Kayla and Matt's 7/7/13 DISNEYLAND Wedding PJ- Bridesmaid Boxes! Pics!

[FairytaleBride73]

So I have officially decided to start my Disneyland Wedding PJ! I can't believe it! I've been lurking on this website for about a year now, but just recently began posting.

Okay... so I know that July 2013 seems really far away, but let me give you some background...

My name is Kayla (22) and my fiance's name is Matt (23), and we're high school sweethearts! We've been together for 7 years now (wow) and have been engaged for 2 years already. So while 2 years seems like its really far away; we're in no rush but I literally cannot wait any longer to start planning! I'm in the process of getting my Masters Degree and working, and Matt is about to graduate with a BA and is also working, so we would rather wait to get married until we are both done with school.

So why Disneyland?

I cannot believe that I'm about to say this but I used to hate Disneyland! I always LOVED Disney, but I hated Disneyland. When I went to Disneyland for the first time when I was younger, someone who will not be named ::cough DAD! cough:: made me go on rides that I definitely was not ready for! Basically, we were riding along fine on Splash Mountain, and then all of a sudden... we dropped! It was too much for my four year old self to handle! Needless to say, I never went back, and I never went on a ride anywhere else.

Matt forced me to go back to Disneyland last year. I was terrified! The first thing he made me do was face my fear and ride Splash Mountain . But I LOVED it! That day I rode Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, and Thunder Mountain. I did it! And I fell in love with Disneyland! It was like going for the first time. We did loads of stuff that day, including watching all of the parades, watching Fantasmic, the fireworks, and went to CA Adventure.That day was one of the most special days of my life, and it was all because of Matt. As we were leaving the park, I said "I wonder if you can get married here?" Matt responded, "Only celebrities get married here!" However, I had my iphone with me and quickly looked it up... couples get married here every day! From then on it was no turning back... we were going to have a Disneyland Wedding!

Everything just felt right. I wanted a wedding that represented our story, our commitment, and our time together. A fairytale wedding sounded spot on. I've been noticing on the boards that many high school sweethearts get married at Disney, and the whole concept just really hit home with me. Convincing the family was the hard part... but more on that next time!

I'm going to try to post a picture... who knows if it will work!

 

[Mindyjoy]

Welcome Kayla! I'm so glad you decided to start a PJ. 2013 will be here before you know it. I love your story about Disneyland! I'm glad Matt was able to change your mind!

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Followed you over from my PJ. I remember being terrified of just about every ride at Disney World when I was seven. It didn't help that my brother and cousin ganged up on me . . .

I'm looking forward to following along with you as you go through planning!

 

[mebbradley]

Followed you over from my PJ. I remember being terrified of just about every ride at Disney World when I was seven. It didn't help that my brother and cousin ganged up on me . . .

I'm looking forward to following along with you as you go through planning!

I followed you over from her's as well! yayy another 2013 PJ! Mine is actually a 2012/2013 PJ because we're not sure which year we are going to go with but it will probally end up in 2013 thanks to the military!

 

[PrincessSamtastic]

Yay for 2013 Disneyland brides! Your story is so cute, my step dad used to do that to me all the time when I was a kid too, the picture of me on splash moutain when I was six I look absolutely terrified! So I sympathize with you! Either way I can't wait to hear more about your planning!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

Welcome Kayla! I'm so glad you decided to start a PJ. 2013 will be here before you know it. I love your story about Disneyland! I'm glad Matt was able to change your mind!

Thanks! Everything feels more official now! Now I finally have an outlet for all of my planning madness. Thanks for the suggestion!

Followed you over from my PJ. I remember being terrified of just about every ride at Disney World when I was seven. It didn't help that my brother and cousin ganged up on me . . .

I'm looking forward to following along with you as you go through planning!

I know right! I still won't go on Tower of Terror, or California Screamin haha. I still have so much to explore at DL! I haven't been on all of the little rides at all. So much to learn, but we're going back next week for a site visit and to spend some time at the parks.

I followed you over from her's as well! yayy another 2013 PJ! Mine is actually a 2012/2013 PJ because we're not sure which year we are going to go with but it will probally end up in 2013 thanks to the military!

Yay for 2013! Now that I'm seeing more 2013 brides on Disboards I'm starting to feel way better.

