Ginger & Tim 10-30-12 CC/SCP; Update--1/2:TR Day 1: Checking into the CS

[LittleKittyMarie]

The "oceanfront elegance" bouquet is really lovely, it's definitely my favourite of the choices too!

I've never heard of clay flowers, that's a really interesting idea! From the sample photos they look very beautiful. Can't wait to see how they turn out!

 

[dsnygrl21]

Aww, yay for bunny aficionados!! Netherland dwarfs are adorable! Is yours super energetic? I've only had the pleasure of meeting one another, and he was super zippy! hehe

Thank you very much for your kind words about the Boudoir photos! I was nervous about shooting them, but it turned out to be a really fun experience. The makeup artist there did a fantastic job on my eye makeup, so I must give her all the credit for my eyes Actually, that was the first time I had ever worn false eyelashes. Interesting experience...they photograph well, but I kept having that "there's something stuck to my eyes and I really want to yank it off" feeling. I suppose years of wearing contacts have made me too paranoid about stuff being around my eyes to wear false eyelashes successfully.

A trash the dress session sounds fantastic!! Do you have a plan or theme for it??

Yes, super zippy and loves to do bunny tricks jumping in the air, lol.

Yes, she did a fabulous job on the makeup! Actually I am in the same boat as you with the fake eyelashes. I only first got them when I had my engagement shoot. Never had them before and I agree completely on how they feel like they don't belong,

I was thinking of either doing a beach or amusement park. Don't know what I am going to choose yet! I will keep you posted though!

Also, I love your taste! The flowers are beautiful and so right up my alley. I love the blues and whites together.

Keep up the awesome work and update soon!

 

[Freckledginger]

YES!!!! I was totally planning on doing this for my DF! It was just a silly notion (thank you pinterest) but I got curious and looked up some boudoir photographers and found some in my budget! I headed to a Victorias Secret outlet store and got 4 pieces of lingerie for $15 each (they were originally each around $50-$80 each!) and hopefully it all works out! I love that you did this, some friends that I've discussed this with gave me strange looks! (My mom says... what if your kids find it? )

Happy Planning to you! (Your deers are lovely! I'll post a picture of my bunny for you on my PJ sometime soon!)

Hi Jillian!! SO excited to hear you're planning on doing a Boudoir shoot also! Please let me know how your experience is! I'm sure your photos will turn out gorgeous Are you giving it as a present to your fiancé on your wedding day??

Love love love the photo of your bun bun on your PJ! She's so adorable!

The "oceanfront elegance" bouquet is really lovely, it's definitely my favourite of the choices too!

I've never heard of clay flowers, that's a really interesting idea! From the sample photos they look very beautiful. Can't wait to see how they turn out!

Thanks so much, Nicole! I really love it too! Last year, they only had roses, calla lilies, and the tropical bouquet available as options, so I'm really lucky that they included such a pretty bouquet for this year. Especially since it has hydrangea in it, which I really like! If I could customize a bouquet, it would probably be astilbes (they look so lovely in photos), but I'm super happy with the oceanfront elegance.

Yeah, I really hadn't heard of clay flowers either til I saw another DCL bride use them for her bridal bouquet. They looked really beautiful and real, so I started googling about them, and came across the designer I'm using. They're a good option for me, as I couldn't really transport real floral onto the cruise and I wasn't happy with the limited options that DCL has available. I'm excited to see how they turn out also!!

Do you have your floral inspiration for your wedding yet?? Judging from your plans thus far, I know you'll pick something gorgeous!

Yes, super zippy and loves to do bunny tricks jumping in the air, lol.

Yes, she did a fabulous job on the makeup! Actually I am in the same boat as you with the fake eyelashes. I only first got them when I had my engagement shoot. Never had them before and I agree completely on how they feel like they don't belong,

I was thinking of either doing a beach or amusement park. Don't know what I am going to choose yet! I will keep you posted though!

Also, I love your taste! The flowers are beautiful and so right up my alley. I love the blues and whites together.

Keep up the awesome work and update soon!

Thanks so much, Kelly!

You look beautiful in your engagement photos by the way! Your makeup is gorgeous, and if you hadn't told me you were wearing false eyelashes, I would have never been able to tell (mine in the boudoir shots are a little too long I think to look very real).

Beach or an amusement park would be awesome! I've seen some amazing images on pinterest of trash the dress sessions in the ocean and on the beach! Amusement park would be really fantastic as well--great location to get unique and fun shots.

