Bridget & Rich's 1/17/10 Escape: 6/13/12 Return to the Boardwalk ( with pictures)

[SuzeQ]

Your dress is beautiful and so are the rings! I've enjoyed reading your story. Congrats! and Good Luck with the dress fitting. Keep us posted.

Suze

 

[Bridie1996]

I had an entire post with vendor reviews written out and hit "preview post" and this dang thing had logged me out.. so now I have to go and re-write it.

Here are some teaser pictures from friends and family.

The MOH

Waiting for me to tell him to turn around

checking out their hidden mickeys...

DH had done this bustle. When I saw the pic I asked why he'd done it so high and he said he didn't want it to drag on the floor and get me upset cause it had gotten dirty...

My Mom and I chatted the whole way down the aisle.

 

[MainStMandy]

YAY! I was just checking your thread to see if you had pics...and you do!!

You looked beautiful!! That dress is just gorgeous!

 

[Chilly]

I love the bustle! Can't wait to hear more.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

YEAH! Pics! Can't wait for the TR!!!

 

[Bridie1996]

We don't have the professional pictures yet, so this will be a bit incomplete.

Overall, the day went great! It was gorgeous out, sunny and warm but super windy. There was one snafu. The cake cutting ceremony was moved from SBP to the Attic because of the wind and after trying to take some pictures after the ceremony, Randy suggested we move the family pictures indoors as well. Kathleen, DH and I all agreed and all of the guests were told that the pictures and cake cutting would both be taking place in the attic and to head over there. Apparently everyone understood but my family, who ended up going back to my parent’s villa!

DH and I walked around the Lagoon to take some pictures with Randy and Regina so we had no idea until we arrived at the Attic. I had to call them and tell them to get their backsides up to the attic if they wanted pictures taken!

Not that big a deal in the end, since they got up there but I just felt like we might have missed some good pictures in the confusion. I don’t know how they didn’t understand what they were supposed to do when all the other guests did, but there you have it.

Kathleen Reynolds-
She was great to work with. Always prompt in her responses to me, and if she didn’t know an answer to a question she kept me updated on the status of finding out the answer. She called me the day I arrived, the day before the wedding and the morning of the day to check in on me and give me the news that the cake cutting was being moved to the Attic. She made the right decision there, despite how badly we wanted the pretty pictures of the cake cutting at SBP, we wanted bugs in the cake less! The day of, she was polite and personable to everyone even when telling them that DH and I couldn’t stay to chat because we had pictures to take and were on a schedule. I’d told her the week before the wedding that I was concerned that the families would rush us when we arrived at the Boardwalk and want to talk/greet/take pictures there and we would get so caught up we’d miss the chance to take pictures with Randy before the ceremony. And when that exact thing started happening, she stepped in and helped out. This way, no one could get angry and DH or myself. It worked out perfectly. She was a lifesaver to me with a glass of water at one point, and I felt confident that I could relax and enjoy myself knowing she had things in hand. Any bride who gets her should be happy.

Rosie-
I loved my flowers despite them being a bit more purple than I thought they would be. I was expecting something more pink and green with a shot of purply-blue.

It grew on me though and I think it turned out very pretty.

They weren’t sure about how I wanted the MOH’s bouquet so they actually made two versions, both of which were delivered to our room that morning so we could choose. The man who delivered them, btw, seemed even more excited than we were about all the flowers and was as sweet as could be. Here is a pic of the MOH’s bouquet. You can’t tell in it, but there are 3 crystal hidden mickey’s in it, in blue to match her dress.

Randy-
I don’t have his pictures yet, but he was great the day of the wedding. He showed up early and immediately started taking pictures. I hadn’t laid out the jewelry yet so he started pulling things out and setting up a shot of the accessories/veil. He kept us on schedule, and it was a huge relief knowing he’d been through Disney weddings and knew all the ins and outs. On our walk back to the Attic, he even had us use a back door into the attic so we didn’t have to walk all the way to entrance of the Boardwalk hotel to get upstairs and then backtrack towards the attic. I had sent him some emails letting him know what type of shots we like and don’t like and he remembered them all. He was very patient with my family and took my being slightly scatterbrained that day in stride.

Regina-
Our Disney photographer. We can’t say enough good things about her. Again, we don’t have the pictures yet but just based on working with her that day and the pictures we saw on her camera I’d suggest you request her if you’re using Disney photography for anything.

Initially, we were going to use Disney for the ceremony and then Randy for pictures afterwards and had requested Regina for the ceremony and MK/Epcot shoot. When we decided to extend the time with Randy and have him photograph the ceremony as well Kathleen told us when we use Disney as a secondary photographer they don’t allow us to request one specifically. It still showed up on our BEO though, and I was thrilled when I saw her in the Boardwalk lobby that day. She was helpful outside of photography too, and brought me my flats when I started complaining that my heels were killing me!

She was respectful of Randy as the primary photographer, and didn’t give us an attitude at all about not using Disney as primary. She even said that she enjoyed it, since it let her shoot photojournalistic style instead of posed shots.

