1 Rocket Scientist + 1 Disney Aficionado tackle a WDW Honeymoon PJ-Dining ressies!

[DHSsenior007]

As we say in Aggieland, Howdy! Thanks for joining me on our pre-trip report.

Us:

Me: I’m Jessica. I am a senior at Texas A&M (WHOOP!), double majoring in psychology & sociology. Along with applying to graduate schools for a PhD in Criminology, I am planning a wedding and a Disney honeymoon. As you can see in my sig, I have been blessed to be able to go to WDW a lot, being a DVC daughter and all.

Him: The rocket scientist, or Matt if you would rather, is a senior aerospace engineering major also at A&M. We met in our freshmen year as we lived in the same dorm, and have been dating since. He got to go to WDW with my family during Spring Break ’09, and that was his first experience at Disney-anything. But—I got him hooked. He is as excited about our honeymoon as I am!

Why:

Like so many of you, I would have loved to have my wedding at the house of mouse, but the money and asking so many of our friends & family to travel is just too much. Instead, we will be getting married in the Houston area (I may post some things about the wedding, just because), and then will be going on our Honeymoon to Disney World!

When & Where:

May 29-June 4, 2011. Boardwalk Villas- studio with Boardwalk View. My parents are being entirely too generous and giving us their DVC points for the year. Pretty much the best parents ever.

Up next-- how we met and how he proposed!

 

[DHSsenior007]

How we met:

As I said in my previous post, we met our freshmen year. We were actually cleaning the basketball arena [Reed Arena for any basketball fans] as a dorm fundraiser, the date was January 30 I believe... Anyway, I saw him across the way, and since he was the only one I didn't know, and I thought he was cute, I somehow strung up the courage to introduce myself. We started talking and pretty much stayed in the same proximity as we mopped, vacuumed, etc.

When we finally finished, as soon as I got back to my room I immediately added him on Facebook. We started talking, and, as they say, the rest is history.

[As a sidenote, he swears we met during the first week of first semester, but since I don't remember, of course it didn't happen! ]

How we got engaged:

Since I have a big mouth, and under the influence of Vicodin following a wisdom teeth extraction, I kind of said that I thought he was the one. (This was, um, 3 months into the relationship! ) Thankfully, he actually wasn't freaked out and reciprocated. So, we have known pretty much all along that we would get married, but since we were both wanted to wait until we graduated with our bachelors, we knew we would have to wait until then.

I asked for the summer between junior and senior year to plan the wedding, because I knew senior year would be chaos with grad school apps (for me) and job apps (for him), along with all the normal school responsibilities. As junior year progressed and he still hadn't proposed, I had a sneaking suspicion it would be the night of our last final. Ever since freshman year, we always take a walk around campus that last night before we move back to our respective homes, so it's really special for us.

Anyway, here rolls around May 12, 2010. I'm leaving to go to Europe in 3 days with my brother for 10-day trip, and I start catching a cold! Way to put a damper on our plans! But, because Matt is the amazing guy he is, we watch a movie, go get soup, and then have an abbreviated version of our traditional walk.

And it is the most awkward thing ever. (At least for me)

We both know the proposal is coming. We're just waiting to get to 'our' bench. We get there, and people are already sitting there! Boo... so we walk around and come back, sit down on our bench, and awkward silence. I ask him, "so, what are you thinking?" And he said, "Well, I guess I might as well tell you." So romantic, I know

He gets up, gets on one knee, and pulls out the most gorgeous ring ever. He asks, I say yes, blah-di-blah-blah. Finally! No more anxious waiting, now we can be happy!

We have pictures from that night, but since I look horrible (I was sick, remember), I will instead post some of our engagement pictures

(Yes, we got some made in the library. We're good students!)

My ring

Our bench

 

[weedee]

congrats & welcome!!

I just have to post this video after I read your fiance is an aerospace engineer. I have a friend who majored in aerospace in college and he loved to mention to others, "why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THNPmhBl-8I

 

[DHSsenior007]

Since I am equally excited about the wedding as I am the honeymoon (maybe equally, there are pros and cons haha!), I figured I would give details on the wedding, too. Plus I've been a lurker here for, um, a while, and I have loved reading about all of you girls' weddings and living vicariously through you. This way, maybe I can get some of y'all's opinions on wedding stuff as well as Disney stuff

Date: May 28, 2011 (two weeks after graduation!)
Location: A little north of Houston, TX
Guest count: Probably around 150
Colors: White & light purple
4 BMs and 4 GMs

Here are some pictures of the church. It is absolutely beautiful, with huge floor to ceiling windows. Love the woods its surrounded by, so pretty!

