Kristin & Geoff's Wishes PJ - 4/6/2014 - WP/ADH/Isola - Final details, part 1!

[asunnysideup]

Hey everyone! Now that we've officially made the first call to Disney, I figured it was a great time to start our PJ.

So here's some info:

How We Met

Geoff and I met at FIEA, a video game grad school here in Orlando (it's part of the University of Central Florida). He was studying to be a video game tech producer, I was studying to be a video game artist. The way FIEA works is basically lots of student projects in a short amount of time, meaning you average 80+ hours a week there...so we got to know each other very quickly!

One of the first photos of us.

The way he asked me out: I had been complaining that guys should just ask a girl out if they like her (this was my not so subtle way of hinting at him) and just say "Hey, I like you. I think we should date." The next night as we were walking back to our cars, he said, "To quote you from the other day...hey. I like you. I think we should date." I agreed to that, and the rest was history.

The Proposal

Geoff proposed to me on our 2 year & 2 month anniversary. We went to Disney, and I had a feeling something was up, but he kept me on my toes! I'm notoriously bad at being able to guess surprises when Disney is involved (I one time guessed an entire date he had planned, down to the restaurants, just based on the fact that we parked at Beach Club. Poor Geoff.) so he was determined to keep me guessing this time.

We ate breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe (which I had mentioned was one of my favorite breakfast places at Disney). I figured we were going to MK...nope! Off we went to Epcot. We meandered around there a bit and I figured it would be there...wrong again! Next thing I knew we were at Disney Studios.

After going on some rides, we walked over to the Osbourne Family lights.

Now, two quick notes: I had once mentioned to him in passing that I hated how there were engagement photos and wedding photos, but so rarely photos of proposals! Such a special moment and you never see it again. Also, when we had been dating 2 months or so, we went to Starbucks and I got a mini cupcake that came in a cute little cardboard Starbucks box. As I handed the box to Geoff to throw away, I joked that he should just use that to propose to me since I am OBSESSED with Starbucks. (These random notes will make sense in a second.)

Geoff and I get to the end of the street (by the car stunt show) and he asked me to wait and disappears for a minute. He comes back and we watch the Carol of the Bells dancing lights. Once they finish up, he rummages around in a bag and pulls something out. Before I know it he's on one knee and saying, "Just over two years ago, I quoted you when I asked you out, and it was the best thing I've said so far. So, I'm going to use it again. Hey. I love you, and I think we should get married." Then pulled out the Starbucks box, which the actual ring box fit in PERFECTLY. I was crying at this point, said yes...and then about 30 people suddenly started applauding!! I turned around and there were about 30 guests and cast members standing watching, as well as one of my best friends (and bridesmaid) Alyssa, who is a professional photographer, alongside our other friend Georginia. They were photographing and editing the whole thing!! (Little did I know, for EIGHT MONTHS Geoff, Lyss, and my mom (who works for Disney and got them in) had been plotting this whole thing.)

After that we went to The Wave, where the chef brought us out free appetizers as congratulations, and Geoff's best friend had them bring out a bottle of champagne. Perfect way to end the night!

Some photos from the engagement:

(The infamous Starbucks box!!)

And the bling. There's a lot more but I don't want to be too picture heavy!

Is there a way to embed video? If not, there is a video of the proposal here! (If posting a link isn't okay, let me know! Wasn't sure how to embed. )

Wedding Details

Locations: Wedding Pavilion, Atlantic City Dance Hall, Italy Isola DP!

Date: April 6, 2014.

Number of Guests: Inviting around 150, we'll see how many can come!

Extras: Definitely a farewell dessert party the night of the wedding, nothing else planned.

Photography & Videography: Studio 222 for photography, Shutter Life Productions for videography!

Floral: Disney for the decorations, DIYing the bouquets.

Hair & Makeup: Patricia LeJeune!

Honeymoon: Six days at the Boardwalk and Animal Kingdom Lodge, then a week on the Disney Fantasy!

--

Today we called Disney and got our date penciled in, and we should be hearing back within 1-2 days from the coordinator to schedule a site visit (even though we're 99% sure we want WP and ADH, we want a site visit to be sure...and hey, it's free! )

Phew. Hope that wasn't too long for everyone! I'm really excited about starting this PJ and reading everyone else's!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Welcome! Excellent start!