Thank you for the compliments about the flowers! So glad to hear you like the colors--gives me more confidence in my decision I was a bit worried that it was too monochromatic, but I think it'll look pretty!

 

[ccbride412]

Ginger, I love all your items for the wedding! Super cute!

I looked back over your posts (it's been a while since I've been on) and had a few suggestions.
1. I had asked Shanda to put all my family together for the dinners every night, but things got really messed up there. It sounds like the new guy is much more helpful in that area, but just make sure when you and your guests get your KTW cards that all the people who are supposed to be at the tables together, are. My parents were put at a different table than me and my in-laws were at my table (big issues there with my mom's feelings getting hurt). We also had 2 couples that didn't get a table anywhere near the rest of us. I felt so bad! Just make sure you clarify with the on board coordinator-apparently they can change any problems if you get with them asap.
2. If you have guests that are driving to the port and have an issue with the price of parking, there is a place that offers ~$7/day parking and a shuttle to and from the port. www.cruiseparkingofportcanaveral.com. Most of our guests parked there and no one had any problems.

Sorry for the long post! I wish you all the best!

ps- I almost did a boudoir shoot too, but ran out of time. Great idea!

 

[Freckledginger]

Ginger, I love all your items for the wedding! Super cute!

I looked back over your posts (it's been a while since I've been on) and had a few suggestions.
1. I had asked Shanda to put all my family together for the dinners every night, but things got really messed up there. It sounds like the new guy is much more helpful in that area, but just make sure when you and your guests get your KTW cards that all the people who are supposed to be at the tables together, are. My parents were put at a different table than me and my in-laws were at my table (big issues there with my mom's feelings getting hurt). We also had 2 couples that didn't get a table anywhere near the rest of us. I felt so bad! Just make sure you clarify with the on board coordinator-apparently they can change any problems if you get with them asap.
2. If you have guests that are driving to the port and have an issue with the price of parking, there is a place that offers ~$7/day parking and a shuttle to and from the port. www.cruiseparkingofportcanaveral.com. Most of our guests parked there and no one had any problems.

Sorry for the long post! I wish you all the best!

ps- I almost did a boudoir shoot too, but ran out of time. Great idea!

Hi Meaghan!!
Great to hear from you again! How's newlywed life treating you?? Looking forward to hearing more details about your special day!

I so appreciate your advice! I'm sorry to hear about the situation with the seating arrangements on your wedding cruise. That's really unfortunate... I hope your parents and other guests realized that it was a goof by Disney, not you. Did they rectify the situation??

I contacted the new DCL coordinator the other day, and asked her about seating arrangements. She said that DCL will require a final head count before they can determine the table configuration. Once they figure that out, seating arrangements can then be requested. Hopefully this process won't be too painful, but based on your experience with it, I'm not holding my breath for that...

That's great to know about the additional parking! I think we'll have a mix of guests that are driving vs using the shuttle, so I'll definitely include that information in our welcome bags.

Any other tips or things you wish you could have done or would have changed? How was your experience getting your hair done on board?? Thanks so much! Hope you are doing well!

 

[ccbride412]

Hi Meaghan!!
Great to hear from you again! How's newlywed life treating you?? Looking forward to hearing more details about your special day!

I so appreciate your advice! I'm sorry to hear about the situation with the seating arrangements on your wedding cruise. That's really unfortunate... I hope your parents and other guests realized that it was a goof by Disney, not you. Did they rectify the situation??

I contacted the new DCL coordinator the other day, and asked her about seating arrangements. She said that DCL will require a final head count before they can determine the table configuration. Once they figure that out, seating arrangements can then be requested. Hopefully this process won't be too painful, but based on your experience with it, I'm not holding my breath for that...

That's great to know about the additional parking! I think we'll have a mix of guests that are driving vs using the shuttle, so I'll definitely include that information in our welcome bags.

Any other tips or things you wish you could have done or would have changed? How was your experience getting your hair done on board?? Thanks so much! Hope you are doing well!

Newlywed life is great! Since we lived on different continents for most of our relationship, we got really good at communication. The biggest challenge right now is getting my visa to stay in Spain!

Don't let my experience get you worried. I hear there's a new Shanda and like I said, if anything seems wrong, let your on board coordinator know ASAP. That's where I went wrong. I didn't say anything to Laura so my friends didn't get moved closer to us (my parents did).