Yay for 2013 Disneyland brides! Your story is so cute, my step dad used to do that to me all the time when I was a kid too, the picture of me on splash moutain when I was six I look absolutely terrified! So I sympathize with you! Either way I can't wait to hear more about your planning!

Haha when I went to go buy my Splash Mountain picture from last year the person in front of us was holding up his hands and blocking mine and Matt's faces! I was so mad I couldn't get the pic!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

So we're officially at the 2 year mark of our wedding; being that the date is July 27, 2013. Not sure if I had mentioned the date before. Yay! The countdown begins!

The proposal:

In light of it being our 2 year mark, I'll show you a picture of my engagement ring that DF picked out all by himself, and tell my proposal story.

I love it! He proposed to me after he got home from work one night in our apartment. I guess the original plan was to propose to me on our 5 year anniversary, which was in 2 weeks. He got off work, went to pick up the ring, and once he had the ring in his possession he freaked out! A little background here... he loses and/or breaks everything! Once he had a diamond ring in his hands there was no way he was taking any chances. He came straight home, got down on one knee and proposed. It was rather cute and I was shocked! I don't really remember exactly what he said to me because I seriously went into shock and blacked out. I just remember him getting down on one knee and then hugging and crying a few minutes later!

Planning:
Alright... so here are some of the details we have planned so far. Warning! This gets long, and be prepared to be photo-bombed!

Date: July 27, 2013. There's no significance here It was just the only date in July that someones birthday didn't fall on! However, it is 3 days before DF's 25th birthday.

Location: Disneyland, CA
Ceremony: Rose Court Garden
Pre-reception: Don't know yet
Reception: Sleeping Beauty Pavilion
Guest Count: 100 (hopefully we can get it down to that!)
Times: 5:00-5:30pm Ceremony
5:30-6:30pm Cocktail Hour
6:30-10:30pm Reception

Here is a picture of the Rose Court Garden:

Here is pic of the RCG all done up:
I would want it to look exactly like this but in my wedding colors.

A pic of the exterior of Sleeping Beauty Pavilion:

A pic of the interior of Sleeping Beauty Pavilion:

So when we first decided on Disneyland, the parents were not too thrilled. It took A LOT of convincing. DF's parents are very traditional and wanted something small and close to home; and my mother had always envisioned me getting married somewhere like a vinyard. Hah.. totally not me. Even after I had already decided on Disneyland she was still sending me pictures of other locations. My dad seemed to be on board from the get go, but I think he just wanted to take a trip to Disneyland! He was a little shocked when I brought it up though.. he was just like "Really? Disneyland?" My parents opinions do matter to me a lot though because they are footing most of the bill for our wedding. They seem to be completely on board now but it took a lot of effort to get them there!

Sorry about the picture sizes! I'm still figuring it out!

Up next: Inspiration Photos, Dresses, Colors, the fun stuff!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

I'm a meeting planner for my day job, so I know that if you leave things until the last minute everything becomes crazy! Unfortunately, the typical "wedding timeline" of 1 year tends to rush things, so I figured I'd get started now in order to keep the crazy to a minimum.

I did an initial site visit with my DF and Kelly Feeney, which left me disappointed. We drove all the way from Sacramento to Anaheim just for this, and we spent maybe a total of 30 minutes with her. We began the session by flipping through pictures (which was great!) and then went on our way to view the venues. We only saw 2 places: the Rose Court Garden (Amazing) and a room in the Grand Californian for the Reception. Kelly neglected to tell me that the reception room that I wanted (Sleeping Beauty Pavilion) was under construction and could not be viewed, even from the outside. This was back in March. It seemed like Kelly didn't take us seriously since our date was so far out. Needless to say, we left very disappointed, and even reconsidered doing a Disney wedding. Then our planner was switched to Sue Romano, who has been AMAZING so far! She answers all of my questions, and is perfectly willing help out even though we cannot sign a contract until January. She put my faith back in Disney! I have another site visit next week with Sue, and I'm very excited to meet her and see Sleeping Beauty Pavilion. I hope it goes better than last time, being that we will be driving 6 hours to get there!

