Amber and Jake's January 2013 Disney Fairytale Wedding

[Seaprincess1129]

Hey everyone!
I realize it is a little early to start the PJ, but I’m just so excited. Jake and I just decided that a Disney wedding was for surely what we wanted to do after getting engaged there in January! And I just can’t contain my excitement. I have to share it with ya’ll!
The date we are thinking about is January 3, 2013. A two year engagement isn’t ideally what we wanted, but with me still being in college we can’t do a destination wedding during the semester. We would also rather do it during off season so that is really the first opportunity we will have. I’ll be all done with my degree and my internship.
We want to get married in the wedding pavilion, but we have no idea where the reception will be. But, I’m hoping to be in Disney this spring for either their professional internship program or college program so I’ll have plenty of time to scout a site out. YAY!
A little about us:
I’m 21 and Jake is 25. We are highschool sweethearts, and met when I was a freshmen and he was a senior. I thought I was just the little freshmen with the crush on the senior so at lunch I would always get there early to set my back pack on a table then go to the bathroom to see if he would find my table and sit with me. He almost always did. Hehe. We lost contact over the summer, but were reconnected at a mutual family friend’s party. A few weeks after that we needed a guitarist to fill in at my church and Jake volunteered. He continued to attend my church and is now the worship leader! A few months after this we started dating and have been together since. It’s been so nice being able to mature and grow-up together. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! He’s been able to become an integral part of my family and like an older brother to my sister which I love! He also works with my dad now, helping him out with his business which has given them a super strong relationship. I really couldn’t ask for a better man. He treats me SO well! He graduated with his BS in December and is studying to take his entrance exam into optometry school. I’m studying environmental biology and am planning on either going to grad school to work in conservation biology and get a job a zoo/aquarium working in a conservation program or go to vet school and work in exotic veterinary animal medicine. I’ve worked at a vet’s office for four years and have volunteered at our local zoo for the same amount of time and love both!
Our love for Disney is mutual. I’ve grown up with Disney. Although I live 21 hours away from Disney World in the Midwest I’ve been there more times than I’ve kept count. Jake went for the first time with my family in 2006 and also fell in love. We couldn’t think of a better place to spend our magical day especially after getting engaged there and how special they made it!

Tomorrow I’ll write more about the engagement and some ideas I have for the wedding, but now I must study for an Environmental Chemistry exam…doesn’t that sound like fun? Haha

 

[FairytaleBride73]

Yay! Another 2013 Bride! Welcome!

I'm also getting married in 2013; but at Disneyland, and I just started my PJ as well. My DF and I are also high school sweethearts... there must be something about disney that attracts us all! Congrats on all your success with school. Believe me, it really is better to wait until you finish school to have your wedding so you can actually enjoy it! Thats what we are doing as well! I'm excited to follow your planning process

 

[Seaprincess1129]

Thank you so much for the support! I agree that it's a great idea and for the same reason. I don't want to have to worry about school again right away. I'll have to take a look at your PJ. Congratulations! I'm just so excited, it's such a dream come true.

 

[Seaprincess1129]

The Engagment:
The first exciting thing for all of us was that we flew into Disney. Normally we take our RV, but seeing it was January we didn’t really want to drive through all the Midwest snow to get to Florida. We stayed at the Allstar Music Resort in the family suite. It was our first time staying in a Disney Resort other than the Wilderness Lodge Campground since I was 5. There were six of us: My Dad and mom, younger sister and our best friend, Jake and myself.
When we flew in I was so excited about getting into the park. We had a reservation that night to eat dinner at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. My mom was acting really funny about it and was adamant that we had to look nice. We had just flown in so none of us were looking the best, and I just wanted to head on in. I had looked up all our restaurants prior to and new that Tony’s didn’t require any specific dress code. But she was convinced we had to look nice, so as everyone else was getting ready I decided to primp a little. Sure am glad I did…in hind sight of course it all made sense.
Here is a photo of me in the room getting ready to leave.