The reception will be held at a nearby fancy restaurant. It is a day-time wedding, and even though I love to dance, Matt isn't the biggest fan of it, so it will be a pretty casual thing-- hors d'oeuvres, cake and the groom's apple pie, first dance, chit chat, and leave. But I'm cool with that, especially since I for sure couldn't afford that, much less anything else. But here are some pics from the reception venue:

So I know those pictures don't really show the size well, but it is a decently sized space, perfect for our needs. The rooms flow from one to another, and the food is just amazing.

Other things that are done and I will post about (assuming I'm not the only one on this thread):
The Dress
Flowers
BM dresses
Save-the-dates and invites
Cake!

Oh, and a couple of days ago we got all the dining ressies for WDW, so I'll definitely post about that

 

[DHSsenior007]

congrats & welcome!!

I just have to post this video after I read your fiance is an aerospace engineer. I have a friend who majored in aerospace in college and he loved to mention to others, "why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THNPmhBl-8I

Hi! Thanks for the welcome

Thanks for that video-- definitely hilarious! Matt would be embarrassed if he knew I even titled the PJ what I did. He's way too humble, so I'll boast for him

You had a gorgeous wedding, BTW, and I especially loved the periodic table socks! Where did you get them??

 

[weedee]

Your wedding plans sound wonderful so far! I'm glad you enjoyed the video

Thank you! We got the socks at Gifts for Engineers: http://giftsforengineers.com/138/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34_39&products_id=203

 

[DHSsenior007]

Your wedding plans sound wonderful so far! I'm glad you enjoyed the video

Thank you! We got the socks at Gifts for Engineers: http://giftsforengineers.com/138/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34_39&products_id=203

Ah, I will definitely be bookmarking that site! Thanks

 

[GatorMommy2007]

How fun! Your venues look amazing!

 

[DHSsenior007]

As I said in one of my previous posts, the wedding colors are light purple + white. When I first got engaged (and even some before), I stalked this website, along with others such as the Knot for flower ideas. And these were the kinds of things I liked:

So the plan was to get something like the first one-- the lavender roses with the white mini calla lilies. Matt's bout would be a mini white calla lily. The bridesmaids' bouquets would be composed of white roses & purple freesia and the groommen's bout would be purple freesia.

BUT... I have lately fallen in love with this...

Oh the gerbera daisy. You are so pretty... So my current bridal bouquet is pretty expensive, being so many roses and whatnot. From what I can gather, the price of each gerbera stem is a bit more expensive than each rose stem, but wouldn't I need fewer stems in a gerbera bouquet, therefore resulting in a cheaper price?

Before I emailed my florist about this, I wanted your opinions... which one do you like better? It is a daytime wedding, in a very bright and sunny sanctuary. This is the link for the BM gown-- the color is Wisteria-- Click me! How much of a 'trend' is this kind of daisy? I don't want to look back on my wedding in 30 years and wish I would have gone with the classic rose...

So, thoughts? Opinions? Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[GatorMommy2007]

I love the daisies!

 

[weedee]

I'm a huge fan of Gerber daisies, but of course that's the flower I used throughout my wedding. They come in so many different colors and look great alone or mixed in the bouquet with other flowers!

 

[pezaddict231]

Congrats! You guys make such a cute couple. Your venues are so pretty. I had purple flowers too (mix of purples and white/ivory) and I think they are so pretty. Could you do a mix of flowers? This way you could have the gerbera daisies along with some more traditional flowers and that would bring down the cost a little too.

