Amanda & Josh's Wishes Wedding - 05.04.15 - SBP/Attic/UK Lochside - The End (Complete)

[elphie101]

So I know I said it on Facebook already but MAN your E-pics are so stunning! I love that you have so many different locations and different options to chose from. If I were you those would definitely be hanging around in my house for quite some time

What stands on your DP menu now? Of course I want to know all about the food

 

[Seia]

So I know I said it on Facebook already but MAN your E-pics are so stunning! I love that you have so many different locations and different options to chose from. If I were you those would definitely be hanging around in my house for quite some time

What stands on your DP menu now? Of course I want to know all about the food

Thank you! I only hope that my actual wedding pictures are half as stunning as yours. Your wedding pictures are perfect!

 

[Seia]

Originally, we were going to skip having a welcome or rehearsal event just because of budgetary reasons. However, my FMIL graciously agreed to host an event. I liked the thought of having a welcome event open for all our guests, as I didn't want to exclude anyone. The next task was deciding WHERE to host the meal for our group size, which will be approximately 35.

Initially, we leaned toward having it at 'Ohana. However, no one there ever returned Josh's voicemail, and the restaurant has received so many mixed reviews over the last few months. I also worried about our group being separated. So I reached out to Diane about having a catered event, and eventually it was decided that we would have a private meal at Ariel's. I picked lunch mainly because my hair and makeup call-time the next day is at 4 a.m. I do not want to have a late night beforehand! This also omits any expectation for hosting a bar, which saves a lot of money. Here is the menu we chose:

• Garden Salad - Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Carrots, and Olives served with Herb Country Cream, Roasted Corn Vinaigrette, and Light Italian
• Ciabatta and Focaccia Bread with Herb-infused Olive Oil and Butter
• Freshly Prepared Seasonal Vegetables
• Macaroni and Smoked Cheese
• Grilled Chicken Breast with Citrus and Basil Butter Sauce (Josh tried this at our tasting and liked it a lot. Initially, it was part of our reception menu. We decided to move it here instead.)
• Pasta Sautéed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Arugula, and Feta with Marinara Sauce
• Assorted Mini Cheesecakes
• Fresh Fruit
• Selection of Coffee, Iced Tea, and Water

The price for this menu is $43/pp ++. We could honestly cut the menu down some as well, but that really isn't too much more expensive than 'Ohana. It's worth it to us for the private space and the convenience of being right on the Boardwalk. Ideally, we could add just a soda bar, but I think the standard drink choices should be okay for lunch, right?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

[Seia]

Sorry that I've been MIA for a few weeks. My two graduate classes just ended last week, so I've been super stressed and busy. There haven't been too many major wedding related developments, but we are 4 months and 20 days away. Time really is going by quickly! Our dessert party selections went through a few changes, but this should be the finalized menu. The price point is higher than what we wanted initially, but I really don't want to cut anything at this point. I'm too excited about the choices to let go of anything!

Dessert Party Menu:

• Build Your Own Nacho Bar: Tortilla chips, shredded cheese, queso dip, black beans, meat chili, chopped scallions, tomatoes, sliced black olives, sliced jalapenos, shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole
  
• Hand-dipped Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Sundae Bar: Chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, pineapple sauce, strawberry sauce, chocolate cookie crumbs, candy pieces, whipped cream, cherries, nuts, and jimmies
  
• Fresh Fruit Salad
  
• Donald Duck's Blue Velvet Cupcakes: Red velvet cake dyed with blue food coloring topped with cream cheese frosting, inspired by Donald Duck (see inspiration photos)
  
• Fruit Punch, Coffee, and Selection of Teas

I am SO excited about my Donald cupcakes; it's a little ridiculous! The idea came to me when I realized I had never seen Donald specialty cupcakes in the parks before. So I decided to have them made for our Dessert Party! I sent Diane the following photos for ideas, but said they could really put their own spin on it if they wanted.

The menu is $40pp. In an ideal world, we'd have a bar but since the DP no longer counts toward any minimums, we decided against it.