Photography- So the first thing I did once we officially decided to have a Disney wedding was research photographers. We have decided on Beverly Hills Photography, on Disney's recommended vendors list. Their prices seem to be reasonable, their work is amazing, and they work with Disney all the time. They have been a pleasure to correspond with and have been so helpful in every way. Tigran, my contact there, has my date penciled in and I will officially book him once we sign our contract from Disney.

Ceremony Music - Harpist, Erica Powell. Her music is beautiful, has very reasonable prices and has been great to correspond with. She has done many weddings at the Rose Court Garden. She also has me penciled in!

Fairytale Hair and Makeup- Same story... great to correspond with so far! They are on the expensive side but hopefully it will be worth it. Tara is going to do my hair and makeup for my engagement shoot next year so I'll get a good idea then. Again, penciled in!

Invitations- Moya Lara- I love Larisa! She has been wonderful, nice, and incredibly helpful! I will be getting all of my stationary through her. She even had the same colors as me for her wedding a few years back! Its fate! Again, on the expensive side, but she's worth it! I know that part of the wedding will be beautiful!

More planning updates and inspiration pictures to come!

 

[Mindyjoy]

Wow, you have sooo much more done than I do, and I'm less than a year out!

I'm sorry your site visit was a disappointment. Mine was with Traci, and even though I was late due to traffic, which caused her to be late picking up her kids from daycare (sorry kids!), I never felt rushed. I knew I wanted my reception at GCH and she showed me all the different size rooms and the Brisa Courtyard. I'm sure your second visit will go much smoother!

 

[Seaprincess1129]

Wow, you have a lot planned so far. That's great! I loved your Disneyland story. I've been twice, and it's a great place. I wish they had the Indiana Jones ride at Disney World. Your venues look lovely!

 

[mebbradley]

Date: July 27, 2013. There's no significance here It was just the only date in July that someones birthday didn't fall on! However, it is 3 days before DF's 25th birthday.

Oh my gosh! another "27" Bride! I'm June =] =]

 

[FairytaleBride73]

Wow, you have sooo much more done than I do, and I'm less than a year out!

I'm sorry your site visit was a disappointment. Mine was with Traci, and even though I was late due to traffic, which caused her to be late picking up her kids from daycare (sorry kids!), I never felt rushed. I knew I wanted my reception at GCH and she showed me all the different size rooms and the Brisa Courtyard. I'm sure your second visit will go much smoother!

Yes, I told Sue that I was disappointed with my last site visit, so I'm hoping that she'll make this one much better for me. I have so much done already because I can't really do any planning during the school year since I'm so busy with grad school. I want to make sure all the good vendors don't get booked! I really wish I could sign my contract with Disney already its killing me!

Wow, you have a lot planned so far. That's great! I loved your Disneyland story. I've been twice, and it's a great place. I wish they had the Indiana Jones ride at Disney World. Your venues look lovely!

Thank you! That sucks they don't have Indie at WDW! That's definitely my favorite ride. I've never been to WDW though so I'm jealous!

Oh my gosh! another "27" Bride! I'm June =] =]

Yay for 27's! I hope that you'll follow along with me throughout my planning and I look forward to hearing your plans as well!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

Alright so you're definitely going to think I'm crazy, but I have more in the works!

DJ- Matt Kabel from Al Lampkin Entertainment- He has been wonderful so far! Originally, I thought that I was going to use Disney's DJs, but they are way to expensive. Matt is half the price and hes done a lot of Disney Weddings. I read somewhere that Traci (DFTW Planner) even recommended him to another Disbride!

Florist- None of the florists would really talk to me yet because my date is so far out. This will be something that I have to plan next year. However, some places did give me general pricing, and it seems like going with an outside florist will be half the cost of Disney's florist. We'll have to see on this one... So I may use Disney, I may not. I want to make sure everything is right with this, meaning it may be worth it to pay for Disney.

Decor- Again... I'm not sure. I'm thinking that I should use Disney for this as well. I already know its going to be overpriced, but at least it will be there and look perfect! I heard that Disney doesn't lift a finger to help you on items that you get through an outside vendor. So I'm going to begin to get prices from places on linens, etc, but I won't find out Disney's prices on these items for a while.

Lighting- I'm deciding between Beverly Hills Photography and Amber Events for this. Amber Events has already given me a quote, and I'm waiting to compare it to Beverly Hills Photo. I think it would be easier for me to use Beverly Hills Photo because they are also my photographers.

