Shana & Sean's PJ - 7/5/13 Swan/Fultons *Wedding TR - Updated 9/1*

[ShanaMouse]

Just listened, love her!

Isn't she great?! I loved her as well!!!

Subbing to your thread Love the harpist.. do you know what songs you want for your ceremony? Any updates on photographer and videographer?

I haven't thought about the music just yet, but DF said he would like Disney songs that are not the major songs, like "A Whole New World" or "Under the Sea". He wants the ones that are a little more subtle so not everyone knows they are Disney, but still think they are wonderful songs. I think we are going to work on that within the coming weeks here.

As far as photographer and videographer is concerend, I haven't quite made up my mind. I do think that, for video, we are going with Simply Cinematic. I just love how it looks like an actual movie and I feel as though they fit our style very well.
When it comes to photography, I am still where I was the other day. I am just so torn for some reason. I am leaning towards Jason Angelini, but then I just found Jennifer Werneth Photography again and she takes lovely pics as well. The difference between the two would be the price.
Jennifer Werneth is $350 an hour with 2 photogs and all pics on a disk or they have a 6 hours package for $1775.00.
Jason Angelini is up to 10 hours, one photog, and with a disk of all images its $1795. I like Jennifer Werneths photography just slightly better, but if I can get 4 more hours of photos with Jason for the same price it may make me choose him. I just dont know and it's driving me crazy
I'm still weighing the pros and cons.

 

[Janice2013]

Hi Shana

I love your story - and we'll be at Disney at the same time as Terry and I are getting married July 1, 2013. Good luck with planning and keep us posted

 

[ShanaMouse]

Hi Shana

I love your story - and we'll be at Disney at the same time as Terry and I are getting married July 1, 2013. Good luck with planning and keep us posted

YAY for July Weddings
Where at Disney are you getting married?

 

[ShanaMouse]

Okay, so today I finally pulled the trigger on a photographer. Funny enough, it was no one on the list I had.

I asked around in the FB group as to which photographer everyone is using or used and one fellow Swan bride brought up Regina Hyman.
I went to her website, browsed through her work, looked up reviews, and filled out one of those "contact me" forms. Within a couple of hours she responded with numerous different packages for every budget!
She has intimate ceremony packages as well as all day coverage, that's a little more extravagant.
I went with the Platinum Intimate Ceremony Package and added an engagement shoot. Here is what our package includes:

• 2 hour engagement shoot
• 2 hour wedding ceremony coverage
• all images from the engagement and ceremony on disc with printing rights
• all images edited and/or enhanced
• 16x20 canvas or metal print
• 26 page custom designed wedding album
• Webposting of wedding and e-session
• DVD slideshow
• digital album

For all of the above she quoted me at right around $1000, which is fine with me. Her works looks amazing and it includes an engagement shoot with all of the images, as well as a wedding album. This is probably the best package I found for photography that I felt hit all of the things we wanted. She does have even cheaper packages that start around $500, if memory serves me right. Technically our package is only $750, but I wanted to add the engagement shoot along with the disk of the images.
Another thing that's really neat about her is the fact that she is actually part of the Disney Fine Art Photography team, so she has done tons of Disney weddings!
If anyone's interested, here is a link to her page http://reginahymanphoto.com/

We scheduled our engagement shoot for 9/29/12 at 9am
I am really excited for the next couple of weeks:
9/8 - Disney On Ice
9/22 - Wedding Dress shopping
9/29 - Engagement shoot/Epcot's Food & Wine
10/6 - Birthday Party
10/13 - Mythbuster's LIVE

I'll be back soon everyone!

 

[belle2211]

Okay, so today I finally pulled the trigger on a photographer. Funny enough, it was no one on the list I had.

I asked around in the FB group as to which photographer everyone is using or used and one fellow Swan bride brought up Regina Hyman.
I went to her website, browsed through her work, looked up reviews, and filled out one of those "contact me" forms. Within a couple of hours she responded with numerous different packages for every budget!
She has intimate ceremony packages as well as all day coverage, that's a little more extravagant.
I went with the Platinum Intimate Ceremony Package and added an engagement shoot. Here is what our package includes:

• 2 hour engagement shoot
• 2 hour wedding ceremony coverage
• all images from the engagement and ceremony on disc with printing rights
• all images edited and/or enhanced
• 16x20 canvas or metal print
• 26 page custom designed wedding album
• Webposting of wedding and e-session
• DVD slideshow
• digital album

For all of the above she quoted me at right around $1000, which is fine with me. Her works looks amazing and it includes an engagement shoot with all of the images, as well as a wedding album. This is probably the best package I found for photography that I felt hit all of the things we wanted. She does have even cheaper packages that start around $500, if memory serves me right. Technically our package is only $750, but I wanted to add the engagement shoot along with the disk of the images.
Another thing that's really neat about her is the fact that she is actually part of the Disney Fine Art Photography team, so she has done tons of Disney weddings!
If anyone's interested, here is a link to her page http://reginahymanphoto.com/

We scheduled our engagement shoot for 9/29/12 at 9am
I am really excited for the next couple of weeks:
9/8 - Disney On Ice
9/22 - Wedding Dress shopping
9/29 - Engagement shoot/Epcot's Food & Wine
10/6 - Birthday Party
10/13 - Mythbuster's LIVE

I'll be back soon everyone!

