Now my only dilemma is having to make a couple cost cutting decisions... I'm having to decide between the Cinderella's Coach or the Disney Characters... Also, I'm running into another problem. My DBrother and DSIL got married at Disney a few years ago... I also don't want to try and seem like I'm trying to one-up the wedding those two had. They weren't able to have the coach OR the characters and I'm afraid of there being any hard feelings.
RBennett, excellent advice was given to you by
Hiwaygal. This is
your event and you need to do what is right for
you. If we here on the Dis can see that you are a kind and caring person, your family members must certainly already know that. Express to them that you are not trying to one-up anyone, you simply want to have the vow renewal of your dreams. I’m sure they will understand.
Cinderella’s coach is an expensive option. Several characters are an expensive option, too. Could you swing the coach and ONE character? Would that be too much of a stretch?
Since I am not the Cinderella type, I would point you away from the coach. However, I don’t really want to do that because I know an awful lot of folks are the Cinderella type. I guess if I had to pick only one extravagant option for you, I would throw caution to the wind and say book Cinderella’s coach. The coach can only be booked in a couple of places in the United States –
Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. That makes a ride in it very rare and very unique.
As to my own vow renewal, I had several Streetmosphere characters at my event: Hollywood Movie Producer, Gangster, Gun Moll, Cowboy, Cowgirl, and Glinda the Good Witch. On top of that, I added Sorcerer Mickey. But my event was a progressive dinner party inside the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park. It required touches like that to help make the evening flow. And I added Sorcerer Mickey to the mix because I’d had the Standard Mickey at another event of mine earlier in the year. I thought Mickey Mouse in his sorcerer’s attire was an appropriate choice, especially for a dance party beneath the Sorcerer’s Hat icon.
If you’re having a unique dinner reception, then perhaps going with a couple of characters would be a good move instead of having Cinderella’s coach. I know that Lumiere is a popular character choice if you don’t want Mickey or Minnie at your event. I hope you know that you can, for the most part, select most characters' attire. Based upon where your event is being held, one outfit might be more appropriate than another. Discuss that option with the FTW folks.
You really have a tough decision facing you and I don't envy you one bit. Try working Cinderella's coach into a conversation with your wife without letting her know that you’re trying to figure out what to book for your surprise vow renewal. A good time to do so would be when any of the “Year of a Million Dreams” commercials were playing on the TV. The commercial with the little girl and Cinderella’s coach would be the perfect time to gauge your wife’s feelings. I'm sure you can think of other appropriate times for your sleuthing.
Good luck with your decision. Keep us posted.
But I honestly don't see how I could afford both. 
Also, I'm running into another problem. My DBrother and DSIL got married at Disney a few years ago, and the two of us run into problems of other family members doing things just because WE do it!!! 
So we conciously (sp?) try to make decisions that the other one didn't do. Having said that, I also don't want to try and seem like I'm trying to one-up the wedding those two had. They weren't able to have the coach OR the characters and I'm afraid of there being any hard feelings. 
) 
