Aulani to WDW: The Lurkyloos' Anniversary Vow Renewal: THRILLING CONCLUSION 8/5!

[Mel*Pie]

Whenever you start off apologizing for the copious amounts of photos you've posted, I say a little "yay!" in my head and happily settle in. As usual, the photos are stunning. You look stunning, Patrick looks handsome, and you both look adorably in love.

I wish I had an excuse (or the budget) to hire the Roots for a photo shoot. I'm not even technically engaged yet, but I day dream about the Roots shooting my Disney Wedding, haha! Especially now that they allow outside photographers. *Sigh*

Looking forward to the next installment "Now with CAKE!"

 

[JessicaKnits]

Your pictures are gorgeous as always! I'm dying to know if the crystals on your dress are an appliqué or if it is a belt?

 

[lurkyloo]

Eventually it was time to knock off and go to the brunch reservation our planner had made us at ‘AMA ‘AMA. I’d decided that Patrick and I should change outfits for brunch when I was at a vintage clothing show a few months earlier and stumbled on this amazing dress...

I mean, look at this thing! It’s like Hawaii in dress form! You got your blue ocean, your sandy shore, green jungles—even red-hot lava! And that of course necessitated an all-new coordinating outfit for Patrick...

“Are you getting this? It’s Hawaii on a dress!”

Because Aulani was designed by story-happy modern-day Imagineers, there is an unnecessarily elaborate backstory to the restaurant, something about a fishing hut being turned into a restaurant and then expanded with a modern addition when the resort was built next door. This is the “original” section...

And here’s one of the other wedding ceremony venues (which was being renovated while we were there):

‘AMA ‘AMA Patio

We’d asked for the latest possible reservation at ‘AMA ‘AMA so we’d have plenty of time for photos. It worked out really well because we practically had the place to ourselves, and they gave us a primo table.

As you can see by the fact that it is black and white, this photo was taken back during the early days of ‘AMA ‘AMA, when it was just a glorified fishing hut run by the humble, hardworking family who developed golf courses and lived in a penthouse at the Ihilani Resort & Spa.

Nate had the special, a breakfast sandwich...

Patrick had the “Traditional Loco Moco Breakfast: Hamburger Patty on Top of White Rice and Two Eggs, Served with Onion Gravy at the UNHEARD OF Price of $17 (and Yes, the Locals Are Snickering at You).”

Jensey and I both got the “Chocolate Milk-dipped Haupia Bread French Toast Stuffed with Bananas and Peanut Butter,” and I think we both got it sans bananas...

Jensey liked it! I was expecting something way more rich and gooey—I couldn’t detect any chocolate-milk-dipping, and there was barely enough peanut butter to hold the bread together. It did come with sides of peanut butter sauce and chocolate sauce, but the latter was straight-up Hershey’s.... harrumph!

 

[lurkyloo]

It was a wonderful brunch, though. It was so nice to have a leisurely meal with the Roots in a gorgeous setting, and I tried to actively appreciate that instead of my usual flashing forward to what was next. I was still bowled over by the fact that they’d traveled all this way to share our anniversary, and that all our planning had culminated in these blissful moments of camaraderie in paradise. ...Many, MANY moments, as it turned out. After a while of enjoying our unhurried meal, I began to wonder if they’d actually forgotten about us—or, more specifically, our anniversary cake! It tested the limits of my newfound serenity not to fling my hand into the air and begin hollering “Honey? Honey?!!” à la Grandma Hayward...

We’ve had so many Disney anniversary cakes, that I had trouble deciding what style to get for this extra-special anniversary. I tried to think of something that would tie back to our wedding without being a variation on that cake (since our first anniversary cake was pretty much un-toppable). So eventually I decided to ask if Aulani could replicate our wedding china pattern.

Kate Spade Gwinnet Lane

Originally the pattern was going to be created out of fondant pieces, but at the last minute they had to paint it on instead. The result was breathtaking!

Yeah... I pretty much couldn’t take my eyes off the cake...