Honestly, this period is kind of strange in terms of our planning. Sometimes I feel like most of the major decisions have been made, and we're just kind of waiting around… but then I realize how much we actually still have left to do in under 5 months, and it freaks me out! Our invitations will go out at the beginning of January, and I just know that after that happens, the time will absolutely fly by!

 

[lthiesfeld07]

I LOVE your DP menu!!! It sounds so fun!! $40 a person doesn't seem so bad either considering all the customizing you did!

Did you get a quote on the bar? My DF wants one.

 

[edeneye]

DONALD DUCK! I love all the nods to Donald, he's our favourite. The cupcakes are a fantastic idea, the chefs will do a great job with that. Otherwise, you're so right about the planning period you're in. I thought of it as the calm before the storm, you're in that weird in-between time when important milestones are either side of you but right now is just a ticking clock and your imagination. And it sounds like you're in a great place too, already well at work on your BEO and so in control of your budget. I'd try and offer advice but you're absolutely nailing it!

Oh & I can't believe I didn't comment already (been kinda busy) but your engagement pictures are unbelievable! You guys look great and like you're really enjoying yourself, you got amazing weather and your photographer got some awesome shots! The next four months (and change) are gonna fly by, it's so exciting

 

[Seia]

I LOVE your DP menu!!! It sounds so fun!! $40 a person doesn't seem so bad either considering all the customizing you did!

Did you get a quote on the bar? My DF wants one.

Thanks! I'm so excited about it. We didn't get a quote on a bar for the DP specifically, but for our BOC wine bar, it's $7.25 per glass. This is for house wine, so some of the nicer offerings would probably cost more. But I figure that most of our guests would prefer mimosas anyway, so I didn't mind only offering house selections.

DONALD DUCK! I love all the nods to Donald, he's our favourite. The cupcakes are a fantastic idea, the chefs will do a great job with that. Otherwise, you're so right about the planning period you're in. I thought of it as the calm before the storm, you're in that weird in-between time when important milestones are either side of you but right now is just a ticking clock and your imagination. And it sounds like you're in a great place too, already well at work on your BEO and so in control of your budget. I'd try and offer advice but you're absolutely nailing it!

Oh & I can't believe I didn't comment already (been kinda busy) but your engagement pictures are unbelievable! You guys look great and like you're really enjoying yourself, you got amazing weather and your photographer got some awesome shots! The next four months (and change) are gonna fly by, it's so exciting

Donald's our favorite too! "Calm before the storm" is the perfect way to put it. Thanks for your sweet words about our engagement pictures. I'll be happy if our wedding photos are half as stunning as yours!

 

[elphie101]

Oh I am such a slacker. I totally thought I commented on your Rehearsal menu

Regardless, it looks delicious, and as you know I can totally vouch for how awesome Ariel's is for this kind of an event. I think it'll be even better considering you have a far smaller group - it's just an intimate space to begin with. That menu look delicious!

Speaking of delicious menus, don't even get me started on your DP menu! Those Donald cupcakes are cuter than cute. I totally agree that I don't see what you could cut from your DP menu - it looks perfect! I can tell you from personal experience my guests RAVED about our nacho bar

 

[Seia]

The first part of today's update doesn't involve our wedding directly, but I wanted to share. Josh graduated this weekend! Yay! It was a great ceremony, and I'm so proud of him.

Now, back on topic. Taking a break from all the food related updates, we have finalized our ceremony music selections! Before I share, I will preface by saying that Josh and I are nerds at heart and that is reflected in our choices. We love to play video games, and Final Fantasy games have always been some of our favorites. We especially love the music from these games, and have even met the composer (Nobuo Uematsu) at several meet and greets. Even if you have no familiarity with the games, the music is still great.


Parents' Entrance: "Prelude". There are several variations of this, and anyone familiar with Final Fantasy games would recognize it immediately! We chose the version from my favorite Final Fantasy game, IX.

Entrance of the Groom and Groomsmen: "To Zanarkand"". One of my favorite pieces of music.

Entrance the Bridesmaids: "Julia". The song is short, but I only have two bridesmaids so I think it will work out.