If you're getting married on CC I would recommend getting up early and maybe doing your make-up before your hair appt. I went to bed late (we did the newlywed game the night before-DH slept in his friend's room) and so I slept until 15 min before my appt. My hair took almost an hour even though it was pretty simple and since we started late, I finished getting ready just in time. I was very happy with how it turned out! It looked great and, bless her heart, Nicole tried so hard to make the curls tight so they would stick, but my hair had lost all curl by the end of the ceremony!

The only thing I wish I had done differently would be to make sure I got pictures with everyone that came. I missed pictures with 2 couples on the wedding day, one is my best friend. Other than that, the only problem I had was the seating for dinner. Everyone did their own thing. I am the kind of person who always needs everyone to verify they're having a great time and as host, I never feel like I had fun because I'm so worried about everyone else. I heard everyone enjoyed themselves!

 

[Freckledginger]

Newlywed life is great! Since we lived on different continents for most of our relationship, we got really good at communication. The biggest challenge right now is getting my visa to stay in Spain!

Don't let my experience get you worried. I hear there's a new Shanda and like I said, if anything seems wrong, let your on board coordinator know ASAP. That's where I went wrong. I didn't say anything to Laura so my friends didn't get moved closer to us (my parents did).

If you're getting married on CC I would recommend getting up early and maybe doing your make-up before your hair appt. I went to bed late (we did the newlywed game the night before-DH slept in his friend's room) and so I slept until 15 min before my appt. My hair took almost an hour even though it was pretty simple and since we started late, I finished getting ready just in time. I was very happy with how it turned out! It looked great and, bless her heart, Nicole tried so hard to make the curls tight so they would stick, but my hair had lost all curl by the end of the ceremony!

The only thing I wish I had done differently would be to make sure I got pictures with everyone that came. I missed pictures with 2 couples on the wedding day, one is my best friend. Other than that, the only problem I had was the seating for dinner. Everyone did their own thing. I am the kind of person who always needs everyone to verify they're having a great time and as host, I never feel like I had fun because I'm so worried about everyone else. I heard everyone enjoyed themselves!

I can totally relate to getting tired of having to do the long distance thing... Timmy and I've had to do it heaps, and are currently doing it temporarily until I find work in Houston. We're very much looking forward to being in the same place again soon. Spain must be amazing!!! I lived in Portugal for a year when I was younger, and loved it. What part of Spain are you living in??

I really appreciate all your advice! I wouldn't have thought about getting up before the hair appointment to start getting ready, but I'll definitely be doing that now. I will talk to my bridesmaids about it, but maybe we can all just get up and help each other get ready first thing in the morning.

I'm sorry to hear that you missed out on a few photos. I'd imagine that it would be easy to do in all the craziness... I know that was disappointing, but at least you have good memories from them being there.

I'm a very nervous hostess as well!!! haha. I get too worried about other people. I know this about myself, so I'm trying to combat this early--my mantra is 'you've worked for this for over a year... you should try to enjoy it.' We'll see if I'm able to do that though...

 

[ccbride412]

We live in Barcelona right on the water. Tracey said that if he was going to live here, he wanted to be able to see the sea! We're having a great time, but I get a little bored during the day. I don't want to do too much exploring during the week because Tracey hasn't seen much of the city and I want to explore it together. The only time we have together is on the weekends and a few hours after he gets home from work.

Living apart really helps with communication skills. If we had been able to be together, I don't think we would've learned to talk to each other like we did. It's hard, but so worth it in the end! And as long as my visa is approved, we'll be together for good soon!

Thanks for the comment on my pictures! We just got them last week on cd and are waiting for the printed copies to get here. I can't wait to my album together! I can't wait to read more of your plans!

Oh, and one more thing I read on another CC bride's blog- have a friend bring sunglasses for you and Timmy! It's VERY bright on the beach! And HOT. Water would be nice too, but there's a bar right near the ceremony spot.

 

[Freckledginger]

As promised, I've included my initial BEO/estimated expenses. I will update this further when I get the exact guest numbers and more specific details for the DCL component. Not the most uplifting of posts (and particularly depressing for me), but hopefully it may be informative to other/prospective DFTW brides:

Planners:
DCL Coordinator: Meredith Gallinaro
DP Consultant: Michelle Gilhooly
DP Coordinator: Karen Serrette
Disney Floral: Rosie Carabbia


Welcome Dessert Party:
October 27, 2012 8-10 pm at Sago Cay Pointe, Grand Floridian