You will LOVE Regina! She did my engagement shoot, wedding, MK Bridal Shoot, and we just had her again in June for our 1 year anniversary shoot. She's amazing!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Yay! Regina's pics are some of my FAVORITES!

 

[Summer Daydream]

Just caught up with your PJ. I think those save the dates are awesome! Also, I checked out the link for the harpist and she was amazing. She is definitely going to be an unique touch to your wedding. I don't have any personal experience with Regina, but in all my years of lurking here, I have never heard of anyone having a bad thing to say about her, and all the pictures I have seen were gorgeous!

 

[Tonyaandnate2013]

I am catching up on all your updates. Things are coming along nicely.

 

[ShanaMouse]

Oh man, I am so excited to be working with Regina. I often find myself google-ing her work and I am so excited that my pics are going to look that awesome! I am glad all of you have positive feedback about her. We have our e-shoot later this month and I just wish it wasn't that far away.

I also put our save the dates in the mail so within the next week or so people will have them in their hands! I'm so excited because I finally feel like it's official with the actual save the dates mailed out.
--------------------------------
Now, I do have a bit of a reception venue update.
After looking into numerous restaurants for our reception (Il Mulino, Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Garden Grove, etc) I think we have chosen the one we want and I am just waiting on the group dining manager to get back to me.
Oddly enough, this was never a restaurant that was on my list because I assumed we wouldn't be able to afford it, but after seeing the menus I was pleasantly surprised.
We chose to go with Todd English's Bluezoo restaurant at the Dolphin.
Liz emailed me numerous packages, drink options, minimums, and pictures, so if anyone wants info on the different dining menus with price i would be happy to post them.
They have private dining options and semi-private areas. We chose to go with the semi-private area, as the food and beverage minimum ($2000) is much lower than for the private one ($3600). Also, the private dining rooms hold a maximum number of 54 guests, and we are inviting about 74 at this time, so it's really not an option. I don't mind that the area isn't complete private, so it's all fine with me.
We chose to go with private dining menu 5, which includes a first course, main course, and dessert, but we are actually going to take off the dessert, as we will have a wedding cake. Here is the full menu:
First Course: Beet Salad... Walnut vinaigrette, goat cheese fondue
Main Course: Simply Fish... Warm dijon crab sauce, silky potatoes, hearts of palm OR heritage chicken... farro verde, english peas, eggplant parm puree
Dessert: Chocolate molten cake... raspberry ice cream chocolate cream and raspberry sauce

The price is $52.00 per person, but without the dessert its $45.00. She said if we bring in our cake they will provide a table, silverware, and plates and there is no cake cutting fee.
Of the 74 people we are inviting, we are expecting about 60. At $45.00 per person plus tax and gratuity we are looking at $3445.00, which is right up my alley
Additionally, as far as drinks are concerned, we are going to be including sodas, water, coffee, and tea, as well as the first alcoholic beverage of their choice (just a way to keep cost down). I'm still waiting on Liz to get back to me with the non-alcoholic beverage pricing.

TTYL

 

[luvvwl]

Hey! Just wanted to say love your plans so far. And. We're thinking of 1900 PF for breakfast after our photoshoot. Which just so happens to be on Sat the 6th! Maybe we'll see you there! I'll be the one in the long white dress, lolol!

 

[DreaminDisney529]

Hi Shana! Congrats on your upcoming wedding and I am subbing to your PJ Bluezoo is my favorite restaurant at Disney! The food there is so good and the fish tastes very fresh. I have been there 4 times and the service has always been great, so you shouldn't be disappointed

I wish you the best with the rest of your plans!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Just catching up on your PJ sweetie. Seems like all the planning is going really well!!!
You will adore Christine!!!!! We had her at our VR, and she was beyond amazing!!!
Yay for booking Regina. I would just like to clarify one thing. I have heard many people on here say that the thing that puts them off having Randy as their photographer is the enhancements he does to his photos. Please do not forget that every photo he enhances, you also get on your discs in it's original form, so you get the best of both worlds!,,
Love the STDs - they're fab!!!!

 

[ShanaMouse]

Hey! Just wanted to say love your plans so far. And. We're thinking of 1900 PF for breakfast after our photoshoot. Which just so happens to be on Sat the 6th! Maybe we'll see you there! I'll be the one in the long white dress, lolol!

