BBB1019 Wishes Wedding 10-19-12

[bbb1019]

Hello!

Thank you for all your help in my planning process. I'm several months in already and I wish I knew about this board from the beginning.



So just to start: Intro

My Fiance and I met in college. We both went to the same pharmacy school (Rutgers) and we were in the same year. We therefore had every single class together, and surprisingly didn't want to kill each other by the end of it! After graduation, we both moved to Texas together to get the best out of our job offers and we have been living in Texas ever since. Although we struggle regularly with whether to move back to the NE since that's where our friends and family are. We always said we would once we start a family and settle down but we shall see!

We've been together 4 years now going on 5. Our Wedding Date is our Dating Anniversary, it's also when we got engaged. So I am certain to have a long and happy marriage by sheer fact that he will Never forget an anniversary Ever!


The Engagement:

We kinda got engaged together. As in we shopped together for my ring when we decided it was time to tie the knot. So we really thought out our situation, our future, etc. He decided to take me for a 4 year anniversary trip to Disney World because it's my most favorite place on earth and he always promised that once we graduated and once we could afford to go (we both had MASSIVE student loan debt) he would take me there for a big vacation! So by that time, we had already bought the ring... but I wasn't allowed to wear it or see it or touch it or know where it was. I was pretty much certain he was going to propose on the trip if not on the Exact day of our anniversary. Well.. he didn't propose on the exact day... but a few days later, he took me on a Wishes Cruise. And as we settled down to watch the fireworks, he got down on one knee and proposed!! I think I was so embarrassed and surprised I don't even remember he got down on one knee (He later told me he swore he did).

Fastforward present day:

We are in the midst of planning our Wishes Wedding! Lots of issues to deal with

 

[bbb1019]

SO FAR this is what we have Booked:
WP 12pm Ceremony
Living Seas 1pm Cocktail and Reception to follow


What we talked to Change it To just yesterday
WP 7:30pm Ceremony
Mezner's Lounge 8:30pm Meet/Greet
Victoria and Albert's 9pm Reception


So I had posted previously about our dilemma with DFTW not being straightforward regarding venue availability. Well I was Very VERY upset. We had asked for Victoria and Albert's previously and was told a flat ' No they do not hold private events any longer ' Well I thought, maybe they don't. But then I remembered when we went to Dine At The Restaurant just 5 months ago, they said Congrats on your Engagement, we'd love to host your wedding event here. So I thought, DFTW or maybe just my planner might be mis-informed or not taking my request Seriously. So I called Victoria and Albert's Myself.... and what do you know, they DO host weddings with a restaurant buy out option.

My Fiance and I had a phone appointment yesterday (Monday) and we brought up the fact that we Insist on having our reception there. We Know they do it. After being offered another location instead, and us reiterating We Want V&A, they finally said they would contact the restaurant and " See if it's feasible because they were told the restaurant no longer hosts private events"

Also after being told there were no other WP ceremony times available, they had a "cancellation" for the 7:30pm time slot and we now can get that time slot once they confirm the V&A Reception.


YAY! We must've gone around the Merry Go Round with our planner with this venue or that venue and we finally got what we wanted. A nice dinner, good ambiance, no excessive decor, No Ballroom! For whatever reason, we got a distinct feeling they did Not want us to hold a reception there. They kept steering us towards the typical specialty venues and ballrooms. I really wonder why.


So what I'm wondering about now is... Can we buy out the Mezner's Lounge? Do we even need to? I don't mind sharing the space with other guests, but do other guests want to share the space with me? haha. We're gonna use that space just so our guests have an area to go to, start their cocktails, and meet before we are invited to sit at V&A for the 2nd seating which can be 9pm or later (very late for dinner if you ask me), but a full buy out for early seating is just way too much. Anyone have any experience with the lounge area?

 

[bbb1019]

I can't post links yet but our cake is inspired from Colette Peters based her white-on-white confection on an art-deco chandelier.

This is the cake we have submitted to our planner.

This is the pricing we got for it for a party of roughly 40ppl.
Display Cake: $2200
Half Sheet: $80

So...... first off, we submitted an inspiration photo where we stated we are willing to work out the details. We weren't given any sort of update until we asked about the cake on our phone appt yesterday, and our planner said the bakery team can't make a cake look like that, it's too difficult and not possible. So... then I said, okay, what about a Display Cake.. then she said $2200. .... I asked what about a cutting layer? And my planner said she'd have to ask. And I asked, okay to make it clear, it'll be roughly $2300 for a Display cake and half sheet? And they said Yes.

