~Dani and Bryan's Hopefully Fairy Tale Wedding on a Budget PJ and almost TR 12/5/10
- Thread starter Dani916
- Start date
TinkLoverSam
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2009
Good Luck! But seriously, breathe, relax, enjoy even if it's hot it's Disney 
ericapixiedust
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 18, 2010
Who cares about how everyone else does it (veils, shoes, etc)? If I want a red dress and purple shoes and a pink wig and glitter cannons, that's what I want, right? Whose wedding is it anyway? Fortunately, I was raised by hippies, so I don't have to deal with many wedding traditionalists yapping at me about how I "have" to do this or that, actually with the hippies, children, lesbians, and laid-back old people involved in our wedding, there are exactly ZERO. I figure the only thing I really have to do is be a really good hostess and make sure everybody has an awesome time. I'm already getting the best part of the deal-the man I adore!
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
We are here! Planning session time in the stickiest place on earth, I mean, Happiest Place on Earth. I was on the plane yesterday talking to the lady next to me, as I usually do (I talk to everyone) and she asked me why we were going to Florida. I told her for our planning session. She got me all excited and I was officially in wedding mode again. I even bought two bridal magazines....which turned out to be a waste because it was mostly about finding the right dress, forming the guest list, reception locations, etc all of which I have already. Oh well, $12.42 down the drain but it killed some time.
We were on Frontier Airlines and I had planned on sleeping but we were in front of the exit row where the seats don't recline, but of course the people in front of us reclined. It was so tight. I bought the TV service and wound up getting sucked into Cold Case which was fabulous but then I started watching 16 and pregnant. Um, I wound up sobbing on the plane as the teen gal gave up her baby. I have issues. We got to the airport, and headed to the Magical Express, "an air conditioned motor coach" as they put it. We were thankful for the AC. It was pouring, but soon it was over. We checked in to Saratoga and thought we would just hang out but I said heck, we are here, lets redeem our annual passes (although I really wanted to wait until December) but it would have killed me not to go to the parks. At the counter I asked if they had buttons for us, because I am an attention ***** and love the buttons. He said, "Did you just get engaged?" Um, 6 months ago but close enough, so he gave us those. So many people congratulated us. I told Bryan I would be rockin' the button the whole trip and he said he knows I would. We already have the Just Married pins in prep of the wedding. The day after the wedding I told Bryan he should wear a birthday button (since it is his birthday) and a Just Married pin. I said I would wear my Just Married pin and a "I'm Celebrating" pin. I am all about the flair.
My good friend still works at the Studios so we went to meet him which was so great. I adore him and I was so happy Bryan got to meet him. It was his first time seeing my ring, and he said Geez! You can't even see where the Titanic hit it. It was sweet. So many people have commented on my ring down here which is weird to me, but it is very sweet. Bryan has even got a few high fives and "Good Job Man!"
After seeing my friend, we went to check out the rides. Um, 80 minute waits, I don't think so. I know this is vacation time for people since school is out, but WHY do people come to the parks when it is SO crowded and SO hot? No thanks. I would rather take the kids out of school, walk right up to the rides and be done. I am not a crowd person and I am not willing to wait 80 minutes for a short ride.
After walking around we went to Sci Fi dinner theater. Bryan did not think he would dig it, I told him the atmosphere was so cool and he is obsessed with cars, so he would like it. I did not think we could get in by walking up but sure enough, it was a 20 minute wait. I think the buttons helped
Bryan thought it was amazing and I just love it there. It is also amazing that the night we went to dinner there was extra magic hours for resort gifts. We thought it would help with the lines but nope, they went down to 60 minutes. Tonight we will be at Epcot and sure enough, the extra magic hours are tonight. Saturday we will have dinner at the castle, and guess what? Extra magical hours. Wahoo! Perfect timing! Now if only someone can turn down the humidity. Seriously. I suck in this weather. I can't wait to wear my undergarment that sucks me in in this weather. Eek! I hope our pics are fabu! Ana or her team will be here any minute to do my makeup and hair. I hope we click!
I have no idea what I want done so we shall see. I hope it does not melt off. I feel for those that had to get married in the summer. I could not have done it.
More to come!
"Have a magical day!"
We were on Frontier Airlines and I had planned on sleeping but we were in front of the exit row where the seats don't recline, but of course the people in front of us reclined. It was so tight. I bought the TV service and wound up getting sucked into Cold Case which was fabulous but then I started watching 16 and pregnant. Um, I wound up sobbing on the plane as the teen gal gave up her baby. I have issues. We got to the airport, and headed to the Magical Express, "an air conditioned motor coach" as they put it. We were thankful for the AC. It was pouring, but soon it was over. We checked in to Saratoga and thought we would just hang out but I said heck, we are here, lets redeem our annual passes (although I really wanted to wait until December) but it would have killed me not to go to the parks. At the counter I asked if they had buttons for us, because I am an attention ***** and love the buttons. He said, "Did you just get engaged?" Um, 6 months ago but close enough, so he gave us those. So many people congratulated us. I told Bryan I would be rockin' the button the whole trip and he said he knows I would. We already have the Just Married pins in prep of the wedding. The day after the wedding I told Bryan he should wear a birthday button (since it is his birthday) and a Just Married pin. I said I would wear my Just Married pin and a "I'm Celebrating" pin. I am all about the flair.
My good friend still works at the Studios so we went to meet him which was so great. I adore him and I was so happy Bryan got to meet him. It was his first time seeing my ring, and he said Geez! You can't even see where the Titanic hit it. It was sweet. So many people have commented on my ring down here which is weird to me, but it is very sweet. Bryan has even got a few high fives and "Good Job Man!"
After seeing my friend, we went to check out the rides. Um, 80 minute waits, I don't think so. I know this is vacation time for people since school is out, but WHY do people come to the parks when it is SO crowded and SO hot? No thanks. I would rather take the kids out of school, walk right up to the rides and be done. I am not a crowd person and I am not willing to wait 80 minutes for a short ride.