I love 1900 Park Fare for breakfast! It's one of my favorites! If I see you there I will definitely say hi

Hi Shana! Congrats on your upcoming wedding and I am subbing to your PJ Bluezoo is my favorite restaurant at Disney! The food there is so good and the fish tastes very fresh. I have been there 4 times and the service has always been great, so you shouldn't be disappointed

I wish you the best with the rest of your plans!

We have never been to Bluezoo, but we have only heard great things. We are planning on trying it within the next couple of weeks here with the menu we chose.

Just catching up on your PJ sweetie. Seems like all the planning is going really well!!!
You will adore Christine!!!!! We had her at our VR, and she was beyond amazing!!!
Yay for booking Regina. I would just like to clarify one thing. I have heard many people on here say that the thing that puts them off having Randy as their photographer is the enhancements he does to his photos. Please do not forget that every photo he enhances, you also get on your discs in it's original form, so you get the best of both worlds!,,
Love the STDs - they're fab!!!!

I definitely do think that a lot of the reason people may not like Randy as much is due to the enhancements, but the reason why we picked Regina was actually because with what we wanted and got, Randy was actually going to come out just slightly more expensive than Regina, although he would have included an extra hour of photography.

I am so excited to have Christine at our ceremony. I think everyone will love her!

 

[ShanaMouse]

Happy Sunday again everyone!
since I am sharing everything else Disney here, I decided to also share my mini trip reports.
Yesterday we went to Disney On Ice. I had been looking forward to it since I bought the tickets quite some time ago and I was actually so excited that I got up at 7am because I couldn't sleep anymore

Us before the show in our matching shirts:

The show started at 3:30pm in the new arena that opened last year so DF and I headed down there about an hour early (it's only 15 minutes from where we live). Parking went smoothly and once we got inside, we saw hundreds of little girls dressed up as their favorite princesses and even little boys dressed as princes. It was the cutest.
We had floor seats, so we were escorted down to the bottom, which made me feel like a celebrity lol. I had planned on buying the entire gift shop, but there was not much there for people over the age of 8 lol. There were plenty of t-shirts and lots of popcorn, soda, snow cones, and cotton candy. To satisfy my urge for spending money, I bought a sweet tea in a souvenir cup. Here is a picture of our view/my cup:

All the sudden, that amazing Disney music came on, the lights dimmed, and the show started with the fab 5 skating around, dancing to music. Here are some more pics:

The show went on to tell the story of the little mermaid, tangled, brave, and beauty and the beast. the show lasted about 2 hours with a 10 minute break in between. My favorite was probably the little mermaid because of the music, the skate sequences, and the effects they used. All in all, I loved it! Here are some more pics to enjoy!
Tangled

The Little Mermaid

Beauty and The Beast

If you have the chance to go, I would definitely recommend it!

 

[ShanaMouse]

Before I start I did want to say that we finally picked a videographer.
We actually went with 829films. They are fairly new so they still had very reasonable prices for all day videography, including two videographers, and I actually learned about them via another Disney bride, who just used them for her ceremony/reception.

Now, let me start:

Okay, so DF and I have not had Disney tickets since April, as this was when our annual passes expired. We were both okay with this because we would rather avoid the parks during the summer heat anyway. The entire time we had been planning to get new annual passes once the Food and Wine Festival came back around, as we go every year for my birthday.

Today, we woke up to a rainy Sunday. First thing that came out of my mouth: "Oh YES! Let's get Disney tickets and go to Disney today!!"

DF looked at me like I was crazy for yelling about Disney at 8:30 in the morning and seemed to just kind of ignore what I said. Anyhow, I went on to make breakfast, eat breakfast and, again, yell "LET'S GO TO DISNEY TODAY! Perfect weather!" He laughed and said ok with absolutely no enthusiasm.
Since I had homework to do, I told him (yes told not asked ) to help me with my homework and then we go to Disney. He was not amused so I sat down and, like a good girl, did my homework.
Once I was done, he was deep into some show he was watching and being that he wasn't that enthused to begin with, I didn't bring Disney up again.

By this time it was 11am and i asked him what we were doing today (I get bored fast lol). He said that he thought I wanted to go to Disney and I replied that he didnt seem to excited but he said that he would go. YESSSSSSS!
I went online, bought our annual passes and by 12pm we were out the door. Before we left, I quickly made reservations at Le Chefs de France in Epcot, being that we had never been and we were both pretty hungry.