Catering: 50 x Custom Dessert Menu = $2,512.87 ($39++ per guest; based on 1 hour of service)
Bar: BOC; Hosted Premium Brands Bar = $2, 290.57
AV Services: Wishes Audio Package with iPod setup = $495.00
Floral:
-12 x white paper lanterns (assorted sizes; 8, 10, or 12'') throughout trees with LED lights = $285.00
-3 x white hydrangea in a 5x5 square vase with clear marbles, 2 LED lights, and satin ribbon (color TBD) wrapped around middle tied in simple bow = $207.00 ($69 per arrangement)
- 3 x white astilbes in a 6x4x8 square vase with clear marbles, 2 LED lights, and satin ribbon (color TBD) wrapped around middle tied in simple bow = $207.00 ($69 per arrangement)
- 4 x floating white open rose in a 5x5 square vase with clear marbles, 2 LED lights, and satin ribbon (color TBD) wrapped around middle tied in simple bow = $86.00 ($21.50 per arrangement)
- 50 x individually wrapped Mickey Ears Rice Krispy Treats (to be distributed by catering when dessert trays are removed) = $197.50
Total (w/ tax) = $1,046.36

Estimated Event total: $6,344.80​

Wedding: October 28 - November 1, 2012; Disney Dream
Ceremony on October 30, 2012; Time TBA; Castaway Cay, Bahamas
Estimation of 50 guests for planning purposes (more likely will be about 40)

Stateroom fee: $1,916.00 (ocean view stateroom with veranda for 2 adults)
Castaway Cay Wedding Package: $3,500
*Includes: ceremony, officiant, pianst, cake & champagne celebration (with two-tiered cake, one bottle of champagne, one bottle of sparkling apple cider), floral for the couple, dining for couple at Palo, steaming of wedding attire for couple, transportation and from the ceremony, and $100 stateroom credit
*Up to 8 guests + the couple
Additional guest fees: $840 ($20 pp for 42 additional guests)
Hair Appointment: $100
Dinner for the couple at Remy's: $150 ($75 pp)

Estimated Event Total: $6,506​

Additional Expenses:

Photography: Jessica Cumbie Photography
-Engagement Session: $250
-Welcome Dessert Party Photography: $600
-Wedding Photography: $1,922 (cruise fare for 2 + $500 travel fees)
Estimated Total: $2,772

Invitations: Something Printable by Victoria Ann
-Custom Invitation Suite & Reply Card Design: $25.00
-Welcome Party Invitation: $10.00
-Poster for Disney Characters to Sign: $10.00
-Printing Costs for 50 invitations (Vistaprint): $134.40
-Stamps: $27.00
Estimated Total: $206.40

Accessory Floral: DK Designs Hawaii
-Gardenia Hair Flower for Bride: $35.00
-Bridesmaid Wrist Corsages x 2: $120.00
-Groomsmen Boutonnieres x 2: $40.00
-Mother's Pin-On Corsages x 2: $90.00
-Father of the Bride Boutonniere: $30.00
-Sisters of the Groom Wrist Corsages x 2: $70.00
Estimated Total (S&H not included): $385.00

Transportation: Escot Buslines
Motorcoach Travel from WDW to Port Canaveral & Port Canaveral to Orlando Airport for 36 people: $625.00

Accommodation: Disney's Coronado Springs
4 x $119 + tax per night = $535.00 (tax included)

Miscellaneous Expenses:
-3 x Personalized Dress Hangers (Erica May Made): $75 (S&H not included)
-Custom Cartoon Style Cake Topper (Sophia's Workshop): TBD
-Welcome Bags: TBD
-Attendant Gifts: TBD

Wedding Attire: TBD

Wedding Rings: TBD

Estimated Total for Additional Expenses: $4,598.40


Grand Total (thus far ): $17,449.20​

Yeah...it kinda blows my whole initial $12,000 budget out of the water, huh? Especially when you consider that my dress & the rings aren't even added on there yet. Luckily, we have money in savings and my parents are helping (big time) by paying for my dress and the DP. I've learned two things from this experience: weddings are ridiculously expensive (for the most part; I realize there are exceptions to this, and some brides are able to do AMAZING weddings for a lot less money) and you will want more things for your wedding than you initially anticipated (e.g. DP, cute decorations that Etsy or Pinterest convinces you that you need, etc.). Oh well, I guess you expect to only get married once, so why not go big

 

[Freckledginger]

We live in Barcelona right on the water. Tracey said that if he was going to live here, he wanted to be able to see the sea! We're having a great time, but I get a little bored during the day. I don't want to do too much exploring during the week because Tracey hasn't seen much of the city and I want to explore it together. The only time we have together is on the weekends and a few hours after he gets home from work.