After walking around we went to Sci Fi dinner theater. Bryan did not think he would dig it, I told him the atmosphere was so cool and he is obsessed with cars, so he would like it. I did not think we could get in by walking up but sure enough, it was a 20 minute wait. I think the buttons helped
Bryan thought it was amazing and I just love it there. It is also amazing that the night we went to dinner there was extra magic hours for resort gifts. We thought it would help with the lines but nope, they went down to 60 minutes. Tonight we will be at Epcot and sure enough, the extra magic hours are tonight. Saturday we will have dinner at the castle, and guess what? Extra magical hours. Wahoo! Perfect timing! Now if only someone can turn down the humidity. Seriously. I suck in this weather. I can't wait to wear my undergarment that sucks me in in this weather. Eek! I hope our pics are fabu! Ana or her team will be here any minute to do my makeup and hair. I hope we click!
I have no idea what I want done so we shall see. I hope it does not melt off. I feel for those that had to get married in the summer. I could not have done it.
More to come!
"Have a magical day!"
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
Hi-
We got back on the 18th but I have a few minutes to write a quick recap of the rest of the trip. I can't believe it came and went already. The wedding is fast approaching. I am trying not to think about it because I know I will be sad when it is over, but time sure is flying!
Thursday: E-pics day. Ana came over at 3, did my hair and makeup. Loved her and how I looked although my family said I look like I had on "hooker makeup." I think it is far too dark for the wedding, but it was fine for e-pics. Please forgive me for the ginormous pics. I did not have time to resize
It downpored the entire time we were getting ready. I was hoping it would cool it off since it was so hot. It rained and rained, Jenn called and asked if we should do it another time. We said we would have lots of umbrella pics if needed. We met her at 6 and it was drizzling. On our way to the Boardwalk, it downpoured again. We can't wait to see what the pics look like! We went with one photographer for the e-pics and the Roots for the wedding. I wanted to spice it up a bit! After that we went to House of Blues at Downtown Disney. Of all the days, it was the coolest so I am SO grateful. I would have died otherwise.
Friday: Planning session. We get to the Boardwalk since Francks was closed. Sadness. In the midst of eating my bagel Maxine (our planner) tells me not to eat too much because of the food tasting. I said the food tasting was not until 2:30. I pull out my binder, which she tells me is the biggest binder ever and that I killed so many trees because of it
. I feel terrible for being a tree killer and not a tree hugger. I am a visual person so I had to have it all together. Looking back, I did not need it at all. I show her the planning session tab and the email I got which said, tasting at 2:30. She said it was incorrect-it would have been that way if we had to travel from Franck's to the Boardwalk but since we were at the Boardwalk we did it all in the same place! So since so much was already done over the phone (which was awesome), we just went through some things. I did not realize the GF has table covers and centerpieces they include if you just ask, so I nixed the gel candles and saved $500 bucks. We got rid of chicken from the BBQ and saved $4 a person, and then we added in the Wishes soundtrack which I think we are going to nix, even though I was CERTAIN I was going to have it. After watching it without it from the GF area one night, we thought, do we really need to spend $500? Bryan’s call as his dad is paying for it. We got rid of the memorial candles, memorial floral arrangement, etc. Bryan wanted it originally in honor of his mom but then we realized we would be sad. We added more things on the tables so they aren’t so blah, I added the confetti cannons which I am sure I will have to get rid of. I was sure I wanted flowers down the aisle but then I decided against it after I saw the price. Carpet will be fine. We got rid of the limos and town cars so everyone can ride together in a Hummer. Not my style but Bryan liked it. Trying to think of what else… We had our food tasting, really cut back on the cocktail hour and just went with fruit. We tried so much food it was insane, then the cake, etc...Here we are with our chefs William and Wayne, and our server Shelly. All amazing, fabulous people:
After the tasting, Rose came in to work with us since my guy Warren was sick. I was SO bummed and I really wanted to meet him. She was awesome, we went over everything, she was just fabu. Her binder was as big as mine.
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It went by so quick and nothing monumental happened. I was just sad that it was in a random room. I thought about switching to another hotel but I loved Wayne, the chef we had, and love the feel of the Boardwalk. I spent many times at the shore in New Jersey so it reminds me of being a kid.
Since our planning session ended way earlier than we thought, we went to a DVC meeting since we were sure we were going to do it. There was just a price increase and since so many people we know have it, we did not need a big presentation. Our lady was dumb and annoying -it takes a lot for me to say that. We priced it out and decided not to do it right now. We will see. We did get 3 Fastpasses each for going which was good since the ride waits were 100 minutes plus. Friday night we went to dinner with my friend, then went over to the Magic Kingdom since they had extra hours. Why on earth were parents bringing their kids in to the park at 1:45 am? Oh, and they were wondering why they were crying and cranky.
Saturday morning we went to AK with our fast passes to ride Everest and the Safari which had a huge wait when we got there but when we went to FP it, there was no wait which was weird. It was SO hot that day. After that, we went back to the hotel, showered and headed to see the Wedding Pavilion. Well, our monorail driver got shocked, so they shut down all the monorails and took ours off the track. Bryan said hey, that guys sweat stain is a hidden mickey....it kind of did look like one....
[/IMG]
There was no time to see the WP since we had reservations at the castle. I was so bummed. We went to the castle and everyone told me it had changed so much. It was more princess like, and more for kids as you know. I was worried but oh my, I had the best time ever. We had a table by the window. We wore just engaged pins (although it had been a few months) and our waitress was from my old stompin grounds in Jersey. Loved her! She saw our pins, sprinkled our table with confetti, gave Bryan a sword, and I got a wand. It was fabulous! I love that stuff. Bryan asked Cinderella if she got tired of her job and in all seriousness she said, “Oh no, I just love making new friends!” Snow White asked if we lived in a castle with clouds and if so, were we neighbors? Aurora asked if I met my Prince Charming, I said I guess which did not go over too well with B. Belle was the best. She saw my ring, said to Bryan, “Oh my. You must talk to Beast about ring shopping. You have good taste.” Very cute. I thought B would not dig the castle but we both love it. We tried making reservations for the wedding but it is totally sold out. I am thinking it might be busy during the wedding now. Ugh. Normally it is not but with the Mickeys Christmas Party I am thinking it might. We called for reservations ALL over-nothing available all week. I am so stressed.