Extras that I would like to have but definitely cannot afford:
-Cinderella Coach $3150 or White carriage ($1600)
-White Dance Floor $600
-Morning Castle Shoot $3000
-Draping in Sleeping Beauty Pavilion $1850
-Fairytale Suite at Disneyland Hotel $975

I'm going to have to see if I can create any extra room in my budget. I'm very mad about the cost of the morning castle shoot. I was always under the impression that it was $1500. When I asked Sue about it, she said it was $3000! Just as a fee! That is INSANE However, this was literally one of the biggest reasons I wanted to get married at DL... so I'm going to have to find a way. Maybe through negotiation, crying, I don't know! Isn't WDW way cheaper than that? It makes no sense.

 

[FairytaleBride73]

Inspiration! Colors! Dresses! Oh my!

Here is the inspiration for my wedding colors... the infamous Sleeping Beauty Castle at night! The castle amazes me every time I see it. Plus, its perfect for a July wedding, and I LOVE color! Pink is my favorite by the way, and I feel like this combo incorporates it without it being too "girly."

Theme: Enchanted Fairytale.
Here is where I may need a little help Disbrides! I don't know quite what I'm trying to do.. let me explain. Yes, I'm completely one of those brides who wants to be a Princess on her wedding day. However, I'm not trying to be royal... I don't want an updo for my hair.. I want it down and flowing. I want my bridesmaids to wear flowing long chiffon dresses with their hair long, flowing and with flowers in it. I want everything to be romantic, roses everywhere! What comes to mind is sleeping beauty.

However, I was thinking it might be fun to incorporate all of Disney's princesses: Aurora, Cinderella, Jasmine, Belle, Snow White, Ariel, etc, like in the table names. But the problem here is that I wan't the look and the concept to be cohesive. My reception space is the Sleeping Beauty Pavilion, an elegant ballroom, while my ceremony space is a garden! Advice or ideas?? Am I over thinking this?

These pictures are on the right track of what I'm going for. I'm not looking for a "royal wedding" but more of the rogue princess I guess

Maybe if you see the dresses I like it will give you a better idea:

Here is my dream dress!!! The only problem is that its $7000 Way out of my budget! Can you see I have expensive taste?

On to more "reasonable" options:

Lighting Design Inspiration:
So I want pink/purple blue lighting.. I was thinking to do something along the lines of this:

I love the stars on the ceiling! That may give it more of a woodsy vibe and less of a princess royal ballroom look. I think the chandalier in the Sleeping Beauty Pavilion would look cool, and almost enchanted floating in the stars.


I'd love to hear what you all think! I'm trying to pull myself in to create a cohesive concept!

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Here is my dream dress!!! The only problem is that its $7000 Way out of my budget! Can you see I have expensive taste?

There's a dress similar to this one at the bridal shop I got my dress at. It was only $1250. I can see if I can find out the designer for you. It would give you a close alternative to look for.

 

[elleinad16]

I absolutely love your expensive taste! It may not be budget friendly, but what you're trying to convey is so beautiful! I love the color palette! I can't wait to see more from you!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

There's a dress similar to this one at the bridal shop I got my dress at. It was only $1250. I can see if I can find out the designer for you. It would give you a close alternative to look for.

Oh my gosh that would be amazing if you could do that!!! I would owe you big time! I love that dress so much!

 

[FairytaleBride73]

I absolutely love your expensive taste! It may not be budget friendly, but what you're trying to convey is so beautiful! I love the color palette! I can't wait to see more from you!

Thank you so much! At this point I'm definitely dreaming high and I'll have to prioritize. I hope you follow along with me through my planning experience and give me advice!

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Oh my gosh that would be amazing if you could do that!!! I would owe you big time! I love that dress so much!

I went through all the web sites for the designers they carry, and I couldn't find it. I might have time over Labor Day weekend to stop in. Otherwise, if it's still there, I can ask when I try on my dress after it comes in in January.

 

[PrincessSamtastic]

I love your colors and your insperation pictures are just beautiful! I see a little bit of a Tangled inspiration when I looked at the colors for the first time. I personally love the fairy tale garden theme! and all of the dresses are so beautiful. I feel your pain though, I also suffer from having expensive tastes, I don't even mean too it just happens :/