Living apart really helps with communication skills. If we had been able to be together, I don't think we would've learned to talk to each other like we did. It's hard, but so worth it in the end! And as long as my visa is approved, we'll be together for good soon!

Thanks for the comment on my pictures! We just got them last week on cd and are waiting for the printed copies to get here. I can't wait to my album together! I can't wait to read more of your plans!

Oh, and one more thing I read on another CC bride's blog- have a friend bring sunglasses for you and Timmy! It's VERY bright on the beach! And HOT. Water would be nice too, but there's a bar right near the ceremony spot.

Wow, Barcelona!! I bet that is so beautiful! When we were living in Western Australia, we lived in Fremantle, which is a seaside town; it was really lovely to wake up everyday and be able to see the ocean. I hope that you all enjoy your time in Spain, and get to travel heaps around Europe! Best of luck with the visa process. Timmy and I had to go through that when he moved to the States, so I know how slow and frustrating that process can be.

Your point about long-distance relationships improving communication is a good one. You can't see each other very often, so you have to emotionally connect in other ways. I never really thought about how that may effect our day to day communication in person, but I suppose it really does. You made me realize something about my relationship that I hadn't really considered; cool!

Great point about the sunnies and water!! I will definitely ask someone if they wouldn't mind bringing along those items to the ceremony for us!

Love your wedding photos! You'll be able to make a gorgeous album with them! There's lots of good ones!

 

[JBeanBunny]

Grand Total (thus far ): $17,449.20[/CENTER]


Yeah...it kinda blows my whole initial $12,000 budget out of the water, huh? Especially when you consider that my dress & the rings aren't even added on there yet. Luckily, we have money in savings and my parents are helping (big time) by paying for my dress and the DP. I've learned two things from this experience: weddings are ridiculously expensive (for the most part; I realize there are exceptions to this, and some brides are able to do AMAZING weddings for a lot less money) and you will want more things for your wedding than you initially anticipated (e.g. DP, cute decorations that Etsy or Pinterest convinces you that you need, etc.). Oh well, I guess you expect to only get married once, so why not go big

Ahh, Pinterest will be the death of me!! haha! As if I need any new ideas!!! I'd considered showing my budget and around how much we'd spent, but being engaged for over 2 years and doing SO much myself over those 2 years, I have absolutely NO clue how much I've spent at JoAnn's, Michael's, Brambleberry, Hobby Lobby, Etsy, Target's Dollar Spot, etc... Not to mention what my mom has helped me with- I'm sure the number is sensationally large, and I don't even want to know how much I've sunk into DIY projects! I really ought to quit my job and craft for a living, if only I knew how to survive as such!

I'm totally jealous of your DP, everything sounds so lovely! And then I nearly had a heart attack when looking at the expense report! $495 for an iPod hookup? Seriously? But I know it's going to be a gorgeous event! I'm thrilled that you're having photography for the event too! That way you can look back on all of your wonderful wedding events (and show them off!) I'm dying to see all of your photos!

 

[tric8783]

Wow your BEO looks great! I definitely thought it would be a lot more for the actual wedding plus the DP, and youre spending a good chunk on your DP. You're making me wish I looked into the cruise wedding and been on a real beach instead of the BC beach! Your photographer's fee is great too. Getting a little jealous

The flowers are so pretty and different! I really like the striped ribbon the bout, so different and cute. I think the shades of blue will work really well together!

 

[Freckledginger]

Ahh, Pinterest will be the death of me!! haha! As if I need any new ideas!!! I'd considered showing my budget and around how much we'd spent, but being engaged for over 2 years and doing SO much myself over those 2 years, I have absolutely NO clue how much I've spent at JoAnn's, Michael's, Brambleberry, Hobby Lobby, Etsy, Target's Dollar Spot, etc... Not to mention what my mom has helped me with- I'm sure the number is sensationally large, and I don't even want to know how much I've sunk into DIY projects! I really ought to quit my job and craft for a living, if only I knew how to survive as such!

I'm totally jealous of your DP, everything sounds so lovely! And then I nearly had a heart attack when looking at the expense report! $495 for an iPod hookup? Seriously? But I know it's going to be a gorgeous event! I'm thrilled that you're having photography for the event too! That way you can look back on all of your wonderful wedding events (and show them off!) I'm dying to see all of your photos!

