Engagement-Moon

[mhchecca]

Howdy Fellow Disney Lovers!,
So I have a question I read a little about before but definitely want to raise again to see if anyone has any other ideas!


My fiance Michael and I got engaged at home, this past Christmas but are now planning a Disney Engagement-Moon. We'll be staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, for 3 nights 4 days May 12th. So, I know that so many people have said that WDW no longer gives out the 'Just Engaged' buttons... but, I've ordered them for us off another sight, because they're just TOO darn cute!

I was wondering what y'all would think about engaged couples wearing the Bride and Groom ears in the parks?- you think that's okay, or should be saved for honeymooners?

I also was wondering if anyone could share some input about their post-engagement celebrations at Disney World.


Thanks!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I think you will get a lot of people congratulating you on your wedding and asking you where you got married.

If you still want to wear hats that announce your celebration, it might be fun to make some that say "Just engaged!" or something similar. We had so much fun wearing our bride and groom ears on our honeymoon that we made anniversary hats when we returned a year later....

I also have a tutorial on how to make them!

 

[ironz]

When did they stop giving out the "just engaged" buttons? We got some this past January (marathon weekend). We got ours from the photopass photographer in front of the castle. I hadn't thought to go to Town Hall and ask about them. I was just mentioning to the photographer that we were taking engagement photos and she pulled them out of some secret pocket in her vest.

 

[elphie101]

Perhaps you're confusing them with the Just Married buttons? They did stop giving those out (at WDW at least) and replaced them with the Happily Ever After buttons.

DF and I got engaged at the parks (they still had the buttons in September) and IMO I wouldn't wear the ears, but if you want to go for it! Especially if you plan on getting married and/or honeymooning elsewhere and won't have another opportunity. Just be prepared that people will most likely assume you are already married, like lurkyloo said!

 

[Sweet Melissa]

I would say we had a bit of an engagement-moon. We went for a 10-night vacation exactly a year before our wedding, met with our Just Marry wedding planner (we got married at the Swan), toured venues and secured our date. Although we had been on a lot of Disney vacations prior to that visit (and in fact announced our engagement to my family at Disneyland a few months before), it was really fun to look at everything again through the lens of planning a wedding and honeymoon.

Things we did that we enjoyed:

• Staying at Port Orleans Riverside. We usually stay at French Quarter when we stay at a moderate resort, but Riverside was really gorgeous and romantic. I understand why people say that walking around the grounds makes them feel like they're in The Notebook or Gone with the Wind or something.

• Got the "Just Engaged" buttons (yes, they still give them out). We didn't wear them the whole time because we don't particularly enjoy being showered with attention, but we did wear them for a couple days and it was fun to receive congratulations and share our story with the few people who asked for it.

• Enjoyed some really nice restaurants. That one probably goes without saying for us. We like to dress up and take advantage of Disney's more upscale dining options.

• Met with a wedding planner. You didn't say if you're planning on a Disney wedding, but if you are, I'd definitely recommend at least scheduling a site visit during your "engagement-moon."


Things I wish we'd done:

• Booked engagement photos somewhere on property. Knowing that we were going to bring our own photographer from out of town for the wedding, I didn't even think about booking a different photographer for engagement photos. It would have been nice to have some casual pictures from around the park (and I've been thinking about this so much that I might book a first anniversary portrait session). Further to that, I could have booked our hair and makeup stylists for the shoot as a trial run before the wedding.

• Scheduled a cake tasting with the bakery that made our cake. What we chose ended up being amazing, but it would have been fun to taste ahead of time instead of just jumping in on blind faith.

• Booked a private fireworks party. I've always wanted to do an IllumiNations dessert party for just the two of us at the Japan pavilion. It seems like it would have been an intimate way to celebrate. It's another thing that will go on our "some day, some anniversary" list.

 

[emilyyvic]

They had the Just Engaged buttons in December, I saw them on that button cart just inside the entrance to MK.

 

[DMarkey]

I just became engaged on April 5th. We celebrated the next day with breakfast at the Crystal Palace (we live local). We stopped by city hall in the magic kingdom and they gave us the just engaged buttons. Throughout the day all the CMs congratulated us. We then turned them into magnets on our refrigerator. Congrats and have fun on your trip!

 

[Coonhound]

I think when you go on a trip a few months after getting engaged but before having the wedding it's just a vacation. I wouldn't wear buttons or ears because people will think you're already married.

 

[islandmum]

isnt it a bit odd? ....

you're not "Just Engaged" (4 months is not 'just'), or married - so neither the badges or the hats are applicable are they?

Its like wearing the happy birthday badge any time of the year, well you've had one recently and will be having one in the future - dates aren't important.

 

[mhchecca]

I don't really think it's like wearing a birthday button when the intention of the trip is to celebrate an engagement, we went on a trip a week after my fiancés birthday, for his birthday, and he wore his button for a day.... So, no I don't think so

 

[Kiki La Reu]

I went to WDW a few days after I got engaged. I wish I knew about the buttons back then! (15 years ago) Well anyway, the whole purpose of the trip was BECAUSE we got engaged. It was to celebrate our engagement. If we did not get engaged, we wouldn't have gone that time of year...I think if you are celebrating your engagement with a trip to Disney, then you can wear the buttons all you like!! As well as any other celebratory 'gear'...I do agree, that if you wear the bride ears, people will think you just got married, but in all honesty, besides a few 'congratulations,' other guests aren't really going to get into the whole reason 'why' you're wearing bride ears. Another piece of advice, let them know when you are checking in or even better when you book your reservation...when we went for our anniversary this past february we wore the buttons and told them checking in and not only did we get a lot of nice 'congratulations' but we also got our room upgraded from a standard room to the VIP suite at coronado springs!! with the buttons we got ushered to the front of the line by a cm at toy story mania, and a lot of other fun little special surprises...free glass of wine etc. I'm all for the buttons...wear them!

 

[jad215]

We got engaged in October 2012, and went on a trip April 2013 for vacation, but also to do our site visit and our engagement shoot with our photographers. I say wear the just engaged buttons!!! No one asked us when we got engaged...just a lot of nice congratulations. Have a wonderful trip!