Entrance of the Bride: "Garnet's Theme". This is a piece that has been set for a while. When I was younger, I thought I would walk to the traditional Canon in D… but this suits me much better. I've been able to envision myself walking down the aisle every time I listen to this song.

Sand Ceremony: "Fabula Nova Crystallis/The Promise". We had a hard time settling on this song. Initially, I suggested "I See the Light" from Tangled, but we decided an instrumental would be better to go with the rest of our selections. So Josh suggested this piece. I thought it worked wonderfully!

Recessional: "Ever Ever After" from Enchanted. I know this doesn't go with the other pieces at all, but I just think it would be a fabulous recessional song!


That's our ceremony music! We're still putting together a playlist for Pre-ceremony, but it will probably include a mix of Disney songs and pieces from some of our favorite games. We also have to decide 100% on our first dance and parent dance songs, but we have it narrowed down to just a few choices. We're about to the 4 month mark, and we have quite a bit still on the to-do list: writing our ceremony and vows, buying Josh's suit, getting my dress altered, purchasing my bridal jewelry, buying or finding a rehearsal dress, losing another 5-10 pounds or so (and work on toning my arms!), and about a hundred other little things. Invitations will go out in 2-3 weeks! Eek! Time is going to fly. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

 

[Seia]

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Our wedding is 117 days away!!! There are still about a thousand little things that need to be done, bought, or finished. The next 114 days before we depart for the World are going to go by in a blur. I can't wait for May to get here – for our wedding and because I finish my M.A.! But I have many, many to-do's to check off before then.

I took care of a few small things over the holiday break. I chose my shoes, earrings, and wedding day fragrance. Admittedly, I have high heel envy… I envy women who can wear them and tolerate them! I always end up choosing flats because I want to be comfortable. As much as I would love photos of beautiful high heel shoes with my rings in the getting ready shots, I know myself too well. I would be uncomfortable – not what you want to be on your wedding day! So I decided on the petal pink Toms from their bridal collection. They will match my bouquet well. Plus, with my dress, the shoes likely won't even show in any pictures.

Bridal Toms!

I have had the hardest time finding earrings to wear. Since I am not planning to wear a necklace, I wanted a nice pair of drop earrings with diamonds/crystals and pearls that would be attention-getting but not over the top. A couple months ago, I bought a pair from Blue Nile but was disappointed in how small they were in person. So after months and months of hunting, I found this pair at Macy's. I haven't tried them on with my dress yet, but I think they will work nicely!

My earrings. They are prettier and sparklier in person.

For a wedding day fragrance, I wanted something that was strong enough to last but not overpowering. This may be a little silly, but I also wanted it to have a pretty bottle for photographs. I smelled a ton of different fragrances and went through a number of samples before choosing 'Live Colorfully' by Kate Spade. There are perfumes out there with prettier bottles, but this one isn't bad by any means.

Wedding day fragrance.

It feels good to check tasks off the list! I have a running Word document with things that will need to be bought/packed and another with things that need to be done. I find myself continuously remembering more and more to add. We're getting close to the home stretch!

 

[elphie101]

Ok, I know I read your post with your music selections but apparently I forgot to respond

First of all, congrats to Josh!! Here's hoping the next few months fly by so that you'll be in a cap and gown in no time (and then in a wedding gown!!)

I have a lot of friends who adore Final Fantasy, so I had a feeling the music would be stunning, and I was right! I love all your selections and major kudos for you for getting the ceremony choices locked in so early. Great checkmark!

I adore those earrings (pearls are so classic and bridal and I think pair excellent with the sparkle - kind of a merging of tradition with modern don't you think?) and HOORAY for finding a wedding fragrance! I bet it's perfect for your day.

It's funny you say you have heel envy, because I have Toms envy!! I have a bone growth from my high arches so I can't wear any shoes too restrictive over the top of my foot, and sadly that includes Toms. So I'll be living vicariously through you!

Can't wait for more, more, more!

 

[Seia]

Ok, I know I read your post with your music selections but apparently I forgot to respond

First of all, congrats to Josh!! Here's hoping the next few months fly by so that you'll be in a cap and gown in no time (and then in a wedding gown!!)

