As we finished up the welcome bags the rooms at Kidani started becoming available so we hand delivered as many bags as we could for those staying there. Being ever so slightly OCD I placed each one perfectly staggered against the pillows on each bed. We still had a box of welcome bags going to Coronado, so we met up with the Smores Packing Crew. The Crew consisted of Jeffs aunt, uncle, cousins and their grandmas who so amazingly offered to help assemble the little individual smores packs for our welcome gathering.
(Also, credit where credit is due the same aunt and uncle were the mastermind crafters behind the Mickey bar name tags! Hi Aunt Linda!)
The smores packs contained a two graham cracker halves, a mini Hershey bar (larger than fun size, but smaller than full size) and the biggest marshmallow I have ever seen. The thing was seriously about 2-2.5" long! Major kudos to my MIL for finding these gigantic fluffy sugar clouds of joy!
Since one box of welcome bags was theirs, we handed it over to them and they were gracious enough to take the other box of welcome bags to Coronado. I believe they were able to drop them off at concierge and let them know the reservation name the bags went to (Aunt Linda, you can jump in and comment if I am wrong J). Everyone received their bags without a hitch, and for that I was immensely grateful. With everything else going on I know I would have been a crazy person trying to locate missing welcome bags.
We finally had a little bit of downtime so we settled for a bit in Jeffs parents 2-bedroom while I frantically checked flightarrivals.com for everyones incoming status. Now, I take full responsibility: I booked my familys flight. How I thought they could arrive at MCO at 2:30, hop ME, arrive at Kidani, get settled and be ready to leave for the rehearsal by 4pm, I dont know. I must have been harboring delusions of grandeur. It was nearing 3:00 and they were only just getting to the ME area at MCO. The realization of my poor planning was starting to hit and my anxiety levels began to rise. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything to make them arrive any faster so the best thing for both Jeff and I to do was return to our room (with a quick hello to the bridal party that had arrived) and freshen up/change for the rehearsal.
We told everyone to meet in the lobby at 4pm; it was 4:10 and we were still our room in BFE. As we scrambled down the hallway and into the lobby we found the bridal party dutifully waiting when we arrived; everyone, including my parents, who had arrived on the 2:30 flight was only now just checking in. Panic was slowly starting to sink in. It was 4:15, we needed to take busses to the Board Walk and all I could think of was that line in the BEO about events starting more than 15 minutes late would be canceled.
We greeted our new arrivals in the lobby with hugs and smiles that said "I'm really trying hard not to have a panic right now, how are you?".
My poor family. Most of them hadn't been to Disney; none of them had ever stayed DVC. They were quite in awe of their massive 2-bedroom walking from room-to-room with a lot of "Oh my gosh, did you see this?" and my niece and nephew wanted to just stay and rifle through their welcome bags. I, meanwhile, found myself pacing up and down the hallway, in and out of their room, between their two bedroom and Jeff's parents two bedroom all with a lot of "We have to go! Please, really, we have. to. go."
Once we got everyone organized it was too late for busses so we loaded everyone into two taxi vans and sped off to the Board Walk. My poor family got stuck in the van with the cabbie who didnt see the need for air conditioning. Ive also never noticed how short Disney traffic lights are. One of those things you dont notice when you are sitting on a bus!
It's a TRAP!
We arrived at the Board Walk and made a mad dash for Sea Breeze Point. The bridal party was already there (they had gotten there before us and didn't have to maneuver two wheelchairs and two EVC's) - as was Ken and this strange gentleman Id not seen before. He was bald and slightly muscular and as I got closer I thought to myself This is NOT Rev. Miller! Rev Miller has curly hair! Well, Rev. Miller it was (man, I totally forgot to review him
. Editing the first post now) and the ladies they were a-swoonin! Especially my grandmother who I call Elizabeth Taylor for a reason and its not because they are lookalikes :lol:
(And I totally just realized I forgot to review Rev. Miller....
Rev. Miller - A+ We aren't terribly religious people and originally we were going to go with a notary, but I knew that having our ceremony be officiated by a minister of some type was important to some members of our family (ahem, hi mom). We went with the contemporary ceremony from Rev. Miller and he had no problem at all with us altering his script and adding personal elements. He made us feel so at ease and balanced the perfect amount of humor and sincerity in the ceremony.
As I had mentioned in my review I had called Jen slightly pani.. um, concerned about the forecast for the wedding day. First thing, Ken pulled us aside to go over some alternate ideas for our ceremony décor in the ballroom should the weather, as he put it, not cooperate. We agreed to the ideas and it was time to start rehearsing the ceremony.
I had mentioned to my mom on the ride over that I was disappointed to not have a bow bouquet since I hadnt had a shower. While we were talking to Ken, my mom and sister defaced Disney property and stole some flowers from the grounds and wrapped them with a tablecloth to make me a bouquet! Normally I would be appalled at defacing Disney property but I couldnt help but laugh! It was very cute of them to make me a practice bouquet and it really just lightened the mood and lifted my spirits.
So.. we rehearsed!
And the guys... just kind of stood around talking
Typical...
And another sneak peak just to tide you over...
LOVE
joining in
Can't wait to read all about your wonderful weekend ... oh yeah, and that whole wedding thing too!
So good job on managing to keep it together! That could not have been easy! 
