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

I already commented on your sneak peek video in Facebook, but I just had to say that your daddy had me at "hello". :hug:

You looked simply amazing and the site looked lovely.:) Not to mention your vows were of-the-hook hilarious :lmao:

Have a great honeymoon!
 


Happy Wedding Day! I will be stalking your Facebook for pictures! I'm sure it will be amazing!!

Thank you sooo much!!! :)

Happy wedding day!! I JUST saw your plans to go to Vegas... At New York New York there is a really sexy Cirque show that's perfect for a honeymoon--- check it out!! I know your wedding will be wonderful!

We had to change our plans to Vegas, but will hopefully still get there within the next year or so. I think I know which show you mean and that's one that I have been meaning to check out!! :)

I hope you had a fantastic day!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Thank yoU!!!

I saw the sneak peak of your pics from Regina on her facebook page! You look AMAZING!! Congrats!!:)

Regina was fabulous, I can't wait to see the rest of them! Thank you!

Hope you had an amazing wedding day! Saw the sneak peak video (so fast! Wow!) and it was beautiful! :goodvibes

I absolutely love the video; I have seen it countless times!!

I already commented on your sneak peek video in Facebook, but I just had to say that your daddy had me at "hello". :hug:

You looked simply amazing and the site looked lovely.:) Not to mention your vows were of-the-hook hilarious :lmao:

Have a great honeymoon!

Thank you so much! :)
 
Hi everyone!!
I know I was absent there for the last little while, but I am back and officially married! :dance3:

We still have a few family members here that will be leaving on Sunday, so I will start recapping the days next week or so and giving you my reviews.
I do have to say that there were a couple of things that went wrong, but overall it ended up being fabulous and I had an amazing day!

Some of you already saw the sneak peak of pics, but I just wanted to share it again!

 


Thank you for posting the sneak peek photos...you guys both looked GREAT!! You look absolutely beautiful, looks like Regina got some great shots.

Can't wait to read about your event and the challenges you ran into.

And to see more pictures!!!

Congratulations!!

Brooke
 
Hey Everyone!!
I have definitely neglected the blog, but I finally have a break with school, which gives me some time to recap our wedding weekend!

I will start with vendor reviews first!

Day of Coordinator: Abbe from the Swan - 9/10
I was transferred to my day-of coordinator with about 12 days left before the wedding and was super excited as everything finally became real. She did everything that I could have asked for and didn't ask for but knew I needed on the day of our wedding and it couldn't have been better. the only reason I didn't give her a full 10 out of 10 is because she was very slow to get back to me via email in the days before the wedding and it was stressing me out. I sometimes had to email twice in order to get a response.

Floral - Greenery Productions - 10/10
I loved the floral that Greenery put together. I had a vision of shades of pink and ivory flowers that didn't include roses and the bouquets were absolutely beautiful! Tommy was super easy to work with and he made it very easy in offering his own suggestions as well. He also provided us with an aisle runner and rose petals scattered over it, which made for a very romantic setting.


Hair & Makeup - Beaute Speciale - 10/10
I don't think that I have every felt more beautiful than on this day. Jessica from Beaute was absolutely amazing and she made me feel so comfortable. I told her about the vision I had and she had absolutely no hesitation and made me look the way I wanted to. The makeup lasted all day and they even gave me some lipstick to take with me for touch ups. Last minute, my mom, my sister (who did end up coming, more about that later), as well as my bridesmaid Jenny, also decided that they wanted their makeup done. Highly recommend. Here's a pic of my mom, sister, and I.


Officiant - Kevin Knox - 7/10
I had heard great reviews about Kevin Knox and he seemed very personable, which is the reason we decided to go with him. Overall, I was a little disappointed, as I had sent him our ceremony flow and he asked me, prior to the ceremony, how to pronounce my name several times (which wasn't a problem). During the ceremony, however, he kind of messed it up twice, which was a little embarrassing for me, personally. He also wanted to know how long my parents had been married, to which I told him 25 years and then, during the ceremony he stated 35 years at which point people were asking my parents afterwards if that was true, since that was 10 years longer than they actually knew about. I can't change it now, but I was definitely irritated about this. Otherwise he did a great job with the actual flow of everything.