I have a lot of friends who adore Final Fantasy, so I had a feeling the music would be stunning, and I was right! I love all your selections and major kudos for you for getting the ceremony choices locked in so early. Great checkmark!

I adore those earrings (pearls are so classic and bridal and I think pair excellent with the sparkle - kind of a merging of tradition with modern don't you think?) and HOORAY for finding a wedding fragrance! I bet it's perfect for your day.

It's funny you say you have heel envy, because I have Toms envy!! I have a bone growth from my high arches so I can't wear any shoes too restrictive over the top of my foot, and sadly that includes Toms. So I'll be living vicariously through you!

Can't wait for more, more, more!

The more I look at your beautiful wedding pictures and how pretty your shoes looked in them, the more I wish I could magically find sparkly pink heels that would somehow also be incredibly comfortable! Haha!

That's a great point about the pearls and sparkles! I knew I wanted pearls from the beginning, but needed something to give them a little 'bling' too!

 

[MiniMosca]

I love your music selection. My DF and I are big nerds too and are planning to use similar music, our wedding is Kingdom Hearts themed so of course there's going to be lots of Nobuo Uematsu To Zanarkand is one of my favorite pieces and I'm sneaking it in somewhere for sure.

It's nice to see all the little things coming together on your wedding. Everything you choose looks so nice!

I think it'll be nice to have flats for your wedding, the shoes don't usually end up being seen much and you can be more comfortable throughout the day. I always end up trying to wear heels and regretting it half way through the day when the pain sets in.

 

[Seia]

Just a quick update tonight, but the big news of the week: we've officially confirmed our Magic Kingdom/Epcot portrait sessions for Wednesday, May 6! WHOO-HOO!! The Magic Kingdom session was one of the things that excited us most about a Disney wedding, so I was devastated when there was a chance they wouldn't have them in 2015. Admittedly, I'm not entirely thrilled about not having shots of the front of the castle or Main Street and having to choose a specific route. However, we talked about it and decided we still really wanted to have them, especially now that the archival disc is included. We chose route 1, which includes the Wishing Well, carousel, and Mad Tea Party as well as the back of the castle.

I listed May 6 as our first choice to give us a day of recuperation after the wedding, but not too late in the week so that I could enjoy eating on our Disneymoon. Haha. I've already booked Beaute Speciale for hair and makeup for the portrait sessions, but I'm not sure if the stylist who did my trial and will do my wedding day style (Jenny) will be available yet or not.

Unfortunately, I know Disney can't guarantee photographers, but we requested Brittany, Dean, Amy, or Ty. If we get to choose countries within Epcot, we'd ideally like Japan, Italy, and Canada. I'm not sure about the timeline of the shoot in Epcot, though. I assume there could be a chance we have to accommodate weddings? So far, all we know is that we will be picked up by our photographer around 7 a.m. I appreciate a little extra sleep, but that probably means we won't get any pictures before sunrise, which look really pretty. (Although, I haven't seen any of those with the back of the castle before.)

Currently, I have a floral refresh scheduled for my bouquet as well, but I'm wondering if I will really need it. Having peonies, it probably wouldn't hurt. Any former brides (or floral connoisseurs ) want to share insight on this?

Our wedding is 16 weeks from tomorrow!! Yes, I have a running countdown on my laptop, iPad, and phone.

 

[Seia]

I love your music selection. My DF and I are big nerds too and are planning to use similar music, our wedding is Kingdom Hearts themed so of course there's going to be lots of Nobuo Uematsu To Zanarkand is one of my favorite pieces and I'm sneaking it in somewhere for sure.

It's nice to see all the little things coming together on your wedding. Everything you choose looks so nice!

I think it'll be nice to have flats for your wedding, the shoes don't usually end up being seen much and you can be more comfortable throughout the day. I always end up trying to wear heels and regretting it half way through the day when the pain sets in.

Oh wow! I don't think I've seen a Kingdom Hearts themed wedding, but that sounds amazing. That game has a lot of great music as well. I'd love to see your playlist when you get everything finalized!