After dinner, we decided to head back to the hotel. I wanted to stay for fireworks but the park closed right after them and that is just insane. As we were leaving, the lights of the WP were on. We thought lets go try it. We get there at 8:56 and they shut the lights off and were locking the doors. We run and B talks to the people and they unlock everything and let us in! They turned on all the lights too. SO sweet. We should have tipped them. Here they are waving at the back of the room:
[/IMG]
I had seen it before in 1999 when I worked there but it was different to me now knowing I was getting married there. Bryan loved it so that was great! We headed back to the GF and watched the fireworks from there.
Sunday we went to Downtown Disney. We had a reservation at the TRex place but it was FAR too loud so we went to Fultons for lunch. After that, it was off to the Magical Express and to the airport.
That is the short version! Yesterday Bryan and I had been dating for one year. Amazing how much that has happened in a year. He made me the sweetest poem (totally cheesy and rhymed but I loved it). In the midst of the book, it said Open Box 1, Open Box 2, etc. He said we were not exchanging gifts so I thought oh no! Well, I wound up getting 3 rings. One was for our 1 year dating anniversary. It has 5 diamonds on the band. Another one is for the wedding since the rings him and the boys proposed to me with are already sealed together and he would have nothing to put on my finger. It is the band I wanted for the engagement rings. He wants me to wear them together on the right hand but I don't think they really go together. I was stunned, and I cried. There was a ring we had talked about getting me since it had circles all over it and looked like Mickeys all over, but it was not there when he went. I said I loved my rings and was so surprised. I also wanted to know if he had a money tree I was not aware of. He said we could exchange it for the ring I wanted originally. I said no, and was happy with the two I got.
[/IMG]
Well, on our way home last night he stopped at the jewelry place and got me that other ring too. Insane. I told him we need to return the rings, we can't afford it. He told me to just say thank you and leave it at that. It was all very sweet and now I feel very lame for not getting him anything. I am not going to wear the wedding band he got until the wedding. It will be on my right hand though since it does not match my e-ring. Although I am going to have him put it on my left hand during the ceremony and then switch it to the right. He thinks I am weird. I also wont wear the Mickey like ring until after the wedding. I told him to wrap it up and give it to me as another present. I also told him no presents for my birthday, the wedding, V-Day, nothing. This was more than enough to last me a lifetime!
The trip got me really excited for the wedding. I did not know Rev. Day is 87. Awesome! I need to get working on my invitations since I am making them myself. Thankfully the kids start school soon so that will give me some time. I am just running out of money and I hope it works out to be more cost effective than having them made.
That is about it for now. Hope you all are great!
We got back on the 18th but I have a few minutes to write a quick recap of the rest of the trip. I can't believe it came and went already. The wedding is fast approaching. I am trying not to think about it because I know I will be sad when it is over, but time sure is flying!
Thursday: E-pics day. Ana came over at 3, did my hair and makeup. Loved her and how I looked although my family said I look like I had on "hooker makeup." I think it is far too dark for the wedding, but it was fine for e-pics. Please forgive me for the ginormous pics. I did not have time to resize
It downpored the entire time we were getting ready. I was hoping it would cool it off since it was so hot. It rained and rained, Jenn called and asked if we should do it another time. We said we would have lots of umbrella pics if needed. We met her at 6 and it was drizzling. On our way to the Boardwalk, it downpoured again. We can't wait to see what the pics look like! We went with one photographer for the e-pics and the Roots for the wedding. I wanted to spice it up a bit! After that we went to House of Blues at Downtown Disney. Of all the days, it was the coolest so I am SO grateful. I would have died otherwise.
Friday: Planning session. We get to the Boardwalk since Francks was closed. Sadness. In the midst of eating my bagel Maxine (our planner) tells me not to eat too much because of the food tasting. I said the food tasting was not until 2:30. I pull out my binder, which she tells me is the biggest binder ever and that I killed so many trees because of it
. I feel terrible for being a tree killer and not a tree hugger. I am a visual person so I had to have it all together. Looking back, I did not need it at all. I show her the planning session tab and the email I got which said, tasting at 2:30. She said it was incorrect-it would have been that way if we had to travel from Franck's to the Boardwalk but since we were at the Boardwalk we did it all in the same place! So since so much was already done over the phone (which was awesome), we just went through some things. I did not realize the GF has table covers and centerpieces they include if you just ask, so I nixed the gel candles and saved $500 bucks. We got rid of chicken from the BBQ and saved $4 a person, and then we added in the Wishes soundtrack which I think we are going to nix, even though I was CERTAIN I was going to have it. After watching it without it from the GF area one night, we thought, do we really need to spend $500? Bryan’s call as his dad is paying for it. We got rid of the memorial candles, memorial floral arrangement, etc. Bryan wanted it originally in honor of his mom but then we realized we would be sad. We added more things on the tables so they aren’t so blah, I added the confetti cannons which I am sure I will have to get rid of. I was sure I wanted flowers down the aisle but then I decided against it after I saw the price. Carpet will be fine. We got rid of the limos and town cars so everyone can ride together in a Hummer. Not my style but Bryan liked it. Trying to think of what else… We had our food tasting, really cut back on the cocktail hour and just went with fruit. We tried so much food it was insane, then the cake, etc...Here we are with our chefs William and Wayne, and our server Shelly. All amazing, fabulous people:
After the tasting, Rose came in to work with us since my guy Warren was sick. I was SO bummed and I really wanted to meet him. She was awesome, we went over everything, she was just fabu. Her binder was as big as mine.
