twinkybel81 & workmantm's Wishes VR 12.06.16 Japan/ADH/Lochside UPDATE 11/23 Two Weeks Out!

[Doodlebug25413]

Yay you found your dress!!!! Tell hubby to quit peeking on your PJ LOL
I love the 1st 2 on you the best, all of them are beautiful. However, I'd like to know where you plan on losing those 50 lbs, your big toe?? Girl you look great!
Can't wait to hear more!!

 

[twinkybel81]

Wow....they let you take photos. Every boutique worth an ounce here BANS ALL photography (Primarily of you in the dress) because so many people take a photo...then go to a dressmaker to make it for them cheaper. This is especially true of those who travel to China and get it made there. Now...tbh there's not a lot in the ones I was looking at you could get MUCH cheaper (and I wouldn't have the time or patience anyway) because of the labour intensive beading but some of the designers .....ohhh ya!

The Vera Wang type Boutiques actually charge a fee of around $150 for you to just try on dresses which is deducted from the cost of the dress should you order.

I have a photo on the stand of the dress I ordered but that's it. Because we placed an order we might have been able to have taken a photo at that point with me in it but that's it...

Sorry it sounds like you didn't have the best dress shopping experience. I didn't go to designer salons, just highly recommended/rated local salons, because I'm more concerned with the construction and look of the dress than the name on the label. I didn't even ask who designed the dresses I was trying on until after I'd fallen in love with the one.

 

[twinkybel81]

Got back from our trip late Saturday night/early Sunday morning and we had a wonderful time!!! I have a lot to update on, and am going to try and shave out sometime within the next week to write fully about them. A couple of highlights include getting our first choice on dates and locations for next year, and my husband proposing to me!!!

 

[epcotcenter1982]

Sorry it sounds like you didn't have the best dress shopping experience. I didn't go to designer salons, just highly recommended/rated local salons, because I'm more concerned with the construction and look of the dress than the name on the label. I didn't even ask who designed the dresses I was trying on until after I'd fallen in love with the one.

I had an AMAZING experience...I didn't care who was designing it I DID care whether it could be delivered in time though...Sorry you misinterpreted everything I said...

 

[twinkybel81]

I had an AMAZING experience...I didn't care who was designing it I DID care whether it could be delivered in time though...Sorry you misinterpreted everything I said...

 

[hollybearsmom]

Got back from our trip late Saturday night/early Sunday morning and we had a wonderful time!!! I have a lot to update on, and am going to try and shave out sometime within the next week to write fully about them. A couple of highlights include getting our first choice on dates and locations for next year, and my husband proposing to me!!!

Waiting not-so-patiently to hear more.

 

[twinkybel81]

Waiting not-so-patiently to hear more.

Hehehe! I'm hoping to have an update written up within the next few days. Life has been more than crazy and some days I don't even touch the computer. Thank you for still following along.

 

[twinkybel81]

Oh my goodness, so much has happened since my last update, I almost don’t know where to begin!


We vacationed at The World from 12/5-12/12, and our twelve month out date was 12/6 which was a Sunday, so naturally on Monday, I began obsessively checking my phone for any kind of communication from our consultant. She called us that evening (though we missed the call) letting us know that she had put in for our first choice locations and times. I still thought we were facing a lottery for the reception space (which it turns out we weren’t, the other couple dropped off for some reason), so I was anxious to hear back from her. She did not call again until Thursday afternoon/evening (which we missed as well, since she only works MWF, I wasn’t expecting to hear anything on a Thursday) to let us know that we had gotten all of our first choices for locations, dates, and times of day. I was so relieved and excited!!! I immediately sent texts to my sister, my friend (MOH #2), and my parents. The hubby sent texts to his guys as well.

As of right now, here is what we have planned:

Sunday 12/4: Wishes welcome party at the West Rotunda Courtyard at the Contemporary convention center*

Tuesday 12/6: -Ceremony in the Japan pavilion at Epcot
-brunch reception at the Atlantic Dance Hall <3 (looking into possibly trying to do our pre-reception at Sea Breeze Pointe to save money on DJ hours at ADH)
-Illuminations dessert party at UK Lochside

*Depending on how the money breaks down, we may eliminate the welcome dessert party and opt for something more casual/low key/less pricey.

We received the email with the Room Block forms on 12/10 (same day that she called us), but we didn’t do anything with it until sometime the following week. Got that filled out and sent back and received our LOA and CC authorization form on Christmas Eve, which made an awesome anniversary present!!

We had a couple of questions regarding some of the verbiage in the LOA that we wished to have clarified before we signed it, but due to holidays/vacations, etc, we weren’t able to get them answered until NYE (because our consultant is awesome and worked that day and took the time to call us back!). Once those questions were answered, we sent in our signed LOA on ½ and faxed over the CC authorization form for them to process the payment on 1/6 (needed to wait for the statement to close). Deposit cleared on Friday and now I am anxiously awaiting the reveal of who our wedding planner will be. I’ll keep you posted of course!

We have since booked our rooms for the wedding stay (yay being DVC members!). We will be staying in a 3 bedroom Grand Villa at Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village and I am so excited! I had originally REALLY wanted to stay in a Club level room for that extra level of service and magic, but I couldn’t convince the husband that it would be worth it for this particular trip. However, I am now totally stoked about where we will be staying. The suite is gorgeous and will be a fantastic space for everyone to get ready (while keeping the men and women separate so that we don’t see each other until our first look <3), and beautiful for getting ready photos, eeeeee!!!!

Things that we are working on currently making decisions for include a save the date design, a wedding website, and booking a photographer. Sorry that this was such a long post with no photos, but I should have a photo post coming up shortly.