I can totally understand getting bitten by the DIY bug! I had successfully avoided all that until my invitations arrived. After examining the envelopes, I decided I needed envelope liners. Cut to me in Hobby Lobby purchasing not only supplies for envelope liners, but welcome bag tags, envelopes for the welcome bag newsletter, and some stamps that I thought I couldn't live without. Those places are like a drug for me... I walk in thinking simple, and I emerge two hours later with all this stuff that I never knew I needed It's super satisfying and relaxing to craft though I think.

Thanks for the compliments about our DP! I'm very excited about it, but it is costing a lot more than I had initially hoped. Oh well, I guess it's just like when you visit Disney World... You know that spending more money than you hope is a necessary evil when you're down there, but you have lots of fun so it's worth it. There have been a couple costs where I've been like, hmmm that's a lot more than I would have anticipated. Floral is an area where you have to be really careful, otherwise you can spend a lot of money. Luckily, the Rosie from Floral is really great about coming up with more budget-friendly solutions. Yeah, $495 is for pipping in the Wishes Soundtrack for the fireworks and for providing an iPod setup. I agree it's a bit pricey, but both DF and I thought that background music is important, so we're just eating the cost there. Hopefully, it'll be a fun event though! It's been a really nice indulgence to get to customize the entire event since we don't get much of that with DCL.

Your wedding is getting close! You must be so excited!!

Wow your BEO looks great! I definitely thought it would be a lot more for the actual wedding plus the DP, and youre spending a good chunk on your DP. You're making me wish I looked into the cruise wedding and been on a real beach instead of the BC beach! Your photographer's fee is great too. Getting a little jealous

The flowers are so pretty and different! I really like the striped ribbon the bout, so different and cute. I think the shades of blue will work really well together!

Thanks so much, Tricia!!
DCL is very reasonable for it's wedding packages. The only trade-offs are your guests have to pay for a cruise and your ability to customize the wedding is limited. Our guests were going to have to travel anyways, so we figured why not have more time together and go on a cruise

I absolutely adored your wedding, so I think you made a great choice! It was gorgeous!! Your wedding has been quite inspiration for me, and I think I may steal your parasol idea for the bridesmaids if that's ok

I appreciate your compliments about the flowers! I'm really excited to see them! I think they won't be completed until October though, so I've still got a while to go.

My big dilemma now is Bridesmaid dresses... it's hard to find cute bridesmaid dresses in the blue I wanted. There's lots of navy and aqua, but a true light blue is hard to find. My sister and I are working on sorting that out at the moment. I love planning for the wedding, but it can sometimes create so much stress about the tinniest of things

 

[Freckledginger]

Invitations Done!! Another thing to cross off my to-do list

The printed invitations arrived from Vistaprint about a week ago, and they looked terrific! I was really nervous about what the quality would be like, but I was really impressed. I upgraded to the premium 100 lb matte card stock, and turned out to be exactly what I was envisioning.

White envelopes were also included with the invites, but unfortunately, were sorta see-through. After looking online though, I decided I could still make use of the original envelopes--just needed to make an envelope liner. It was a surprisingly easy DIY project, and I think really adds something to the invitations.

-------------------------------------

Easy Instructions for an Envelope Liner:​

Materials:
-Scrapbooking paper
-Cardboard
-Cutting Mat
-X-Acto or other crafting Knife
-Scrapbooking permanent adhesive tape

1) Make liner template by tracing envelope on cardboard. Remember that you want the liner to be smaller than the envelope (so it doesn't block the envelope adhesive), so I just came in roughly 1 cm from my original trace to cut.

2) Once I had a suitable cardboard template, I placed the template on top of a sheet of paper on the cutting mat. I used a small cutting mat that came with a magnetic ruler, which was handy as it held everything in place well. I then was able to cut the liner out using an X-Acto knife, and slide it into the envelope

3) I then applied a few strips of adhesive tape to the back of the top portion (triangular area) of the liner, and affixed it to the envelope. I then folded the triangular portion down to create a crease, and then presto, the envelopes were complete

-------------------------------------

After doing the envelope liners, I had some scrap paper left over. To be a little more green as well as give the envelopes a little something else, I used a hole punch to cut out hearts to affix to the outside.

The calligraphy I did myself by tracing a computer script that I liked. I probably could have saved myself tons of time by just printing on the envelopes, but I liked the organic and intimate feel that handwritten addresses have.

Here's the final product:

I'm really proud of them! Hope our guests like them!

 

[ccbride412]

The envelopes look great! I love the liners!

 

[dsnygrl21]

The finish product is AWESOME for your invitations! I love the liner. It definitely gives it that extra touch of magic, lol.