When we finally got to the park everyone was so excited. They were all like, “oh, today is such a beautiful day. Isn’t it a fantastic day?” We took it easy upon entering. Got a few photopass photos and a snack at the main street bakery. It wasn’t my normal family behavior to be so relaxed and not rushing to do something, but I was kind of enjoying it and I attributed it to the fact that we weren’t used to flying. Then things got a little strange. Everyone asked what we should do first and we agreed we all wanted to go to space mountain. So I started to lead us in that direction, but suddenly my family became distracted by a show that was going on at the Castle. It was half over and one we had already seen before, so I suggested that we come back at a later time. Everyone was super slow to move. But I kept nudging us along. When we got near the rose garden my dad suddenly got super excited about the Mickey and Minnie cut out of a bush. He wanted to get my picture with it but he didn’t have a camera so we have video footage of me standing by these bushes humoring him. All I could think was, “Wow he is really happy to be in vacation if he is excited about a bush.” Of course what he was really doing was distracting me so that my sister could walk down and plant the ring. When I finally got away from the bush I saw my sister down in the rose garden and asked my best friend what she was doing down there she looked at me and said, “um…getting a better view of the show.” All I could think was WHAT IS UP WITH THIS SHOW! I went down there to collect her and Jake rushed to my side to walk with me. As we approached I saw a box sitting where Ashley had been standing. It wasn’t a ring box, it was too big so I was kind of thrown off. He asked me to have a seat because he had something he wanted to give me. My suspicion was growing. Then the photopass guy who had been standing at the entrance to the rose garden started to snap pictures it finally hit me.
Here is a photo of my lightbulb moment.

And then the most magical thing happened…just as Jake got down on his knee fireworks from the show that was going on at the castle went off! Talk about perfect timing!
Of course I said YES!

Here is my ring. I just love it! I’ve never seen one I like better and he picked it out all by himself with no help whatsoever from me!

And us getting our 1st pair of complimentary Mickey ears.

Me showing off my pin.

So happy!

Had to make a few phone calls.

At Tony’s they had Mickey ears with our name embroidered in them! Mine were princess ones that looked like a bride and Jake’s were Mickey through the years. We had to have our lady and the tramp moment.

Lady and the Tramp is significant to us because Jake and I love singing together and the very first time my youth pastor heard Jake and I sing together he said, "I think that is what Lady and the Tramp would sound like singing together." Jake has a more rocky tone to his voice while I have a more classical tone. We thought it was so funny and loved the comment so much that they now hold a special place in our heart. It was great to have our first dinner together as an engaged couple at Tonys.

The rest of our trip was amazing! All the staff gets so excited with you and the characters are so much fun to get your picture taken with because they make you kiss and stuff. I got a whole week of celebrating rather than just one night...I couldn't have asked for more.

I'll post a few more pictures from the trip later, but for now I think this is enough for one post.

Enjoy!

 

[mickin]

love your story..wish i could have done my proposal at disney..but i still loved mine....Ive got that same mickey ear hat..did he get the felt ears or the regular ones?

 

[dixie06]

Hey that is a very sweet engagement story congrats cant wait to see your planning process and some more pictures

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Your proposal story is just adorable! I love it! I can't wait to read more!

 

[iixheartxyouxox]

Thats such a great proposal! I wish i could have a picture of mine when it happens like the one you have with the fireworks in the background..thats just amazing looking! congrats!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

Such a cute proposal story! Jealous! Can't wait to hear more.

 

[iluvasoldier]

Love your engagement story. Just wanted to say Jan 3rd is a great day to get married it's the day DH and I first said "I do" and when we are having our "official" ceremony in 2012

 

[jenifner21]

YAY for 2013 weddings! We have ours "penciled" in for March 9, 2013 and will find out in November if the date is firm (I have never wanted to rush summer so quickly!).

I just started my PJ too and thought it was too early to do but I am so excited, like you, that I want to share!

Your proposal story is so cute and I LOVE the pic with the castle and fireworks (the timing was superb).

Congratulations and I look forward to hear/see your upcoming plans!

 

[DisneyShamrock]

I just started my PJ too and thought it was too early to do but I am so excited, like you, that I want to share!

It's never too early to start one. I wanted to start mine at four years out, but that seemed a little excessive . . .

I started at two years from my original date (which got changed), so I really started at almost three years out. Oh well!

It's always nice to have so many excited brides!

 

[PolkaDotLuggage]

I literally have tears in my eyes from your pics!! just lovely!! Congrats!!

 

[DisMomK]

Very Sweet, and truly magical! Congratulations!

 

[mjshorses]

Love this pic! Especially, the face your dad is making!
Congratulations!!!

 

[redlight]

You look so cute together! Congratulations!

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

Congrats! You two make such an adorable couple! And that is the cutest story. I'm also hoping to be a 2013 Disney bride and start a PJ soon, I can hardly wait to start planning it all officially. I'm really looking forward to hearing more about your plans!