It went by so quick and nothing monumental happened. I was just sad that it was in a random room. I thought about switching to another hotel but I loved Wayne, the chef we had, and love the feel of the Boardwalk. I spent many times at the shore in New Jersey so it reminds me of being a kid.
Since our planning session ended way earlier than we thought, we went to a DVC meeting since we were sure we were going to do it. There was just a price increase and since so many people we know have it, we did not need a big presentation. Our lady was dumb and annoying -it takes a lot for me to say that. We priced it out and decided not to do it right now. We will see. We did get 3 Fastpasses each for going which was good since the ride waits were 100 minutes plus. Friday night we went to dinner with my friend, then went over to the Magic Kingdom since they had extra hours. Why on earth were parents bringing their kids in to the park at 1:45 am? Oh, and they were wondering why they were crying and cranky.
Saturday morning we went to AK with our fast passes to ride Everest and the Safari which had a huge wait when we got there but when we went to FP it, there was no wait which was weird. It was SO hot that day. After that, we went back to the hotel, showered and headed to see the Wedding Pavilion. Well, our monorail driver got shocked, so they shut down all the monorails and took ours off the track. Bryan said hey, that guys sweat stain is a hidden mickey....it kind of did look like one....
There was no time to see the WP since we had reservations at the castle. I was so bummed. We went to the castle and everyone told me it had changed so much. It was more princess like, and more for kids as you know. I was worried but oh my, I had the best time ever. We had a table by the window. We wore just engaged pins (although it had been a few months) and our waitress was from my old stompin grounds in Jersey. Loved her! She saw our pins, sprinkled our table with confetti, gave Bryan a sword, and I got a wand. It was fabulous! I love that stuff. Bryan asked Cinderella if she got tired of her job and in all seriousness she said, “Oh no, I just love making new friends!” Snow White asked if we lived in a castle with clouds and if so, were we neighbors? Aurora asked if I met my Prince Charming, I said I guess which did not go over too well with B. Belle was the best. She saw my ring, said to Bryan, “Oh my. You must talk to Beast about ring shopping. You have good taste.” Very cute. I thought B would not dig the castle but we both love it. We tried making reservations for the wedding but it is totally sold out. I am thinking it might be busy during the wedding now. Ugh. Normally it is not but with the Mickeys Christmas Party I am thinking it might. We called for reservations ALL over-nothing available all week. I am so stressed.
After dinner, we decided to head back to the hotel. I wanted to stay for fireworks but the park closed right after them and that is just insane. As we were leaving, the lights of the WP were on. We thought lets go try it. We get there at 8:56 and they shut the lights off and were locking the doors. We run and B talks to the people and they unlock everything and let us in! They turned on all the lights too. SO sweet. We should have tipped them. Here they are waving at the back of the room:
I had seen it before in 1999 when I worked there but it was different to me now knowing I was getting married there. Bryan loved it so that was great! We headed back to the GF and watched the fireworks from there.
Sunday we went to Downtown Disney. We had a reservation at the TRex place but it was FAR too loud so we went to Fultons for lunch. After that, it was off to the Magical Express and to the airport.
That is the short version! Yesterday Bryan and I had been dating for one year. Amazing how much that has happened in a year. He made me the sweetest poem (totally cheesy and rhymed but I loved it). In the midst of the book, it said Open Box 1, Open Box 2, etc. He said we were not exchanging gifts so I thought oh no! Well, I wound up getting 3 rings. One was for our 1 year dating anniversary. It has 5 diamonds on the band. Another one is for the wedding since the rings him and the boys proposed to me with are already sealed together and he would have nothing to put on my finger. It is the band I wanted for the engagement rings. He wants me to wear them together on the right hand but I don't think they really go together. I was stunned, and I cried. There was a ring we had talked about getting me since it had circles all over it and looked like Mickeys all over, but it was not there when he went. I said I loved my rings and was so surprised. I also wanted to know if he had a money tree I was not aware of. He said we could exchange it for the ring I wanted originally. I said no, and was happy with the two I got.
Well, on our way home last night he stopped at the jewelry place and got me that other ring too. Insane. I told him we need to return the rings, we can't afford it. He told me to just say thank you and leave it at that. It was all very sweet and now I feel very lame for not getting him anything. I am not going to wear the wedding band he got until the wedding. It will be on my right hand though since it does not match my e-ring. Although I am going to have him put it on my left hand during the ceremony and then switch it to the right. He thinks I am weird. I also wont wear the Mickey like ring until after the wedding. I told him to wrap it up and give it to me as another present. I also told him no presents for my birthday, the wedding, V-Day, nothing. This was more than enough to last me a lifetime!
The trip got me really excited for the wedding. I did not know Rev. Day is 87. Awesome! I need to get working on my invitations since I am making them myself. Thankfully the kids start school soon so that will give me some time. I am just running out of money and I hope it works out to be more cost effective than having them made.
That is about it for now. Hope you all are great!
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
How is time flying by so quickly? To see that we are in the 3+ month range on the wedding ticker causes me to have tightness in my chest.
Here is the latest. My veil came in and I still have a hard time knowing how much it cost. It is a lame piece of fabric. I am thankful my parents paid for it, but it still stresses me out. When we went to get my veil I asked them about my shoes and the dye marks on them. The lady said that tends to happen when they are sent out. I told her they were not sent out, she did them in the store. I said, no, they were not, I waited for them while you dyed them. She repeatedly told me they were sent out. I gave up. She said she could redye them for me and give me a new pair. I asked if I could get a half size bigger and she said sure. So I said ok, order them and redye them. As we were getting in the car, she came out and knocked on the window. She told me they do not come in half sizes but she could order me another pair of 10's (yes, I have big feet). I thought about it, no one will really see the shoes let alone the dye marks so I went back in to get them. Thankfully I did because my veil was on the counter! I am happy I did not have to drive all the way back there. Now I just need to get my fittings in order.