Photography - Regina Hyman - 10/10
Regina is so amazing! I can't even describe how happy we are with the pictures she took on the day of our wedding and how easy it was to work with her. DH (still so used to writing DF) and I plan to use her for future work as well. She had our sneak peek up the day after the ceremony and we received our discs in the mail with all photos within 3 weeks. Cannot say enough good things about her!

Videography - 829films - 10/10
Well, let's just say that every time I watch our highlight video I tear up :)
It was so much better than I could have ever imagined and working with Mike and Kristina was so much fun. They are so personable and know how to make seem as though they aren't there so it doesn't take away from your special day. I cannot wait to see the full length films in a few months and wish I could have more events where I could hire them. Here is a link to our video: http://vimeo.com/69806332

Cake - It's Tasty Too - Heather 10/10
I wish I would have had a chance to try all layers of cake!!! I tried one small piece, because I was so busy mingling with everybody. The piece I had was delicious and my guests also said it was one of the best cakes they had ever had. Heather also made my vision for this come to life. It was really hot outside so the cake, as it was sitting in the dining room at Fulton's with the doors to the outside being open, did melt a bit, but nothing significant, or that anyone else noticed!


Reception - Fulton's Crab House - 10/10
This is one of the best meals that I had ever had at Walt Disney World! The service was impeccable and the food was great! My guests told me afterwards that the seafood is the best they had and the service was outstanding!

Caricaturist - Rafael Diez - 10/10
One of the best investments of the wedding! We didn't have wedding favors, as I did not want to spend money on something that was going to end up in someones trash or their desk drawer because they had no use for it. Instead, we decided to get a caricaturist and let the guests have a personalized keepsake. It was a hit!! The first thing I heard was that this was a great and fun idea. Rafael was super outgoing and interacted with all of the guest!


Reception Music - Patrick Frost - 9/10
The only reason Patrick did not get a perfect score was because he sort of went MIA for a few weeks when I had been trying to reach him. I had sent in my deposit and then had tried to reach him for about 2 or 3 weeks to confirm everything had been received and he never called or emailed me back. Finally he did confirm and was there like he said he would be and played fabulous music! We wanted something that matched with the theme of being on a riverboat and he provided the right atmosphere of this sort of Caribbean-esque music that was enjoyed by everyone!

Next up: The days leading up to the wedding, a quick recap!
 
Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back for more from our TR.
I did want to do a quick overview of the days/weeks before the wedding, since I didn't update this PJ during that time.

First off, I had my bachelorette party in early June and we went to Savannah!!! We just went overnight, but it was only a 4 hour drive, so it wasnt so bad. It was my bridesmaid Sarah, my good friend, Cassie, my mom (yes, I invited my mom lol) and myself. We took two cars up there and we were also going to meet my friend Sandi, who was going to fly in from New Orleans. After a few pit stops, we finally got to Savannah and it was uh-mazing! I loved it from the moment I laid eyes on this beautiful city! We met up at a lunch spot to wait for Sandi. When she came, it was sort of weird and kind of awkward because everyone was so quiet, but I also didnt wanna say anything. I excused myself to go to the bathroom, which happened to be locked and someone behind me said "is there a line or what?!". My initial instinct was not to be rude back and see what's going on first. I turned around and it was one of my very good friends Marisa, who I hadn't seen in about 5 years. I had no idea she was coming and i started crying in the middle of the restaurant. As I walked back over to my friends, Sarah turned to me and said "look who else is here!" and it was another one of my friends Kylie, who I hadn't seen since 2006! It was probably the best surprise that I had ever had. I was a mess at this point and so happy that they came to see me and took time out of their lives to celebrate me.
From there we went to lunch, had a few drinks, checked into our hotel, had some more drinks, and then headed out for dinner that evening. After dinner we went barhopping. It was the most fun I had with a group of friends in a very long time! The next morning we all got breakfast and headed back home. I relive the weekend all the time with Sarah and we want to plan another girls trip up there sometime next year.
I didn't take any photos, but my friends have a ton. Here are a couple that are appropriate lol