 

[tinklynn]

Just looking at the pic of the gerbs, I believe those are silk, since gerbs don't really come in that coloring...they have some gorgeous pinks, just not really any lavender/purple ones. (former florist here) Gerbs do make a beautiful bouquet, however, and I don't think you would regret having them. Check out lisianthus as well...it's a beautiful flower, similar in looks to a rose (especially if you get double lisianthus) and it comes in beautiful lavender/purple shades similar to the colors in your pictures. (Note: Gerbs don't hold up as well out of water as roses do, so if you choose them, make sure your florist uses a bouquet holder or keeps the bouquet in water until right before you walk down the aisle...especially important in a warm climate) Another thought would be to mix white gerbs/lavender roses and/or lisianthus.. or you could use lavender calla lillies and white gerbs or roses. Lots of choces!

 

[DHSsenior007]

GatorMommy2007 & weedee: Thanks for your response! I emailed the florist, so we'll see what she says!!

pezaddict231: Thank you so much! Since you had the same colors, do you mind if I asked what flowers you used for your bouquets and such?

Tinklynn: Ah, thanks so much for that information! Interesting that those are silk... I did email my florist with the picture and to get more information about the cost and things like that, but haven't heard back yet. We'll see what she says! I also like the idea of mixing other flowers with the gerbers... hmm so many ideas!

 

[DHSsenior007]

Disclaimer: I will not be posting any pictures of my dress until after the wedding. BUT-- if you want to PM me with your email, I will happily send you pictures of the dress. It's gorgeous. I love it. I want you to see it! Just not Matt-- sorry dear!

So right after I got engaged, my brother and I went to Austria & Germany for an amazing vacation. Two weeks after we got back, I went wedding dress shopping with my parents, my aunt/godmother, and my Maid of Honor, Mary. Originally it was just going to be my parents and I, but they somehow invited my aunt, so I decided I was also going to invite Mary. And boom- we had a large party.

We went to a bridal boutique a little north of Houston called The Princess Bridal. It is located in this old mansion and is just beautiful. Anyway, when I first started looking at wedding gowns online, I saw this one, and thought for sure it would be the one. The Princess Bridal had it, and when we walk in, they also had us pick through the racks of gorgeous and heavy gowns to pick some others I want to try on.

After we do that, they take us to the specific room that would fit my party. I look in the corner, and I see this beautiful dress hanging on the mannequin. I ask if I can try that one on, as well, and the consultant gets it off and adds it to the stack. First I tried on the Allure dress that I linked to earlier, and I don't know if it's the shock of trying on your first wedding gown or what, but I was just so overwhelmed I don't know if I could properly process what was going on. With everyone saying how beautiful I looked and me trying not to hyperventilate because "OMG I'm getting married..." Basically it was a lot at one time.

Did anyone else have that reaction or am I just weird?

Anyway, so though I thought it was a beautiful gown, it just didn't feel like me. So I tried on the others I had gotten, and had a few contenders. Then I tried on the one that was in the corner. And it was just love! My slight narcissistic tendencies came out and I just wanted to stand in front of the mirror forever...

Before I made the ultimate decision though, they had me try on two previous gowns I had liked along with coordinating veils & jewelry, so I could see the whole package. But once I put back on the other dress, in addition to the veil, I was sold. Since the sample fit me PERFECTLY (AKA just have to take a bit off in the length), we were able to get that one and take a decent chunk off of the original price.

I love that if I didn't have the larger party, I never would have seen that dress. Gotta love that

I've had my first fitting already and will be going back for my second fitting the Sunday before Christmas. As I said before, feel free to message me if you want to see it. [I think seeing it will help shed some light on the flower issue as well...]

Oh, and here are my shoes. Never thought I would go with heels, but I saw them, tried them on, and they are very comfortable! After standing in them for what seemed like forever at my first fitting, they were still comfy, so I think I got the right ones!

 

[Princess SarahK]

Hey girl! Everything looks so awesome! Congrats to you!!! I actually live in Katy and a TON of my friends are Aggies too! All these places youre mentioning I know of and am getting so excited..weird, I know. So where exactly is the reception at? The photos look great! We looked at places here in Houston but nothing gave me the warm fuzzies like Disney. Im glad you found a place and are getting your Disneymoon! Keep us updated, youre doing awesome so far! And you dont have that much longer to go! 6-ish months, right?!? Eeeek! Loving it all, keep it comin!