Our planning session was 3 weeks ago and we got our updated estimated budget on Saturday. I am having a bit of anxiety over it. OK, a lot of anxiety. I think there are some mistakes on it since we opted for a plated salad and that is on the menu as well as a salad station. I added the Mickey Ice Cream bars but the selection of pastries is on the menu which I am hoping I can nix and save some money. Some things have tax added in, others do not.
We are way over budget for the rehearsal dinner, so after much deliberation, we are getting rid of the alcohol. We do not want people getting trashed the night before the wedding. Then Bryan decided to nix the soda as well. I heart soda, I would marry it if I could so the thought of no soda worries me. Sure we have iced tea and lemonade but I want soda. Problem is, my family also loves soda. A lot! At $4 a drink, it adds up quick. Bryan said I should think about choosing between the Wishes music, or the soda. I then suggested we should see about a cash bar at the rehearsal dinner. I emailed Maxine and she said it is acceptable at a rehearsal dinner but we should steer clear of it at the reception. We might go that direction but then I am worried of what people would think. Here, fly down here, pay a fortune but no soda for you! After many hours of discussion, it hit me. The dinner is only 90 minutes so how many sodas can people drink? We are going to see what happens.
Now comes the cocktail hour. This is one of the bigger stressors. We have a huge family and a huge amount of people in the wedding. This means after the wedding, we will be taking pictures with them which means they will most likely not make it to the cocktail hour. Right now we have it for 80 people but I am thinking 30 might be there. Do we really need a ton of food? Is it possible to omit the cocktail hour at all? Something I need to talk to Maxine about.
Now transportation. My Dad was really wanting to have a bus for all of our guests. As of now, very few people are staying at the Disney resorts we selected so not many people would be on the buses. Most people are renting cars. I just do not think it is worth it. If we were getting married here, there would be no shuttle to our wedding. Plus there are buses around the property so is it really that horrible? The main issue is getting people from the wedding pavilion to the Boardwalk. We could do a shuttle but there is a 4 or 5 hour minimum and it would cut a $1,000. I need to talk this through with my Dad. We switched our car to a stretch Hummer and Bryan asked if we could do through someone else. He called last night and it is half the price but we would have to manage it so we are going to look into that I think. Makes me nervous but it is an option.
The biggest stress: BOC or open bar. With the possible cocktail hour, and the reception, that is 5 hours for 80 people to drink. I know with the open bar it basically equates to 8 drinks per person to make it worth it and some people drink, some have one or two and some of our guests are major party people. We went to a wedding this weekend and they went through $1200 of booze in one hour. I think there were a lot of drinkers in the group. I am not a big drinker but since they were "free" I was sucking them down. I am worried people will do that at our wedding too. Part of me would like to cut it off at a certain dollar amount and then switch to cash bar but I am not sure if that is an option. I am thinking I would like to have the bar completely closed an hour before the end of the reception so people could sober up. I was convinced about the BOC but now I am not so sure.
This wedding has caused a lot of tension between the two of us and now I am seeing why people elope. I have yet to start on the invites, there is a lot to do. Thankfully one of the kids is in school all day so that gives me some time. Not a lot since I still have the 3 year old here, but I have some more freedom now to get things done.
If anyone has any advice, please let me know. I wish this was a more entertaining post, but I am feeling a lot of pressure and confusion right now and I am not sure which way to go!
Have a great day!
Dani
Here is the latest. My veil came in and I still have a hard time knowing how much it cost. It is a lame piece of fabric. I am thankful my parents paid for it, but it still stresses me out. When we went to get my veil I asked them about my shoes and the dye marks on them. The lady said that tends to happen when they are sent out. I told her they were not sent out, she did them in the store. I said, no, they were not, I waited for them while you dyed them. She repeatedly told me they were sent out. I gave up. She said she could redye them for me and give me a new pair. I asked if I could get a half size bigger and she said sure. So I said ok, order them and redye them. As we were getting in the car, she came out and knocked on the window. She told me they do not come in half sizes but she could order me another pair of 10's (yes, I have big feet). I thought about it, no one will really see the shoes let alone the dye marks so I went back in to get them. Thankfully I did because my veil was on the counter! I am happy I did not have to drive all the way back there. Now I just need to get my fittings in order.
Our planning session was 3 weeks ago and we got our updated estimated budget on Saturday. I am having a bit of anxiety over it. OK, a lot of anxiety. I think there are some mistakes on it since we opted for a plated salad and that is on the menu as well as a salad station. I added the Mickey Ice Cream bars but the selection of pastries is on the menu which I am hoping I can nix and save some money. Some things have tax added in, others do not.
We are way over budget for the rehearsal dinner, so after much deliberation, we are getting rid of the alcohol. We do not want people getting trashed the night before the wedding. Then Bryan decided to nix the soda as well. I heart soda, I would marry it if I could so the thought of no soda worries me. Sure we have iced tea and lemonade but I want soda. Problem is, my family also loves soda. A lot! At $4 a drink, it adds up quick. Bryan said I should think about choosing between the Wishes music, or the soda. I then suggested we should see about a cash bar at the rehearsal dinner. I emailed Maxine and she said it is acceptable at a rehearsal dinner but we should steer clear of it at the reception. We might go that direction but then I am worried of what people would think. Here, fly down here, pay a fortune but no soda for you! After many hours of discussion, it hit me. The dinner is only 90 minutes so how many sodas can people drink? We are going to see what happens.
Now comes the cocktail hour. This is one of the bigger stressors. We have a huge family and a huge amount of people in the wedding. This means after the wedding, we will be taking pictures with them which means they will most likely not make it to the cocktail hour. Right now we have it for 80 people but I am thinking 30 might be there. Do we really need a ton of food? Is it possible to omit the cocktail hour at all? Something I need to talk to Maxine about.