Moving right along, for those of you that had been following along, you know that I was having problems with my sister not communicating with me and being really stand-offish the entire time. Well, we cam back from Savannah on Sunday and on Monday, during work, my mom calls me and tells me that my sister is coming!!!! At this point it was only 3 more weeks until the wedding and she would be here in 2 1/2. I cried, just because I didn't think that this would happen and I was so happy. Now that meant crunch time, as she didn't have a dress or anything. We talked every day for the next 2 weeks and got everything ready for when she got here. She would only be here for 8 days, so we needed to make sure we had everything planned out. A week later my cousin Jenny, her boyfriend, and their son arrived. Sean and I drove down to Miami to pick them up, as this is where they flew into from Germany. There we also met up with another one of my bridesmaids, which was Mimi, as they arrived on the same day, just a few hours earlier. The remaining time, up to the wedding, was spent running errands, finishing last minute projects, phone calls, and emails.
Marisa and Sandi arrived 2 days before the wedding and all of us girls met up for dinner. I dont think I had ever been more on the go, as the days just before THE day lol.

Up next: Drink around the World welcome event! Get excited... some drama involved hahaha
 
Your bachelorette sounds amazing. I some pics on Facebook. I love how you were surprised with your friends showing up, so sweet!
So glad your sister was able to make it!!!!!!!
Love your vendor reviews so far. Your cake looked awesome and the caricaturist looked like he was a blast to interact with. Can't wait to hear more :)
 
Sounds like you had an amazing time at your bachelorette, and that's so great your friends were able to join you. I love the Team Bride glasses, haha! And then later your sister being able to make it. That's fantastic!
 
I love your idea of a caricaturist for wedding favors-so original. Did you use someone through Disney? Expensive?
 
Hey guys I need some help, we're planning our wedding and I want to add some Disney flare to our wedding! We're getting married in Sept 2014, right now were only have 3 Disney pumpkins, need some help on what else to get? Don't want to go overboard, was thinking Disney table names gift bags for our candy bar? All ideas are welcome
 
I love your idea of a caricaturist for wedding favors-so original. Did you use someone through Disney? Expensive?

I didn't use anyone through disney, since I didnt have an official DFTW wedding. I sort of just browsed the web and found him that way. He did work for disney at one point in the downtown disney area where he did caricatures but no longer. Being that we didnt have actual favors and were going to use this as our wedding favor, I didn't think it was expensive. he has different packages, depending on your needs and I think it was about $250 or so; not entirely sure anymore.

Hey guys I need some help, we're planning our wedding and I want to add some Disney flare to our wedding! We're getting married in Sept 2014, right now were only have 3 Disney pumpkins, need some help on what else to get? Don't want to go overboard, was thinking Disney table names gift bags for our candy bar? All ideas are welcome

I am a bit confused by your post; i am assuming this was supposed to be a new thread.
 
*i need to preface this post by saying that the only reason we were having a welcome event, which was to drink around the world at Epcot, was because over 60% of our guest list had expressed an interest in all going together and having a great time*

That being said... here we go:

Okay, so it's Thurday, July 4th, about 8am. Sean and I are both already up trying to pack the car with all of the needed wedding supplies for the entire weekend, making sure that we have all loose ends tied up and doing a quick clean throughout the house. While doing that, Sean gets a call from his dad and moved into another room to talk to him. About 5 or so minutes later he comes back out of the room and continues helping to pack everything. i got in the shower, got dressed, and while doing my hair and makeup, sean came into the bedroom (bathroom attached to the bedroom) and shut the door and started a conversation with: "don't get mad, but..." I knew this was going to suck! He proceeded to tell me that his mom and dad were not coming to EPCOT, because they would rather spend the money for a ticket when they could enjoy the WHOLE day with everyone (we told everyone 1pm to do the drinking around the world). I suddenly just burst into tears because I was so stressed out with everything happening and now, one of the first people that said they would be there, are cancelling. I didn't have much time to feel sorry for myself (lol!) since time was just ticking and ticking. by the time we had everything ready, it was about 10am and i get a call from my mom. I got on the phone, asked if they were getting ready, and she said that she needed to talk to me. She said that my aunt, who was to arrive at 7am in Orlando, still hadn't gotten there and they arent sure if they would make it to Epcot by 1pm. I told her not to worry and to let me know when they would be there to which she said she is thinking about 2 or so. By 11 I still hadn't heard back from her so I called my mom again. She then told me that they weren't coming at all because my aunt still hadn't gotten there (they were to pick her up) and the scheduled arrival time is now 3pm. I didn't even have time to think about it so i just told her that i dont have time right now and that I guess I would see them that night, as my mom and my sis were to stay in my hotel room.