I feel like most brides go over their budget completely. We had started our budget as being about 20K. Now our budget is almost 40K!! It's like, how did this happen?!

Everything always seems to work out and glad to hear you have the financial support from your family! That is great. Everything sounds so good so far! Am I going to have to take a trip to Disney to get a glimpse of this?? LOL

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

Your invitations look fabulous! I love the colours and fonts! Also your tutorial for the envelope liners is awesome. I never would have thought it would be so simple!

Your BEO looks great, although I hear you about it being depressing. Not looking forward to getting my BEO, whenever that happens... probably in another eight months. Yikes. I was surprised to see you had to pay a fee for guests attending your wedding (after the first eight, I think it was). Do they tell you exactly what that fee is for, or do they just pass it off as another mandatory expense?

 

[JBeanBunny]

Ginger... those envelope liners are AMAZING! I'm totally jealous (and kind of glad) that I didn't have that idea before I sent mine out! I'd seen a similar tutorial a little while back (on pinterest, ) and I was just thinking that I could've saved a LOT of money by buying plain envelopes and make a gorgeous liner! Or maybe not... You know me and craft stores! It's a dangerous situation! Did you know that my first instinct after seeing your envelopes was to Pin it? And then I realized... oh wait, I know how to get back to this page

I have a friend who's having the SAME problem finding pale blue bridesmaids dresses! She had ordered some from David's Bridal, only for them to tell her "Whoops, we're discontinuing that color. Pick another one" As if you can change your wedding colors on a whim! We've had many-a-conversation about shades of blue (hers being light blue, mine being royal to midnight blue)

And yes, it's getting VERY close to my wedding... I am very excited! but I'm also starting to freak out a little! I've got so many loose ends that need to be tied up and work is draining all of my energy! My days off are no longer for rest and relaxation, they're for crafting all day long! (and getting nagged by my DM about more things I need to be doing! Ahh!)

As always, I can't wait to hear more about your wedding! As always, I'm totally jealous of your DP! Happy planning to you! (new pics of my completed pixie dust are up on my PJ! )

 

[Freckledginger]

The envelopes look great! I love the liners!

Thanks so much, Meaghan!! I'm really proud of how it turned out Once I bought all the supplies, I was delighted to find that they were really easy to make. Picking out the paper was actually the hardest part, haha. I spent over an hour in Hobby Lobby trying to decide on the paper. I was initially going to try to go with something blue to match the invitations, and found a cute light blue herringbone patterned paper. But just as I was about to walk away from the aisle, I saw the vintage stamp paper out of the corner of my eye. I wasn't sure about the color of it at first, but now I'm really happy I went with a contrasting liner. I think it makes the invitation pop lots more, and I like that it has a vintage feel and incorporates the travel element also. The stamp print is made from vintage French stamps, but I figure it just gives it a bit more of an exotic flare, hehe

The finish product is AWESOME for your invitations! I love the liner. It definitely gives it that extra touch of magic, lol.

I feel like most brides go over their budget completely. We had started our budget as being about 20K. Now our budget is almost 40K!! It's like, how did this happen?!

Everything always seems to work out and glad to hear you have the financial support from your family! That is great. Everything sounds so good so far! Am I going to have to take a trip to Disney to get a glimpse of this?? LOL

Thanks so much, Kelly!! You're too nice

I'm glad you like the envelope liners! When I'm doing a DIY project, I find myself thinking, "either this is amazing or just a hot mess..." haha. You end up investing more time than you realize in little projects like that, and it becomes hard to distinguish if it's going well or not. So the positive feedback from you and the other ladies is very reassuring I really appreciate it!

It's also very comforting to hear that you've also found your budget expanding more than you initially thought! The BEO tells me where it's going, but it's still unbelievable to see how quickly costs rack up! Your wedding is going to be AMAZING though!! I'm sure it'll all be well worth it in the end

Hehe, you should totally come down to Disney!! Oh, I'll be sure to post tons of photos as soon as I can after the wedding. Hope you'll do the same with yours!!

Your invitations look fabulous! I love the colours and fonts! Also your tutorial for the envelope liners is awesome. I never would have thought it would be so simple!

Your BEO looks great, although I hear you about it being depressing. Not looking forward to getting my BEO, whenever that happens... probably in another eight months. Yikes. I was surprised to see you had to pay a fee for guests attending your wedding (after the first eight, I think it was). Do they tell you exactly what that fee is for, or do they just pass it off as another mandatory expense?