Now transportation. My Dad was really wanting to have a bus for all of our guests. As of now, very few people are staying at the Disney resorts we selected so not many people would be on the buses. Most people are renting cars. I just do not think it is worth it. If we were getting married here, there would be no shuttle to our wedding. Plus there are buses around the property so is it really that horrible? The main issue is getting people from the wedding pavilion to the Boardwalk. We could do a shuttle but there is a 4 or 5 hour minimum and it would cut a $1,000. I need to talk this through with my Dad. We switched our car to a stretch Hummer and Bryan asked if we could do through someone else. He called last night and it is half the price but we would have to manage it so we are going to look into that I think. Makes me nervous but it is an option.
The biggest stress: BOC or open bar. With the possible cocktail hour, and the reception, that is 5 hours for 80 people to drink. I know with the open bar it basically equates to 8 drinks per person to make it worth it and some people drink, some have one or two and some of our guests are major party people. We went to a wedding this weekend and they went through $1200 of booze in one hour. I think there were a lot of drinkers in the group. I am not a big drinker but since they were "free" I was sucking them down. I am worried people will do that at our wedding too. Part of me would like to cut it off at a certain dollar amount and then switch to cash bar but I am not sure if that is an option. I am thinking I would like to have the bar completely closed an hour before the end of the reception so people could sober up. I was convinced about the BOC but now I am not so sure.
This wedding has caused a lot of tension between the two of us and now I am seeing why people elope. I have yet to start on the invites, there is a lot to do. Thankfully one of the kids is in school all day so that gives me some time. Not a lot since I still have the 3 year old here, but I have some more freedom now to get things done.
If anyone has any advice, please let me know. I wish this was a more entertaining post, but I am feeling a lot of pressure and confusion right now and I am not sure which way to go!
Have a great day!
Dani
Torrance
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2010
Hi Dani,
I'm so sorry that you're stressed! I definitely agree about seeing why people elope when it comes to wedding planning... Eloping seems a lot easier sometimes
Your comment about soda made me laugh - I have a hard time resisting it myself!
I don't have too much advice about the alcohol situation. Both sides of our families have big drinkers, so I do understand your dilemma. I think that having a capped open bar isn't a bad idea, maybe it's an option to consider (if DFTW will do that)? Aside from that, depressing as it is, maybe there's something that you can scale back on so you're able to have an open bar at the reception?
I hope you have a less stressful week... and good luck with the invitations!
I'm so sorry that you're stressed! I definitely agree about seeing why people elope when it comes to wedding planning... Eloping seems a lot easier sometimes
Your comment about soda made me laugh - I have a hard time resisting it myself!
I don't have too much advice about the alcohol situation. Both sides of our families have big drinkers, so I do understand your dilemma. I think that having a capped open bar isn't a bad idea, maybe it's an option to consider (if DFTW will do that)? Aside from that, depressing as it is, maybe there's something that you can scale back on so you're able to have an open bar at the reception?
I hope you have a less stressful week... and good luck with the invitations!
DVC Bride 2011
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2010
Are you having an afternoon reception or a night reception? That might be able to help you determine what to do for the bar since people tend to drink a lot more at night receptions.
I agree that weddings cause a lot of tension - but just think how much MORE it would cause if you had to do all of this yourself without the help of a planner and a whole Disney staff! I cringe at the thought of having to deal with a handful of vendors and venues and all that on my own!
Good luck!
I agree that weddings cause a lot of tension - but just think how much MORE it would cause if you had to do all of this yourself without the help of a planner and a whole Disney staff! I cringe at the thought of having to deal with a handful of vendors and venues and all that on my own!
Good luck!
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
Thanks for the responses! We are having a reception from 4:30-8:30 but it is in December so it will be dark. I have a phone call with Maxine today so that might help clear up some things. I just know myself and I think I will be looking at how much people are drinking during the reception and stressing myself out with it. But if we can save money, I want to do that.
After the wedding we went to this weekend I am SO glad I do not have to deal with different vendors.
Have a good day!
D
After the wedding we went to this weekend I am SO glad I do not have to deal with different vendors.
Have a good day!
D
2nd Time Bride
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
I am not sure what a BOC is but have you thought about having an open bar during the cocktail hour and then beer/wine/champagne only during dinner? I have been to many weddings like that. Or nixing the open bar all together and doing only beer/wine/champagne and maybe a signature wedding drink? Like a martini that matches your colors? Think about your guests and if they are mixed drink people - I bet you could easily get away with removing hard liquor.
As for soda, I have to say I would be pretty bummed if I went to a dinner which only offered iced tea and lemonade since I don't drink either. I would be willing to purchase my own drink but there are people who are very, very picky about drinking soda (especially diet soda) with their meal and might cause a stir. I must say though, I was shocked it was $4 a person!
Good luck today!!
As for soda, I have to say I would be pretty bummed if I went to a dinner which only offered iced tea and lemonade since I don't drink either. I would be willing to purchase my own drink but there are people who are very, very picky about drinking soda (especially diet soda) with their meal and might cause a stir. I must say though, I was shocked it was $4 a person!
Good luck today!!
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
Hi-
Maxine, Bryan and I had a conference call today to review everything and it went really well. I feel a little bit better about the entire thing so that is good. Here is a recap of things we changed:
-We kept in soda for the rehearsal dinner since we found out it is cans, not a fountain! My family loves soda and I had this vision of us downing a ton of it, so it is good not to have an open soda bar. We are doing one per person, and hopefully some people will have none, some people will have a few, and the other people will have iced tea. At least this way we know how much it will cost. Our budget for the welcome dinner was $5,000 and our grand total with everything we want is $4,989. Wahoo! What shall we do with the extra $11 bucks? Purchase 2.5 more sodas?
We talked about transportation and we nixed it. I do not think my Dad will be too happy but after hearing our explanation and reasons, he might go to our side. Maxine said she can call cabs at the Wedding Pavilion, we can request 15 passenger vans which would be about $25 to the Boardwalk, we can order two or 3 and pay $50 bucks or so instead of $800. Yes, people are on their own to get to the Pavilion but there are buses and taxis-so there are options. Most people are renting cars and our limo can make two trips which can hold over 35 people. I think it works. Lets hope my Dad agrees. I think we will stay with the limo Disney uses so we do not have to deal with it. The extra money is worth some piece of mind in my opinion.