Thank you! And you're exactly right! I know that I would regret it, my feet would be in pain, and I would be complaining about it probably within an hour. Haha.

 

[MagicalEnding]

Wow! I love your PJ! I will be following to see the rest. So excited for you! You both make a lovely couple.

 

[elphie101]

I'm glad you got your park shoots! I know your MK shoots will be stunning and hey, maybe your photographer won't mind sneaking a shot elsewhere besides the pre-approved route. Good for you planning it a few days after your wedding!

Those are the most beautiful countries in Epcot IMO, hope you get your pick of them (of course I'm biased toward Italy, it did us well!)

 

[Seia]

The last few days have been a roller coaster. My grandfather, who I was really close to, passed away on Thursday after fighting cancer. So as you might imagine, it's been a difficult week. To keep my mind somewhat preoccupied, we mailed our invitations out yesterday. I meant to have them out sooner, but we were waiting on our wedding timeline enclosures to arrive.

For the most part, I am happy with how they turned out. This was one of the areas we cut costs as much as we could (short of making them ourselves), so they aren't as pretty or extravagant as many other suites I've seen but I'm trying not to dwell on that. The day of the wedding, I'm sure I'll be glad we put the money toward other areas!

Here is a closer look at the invitation and response card. I don't know why the quality of the picture looks so bad here. Maybe imgur uploads them that way?

And here is the whole suite sent, including a timeline of events and one of our engagement pictures.

We asked for RSVPs pretty early (end of February), but most people probably have a good idea of whether or not they're coming by now. The guests who have already finalized plans seem to be staying in the Boardwalk area or off property, which has surprised us. I don't think I mentioned this, but the resorts in our room block are Beach Club, Coronado, and All Star Sports. So far, none of our guests are staying at the latter two. We may be able to eliminate transportation completely, or at least drastically reduce it. That would be a nice chunk of money saved.

Yesterday, I put on my dress for just the second time (and the final time before alterations!! It's too stressful worrying that I'll mess it up! Haha) since I brought it home. It's a little too big now since I've lost weight, but nothing alterations can't handle. The corset bra top I bought for underneath is looser now to a worrisome degree. I will have to ask the seamstress if she thinks it will still work okay. Also, I did not remember how poofy the dress is with the petticoat style slip underneath it! It was a little too hard to move. I may have to ask about removing some layers of tulle, or finding a different slip. Some poof is good, but restriction is not!

Please excuse how terrible I look in this selfie. I hadn't done a thing with my hair and was wearing not a drop of makeup. (I did mention how terrible this week was, right?) But it's the first time I put on everything together.

I promise to take much better pictures at my fitting!

All I have left to do is find a bracelet (I'm leaning toward a simple pearl one) and that should be it for my overall bridal look.

 

[elphie101]

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your grandfather. Thinking of you and sending you pixie dust in this time

Your invitations are simple and stunning and very fitting to the themeing and decor you've said you'll have. And hey, I figure you have to go into invites assuming they're going to be thrown out, so why not go as cheap as possible (while still maintaining some kind of quality that you love).

I love your selfie (not terrible at all!!) with all your accessories - your look is amazing. Never apologize for dress pics!

 

[Seia]

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your grandfather. Thinking of you and sending you pixie dust in this time

Your invitations are simple and stunning and very fitting to the themeing and decor you've said you'll have. And hey, I figure you have to go into invites assuming they're going to be thrown out, so why not go as cheap as possible (while still maintaining some kind of quality that you love).

I love your selfie (not terrible at all!!) with all your accessories - your look is amazing. Never apologize for dress pics!

Thank you! That means a lot. And it's so funny... I also assumed once I had my dress, I'd want to put it on all the time. But it stresses me out! I'm convinced I will somehow tear a strand of lace, or mess up the zipper, or some other crazy catastrophe. It's better off in the garment bag until it's with the seamstress! Haha.

Wow! I love your PJ! I will be following to see the rest. So excited for you! You both make a lovely couple.

Thank you, dear! Happy to have you.