Our server very gamely attempted to use the Roots’ Canon EOS 5D Mark II to get a shot of us. I’m terrified of that thing! It’s like holding an automatic weapon that could go off in your hands at any minute!

In keeping with the tropical theme, I’d asked for coconut cake with coconut buttercream. Unfortunately, what we got tasted like dish sponges layered with butter. It was possibly the worst-tasting cake I’ve ever had, and certainly the worst Disney cake I’ve ever had. The cake was dry, dry, DRY, with nary a hint of coconut flavor. The frosting was like straight unsalted butter—no sweetness, no coconuttiness, no texture. You’re not going to believe this, but the best-tasting part was the fondant—at least it had sugar in it!

But so, SO pretty...

“Congrats! Here’s a box in case you want to save the leftovers for wiping down counters!”

Patrick thought maybe he could pawn the rest off on an unsuspecting Menehune...

Before we released the poor overworked Roots, we asked for a few shots in our new duds.

“PHOTO BOMB!!!!”

 

[lurkyloo]

I can never resist spinning in a spinny dress, no matter how much dry cake and peanut butter-stuffed French toast may be in my tummy...

My eyes are up here, Patrick!

While we were shooting in what appeared to be broad daylight, it started raining!

I had this idea that the Makahiki Buffet, with its colorful murals, would make a great backdrop for photoscompletely forgetting that I already looked like a Crayola explosion...

We spotted 2 dumb birds that had gotten trapped inside the closed restaurant. This probably happens every day, perhaps even multiple times per day, but we were convinced we needed to rescue them by coaxing them outside...

"Geez, I was just trying to find the Kodak Photo Spot..."

It was touch-and-go for a while there, but eventually the birds figured it out just to get away from the two gargantuan beasts lumbering around them hollering, Be free, my feathered friends!



Last shot!

Up Next: Splashing Around Laniwai Spa & Sitting Up Front at the Starlit Hui!

 

[lurkyloo]

Awww - that's so cute! I just love Patrick's tie and cuff links and you look stunning, just like the first time. Your jewelry is awesome!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading all about your vow renewal and seeing your wonderful pictures.

Congratulations!

Thanks a heap!

Just finished the rest of the pictures and they, like the first ones, are stunning. Your makeup is perfect and how annoying to be chased away from your photo spot.

That beautiful spot in the lobby with the gorgeous scenery - OMG! Now I want to go to Aulani just for that.

Yes! I understand now why some people never even leave the resort during their vacation!

Love all the pictures! I'm very much like you when it comes to photos. Have a very difficult time weaning. On top of that I tend to hoard them on my hard drives and memory cards - can never delete them because you never know when a blurry picture of a termite mound on the Safari at AK will come in handy.

This one could easily be a Magic Shot! Just insert Tink on Patrick's palm!

Oh my gosh, you're right! I'll see if Patrick can fit the T-Rex in there instead...

Love all the photos. Really like the helo photo. My hubby and brother-in-law are in the Coast Guard.

Oh, cool!!! Ever gotten a helicopter ride?!

Lovely vow renewal Carrie! I loved the necklace and your pictures were gorgeous. Glad you weathered the officiant issue. He probably figured no tip after what he did.

Yeah, now that I think about it, that really explains his hasty departure!

Beautiful pictures Carrie! Sorry you got chased by the Disney police! That is ridiculous that you were treated like that.Disney needs to get their act together!

Yeah, it was a real head-scratcher!

Whenever you start off apologizing for the copious amounts of photos you've posted, I say a little "yay!" in my head and happily settle in. As usual, the photos are stunning. You look stunning, Patrick looks handsome, and you both look adorably in love.

I wish I had an excuse (or the budget) to hire the Roots for a photo shoot. I'm not even technically engaged yet, but I day dream about the Roots shooting my Disney Wedding, haha! Especially now that they allow outside photographers. *Sigh*

Looking forward to the next installment "Now with CAKE!"