I noticed there was another salad in addition to the plated salad. I asked Max about it and she said it is a cold option and a good starter. I asked if it cut costs and she said about $2 bucks. It does not sound like a lot but that is $160 bucks! Then we removed the pastries since we will have cake and ice cream bars and that reduced the cost $5 per person. That is $400 right there. The Mickey Bars are bill on consumption which is awesome. Still really worried about the alcohol but I need to let it go. I think it will be cheaper in the long run.
I think that is about it. I was THRILLED to find out you can't tax a person-therefore the castle shoot, the limo, the DJ, Mickey and Minnie, etc. does not have tax or gratuity, only people that serve you. I am sure people knew this but I am happy as I was afraid this was going to add several hundreds of dollars.
Just wanted to update. Even if no one reads this, I have a record of it
Dani
Maxine, Bryan and I had a conference call today to review everything and it went really well. I feel a little bit better about the entire thing so that is good. Here is a recap of things we changed:
-We kept in soda for the rehearsal dinner since we found out it is cans, not a fountain! My family loves soda and I had this vision of us downing a ton of it, so it is good not to have an open soda bar. We are doing one per person, and hopefully some people will have none, some people will have a few, and the other people will have iced tea. At least this way we know how much it will cost. Our budget for the welcome dinner was $5,000 and our grand total with everything we want is $4,989. Wahoo! What shall we do with the extra $11 bucks? Purchase 2.5 more sodas?
We talked about transportation and we nixed it. I do not think my Dad will be too happy but after hearing our explanation and reasons, he might go to our side. Maxine said she can call cabs at the Wedding Pavilion, we can request 15 passenger vans which would be about $25 to the Boardwalk, we can order two or 3 and pay $50 bucks or so instead of $800. Yes, people are on their own to get to the Pavilion but there are buses and taxis-so there are options. Most people are renting cars and our limo can make two trips which can hold over 35 people. I think it works. Lets hope my Dad agrees. I think we will stay with the limo Disney uses so we do not have to deal with it. The extra money is worth some piece of mind in my opinion.
I noticed there was another salad in addition to the plated salad. I asked Max about it and she said it is a cold option and a good starter. I asked if it cut costs and she said about $2 bucks. It does not sound like a lot but that is $160 bucks! Then we removed the pastries since we will have cake and ice cream bars and that reduced the cost $5 per person. That is $400 right there. The Mickey Bars are bill on consumption which is awesome. Still really worried about the alcohol but I need to let it go. I think it will be cheaper in the long run.
I think that is about it. I was THRILLED to find out you can't tax a person-therefore the castle shoot, the limo, the DJ, Mickey and Minnie, etc. does not have tax or gratuity, only people that serve you. I am sure people knew this but I am happy as I was afraid this was going to add several hundreds of dollars.
Just wanted to update. Even if no one reads this, I have a record of it
Dani
2nd Time Bride
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2010
LOL - I read it! Great to hear you got it figured out and are feeling better about everything!
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
Hi-
I feel so out of wedding planning. Most things are done, except for the small things that have to get done closer to the wedding-like place cards, seating chart, etc. I am having a bit of a panic attack over the invitations. Initially I said I was going to do them all myself, with fancy paper, ribbon, etc. No go. I am going to do them on my own, but I am designing them digitally and getting them printed for super cheap. The response cards, favor cards, Welcome Dinner invites, etc were printed on Bryan's Dad's awesome laser printer which was a huge help. Saved some money too! I have to cut them all apart-little did I know there were perforated postcards available to use. I did manage to get some for the response cards though. I keep seeing so many cool things I could get and do, but I am thinking most people are going to chuck them so it really does not matter. I did my shower invites digitally since they were a fortune online. Had them printed at Sam's. 60 of them for $20 bucks. I have received so many compliments on them! I wanted the invites out already to give people 45 days to respond, but that is not happening. I still have things to print on the printer but it is 90 minutes away and I wont get there until next weekend. I lay awake at night thinking about this. I also apparently have been having night terrors, waking up screaming, etc. Poor Bryan. I have no idea what I am dreaming about....?
We met with my parents about the estimated budget. All seems to go well, Dad seems open to canceling the transportation but now he wants to add corn to the dinner. I love the menu the way it is-even though I love corn-Maxine asked if we really needed it two nights in a row. Excellent point. It adds $2 a person, and is it worth $160++? Not in my opinion. Mom mentioned shrimp for my aunt who is a vegetarian but that is $25 per person. Uh, I don't think so. I am planning on getting her a vegetarian meal. It is their call though.
My newest thing I am worried about is the flowers. As of now I have all red gerber daisies for the bridesmaids. I thought should I do white and red? My dress is Ivory but Warren (my florist) said no one would notice. So do I do all red for me (red roses with red daisies with the white stepha however you spell it?) Also, I need jewelry for the girls. I plan on making them since I know a girl who can help. Maybe I am nuts.
I thought about asking the girls to have their hair up, wear certain shoes, etc but then I thought WHY? They are each individual people, maybe they should wear their hair the way they want to and the shoes they want to. Does it really matter?
I do wish I had waited on selecting the bridesmaids. There are some I have grown apart from and there are other people who have become super important to me lately that I see all the time. Oh, well, what is done is done.
My shower in in 3 weeks and three people are flying out for it. I am so grateful for that. We are having the bachelorette party the same weekend. Being 34 at the time I am not into bars and pen*is attirae so we are going to the mountains, hanging out, playing games and going to dinner. I wish they were different weekends but because the people are flying out, we want to cram it all into one. Should be fun!