Thanks so much, Nicole!! Timmy and I are super happy with them! Victoria, our stationer, really deserves all the credit for them. I just put them together and added an envelope liner I have found invitations to be a surprisingly cool part of the wedding planning process.They really help to set the tone of the wedding, and I found it really neat to see a glimpse of all my planning concepts/what the wedding will feel like. Just had a look at your PJ (am going to post on there shortly), and your wedding invitations are going to be PHENOMENAL! Can't wait to see the finished product!

Regarding the BEO, DCL Weddings (as well as Escape Weddings at WDW I think) have a included guest limit due to the package nature of these weddings. You pay a standard flat fee for a ceremony and cake/champagne reception, so in order for Disney to make money on these packages, they only allow a certain number of guests. The additional guest fee ($20 pp) is said to be for the extra cake & champagne required for groups over 10 (including the couple). Although I've never seen them make a bigger cake for DCL brides, so I suspect this is DFTW way of working the system a bit more unfortunately. Oh well, I guess this happens no matter where you have your wedding... it's just an industry thing.

Ginger... those envelope liners are AMAZING! I'm totally jealous (and kind of glad) that I didn't have that idea before I sent mine out! I'd seen a similar tutorial a little while back (on pinterest, ) and I was just thinking that I could've saved a LOT of money by buying plain envelopes and make a gorgeous liner! Or maybe not... You know me and craft stores! It's a dangerous situation! Did you know that my first instinct after seeing your envelopes was to Pin it? And then I realized... oh wait, I know how to get back to this page

I have a friend who's having the SAME problem finding pale blue bridesmaids dresses! She had ordered some from David's Bridal, only for them to tell her "Whoops, we're discontinuing that color. Pick another one" As if you can change your wedding colors on a whim! We've had many-a-conversation about shades of blue (hers being light blue, mine being royal to midnight blue)

And yes, it's getting VERY close to my wedding... I am very excited! but I'm also starting to freak out a little! I've got so many loose ends that need to be tied up and work is draining all of my energy! My days off are no longer for rest and relaxation, they're for crafting all day long! (and getting nagged by my DM about more things I need to be doing! Ahh!)

As always, I can't wait to hear more about your wedding! As always, I'm totally jealous of your DP! Happy planning to you! (new pics of my completed pixie dust are up on my PJ! )

Hi Jillian!! Thanks so much for the compliments on the envelope liners! That means a lot coming from such a crafting queen like yourself! Hehe, very flattered that you considered pinning my tutorial!! Gotta love pinterest! Speaking of which, I've been so enjoying looking through all your pins lately! You've got some great stuff on there! I've gotten a bit slack with mine.

The bridesmaid dress search is killing me at the moment I'm finding it seriously challenging, and now I'm facing a bit of a time crunch with it too. Really should have considered bridesmaid dresses a bit more when I was selecting colors, whoopsie. I am pretty much at the point of just giving my two bridesmaids the free choice as long as it's blue... I'm a bit nervous how that would look though. Has your friend found any good options??

I'm about to head over to your PJ now and catch up with all your updates!! Excited!

 

[JBeanBunny]

Hi Jillian!! Thanks so much for the compliments on the envelope liners! That means a lot coming from such a crafting queen like yourself! Hehe, very flattered that you considered pinning my tutorial!! Gotta love pinterest! Speaking of which, I've been so enjoying looking through all your pins lately! You've got some great stuff on there! I've gotten a bit slack with mine.

The bridesmaid dress search is killing me at the moment I'm finding it seriously challenging, and now I'm facing a bit of a time crunch with it too. Really should have considered bridesmaid dresses a bit more when I was selecting colors, whoopsie. I am pretty much at the point of just giving my two bridesmaids the free choice as long as it's blue... I'm a bit nervous how that would look though. Has your friend found any good options??

I'm about to head over to your PJ now and catch up with all your updates!! Excited!

Well, I'm lucky in terms of bridesmaid dresses because... I only have one!!! haha! I have more friends coming along, as well as sisters in law, but with such a small wedding group, it seems like it would imbalance my wedding guests! I do have to go re-dress-shopping, though. I found a cute one-shouldered royal blue dress with black mesh over it and black glitter floral on the mesh (Bought it on clearance for $10) but it's pretty short and seems more like a prom dress... we're in our mid-20's, we don't need to go back to high school! Luckily, my MOH is going to Chicago with me for my bridal shower and dress fittings (she needs to learn how to lace up my corset!) so while we're together, we'll look for another dress. Best of luck with your dress search!!! I know it's a tricky decision, but you'll figure it out!!