 

[Summer Daydream]

I love your proposal...so sweet! I'm excited to follow another April 2014 bride!

 

[MickeysStarTrader]

Oh my gosh Kristin your proposal was the cutest thing! Seeing that picture and watching your video made me cry it was so beautiful! How sweet and thoughtful of Geoff and wow that he had proposed in front of so many people!

Your initial plans look good and your Epcot DP sounds fun. I'm excited to follow your PJ and I'm glad to see someone else DIYing their floral and I love your ring by the way!

Congratulations!

 

[wiigirl]

Love you proposal...love your pics!

 

[lyncecelia]

adorable story! Can't wait to read more!

 

[CinderALLIE]

Congratulations. How sweet that Geoff remembered the comment about Starbucks box.

Looking forward to reading your plans.

 

[tashka87]

What a lovely proposal story!

 

[charliegirl76]

Congratulations! What a great story!

It never ceases to amaze me how guys pick up on, and remember, the smallest things sometimes.....and other times you wonder if they ever listen. I love that he remembered the quote and the Starbucks box. Adorable.

 

[redlight]

Looking forward to more..

 

[asunnysideup]

Welcome! Excellent start!

Thank you!

I love your proposal...so sweet! I'm excited to follow another April 2014 bride!

Yay April 2014!! I'll definitely be subscribing to your PJ too!

Oh my gosh Kristin your proposal was the cutest thing! Seeing that picture and watching your video made me cry it was so beautiful! How sweet and thoughtful of Geoff and wow that he had proposed in front of so many people!

Your initial plans look good and your Epcot DP sounds fun. I'm excited to follow your PJ and I'm glad to see someone else DIYing their floral and I love your ring by the way!

Congratulations!

Thank you!! I cried too haha. It was beautiful! I'm glad someone else is DIYing their floral too - I figure DIYing our bouquets was a fun project and a good way to save some money, especially since we have to use Disney for all the reception stuff.

Love you proposal...love your pics!

Thank you!

adorable story! Can't wait to read more!

Thank you!!

Congratulations. How sweet that Geoff remembered the comment about Starbucks box.

Looking forward to reading your plans.

I know! I can't believe he kept the box for two years!

Congratulations! What a great story!

It never ceases to amaze me how guys pick up on, and remember, the smallest things sometimes.....and other times you wonder if they ever listen. I love that he remembered the quote and the Starbucks box. Adorable.

Thank you! I was shocked he had held onto the same box for two years (lucky he did, Starbucks discontinued them shortly thereafter!).

What a lovely proposal story!

Thank you!

Looking forward to more..

Thanks!!

 

[asunnysideup]

Well, today Disney called back!! My parents live out in the country, and apparently they called right when I hit the one dead zone between our house and the restaurant I was heading to. Once I got back in range, a voicemail popped up! YES!!

So I called back and talked to Joe who was SUPER nice and helpful. He went over the date and the top venues we wanted (WP and ADH) and made sure that I knew ADH was buffet only (perfect, since that's what we prefer anyway!). We also went over the basic theme, what to expect during the site visit, etc etc. He also let me know about the GF construction and when it would be finished (fall 2013, yay!), which (living right near Disney) I already knew about, but it's nice they let brides know.

We then set up the appointment for the site visit! We've been assigned Pam as our coordinator, and we're meeting with her January 25th at 9 am-11am. Once there Joe said we'll sit down with her, discuss the overall aspects (nothing planning-y, but just so she knows what we're looking for) and then visit the sites.

The only embarrassing part was when he mentioned that we were put down for "April of next year", and I replied "Oh, there must be a mistake, we actually want April 2014", COMPLETELY forgetting it was 2013 already!! I still thought it was 2012. We got a laugh out of it but I was still embarrassed haha.

Question for those of you who've had site visits: Will that be a good time to let them know we're looking for a dessert party location as well? I'm not sure what questions are good to ask on a site visit haha.

That's about all that's new...looking forward to the 25th!!!

 

[asunnysideup]

Well guys, we had our site visit!! It was FANTASTIC and led to quite a few date changes. Hopefully we're on track now!