From our house it takes about 30 minutes to get to The World and it was pouring. Neither of us really cared because we knew what that meant: no crowds! When we got to Epcot, we were 1 of maybe 6 or 7 families on the tram to the front and got our tickets in a flash. My Mission for today: find JUST MARRIED buttons. I planned on asking every place I passed.
First I asked at the ticket booth where she said they don't have them anymore and gave us two happily ever after buttons. Next up, Guest Relations, who gave me the same answer and the same buttons. By now it was 1:30 and our lunch reservation was in an hour. We decided to start heading towards France and stopped to ride Soaring, since the wait was only 20 minutes. I told DF that this is what I meant by the rain being perfect weather: next to no wait for one of the busiest rides at Epcot.

Once we were done, we headed to France and were seated at a spot near the window within 2 minutes. We both got the Prix Fixe menu, which consisted of 3 courses.
I had the French Onion Soup, Gruyere Mac & Cheese, and Creme Brulee.
DF had French Onion Soup, Quiche with mixed greens, and profiteroles.

Here are some pics and my thoughts:
French Onion Soup - extremely large appetizer and fairly salty to the point where I couldn't actually finish it because it was doing a number on my stomach.

Gruyere Mac & Cheese - THE BEST! It was creamy, crispy on top, hot, and delicious. Nice size for a lunch portion as well.

Quiche - I didn't try it, since I don't really like quiche, but DF said it was one of the best he has had in a long time.

Creme Brulee - fantastic! I loved it! I love creme brulee in general and I knew Disney wouldn't screw this one up!

Profiteroles - these were very good, but the puff pastry seemed a little dry (at least the piece I tried). They were stuffed with vanilla ice cream and then topped with chocolate.

Once we finished lunch, we walked through France with no luck on finding the Just Married buttons and by this time I was slightly tired, stuffed, and ready to relax in the resort room I wish I had booked

I kinda gave up on trying to find them today but then we passed Tokyo Dining and I remember reading on the FB page that someone had found them there. I decided to give it one last shot, walked up to the counter outside, at the bottom of the steps and asked if they had any. She looked at me and said "go upstairs".
I turned to DF and said "we are probably just going up here for nothing". When we entered Tokyo Dining, a lady seemed to have been waiting on us and pulled out 2 Just Married buttons!! I was ecstatic! I guess the lady downstairs had told the lady upstairs via walkie that we wanted the buttons. All of the ladies were extremely nice and said they were glad they could help!

I do believe, however, that if you want the buttons you technically need to eat there. We just happened to come during some down time between lunch and dinner and they were nice enough to just let us take them and leave again.
Overall, mission accomplished!

From there we walked through the rest of world showcase and then went to Mouse Gear to trade a vinyl for the Alice in Wonderland Rabbit. Then I bought two more Alice in Wonderland Vinyls and happened to pick the same ones by accident; now I have two Tweedle Dums

Other than that I do not really have anymore updates just yet. We are going dress shopping in two weeks, so I will be sure to take pics and post!
I hope all of you have a great rest of your sunday!

 

[Summer Daydream]

I love your update. I made DF take me to Princesses on Ice a few years ago. He said never again, because we were literally the only couple there without kids and everyone kept looking at us a little bit oddly. I will try to convince him to go again because I'm a sucker for anything with Belle! I am so jealous that you can go to Disney just like that....and even more jealous of those pins! I stalk eBay religiously but only see ones for Disneyland. The only plus is I have a year a half to find them! Can't remember if I told you but I love the STDs!

 

[MickeysStarTrader]

I'm sooo jealous that you got Just Married buttons!! How lucky! I'm happy you had a great few days and accomplished your mission

 

[ShanaMouse]

I love your update. I made DF take me to Princesses on Ice a few years ago. He said never again, because we were literally the only couple there without kids and everyone kept looking at us a little bit oddly. I will try to convince him to go again because I'm a sucker for anything with Belle! I am so jealous that you can go to Disney just like that....and even more jealous of those pins! I stalk eBay religiously but only see ones for Disneyland. The only plus is I have a year a half to find them! Can't remember if I told you but I love the STDs!

Oh my gosh I Love DISNEY ON ICE! lol. I think DF would have said no if it were a princesses on ice show too, but luckily there was something in the show for everyone. My fear, too, was that we would be the only ones there without little ones, but there were so many people at the show that were just couples or larger groups of ladies.
Once we got the Disney tickets I told DF that being able to go just like that is probably the only thing that I love about living in Orlando lol
The next time DF and I go, I can definitely ask around again for another set of Just Marry buttons and, if i find a set, I will let you know!

I'm sooo jealous that you got Just Married buttons!! How lucky! I'm happy you had a great few days and accomplished your mission

Thanks, I was determined to find those buttons! I was getting discouraged after all of the "no's", but finally found them

 

[ShanaMouse]

Just a quick update: I'm finally going dress shopping tomorrow with my mom and my best friend! I am sooo excited and will definitely post an update afterwards!

Happy Friday!

 

[Summer Daydream]

Thanks for the offer of searching for pins...that was so sweet of you! Good luck with the dress shopping! Can't wait to hear how it goes!!!