe I'll give it another go at some point...

However. When we were at Franck's, my little eye spied a super cute photo album. I know we'll get the DFTW one, but between guest photo's, our week long trip AND the cruise, I knew I'd want another. I learned that anything in their display case is for sale, but you have to order it thru Disney Floral. Anyhoo, I decided to try my hand at one. Not too bad, right??

Speaking of invitations, I recently learned that the postal rate is going up on the 27th January. Since I ordered custom stamps, I have to get them out before then or I'm in big trouble! I really like how they turned out - simple, elegant, a little Lodge-y and a touch Disney:

I also learned during my planning session that if you want a cake with fruit filling you cannot have a Mad Hatter style cake. Boo!!! This REALLY put a crinkle into my plans, let me tell you! Since we had the specialty cake on the planning trip, I KNEW I didn't want to give up the flavors. So, our wonderful planner, Kathleen, contacted the Contemporary Bakery (which does the cakes for The Wilderness Lodge) and they agreed to do the 2012 Modern Deco cake for us!!! I think we're going to keep the same color scheme since it fits in well at the Lodge - we're doing a staged cutting at the ceremony and then have the cake served at our reception dinner at Artist Point. The cake will be chocolate, with dark chocolate ganache and raspberry filling. Yum!!!!

But. I didn't really think the Mickey/Minnie topper went so well. Soooo, what's a girl to do but order a new topper!

Phew!!! I think that's it for now!!! We're having a floral planning call after the first of the year to decide on bouquet and ceremony decorations and then that's pretty much it!