Our site visit was scheduled for Friday, January 25th at 9 am. We got there a few minutes early. I was surprised to see so many couples already in there waiting, there were probably 3-4 other couples! The receptionist led us to one of the seating areas and asked if we wanted coffee. Mom and I said sure, but I think she only heard me because I was the only one to get a coffee (oops). We spent a few minutes looking at some of the Disney photo albums. I figured we were coming up next since someone (maybe our coordinator? I couldn't see who) accidentally went to another couple and called the groom "Geoff"! Whoops!

Then our coordinator showed up. Anyone who has gotten Pam Pearce - she was FANTASTIC. I seriously can't speak highly enough of how awesome she was during our entire site visit!! She greeted all of us (Geoff, myself, and my parents - we were allowed four people total, so why not?! Especially since my parents are footing part of the bill ). We went into one of the small meeting rooms, where Pam asked us the usual questions: ideas about guest count (we're guessing around 125), our wedding theme (retro-y vibe), our preferred venues to look at (wedding pavilion and ADH), will we see each other before the ceremony (no), and if our chosen wedding date had any particular value to us. I mentioned how the 26th was a happy coincidence since my best friend Rachel (my MOH) got married February 26, and another close friend of mine, Emily (another bridesmaid) got married on June 26. It wasn't super special, we picked the date before we even realized the coincidence, but it was neat.

At that point Mom mentioned that she was a Cast Member. Pam let us know that there was good and bad news - on our date, we were eligible for somewhat of a discount...but that discount shot up CONSIDERABLY if the wedding was held any day but Saturday. We asked if that included Sunday, and yup, increased discount applied for Sunday. We threw that little date coincidence in the trash and quickly moved our date to April 27th. My parents are giving us a set amount of money, and anything over that is on Geoff and I - so the more we can save, the better!!

We ran into another date snag at that point though. I mentioned to Pam that we want to do an Illuminations DP that night as a farewell party vs a farewell brunch the morning after (two reasons: applies to our minimums since it's the same day, and ILLUMINATIONS! I'm a big fan haha). She checked on the computer for us and unfortunately, due to high attendance, Epcot Illuminations DPs will be blocked from (I believe) April 13-27th. We quickly talked about it and decided we really don't care WHAT our date is, so we moved our first choice up to Sunday, April 6th at 12 pm. Our second choice is now Sunday, May 4th at 12 pm, and our third choice is April 6 at 10 am. We picked our 2nd and 3rd choices pretty quickly, so Pam assured us that if we change our mind, to call or email her and she'll change it for us. She also said that if we have to do the lotto (which she says is hopefully unlikely since Sundays aren't nearly as busy as Saturdays) and lose out on our first pick, she'll hold our third choice until May 4 comes so we're at least guaranteed that, and then she'll see if we can get our second choice instead. I'm still debating first week of May vs last week of March for our second/third picks...agh! I'm bad at deciding these things!

We got a change to peek at the cake catalog while Pam went on the computer to check out the DP blockout dates. Saw a few yummy ones!

Then it was time to head out! We walked next door to the Wedding Pavilion. Admittedly, there wasn't much I didn't know already about this one - from my time on the Disboards, and from just walking in during the times when they leave it unlocked, I had seen it plenty, but it was still neat to see it in an official capacity. I am LOVING the newer carpets and pew cushions. She also assured us that the construction next door would be over long before our wedding (yay!). We also took a look at the Groom's Room and the Bridal Vestibule. Awesome rooms, though she made sure we knew they weren't getting ready rooms, just waiting rooms. We'll be staying at the GF the night before so we have convenient getting ready areas.

Some photos (some courtesy of my iPhone, some courtesy of Mom going picture crazy haha!)

Geoff and I in the groom's waiting room...where we lock him in before the ceremony, am I right?!

One of the bride's rooms. Yay!

Wedding Pavilion, of course.

Then we were off to Atlantic Dance Hall! Pam drove us and we chatted the whole way about the venue, which apparently is one of her favorites (score!). She went to a wedding awhile back that had their reception there and said it was terrific, and that the floorplan is very good if we want open seating (which we do...since I'm not paying 2,500 to have tables moved in, but the idea of having a seating chart for 2-4 person tables sounds horrifying).