 

[DHSsenior007]

Hey girl! Everything looks so awesome! Congrats to you!!! I actually live in Katy and a TON of my friends are Aggies too! All these places youre mentioning I know of and am getting so excited..weird, I know. So where exactly is the reception at? The photos look great! We looked at places here in Houston but nothing gave me the warm fuzzies like Disney. Im glad you found a place and are getting your Disneymoon! Keep us updated, youre doing awesome so far! And you dont have that much longer to go! 6-ish months, right?!? Eeeek! Loving it all, keep it comin!

Hey! And the reception is at Amerigo's Grille (yes, with an 'e.' They're fancy!), located in the Woodlands. Glad so many of your friends are Aggies, we're a pretty cool bunch if I do say so myself! haha anyway...

And thanks so much! I know what you mean, there is this little part of me that still dreams of a Disney wedding... like maybe David Tutera would show up and just surprise me with it. Oh well... Matt said we could have a vow renewal there at some point way, way in the future, though, so I can still dream!

Yup, less than 6 months! It's so exciting and it seems so close but yet so far at the same time. Especially when I think about all the things (wedding and non-wedding related) that have to happen... yikes! But I'm glad you're enjoying my ramblings haha! I'll have to check out your PJ!

 

[DHSsenior007]

I am having 4 BMs and two of them go to A&M with me, the third (Matt's sister) lives in Austin, and the fourth lives in the Houston area. So we made a semi-weekend out of BM dress shopping and it was tons of fun!

On Friday, 3 of the girls & I drove to my parents' house and had a fun, girly evening (much to my father's chagrin) watching Say Yes to the Dress and David Tutera. On Saturday, the four of us, along with my mom, drove down to the David's Bridal and met the fourth BM there.

I had already picked the color already-- Wisteria

And we knew we wanted knee length dresses. Other than that, I was going to let each girl pick what she wanted; no need to match! But, as it worked out, they all got the same one! Which one? Glad you asked!

Obviously not in these colors. The girl on the left is Matt's sister and the one on the right is my good friend and MOH.

Not only is the dress really comfy, but it has pockets! And it also has some nice detail on the back...

So it was a very easy process. I think it took all of an hour! But it was a fun trip & it was good for all the girls to get to know each other.

 

[DHSsenior007]

Sorry I haven't updated in a bit-- I'll blame it on finals! But after tomorrow I'll be done for the semester. One more semester to go!!! Then grad school, but hey, that's a long way off

I figured since this post is also about planning our WDW Honeymoon, I could talk about our dining reservations! I know there has been a lot of talk on the boards about the declining food quality in the past several years, mostly attributed to the DDP, but going to the restaurants is just part of Disney World to me. So, at our 180 days out from arrival, I called bright and early and got all of our amazing ressies made!! We are not going on the DDP because it didn't make sense for us, so instead we're paying OOP food. Thus, most of our ressies are at lunch-- it's cheaper and then frees us up in the afternoon/evening when the weather gets warmer!

We arrive on Sunday and the plan is to go eating and drinking around the world that evening. We have some ideas for good drinks to get, but do any of you girls have any suggestions??? Definitely would love to get some recommendations!

For Monday, we are booked for 12 noon at Restaurant Marrakesh. We went here last time we went to WDW and both really liked it, so we decided to try it again. Though now I'm wondering about the other WS restaurants. I don't think I've eaten at the TS in France... hmmm... ideas?

Tuesday- the plan is to eat lunch at the Sci-Fi. We really like the environment here, and get to snuggle up in a booth and watch cheesy film clips. Sounds good to me!

Wednesday- breakfast at Kona Cafe! Despite all of my trips to WDW, I have never had the Tonga Toast! So we will be correcting that and I am very excited!

Thursday- dinner at California Grill. This is probably the ressie I'm most excited about! When I was younger, my mom and I went on a trip just the two of us and I remember having the best table in the house at CG and watching the fireworks over MK. It was a really relaxing moment and I can't wait to do that with Matt. Plus the food will be amazing!

Friday- lunch at Tusker House-- got them in the time frame to have reserved seating for the Finding Nemo show. We did this last trip and both of us really liked it; Matt actually talked about it more than the other places we ate at.

Saturday- sadly the day we leave, but the plan will be to eat at Beaches 'n Cream. I just love the environment there

So, there you have our dining list! Any suggestions on alternatives for lunch at a table service in World Showcase? What about drink suggestions??