Well, I'm glad to know I'm not boring you with all the variations: "Here's Carrie & Patrick in front of the ocean.... Here's Carrie & Patrick at the side of the ocean... Here's Carrie & Patrick with the Spanish Inquisition..."

Your pictures are gorgeous as always! I'm dying to know if the crystals on your dress are an appliqué or if it is a belt?

Appliqué! I kinda wished it were a belt that I could wear elsewhere. As pretty as it was, I would have removed it cuz I was worried it was too much with my giant jewelry.

 

[RunningAriel]

How in the Wide World of Disney did I miss this report?!?!?! Whelp, let me settle in and catch up. (P.S. My fiance was reading over my shoulder so I showed him your wedding album. Needless to say he turned white and left the room )

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Carrie!

By now you've heard it all about how beautiful both you and Patrick look in your wedding attire BLAH BLAH BLAH so I won't go there. But. That brunch dress. That dress! THAT DRESS!!!!!!! Wow it is so totally awesome! LOVE IT!

Did you do you own hair, or did the makeup chick do it? I think I may have missed that. If you did it yourself, and haven't described how you did it, please do so. It's lovely!

Loving your trip report, as usual!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

The photography is terrific. Your friends really went above and beyond.

However, my favorite is the T-Rex photo bomb. Because:

 

[jedijill]

Gorgeous pictures and love the vintage dress! Too bad the cake didn't taste as amazing as it looked.

Jill in CO

 

[Lorelei528]

Just wanna say I Loved, loved, loved this most recent update!!!

AND you take your spinning very seriously I see!! (the look on your face is adorable!).

Patrick looks awesome as per his usual......

Keep it coming!! Good stuff, good stuff...

 

[Mel*Pie]

Carrie, that dress! THAT DRESS!! That print and those colors are stunning. You couldn't have found a more spectacular and venue appropriate dress if you hunted for it for months. I totally couldn't wear a dress like that without spinning, haha. You look breathtaking in it. And Patrick is very handsomely coordinated as usual. But not too matchy-matchy. I hate matchy-matchy.

Oh, and I love your crocs! I have several pairs of crocs-that-don't-look-like-crocs. I have a couple of pairs in that "translucents" line in that same aqua/celery color combo, but in the sandals model. So cute and comfy!

The cake is gorgeous. I'm sorry it didn't taste as good as it looked.

THAT DRESS!

 

[eandesmom]

Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous! Absolutely worth the wet feet and scrabbling over lava rocks in your finery. Just gorgeous.

And that's just the vow renewal shots. Love the Island on a Dress complete with purple shirt and what a sport Patrick is. I can't ever every imagine Jeff being that patient for photos once, definitely not twice. He'd take that purple shirt in a heartbeat though.

Bummer that the french toast was so dry and the cake so...inedible. Amazing replication (and truly lovely china as well).

 

[AGPrincess]

LOVE all the photos. What a gorgeous setting! That colorful dress was too perfect and the shoes as well! I have those same croc flats, so pretty! What a bummer that the cake didn't taste as lovely as it looked. And that french toast sounds amazing, a pity the real thing didn't measure up.

Can't wait for more!

 

[disneychic]

Glad you're enjoying the report!

Oh crap, don't tell Patrick there's such a thing as a degree in Space Science or he'll give up puppetry and head back to school! An ocean-view villa at Aulani sounds like the perfect way to celebrate your achievement!

Aw shucks! I love talking about space with fellow space nuts! BTW, not only am I still enjoying this TR but I had to divert back to your Japan trip because we just found out yesterday that we are going to Tokyo for my husbands job at the end of August for 13 days. I stayed up until 3 a.m. Taking notes.....& then telling my husband way too much about your trip at 6 a.m. this morning! Any tips (other than the 4 pages I wrote down) would be greatly appreciated.....especially since it was late, I was tired and I can barely read my own handwriting!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[lurkyloo]

How in the Wide World of Disney did I miss this report?!?!?! Whelp, let me settle in and catch up. (P.S. My fiance was reading over my shoulder so I showed him your wedding album. Needless to say he turned white and left the room)

Well, I'm glad you found me, at any rate....