Once we got there, I was blown away. We had been in there once...during the day...when a maintenance person left one of the doors open... But we had never gotten a change to fully explore, since Dad and Geoff realized fairly quickly that it probably wasn't just an "door's open, come in!" and more of a "oops left the door open, don't come in" since there were tools everywhere. Oops. This time we had the full tour! Pam was saying how the upstairs is usually used during the cocktail hour (or in our case mocktail hour...ha!) and then we can either come up and mingle with guests there, or send them downstairs for the full reception and then make our grand entrance down the staircase (I kinda like that idea, but we'll see!). We then went downstairs and she showed us the tables that guests will use unless we move larger ones in - I'm quite happy with the smaller ones. Our families/friends are big minglers so I don't think the small tables/open seating will be an issue.

I asked Pam if we could use the pre-existing bar areas for our soda/mocktail/coffee bars (we're not serving alcohol for a few reasons - we both drink! Just not having it at the wedding ) and she said we could either do that or set up tables for it...I'm gonna use the neat existing bars! Why not?!

Some pictures:

Upper seating area.

View looking down.

Little things like this - vintage photos, or this ceiling with the little stars - are the touches that make me love ADH!

Another thing I love: the balconies!!

A spliced-together view from the balcony.

After our tour there, we headed back to Franck's, where Pam gave us a folder full of info about photography, and we wrapped everything up! Now we're in a lull until the bridal showcase in a week and a half.

So quick question to you DISbrides: Has anyone had a late March vs early May wedding? Temperature wise we're fine with either, but rain is something we'd prefer to avoid for our DP. I looked it up online and they seem fairly close, rainfall wise, but was curious if anyone has had personal experiences with either time of year!

More updates to come once the bridal showcase arrives!! Thanks for reading.

 

[lpizzuro123]

So happy to see this here. You will LOVE ADH. We had our reception there in November 2008 and both us and our guests loved it.

Can't wait to read more. Even though we have been married over 4 years, I still enjoy coming on these boards and seeing what everyone is up to. I had so much help from other DisBrides I would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Here are a few photos from our day.

Outside ADH. Make sure to put your names on the Marquee. We had to pay extra for it but I believe it is now included. I think every uest at our wedding took a picture of the marque.

Checking out our cake while the pre-reception was going on upstairs.

Buffet setup. We had a Brunch as our Ceremony was in Epcot at 9:00. Our pre-reception was from 10:00 to 11:00 and our Brunch was from 11:00 to 3:00.

Everyone on the Dance Floor with Mickey and Minnie.

Everyone up and dancing.

Centerpieces.

Outside on the deck.

Set up from above.

Ok, that is probably more then you want to see - but I just couldn't help myself.

You also mentioned having a DP. Our's was in Epcot in the UK Lower. Definately the best way to top off the day.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Linda

 

[asunnysideup]

So happy to see this here. You will LOVE ADH. We had our reception there in November 2008 and both us and our guests loved it.

Can't wait to read more. Even though we have been married over 4 years, I still enjoy coming on these boards and seeing what everyone is up to. I had so much help from other DisBrides I would be happy to answer any questions you have.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Linda

Thank you so much! I love your photos, you had a beautiful reception! Pam mentioned that the names in the marquee are included now, which is awesome!

Did you guys use open seating, or bring in tables? We're definitely going with the smaller tables, and was wondering if you utilized them at all or not. Thank you!

 

[DinaBina]

Excited for you guys can't wait to read more!!

 

[pkdang]

Just started reading your PJ. Totally love your proposal story! Can't wait to hear some more planning!

 

[Tink2182014]

Congratulations! I love your thread. It is very helpful for me planning a similar day! Good luck

 

[Tink2182014]

Love your proposal story and ring pictures. Good luck planning!

 

[asunnysideup]

Okay, FOURTH attempt at writing this entry! Disboards keeps eating it, hopefully fourth time is the charm.