Tomorrow will be 100 days until the wedding. It sounds so far away but it is a little over three months. WHERE did the time go? My good friend set her wedding date for next September so I offered to help with anything as I will go through withdrawal. Actually, I may not since most everything is planned. I have tried staying off the boards as to not get more ideas. I think I am also trying to disconnect myself from it as to not be bummed after it.
I really, really, really want to go to the Very Merry Mickey Christmas party but Bryan does not want to spend the money. I am bummed. Seriously bummed. This is where not having a job and my "own" money come in. I would pay for it on my own but such is life.
On another note, and I am hesitant to even post this, we got the link to our engagement pics today. As mentioned before, I chose one photographer for our e-pics and another for our wedding. I am thankful for this. While I loved the gal, I don't think our styles matched up. I love some of the pics but most of them are not "us" at all. Plus with the poses we did, my dress went forward and I look ginormous or pregnant. I know this is horrible, but the ones I was most excited about (us in the candy shop) look like p*orn. Not kidding. Probably too much info but the way we were posed, Bryan is behind me, hands on my hips, I am bending halfway down pretending to get candy and my facial expression was supposed to be like "Oooh candy" but it looks like something p*ornographic. I think you get the picture. I should post it when I get the CD. I look forward to our wedding photos! Hopefully they will be "us."
That is about it for now. I feel like I am forgetting so many things. I also feel like I gave some inappropriate info in here Hopefully you will at least find it funny.
Have a great night!
Dani
I feel so out of wedding planning. Most things are done, except for the small things that have to get done closer to the wedding-like place cards, seating chart, etc. I am having a bit of a panic attack over the invitations. Initially I said I was going to do them all myself, with fancy paper, ribbon, etc. No go. I am going to do them on my own, but I am designing them digitally and getting them printed for super cheap. The response cards, favor cards, Welcome Dinner invites, etc were printed on Bryan's Dad's awesome laser printer which was a huge help. Saved some money too! I have to cut them all apart-little did I know there were perforated postcards available to use. I did manage to get some for the response cards though. I keep seeing so many cool things I could get and do, but I am thinking most people are going to chuck them so it really does not matter. I did my shower invites digitally since they were a fortune online. Had them printed at Sam's. 60 of them for $20 bucks. I have received so many compliments on them! I wanted the invites out already to give people 45 days to respond, but that is not happening. I still have things to print on the printer but it is 90 minutes away and I wont get there until next weekend. I lay awake at night thinking about this. I also apparently have been having night terrors, waking up screaming, etc. Poor Bryan. I have no idea what I am dreaming about....?
We met with my parents about the estimated budget. All seems to go well, Dad seems open to canceling the transportation but now he wants to add corn to the dinner. I love the menu the way it is-even though I love corn-Maxine asked if we really needed it two nights in a row. Excellent point. It adds $2 a person, and is it worth $160++? Not in my opinion. Mom mentioned shrimp for my aunt who is a vegetarian but that is $25 per person. Uh, I don't think so. I am planning on getting her a vegetarian meal. It is their call though.
My newest thing I am worried about is the flowers. As of now I have all red gerber daisies for the bridesmaids. I thought should I do white and red? My dress is Ivory but Warren (my florist) said no one would notice. So do I do all red for me (red roses with red daisies with the white stepha however you spell it?) Also, I need jewelry for the girls. I plan on making them since I know a girl who can help. Maybe I am nuts.
I thought about asking the girls to have their hair up, wear certain shoes, etc but then I thought WHY? They are each individual people, maybe they should wear their hair the way they want to and the shoes they want to. Does it really matter?
I do wish I had waited on selecting the bridesmaids. There are some I have grown apart from and there are other people who have become super important to me lately that I see all the time. Oh, well, what is done is done.
My shower in in 3 weeks and three people are flying out for it. I am so grateful for that. We are having the bachelorette party the same weekend. Being 34 at the time I am not into bars and pen*is attirae so we are going to the mountains, hanging out, playing games and going to dinner. I wish they were different weekends but because the people are flying out, we want to cram it all into one. Should be fun!
Tomorrow will be 100 days until the wedding. It sounds so far away but it is a little over three months. WHERE did the time go? My good friend set her wedding date for next September so I offered to help with anything as I will go through withdrawal. Actually, I may not since most everything is planned. I have tried staying off the boards as to not get more ideas. I think I am also trying to disconnect myself from it as to not be bummed after it.
I really, really, really want to go to the Very Merry Mickey Christmas party but Bryan does not want to spend the money. I am bummed. Seriously bummed. This is where not having a job and my "own" money come in. I would pay for it on my own but such is life.
On another note, and I am hesitant to even post this, we got the link to our engagement pics today. As mentioned before, I chose one photographer for our e-pics and another for our wedding. I am thankful for this. While I loved the gal, I don't think our styles matched up. I love some of the pics but most of them are not "us" at all. Plus with the poses we did, my dress went forward and I look ginormous or pregnant. I know this is horrible, but the ones I was most excited about (us in the candy shop) look like p*orn. Not kidding. Probably too much info but the way we were posed, Bryan is behind me, hands on my hips, I am bending halfway down pretending to get candy and my facial expression was supposed to be like "Oooh candy" but it looks like something p*ornographic. I think you get the picture. I should post it when I get the CD. I look forward to our wedding photos! Hopefully they will be "us."
That is about it for now. I feel like I am forgetting so many things. I also feel like I gave some inappropriate info in here
Hopefully you will at least find it funny. Have a great night!
Dani
puente0629
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2009
If you don't mind me asking, who was the photographer and who are you using for the wedding?
Dani916
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2010
daisygirl902
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2009
I have visions of this candy store photo now...jeez Dani...it's too early in the morning for this - 
I would vote YES to the Christmas Party - we went a few years ago and the parade itself was worth it, and I don't really like parades all that much! Plus the hot chocolate and cookies were deeeelish.
I would vote YES to the Christmas Party - we went a few years ago and the parade itself was worth it, and I don't really like parades all that much! Plus the hot chocolate and cookies were deeeelish.
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