Finally it was time to leave for Epcot!!!! The car was packed and ready to go! Sean was driving with my cousin Jenny, her son and her boyfriend in his car and I was driving with my other bridesmaid Sarah to go pick up my friend Marisa before heading into Epcot. Right before Sarah arrived, my mom called me again to ask if i was ok, because she got the vibe that I was mad. I told her that i am extremely disappointed that my parents weren't going to be there, sean's parents arent coming and I am late (late as in time wise, not preggers lol). She didnt know that Seans parents werent coming and felt extremely bad and apologized. The reason of why she wasn't going to be there seemed logical but my feelings were pretty hurt and I really didn't care for the reason behind why she, my dad, and my sister weren't coming. Anywho, we had to move on, but before she hung up, she did say that most of the other family had called her and my dad and said that they weren't going to EPCOT either and they would all be going to my mom and dad's house to hang out. At that point, I was so over it and said I had to go. I told Sean that apparently now most of the people that were to be there, wouldn't be and instead were hanging at my parents house. He was pissed!!! It was sort of like a slap in the face because I felt as though they were having a party/get together on the day that was supposed to be part of our "welcome to our wedding" weekend, since that's what they came into town for. My mom (who is the messenger, btw, so I know this wasn't her decision) then also said that we can come by and drop off Jenny's son (he's only 10 months old) and then we can head to EPCOT and have someone to watch the baby. I asked Jenny what she wanted to do and we ended up deciding to drop Jayden off at their house. On our way to their house, as I was telling my bridesmaid Sarah about what has been going on, I also told her that I am going to be really pissed if they are having an actual party because I feel as though then it's more of a planned thing than something that just sort of happened. Needless to say, we arrived, my mom and sister greeted us at the door, looking like twins (this comes into play later) because they were wearing similar dressed in the same color, with the same hair style and makeup and, when i walked into the house, i saw bottles of alcohol, tons of food, my dad was in the kitchen cooking, music playing, etc. Needless to say, I was now even more hurt than before. My parents had told me that this isn't a party and they just got a few things for the people coming. At the last minute Sean and I also decided to leave all of our stuff at their house, since we didn't want it sitting in the car all day and my mom and sis were coming down to Disney later that night anyway and could just bring it with them.

Whew!!! All of that happened within the first half of the day! Oh and some jerk almost ran me and my bridesmaids (on our way to Epcot) off the road.

Up Next: EPCOT - part 2... The fun part!
 
We arrived at Epcot at about 1pm and, right before, scooped up my friend Marisa. At the gate we met Mimi (my bridesmaid) and Tim (her boyfriend). I already knew that Sandi, one of my really good friends from high school, was already inside waiting at the front of world showcase. Mimi and Tim didn't look too happy and, come to find out, the banks had blocked both of their credit cards. They traveled here from Germany and, although having advised the bank that they were leaving the country, they still put a hold on the account. Mimi spent 30 minutes on the phone with the bank in Germany to get this rectified asap, as they otherwise couldn't get in, since they didn't have any cash on them. In the meantime, the others (Sean, Sarah, Jenny, Philip, and Marisa) were getting antsy to go in because Sandi was inside also and kept looking at me for answers. I didn't want to start without Mimi and Tim so I wanted to wait and told them that they can go in and I will meet up with them, once this credit card situation is worked out. By 1:40, everything was good to go and we were inside of Epcot, on our way to World Showcase. It was soooo hot!! We soon spotted Sandi, said hi, and looked around to see if anyone else was going to show... no one did! At this point, I really didn't care. Looking back on it now, I am so glad that no one else came because we had the perfect group; a total of 9 people, all between 25 and 30, all with similar interest, and ready to get this party started!!