It's been a bit since I updated, but now there's a few things to update on! I'll just focus on the Disney Bridal Showcase for now. I live about 30 minutes away from Disney World, so going there was a no brainer. I took my Mom and my matron of honor/best friend Rachel along for a girl day. Now onto the day, with pictures! Pictures are from Mom's camera/my iPhone. Warning: It's picture heavy, but I figured since the showcase was a one time thing, it may be helpful to people to see some photos from it!

First up was the storybook entrance. Mom loved it and got our picture there. We checked in and got our welcome bags, which had some information and goodies in it.

My favorite mini-cakes. These were actually good to see, because I'll need to order 1 or 2 of them (depending on how many people they feed). One of my bridesmaids, Alyssa, is gluten intolerant and lactose intolerant; Rachel's husband Andrew (one of our groomsmen) has Celiac disease and is allergic to dairy, so both of them are gonna need a gluten/dairy free cake. A mini cake/cupcake is the perfect answer so we can have a regular cake, but still something nice for them.

Next up was looking at dresses...I noticed a HUGE mistake in the showcase and on Instagram/Twitter afterwards. They set up the ARIEL dress next to the Jasmine Sephora area, and even on Instagram mentioned it being the Jasmine dress. But it wasn't, it was Ariel's... That bugged me SO MUCH because someone didn't do their research haha!

The Ariel (NOT JASMINE) dress. Very pretty!

The Rapunzel dress...so, I was looking at the AA dresses and none of them really stood out to me (they're beautiful! Just not quite what _I_ was looking for) until I saw the Rapunzel dress. I had never taken a second look at it online, but in person it was BREATHTAKING. I'm definitely planning on trying it on when I go dress shopping, except it would need one huge alteration: I refuse to do strapless (nothing against strapless dresses, they're beautiful, but I've never wanted one for myself). If I try this on and it's 'the dress', I'd see if AA could add on sleeves like this:

But more off the shoulder/capped, since the dress starts off as strapless. But who knows, I may find something else I like better, or it may not be flattering on me at all! I just wish I could've tried it on there.

After looking at the dresses, we got in line for cake. Or to...look at cake...the line situation was very confusing.

Met up with the Mother of the Bride in line!

Doesn't go with our theme, but the Haunted Mansion cake was amazing!!

The bizarre gel cakes...only a thing layer of cake on bottom, and then gel. While some of the flavors (esp the strawberry basil) were good, it didn't give me any idea what Disney CAKE would taste like.

My favorite cake, the Retro cake! If we could get this in mint or blue and two tier...it may be a winner.

The table views. The only one I liked (which I saw get panned a lot, oops) was the 'rustic romance' one...it doesn't fit our theme (or budget, I'm sure) at all, but it was really pretty.

Next up was the food stands. I thought all the food was tasty. There were also some drinks. The strawberry...smoothie...shot things...were delicious! There were two drinks you could have for free, one alcoholic, one not. IMO, they both tasted like suntan lotion.

Honestly...I can't tell if this is creepy or cute. Maybe both.

Then we had David Tutera...I was one of the 'lucky' ones who got to ask a question. For anyone who listens to Carrie's AWESOME Disney Wedding Podcast, they've already heard this story...for everyone else: basically, we're having a dry wedding (we drink occasionally, but for a variety of reasons we're not having any alcohol at the wedding) and we've gotten some negative feedback on that from a few people. I asked what a graceful response was to people offended by our lack of alcohol (me snapping that they can go to the bars at Boardwalk during our reception/any Epcot country during our dessert party isn't the most gracious reply...) and instead of answering our question...he just got offended we weren't having alcohol.

Fail.

Rach and I intently listening to David's advice on all things weddings. He did have good points about the first look, Geoff and I are actually considering having one now.

The awesome Carrie - she came up to me after the talk and told me how awesome her dry wedding was, and really made me feel better after being embarrassed in front of everyone. I really appreciate it Carrie!

Cinderella's coach! I'd love to surprise my Mom with it (Cinderella is her favorite princess) but...the price...


And that's it! Overall it was fun, though some things (like the gel cakes and not being able to try on dresses) needed work, but I'm super glad we went. With having a longer engagement it helps keep the excitement up! Sorry for all the pictures, figured they may be helpful for you Disbrides that may not have been at the show. I'll update on more soon (like engagement photos!).