Did you do you own hair, or did the makeup chick do it? I think I may have missed that. If you did it yourself, and haven't described how you did it, please do so. It's lovely!

The makeup chick did my hair, too! It was interesting how she did it—usually they take out the natural wave with rollers first and then smooth out and twist it into place, but she just used a curling iron "on top" of the natural wave and pinned the twists. The curls had more texture that way.

The photography is terrific. Your friends really went above and beyond.

However, my favorite is the T-Rex photo bomb. Because:

That guy... what an attention hog!

Gorgeous pictures and love the vintage dress! Too bad the cake didn't taste as amazing as it looked.

Jill in CO

Yeah, I guess I've been spoiled by WDW's cakes—I know out in the real world, wedding cakes frequently don't taste as good as they look...

Just wanna say I Loved, loved, loved this most recent update!!!

AND you take your spinning very seriously I see!! (the look on your face is adorable!).

Patrick looks awesome as per his usual......

Keep it coming!! Good stuff, good stuff...

Yeah, somehow I never outgrew my love of spinning til I'm dizzy... Now I just have farther to fall!

Carrie, that dress! THAT DRESS!! That print and those colors are stunning. You couldn't have found a more spectacular and venue appropriate dress if you hunted for it for months. I totally couldn't wear a dress like that without spinning, haha. You look breathtaking in it. And Patrick is very handsomely coordinated as usual. But not too matchy-matchy. I hate matchy-matchy.

Oh, and I love your crocs! I have several pairs of crocs-that-don't-look-like-crocs. I have a couple of pairs in that "translucents" line in that same aqua/celery color combo, but in the sandals model. So cute and comfy!

The cake is gorgeous. I'm sorry it didn't taste as good as it looked.

THAT DRESS!

It IS a pretty awesome dress... I briefly considered wearing it as my vow renewal outfit, but I couldn't shake this idea that my wedding guide readers would want to see wedding-looking people in photos of the locations at Aulani. I'm glad you like the Crocs! I was self conscious about wearing something so utilitarian with that dress, but, dang it, I needed to be comfortable and ready to go into the sand/water/lava rock at a moment's notice!

Gorgeous Gorgeous Gorgeous! Absolutely worth the wet feet and scrabbling over lava rocks in your finery. Just gorgeous.

And that's just the vow renewal shots. Love the Island on a Dress complete with purple shirt and what a sport Patrick is. I can't ever every imagine Jeff being that patient for photos once, definitely not twice. He'd take that purple shirt in a heartbeat though.

I adore that shirt! It's a brand I wasn't familiar with til I started shopping the flash sale sites, Robert Graham, but now I love all their flashy patterns and contrasting collars and cuffs. They seem to run a bit large, though, so we had that one tailored. (And Patrick was so enthused about the fit that now he gets practically everything tailored—my little fashionista!)

LOVE all the photos. What a gorgeous setting! That colorful dress was too perfect and the shoes as well! I have those same croc flats, so pretty! What a bummer that the cake didn't taste as lovely as it looked. And that french toast sounds amazing, a pity the real thing didn't measure up.

Can't wait for more!

I'm wondering if maybe that French toast is better when you order it the way the chef intended—I'll bet the bananas keep it moist (but, GAH! Bananas! )

Aw shucks! I love talking about space with fellow space nuts! BTW, not only am I still enjoying this TR but I had to divert back to your Japan trip because we just found out yesterday that we are going to Tokyo for my husbands job at the end of August for 13 days. I stayed up until 3 a.m. Taking notes.....& then telling my husband way too much about your trip at 6 a.m. this morning! Any tips (other than the 4 pages I wrote down) would be greatly appreciated.....especially since it was late, I was tired and I can barely read my own handwriting!