First stop, Mexico! We all went inside to the tequila/margarita bar where we each got a different one. I don't really remember what I had, but it was good! lol:rotfl:
Here is a picture of Sean and Sarah that I took while we were waiting for everyone else to get their drinks:


Once everyone had their drinks, we all stood around a table, one of my friends made a really fun toast, and off we went. We walked through the little market area and then headed back outside. Jenny and Philip didn't get a drink, as they hadn't eaten all day and instead went over to the Mexico quick service area, which is where we met back up with them. While they ate we all just socialized and relaxed. Most of us had finished out Margarita by the time they were done eating as well so we made our way to our next stop. Jenny and Philip wanted to stop and get some drinks as well so Philip got the Tequila sampler and Jenny got one of those frozen margaritas (man those things are strong!!!). Suddenly, while waiting on Jenny's drink, it started POURING!


We all huddles under an umbrella in Norway and waited about 10 to 15 minutes or so. Once it was over, like little kids, we played in the big puddles and started splashing water back and forth (i think the margarita had kicked in by then).


We strolled leisurely all the way to Germany, where I knew that I was going to get a Bratwurst, since that's what I had been looking forward to all day. Sean decided he would have one too and we made our way into the line. Everyone else was strolling through the stores, getting beers, etc. When we had our food, we all huddled in one area and ate. This, luckily, took away some of the buzz, which I was happy about since it was too early to be that buzzed (we had only had one drink)! Next thing I knew, Sean was inside the wine area, getting some sort of sample or he may have just ended up buying multiple glasses of wine hahaha. I didn't get anything this time around. I don't really like beer and I am not THAT big of a drinker anyway. I like to share and try what others had, but didn't really want my own full drink again. By the time Sean came out of Germany, I think he was pretty happy :rotfl:
We moved right along, stopped to take pictures, chit chat, buy souvenirs, and strike up random convos with other tourists. The park was pretty busy, since it was a holiday, but I had definitely seen it worse.
We had then, somehow, arrived at our next location for Sake. I kept telling Sean to not mix drinks so much, but he wouldnt listed lol. Instead, he, Sarah, and Sandi, got themselves some sake. I think The faces say it all (sorry if its blurry, I was trying to be sneaky)



At this point, Sean had quite a few drinks and was totally enjoying himself (also, his bachelor party was the night before, so he apparently just kept the party going hahaha). My friend Marisa also got a drink at the Sake bar that I sort of shared with her. it was so hot, that I sort of wasn't in the mood to drink anymore, but still had the best time!
we made our way over to Morocco and this was actually the first time that I checked out what it was about. Sean and I usually just pass by it, but this time we went in. It was sooo cool! I loved it! We probably spent almost an hour over there and some people hadn't eaten yet, so they got something there, which actually turned out to be really good!

The next place we stopped was France. We actually spent quite a bit of time here. Sandi and I had a glass of champagne, while others went to get some dessert from the quick service area and explore the stores.
here's a picture of Jenny and I, while waiting on some of the others:


We then went outside and happened to notice a Photopass Photographer standing there and I really wanted to get a group picture of everyone. Unfortunately, the line was quite long, and none of us really felt like waiting. I then saw another photog in another spot, I am assuming that's where they have characters sometimes, since it looked like she was waiting and I just asked her if she could take a group photo of us. Sure enough, she did!


And here is a funny group shot!


After that, we headed over the bride to England. This is where we spent the most amount of time. We started off by listening to some of the live music and then went inside to the pub where we just started ordering drinks like made. Somehow, however, we never separated the drinks and I ended up paying for all of them. once my card was swiped, I was over it hahahah.
We then all wanted a turn in the phone booth to get some pics (how touristy of us)

and then we wandered through the gift shop. Here is a pic of Sean in the gift shop, after he felt really relaxed from all of the drinks he had had lol


From there, we went back to the front of World Showcase where we decided on what to do next. Some of us wanted to go ride some rides, while others wanted to go around the world again. We decided to split up and, since we all had our cell phones with us, we just decided to text each other one by one when we were ready to meet up again. Sean and I went with Marisa, Jenny and Philip to ride rides, Sarah and Sandi went to get more drinks and Mimi and Tim also got more drink, but in a different location. At about 8pm or so, everyone met back up in the quick service area of Mexico again, since Sarah and Sandi had snagged a really good seat for the fireworks that night. The show was still two hours away but the park was so crowded that you had to get a good spot fast, if you wanted to enjoy it.
Most of us had our dinner here and, while everyone was chatting and having the best time, it hit me... I'm getting married in 12 hours!!!