For the MK/Epcot shoot, she was enjoyable to spend time with that early in the morning and it had more of a feeling of hanging out with a friend in the parks. She was also willing to try different things than the usual park pictures and welcomed suggestions from us on poses and spots for pictures.

They were replacing the flowers in front of the castle that morning, so we had to adjust our schedule a bit and it took longer than expected so we didn’t get a chance to take the pictures on Main St. that I wanted, but she made sure we got the iconic pictures with the castle by keeping us in the park until the last possible minute. They were literally telling us to get out because guests were coming in. To make up for the lack of pics on Main st. she took us through two extra countries in Epcot. We had Japan, Italy, Morocco and Paris. By the time we were done with Paris we were exhausted and we can’t wait to see the pictures!

Patricia LeJune-
Wow, that is all I have to say. She was awesome. Super friendly and funny and she did a great job too. I have long, curly,unruly hair and the MOH has long straight hair that won’t hold a curl for anything. She made us both look great, and my hair stayed up all day through the high winds and a nap! The make-up wasn’t over done either we just looked like prettier versions of our everyday selves. I didn't have a trial run with her, but made sure to bring lots of inspiration pics with me and was clear on what I wanted : texture, soft, romantic. And what I didn't want: prom hair, shellacked to my head. Plus, she uses MAC which is my favorite.

More to come...

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Loving the report so far. Happy to hear from another Escape bride, esp one who is using the same photographer and stylist!

 

[gemmybear83]

Awww I love your photos so far, you look beautiful! Congratulations on your wedding and I am looking forward to reading more

 

[amyy]

Love your pictures and vendor reviews. I am using some of the same ones too.

You were a beautiful bride!!

 

[tiggerrifficheidi]

Beautiful! Congratulations!

 

[malibustacey]

oh I cant wait to see more photos! Esp of the Attic! I think your bouquet was lush!

Love the photo of Randy doing the guys bouts and getting them ready! Too cool!

More please!

 

[disneybex]

Your dress was absolutely gorgeous, and great planner, really useful, I can't wait to get pencilled in

 

[Bridie1996]

The Attic-
This area was perfect for our needs. We wanted to keep things relaxed and definitely didn’t want a meal in a conference room. I spend a lot of time in them for work and I wanted something “different”. We had originally looked at restaraunts but as our numbers grew, we needed more space. Enter, The Attic. I LOVED this sight. So much so that I’ve already told DH I want to have my 40th birthday party at Disney, in The Attic.
It has an intimate, relaxed vibe while also having the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk below. The view was incredible too!

We chose to use an Ipod and docking station instead of Disney for music, and it worked out fine for us. It was a warm, sunny day so most of our guests sat outside on the patio for lunch and watched the world pass by. DH and I sat inside at our “sweetheart” table and the MOH, BM and their guests sat inside with us. MIL came in and laughed and asked why we weren’t seated outside, but it was perfect for us. It gave us a nice bit of peace and quiet in the middle of everything.

My favorite picture from the attic so far is this one. Bonnie from STVS had asked us to come out to the patio for a bit and “pretend” to be dancing since she wouldn’t be there for our 1st dance. We had our families and friends running around the attic, talking, taking pictures etc and the public passing below on the boardwalk but we were in our own little world, isolated while surrounded. It was an incredible feeling.

STVS Video-I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but they were great too. We added them at the last minute, and despite having another Disney wedding that night (I later found out that my cousin knows the groom from that one), they fit us in. Stan met us when we arrived at The Boardwalk and he and Randy made me laugh before I even made it into the lobby. Stan and Bonnie we unobtrusive and most of the time I wasn’t even aware they were there. We’re waiting on the final video, but they had the sneak peek up ASAP, which was much appreciated by those who couldn’t attend.

The cake-
I know there have been lots of reports lately that the cakes have been a bit dry, but ours was delicious. We upgraded to the Mad Hatter cake so it was made at the GF bakery, not the BW. The flavors we chose were: Bottom: Vanilla cake with Amoretto mousse, Top: Chocolate cake with Raspberry mousse.

My mouth is watering now just thinking about it. DH even asked me the other night if we can get them to ship up another cake for our party in the spring! The bakery did a great job on it all. I really didn’t care about the cake-topper, the only one I found that I liked was a porcelain piece that had mickey and Minnie in a tea cup, but I wasn’t willing to spend that much on a cake topper, so I told Kathleen I was leaving it up to the bakery to make an executive decision. Here is the cake:

Ron Rosenzweig-Ron also was great for our purposes. We wanted someone who would be efficient, not too religious and was open to changes to their ceremony. He was all of the above. He was waiting for us at the Boardwalk, knew his way around a Disney wedding and was confident and sure which we needed at that point! I don’t know how he would do with a bride or couple who need/want more hand-holding and involvement from their officiant. We made a lot of changes to the ceremony, including changing his vows and adding a Quaich cup in place of the sand ceremony and he was fine with all of them. We only did it about a month before the actual date, so he fumbled a little bit on them so if pressed to give him a grade it would probably be an A-. But like I said, I didn’t need or want a lot of hand-holding. Another bride who does might give him less.