Has anyone known of paying $2200 for a Display cake made of Styrafoam??!? Not even the cake you eat but a styrafoam cake??? I find that Really difficult to wrap my head around. Maybe if we were told, okay the Exact replica of the Real cake is $2200, because it's alot of work, it takes alot of time... the dynamics of the cake is hard to do...

But I'm imagining styrafoam, and I'm imagining them decorating styrafoam.... and I'm also looking at the cost of a Real $1000 cake Disney does.. and $2200 seems a bit high.

I even contacted the GF myself through email, because I thought well maybe my wedding planner was quoting from a different pastry team because we had the Living Seas Scheduled and now that may be changing.. but all I was told from the GF was to contact my wedding planner.

Thoughts?

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

That display cake price is insane. I don't know what DFTW is thinking. I'm really excited to hear about your plans especially your V&A reception. Where did you find the info on that?

 

[CinderALLIE]

Congratulations.

Looking forward to reading the rest of your plans.

The cake just seems crazy to me as you can't even eat it

 

[bbb1019]

I am very late in posting!

I work a 7on/7off so I'm only fully awake enough to post on my week off after a vegetative state of recouperation has occured. haha


UpDate on Ceremony:
Moved to 7:30pm at the Wedding Pavilion!

Reception:
Moved to Victoria and Albert's 9pm Buyout!
Meet/Greet at Mizner's Lounge beforehand.... we are having an option to also buyout the Tea Room at the GF but I really can't justify it. If the ceremony starts at 7:30, it'll be over by 8pm. People will meander, take pictures until 8:30pm... and start walking over to the GF..


So I got the information that Victoria and Albert's hosts wedding receptions by the fact that we ate there on our Engagement trip last year. They told us they'd be happy to host if we got married at Disney World. So we followed up on that offer... it wasn't easy at all because DFTW does not publicize it as an option. We were told no flat out by DFTW at first. But persistence prevails!!!


It's not cheap though... Be ready to fork over a good amount for it. But why were we willing to do it? Because now we don't have to worry about catering, reception decor, and Disney only photography/videography costs. It is an all in one package of great food, great service, a portion of cake costs included ($15/pp goes towards a dessert or cake).


Cake
We had a talk with our planner, and I said that I really can not afford a cake at that price! So the price we were quoted was the exact replica of the inspiration photo.. which of course is decadent! So we are wiping the cake decorations clean, making it all white with some red daisy flowers, keeping the Shape (because that's what's important), and we shall see how much it costs... It will still be a display cake though =( bummer... But we'll work on it.


Other Updates!

We are going for our Planning Session Tomorrow!!!!
We are super excited, even though we don't get to do a menu tasting, we can't wait for the cake tasting. Plus we're gonna go poke around, look around, take pictures. It's also my birthday weekend


I Still can't post pictures yet on this forum so I will update again when I get back from my planning session!!! Then I shall include pictures of my dress, brides maid dresses, my save the dates everything!

 

[nic100308]

October is such a great time to be in Disney. You MUST do MNSSHP (Mickey's Not So Scarey Halloween Party), it is by far my favorite of the private parties.

So glad you got V&A, just goes to show you that being nice and persistent pays off!!

Looking forward to more details!

 

[bbb1019]

**** I can't make my picture appear****** whats going on? I'm trying to edit my posts so my photos will link but they don't...


We took our engagements photos at Rollins College. It was so HOT outside. Luckily I had my hair/makeup trial before hand and opted to try airbrushed makeup. I don't know if it's the airbrushing, but the makeup stayed on all day.

I wasn't too thrilled after the makeup trial because I am not used to having so much makeup on and I thought the photos would look ridiculous. But it actually looks really natural on camera, like I don't have much on at all. I'm just afraid that for the wedding day, in person I'll look so made up, but I'll have to bare it because photography washes you out.

I used M3 makeup. They are very professional. I'll be using them for my bridal hair and makeup on my wedding day.

 

[virtuous girl]

Congrats on getting V&A for your reception site! This is a 1st for me.. Congrats on ur BIG day!

 

[dm1996]

Whetever happened with the display cake? Since it's not edible, can't you have an outside vendor make it?