That is AWESOME! You are gonna have so much fun! I think my best tips are in that first post about getting around, money, language, etc. and then sprinkled throughout. I feel like I need to go back so I can update my tips if necessary—not sure how much changed after the tsunami. I definitely recommend doing Pimsleur audio language lessons, and getting an ATM card and a credit card that won't charge you international transaction fees. Also, if you're at all a fan of kawaii Japanese stuff, bring an extra suitcase and plenty of dough!

 

[Mel*Pie]

It IS a pretty awesome dress... I briefly considered wearing it as my vow renewal outfit, but I couldn't shake this idea that my wedding guide readers would want to see wedding-looking people in photos of the locations at Aulani. I'm glad you like the Crocs! I was self conscious about wearing something so utilitarian with that dress, but, dang it, I needed to be comfortable and ready to go into the sand/water/lava rock at a moment's notice!

I hope you have a zillion other excuses to wear that beautiful dress. Heck, marry the dress then renew your vows to the dress itself! No, that's not crazy at all...

That is AWESOME! You are gonna have so much fun! I think my best tips are in that first post about getting around, money, language, etc. and then sprinkled throughout. I feel like I need to go back so I can update my tips if necessary—not sure how much changed after the tsunami. I definitely recommend doing Pimsleur audio language lessons, and getting an ATM card and a credit card that won't charge you international transaction fees. Also, if you're at all a fan of kawaii Japanese stuff, bring an extra suitcase and plenty of dough!

I second the bit about the extra suitcase and plenty of dough! After three months there, I ended up having to ship stuff home. disneychic, you're going to have an amazing time! I first discovered Carrie's blog when I was researching my trip to Tokyo last year. I was there for 3 months last Spring and the tips in her report were so helpful and spot on. If I may suggest though that since you are going in August it will be VERY hot and humid. Similar to Florida weather around the same time. And the AC in places isn't very cold. I think it might be a cutback from the tsunami. I would say pack clothing that is both cool/comfortable and dressy enough for a nice dinner or something. And of course, very comfy shoes (hooray for Crocs that look like ballerina flats!) I miss Tokyo so much! I hope you love it! My apologies for being and for giving unsolicited advice!

 

[MEK]

However, my favorite is the T-Rex photo bomb. Because:

That picture is pretty awesome. I have to agree I got a chuckle out of that.

Dress - amazing. I don't know how you found that but it is absolutely perfect for you.

Brunch - what a beautiful restaurant.

Cake - looks amazing. Such a shame that something so pretty could taste like kitchen cleaning materials. What a shame.

Pictures - what can I say. The Roots have outdone themselves again. I think its so wonderful that the four of you were able to share such a special occasion and its wonderful that your photo document these occasions with such gorgeous pictures. There is no doubt that you will be thrilled to have these pictures for years and years to come.

 

[chepic]

Wonderful photos. I think it was funny (not haa haa, interesting) how they kicked you out of that area. Did you have to carry your "papers" with you??!?!?! (little Soviet style humor)

I am a good Catholic girl and I know that I shouldn't be....but I am soooooo jealous!! Love your renewal and I am going to really have to save up to even remotely do a photo shoot like yours in 5 years.

che

 

[lurkyloo]

I hope you have a zillion other excuses to wear that beautiful dress. Heck, marry the dress then renew your vows to the dress itself! No, that's not crazy at all...

I love it! And thanks for adding your tips about Tokyo. That's interesting about the AC cutbacks...

Pictures - what can I say. The Roots have outdone themselves again. I think its so wonderful that the four of you were able to share such a special occasion and its wonderful that your photo document these occasions with such gorgeous pictures. There is no doubt that you will be thrilled to have these pictures for years and years to come.

Definitely! We are so fortunate to have met them.

Wonderful photos. I think it was funny (not haa haa, interesting) how they kicked you out of that area. Did you have to carry your "papers" with you??!?!?! (little Soviet style humor)

I know, right? I wonder if they would have accepted anything less than Mickey Mouse standing there telling them we were legit....