I went into freakout mode for the first time during wedding planning. Suddenly I felt so unprepared. I kept thinking I forgot something really important, that I didn't give enough instructions for everyone on where to meet, that my dress was going to be wrinkly, that our room was going to be given away because we still hadn't checked in, and the list goes on and on. I had a pit in my stomach. Sarah even looked over and started asking me if I was okay because i wasn't talking, but also couldnt sit or stand still. I told her what was on my mind and she slapped some sense into me, not literally of course. She told me that, at this point, if something was forgotten, etc, there is nothing I can do about it and to just let things happen and not to worry about the small stuff. She went through a checklist with me and I ended up having everything, yet I still felt as though i was missing something. I just wanted to go to our hotel and sit in a quiet space. Instead I was standing between thousands of people and had no way out. it was almost as though I became claustrophobic. After a good 30 minutes, I finally went back to my old self and said that anything that will happen at this point can happen and I am not going to try and stop it, since there is nothing I can do. Then the fireworks started and all was forgotten. It was an awesome way to end the night!!! I think we all had a wonderful time!

We then squeezed our way through the crowds to get out of the park and made our way to our cars. It was about 10:45 at this point and I had to get up by 5:30am tomorrow morning.

Up Next: EPCOT - Part 3: When am I finally going to be able to sleep???
 
We were finally all gathered in the Epcot parking lot when I called my mom to let her know that we will be heading to our resort now (jenny is staying at saratoga, tim, and marisa off property, sean at the DTD Hilton, and Sarah, Mimi, and I, along with my mom and sis, at OKW) and to find out where they are now.

The reason I asked where they are now, is because I initially called them about an hour before the fireworks and told them to get everything ready and we will meet at OKW at about 10:30-11pm. This was not a problem... until I called back at 10:45pm...
To make a long story short... drama was back to haunt me! She said that the cab company had no cabs available and that they are trying to get down there as fast as they can. I told her that i can come pick them up (its a 30 minute drive) so that we can get everything sorted out and all of my stuff. This story gets even more complicated, but, after about 30 minutes of being on the phone, my mom finally just said to get everyone to their resorts and when their cab comes, they will stop at each location and bring each person their belongings. So... This is what we did. By the time we got to our rooms it was about 11:40pm and we were all exhausted. Sean was staying at the Hilton, so I didn't see him again until the next morning. Jenny was staying with Philip at Saratoga and Sarah and Mimi were in my room.
Sarah, Mimi, and I realized we had nothing to drink, nothing for breakfast, and so we got back in the car and drive to a 24 hours grocery store nearby (I have never paid so much for water, cream cheese, and bagels).

When we got back to the room, we all took turns showering and getting ready for bed. Mimi and Sarah were the first ones in bed and I was still up worrying about all of my stuff and when they would get there. Finally, at about 12:30am (or maybe even closer to 1am) they arrived! They had dropped Jayden off at Jenny and Philips along with their bags, then they stopped at the Hilton to give Sean his tux and finally brought all of my stuff to my room. I was still really irritated about the fact that they didn't show to EPCOT and I was beyond exhausted! I couldnt, however, go to sleep. My mom and sister were right outside the door at one of the little benches and were talking and I went outside with them. They asked if I had a good time and I told them I did, but didn't share too many details. My mom then kept asking me what was wrong and I finally told her how I felt about this whole get-together/party thing they had at their house and that I didn't think that was right. She apologized again and said she didnt' mean to hurt my feelings (which I know), but it was nice to hear her say that, if she were in my shoes, she also wouldn't have appreciated it.

By the time we went back in the room, after a lot of talking and sort of just sitting in peace and quite to reflect on what was going on and how tomorrow was going to be, it was 3:30am. I laid down, shut my eyes, and the next thing I knew, it was 5:30am and my alarm was going off. I AM GETTING MARRIED!!!

Up Next: Wedding Day!!!
 

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