Side note: part of the reason for the December 2015 trip was to check out the weather for that time of year, since we had never visited during that time. Of course this year it was unseasonably warm, which I was bummed about, but am also hoping that means that this year will be normal or unseasonably cool.

 

[Doodlebug25413]

SUPER YAY!!!!

OMG Japan Pavillion is so pretty!

Now your countdown starts!

 

[Alexsandra]

I love the Japan PAvillion. It is breathtaking. I am so happy for you. Plus the 3 bedroom grand villa, at AKL. Amazing!

 

[hollybearsmom]

So much happened so quickly! Yay for first choices!

 

[twinkybel81]

I am happy to report that it has been an extremely busy and productive few weeks on the wedding planning front!




Our deposit has been made and LOA signed by all parties, so we are now officially official! ;-P



We were assigned Jamie Betz as our “Wedding Event Manager” (I will still probably refer to her as a planner since that is quicker to type), and I/we are really excited to work with her. I put some feelers out for feedback/experience with her in another group and have heard nothing but rave reviews and wonderful stories. We have our “getting to know you” phone call scheduled for this Wednesday and I am really looking forward to it (hubby is at work during all of the proposed phone call times, so it will be just me).




We finally chose and booked our photographer, who ended up not being either of the photographers we had originally been considering, but we are really excited with our choice. I am pleased to say that we have hired Michael Meeks/Nonpareil as our event photographer. https://www.facebook.com/michaelmeeksphotography/timeline He has already demonstrated how excited he is to be working with us and shooting our day. He sent this personalized gift basket earlier this week, completely unexpected by us.

We were delighted by the personal touch!




And finally (for this post anyway) I signed the contract for getting our hair done on the wedding day and scheduled my hair trial for June, which is when we will be out for our planning session. I am going to be working with Kristy Alonzo/Kristy’s Artistry Design Team. https://www.facebook.com/kristysmakeupartistry/?fref=ts As of right now, a personal friend/former high-end professional MUA will be doing our makeup, but I know that if something changes, I can add makeup onto my contract with Kristy, so there are no worries either way.





Next up: Matrons of Honor, dresses, and shoes!

 

[Seia]

Yay! Michael is awesome and you're going to love working with him. I already can't wait to see your pictures.

The Japan pavilion is gorgeous - what a beautiful spot for your ceremony. I also saw the special holiday finale of Illuminations for the first time this past December, and man, you are in for some stunning photos at your DP. It really adds a special touch to Illuminations!

 

[twinkybel81]

Yay! Michael is awesome and you're going to love working with him. I already can't wait to see your pictures.

The Japan pavilion is gorgeous - what a beautiful spot for your ceremony. I also saw the special holiday finale of Illuminations for the first time this past December, and man, you are in for some stunning photos at your DP. It really adds a special touch to Illuminations!

After all of the heartache and headache we went through with the other photographers we were considering, I'm relieved to be so genuinely excited about working with him. We already can tell that we made the right choice.

Since they are no longer doing the Segway tours, it is our hope to use the torii and the lake as our background, instead of facing into the pavilion. It's funny you mention the holiday Illuminations. I hadn't heard about the holiday version until the beginning of the week that we were out in the World this last December. So, Friday night (day before you were supposed to get there) after a disappointing meal at Jiko, the husband and I booked it over to Epcot and made it back to WS just in time to watch Illuminations (figured we should see what we will be paying for our guests to see next year) and you are right, beautiful! We tried to watch from UK lochside (our DP location), but someone else was having an event there, so we stood on the bridge just behind there, to try and get an idea of what it will look like that night.

 

[NikkiEla]

Your photographer's work looks amazing!
I cant wait to see his work on your wedding day!
and how sweet of him to send you a little personalized package!!

I cant wait to see what you have planned for your makeup and hair!!

 

[twinkybel81]

I cant wait to see what you have planned for your makeup and hair!!

That update should *hopefully* be up sometime this week. Thank you for still following along!

 

[Doodlebug25413]

Excited to hear all your updates! Now all the fun stuff starts to happen!

 

[twinkybel81]

One thing that the husband and I agreed on was that we DO NOT want a large wedding party. I will be having two Matrons of Honor and he will be having two groomsmen/best men, he hasn’t really mentioned what he is going to call them, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care one bit either. ;-)


For my Matrons of Honor I will be having my sister, Glynnis, and one of my best friend’s Kelly. Kelly and I met years ago working the Renaissance Faire and became fast friends. We are different, but we get each other and it's great!


My sister and I

Kelly and I

Even though they both have already committed to being there, I still want to give them a gift with a formal “Will you be my MOH” card. I’ve been on the fence for the last few months over what to gift them. Thanks to something my sister shared on Facebook the other day, I found the perfect thing! They are both huge Disney lovers as well, so I am going to be giving them each an 11x14 poster board with this printed on it (I found a seller on Etsy who customized the digital file for me):

I really wanted to have it printed on wood, metal, or canvas, but those options were out of budget for what I am looking to spend, so poster board it is! I will likely have a home baked treat or candy or some such to accompany the poster board.


Another great thing? We have already decided on their dresses as well! I knew I wanted it to go with our theme, to be something they could/would absolutely wear again, not too pricy, and something with sleeves and not too revealing, as both of them are above average size and I want them to feel beautiful and comfortable. Without further ado, these are the dresses we have all agreed upon:


Front

Back

Front detail

The plan is to have them wear a colored petticoat underneath (probably silver, maybe purple if we can find the right shade) and then have them find red shoes, in their preferred style, for the pop of color. I am so excited and relieved that this part of the planning was so easy. That’s where I will leave things for this evening. Sorry that the images are so huge!





Good night all and thanks for reading!

 

[Amanda132]

Love those dresses! And the style is so flattering. Sounds like everything is coming together awesomely!

 

[Alexsandra]

Very cool dresses!