Dessert Party-
If you are at all debating doing one of these, I say don’t hesitate. AT ALL. This was the icing on the cake for our guests. Everyone of them loved it, and it impressed both of our fathers- which isn’t that easy to do. A week later and people are still talking about it. The desserts we delicious- fyi, mickey ears are the way to go. They aren’t on any of the menus, so you’ll have to ask for them but they are great and everyone loved ‘em. I heard the words “sugar coma” passed around many times that night.

That’s it for now. I’m waiting on the professional pictures before doing more updates. To leave you with something cute, here is a picture of my MOH adorable little one..

 

[MsEsty]

Your cake is awesome! I love the topper...I think I will end up requesting it for ours!

The pic of you and the DH is touching

 

[malibustacey]

So glad you enjoyed the Attic, we wanted something different, a venue that stands out to any wedding venue we had ever been to! I love the view, I think that is what sold it for me, and being able to chill outside...

Was the docking station enough for you? We have the 'ballroom setup' in our proposal, but not too sure what that means or what we have to bring... just our ipod.. or speakers too?! What did you have with the docking station.Could you have the music near the doors to the balcony so you could hear quiet music inside & out?

What are mickey ears on the DP? I havent seen them... they sound yummy!

 

[Bridie1996]

So glad you enjoyed the Attic, we wanted something different, a venue that stands out to any wedding venue we had ever been to! I love the view, I think that is what sold it for me, and being able to chill outside...

Was the docking station enough for you? We have the 'ballroom setup' in our proposal, but not too sure what that means or what we have to bring... just our ipod.. or speakers too?! What did you have with the docking station.Could you have the music near the doors to the balcony so you could hear quiet music inside & out?

What are mickey ears on the DP? I havent seen them... they sound yummy!

We brought our own docking station, and my cousin set it up prior to the luncheon. He put it in the best possible place, and the music was easily heard while inside the attic. Those outside could hear it softly if they were near the doors, but the further out on the balcony you went, the less you heard it. To the point of not hearing it at all.

I'm not sure what the ballroom set up is, but if you want it heard outside you'd probably be best served by bringing another set of speakers if your'e planning on bringing your own docking station.

The difference in music worked well for us- the family who hadn't seen each other for a while (read: older folks) stayed outside where it was quieter, but the younger ones passed back and forth, socializing, relaxing on the couch to watch the kids color, hanging out by the bar, looking at the pictures we had on the tables as centerpieces. That was another thing we did- I made the coffee tables into a type of "kids corner". They had puzzles, coloring books, crayons in a basket along with their very own table centerpiece of those giant lollipops you can get in the candy store on Main street. They loved it!
Here is a pic of the centerpiece mid-assembly:

And the family pictures as centerpieces went over really well too. We had a mix of regular picture frames with the cubed multi-picture one and I heard lots of "Oh My God! Where did you find that picture?" etc. In retrospect, I would have had them put the white table clothes on the tables to dress it up a little more, but DH wanted it as natural and relaxed as possble and at the tme it wasn't a big concern of mine.


And Mickey Ears are the bomb. They are mickey-head shaped rice krispie treats, 1/2 dipped in chocolate.
You can see them a bit in this picture:

 

[malibustacey]

yeah I think we will ask about the 'ballroom setup' for the ipod... just to make sure! I dont want loud music, just some soft background music. Thanks!

I love those rice crispie treats.... and are those next to it brownies? whatever they are, they look so moist and yummy!

Love the idea of the kids table, I think I just might remember that!

 

[Bridie1996]

yeah I think we will ask about the 'ballroom setup' for the ipod... just to make sure! I dont want loud music, just some soft background music. Thanks!

I love those rice crispie treats.... and are those next to it brownies? whatever they are, they look so moist and yummy!

Love the idea of the kids table, I think I just might remember that!

Our Dessert party menu was, in order of the raves I heard:
Mickey shaped rice krispy treats
Key Lime Tarts
Brownies
Various cookies
Baklava
Rasberry blondies

The Baklava and blondies were delicious, but they didn't hold a candle to the rice krispie treats or the tarts. I probably could have stopped at the cookies and no one would have noticed.

 

[MainStMandy]

Our Dessert party menu was, in order of the raves I heard:
Mickey shaped rice krispy treats
Key Lime Tarts
Brownies
Various cookies
Baklava
Rasberry blondies

The Baklava and blondies were delicious, but they didn't hold a candle to the rice krispie treats or the tarts. I probably could have stopped at the cookies and no one would have noticed.

OMG the brownies look delicious!! And Stacey...Key Lime Tarts!!!

 

[malibustacey]

ok ... TEASE!! Now you have to show me the Key Lime Tarts!!

They are my fav and Im having them!! eee!!