Lauren & George's Wishes Wedding- 12.01/16- WP/Attic *Updated 11/06: TR Day 6!

[Lauren1027]

Quick Update: 12/29/2015

Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you all had a great Christmas, or whatever holiday it is that you celebrate. George and I had a nice, relaxing Christmas with our families, but had a huge scare this weekend so I've been a little absent from the boards. To give you the short story, we woke up on Sunday morning to my dog throwing up. I rushed her outside to avoid getting puke all over the house and she collapsed and her legs started shaking. I thought she was having a seizure, freaked out, and rushed straight to the vet. I thought something was wrong with her stomach because she didn't want to eat her food the night before, but as soon as our vet was checking her pulse, she noticed that her heartbeat was extremely low and that I should take her to the nearest vet ER. I did so immediately, and when the vet there was checking her out, she had another collapsing episode. The vet hooked her up to an EKG and sent the results to a cardiologist, where they determined that she had a complete heart block and would need a pacemaker. My heart completely stopped at that time and I almost passed out at the news. My dog is almost 10, which I know is older, but she's a beagle and beagles tend to live 12-15 years. I decided that I'd do whatever it took to save my baby girl, especially since she's never had any health issues prior to this.

Unfortunately, the closest place that does the pacemaker surgery is at UF in Gainesville, which is a 2-hour drive from Orlando. Thankfully I'm off from work all week and was able to pack up the car and take her straight there. It was a long, stressful drive and an even more stressful few hours at the UF Animal Hospital. When I met with he cardiologists and surgeon there, they told me that she would be an excellent candidate for the surgery and should make a full recovery. We were on board and she went went down for surgery that same night. There were a few scares during the operation with her heart stopping, but once they got the pacemaker in, she was good.

She stayed at UF all day yesterday and overnight to recover, and today we drove back to pick her up. We're all home now and we have to keep her very calm for the next 6-8 weeks, but she is expected to make a full recovery. Even picking her up from the hospital today, she seemed just like my old girl that I've known for the past 9 years. I'm SO relieved.



That's my baby girl, Jozee. She will be 10 at the end of January and I've had her her whole life. This photo was taken on my birthday last year. She was dying to try on Duffy's raincoat. Lol.

Of course the surgery was very expensive, but it was all worth it to me. It will undoubtedly eat into our wedding budget a bit (and definitely our house funds), but I'm just happy she's alive and should have a normal life once she is fully recovered. We were also very lucky that the vet bill was much lower than they had initially quoted us, which gave me a mini heart attack.

And in happier news, we got an email from our wedding consultant today with our annual passes attached to them! I'm so happy that we didn't miss the boat on the free APs, since there are rumors that they're going away. This was a huge plus for us in deciding to book a wedding with DFTW because we basically see it as taking about $1,200 off the price of our wedding since we would have purchased APs anyways. We just renewed ours in October, so having these AP vouchers will be a huge relief come next October, when we basically have the pay off our entire wedding.

That's all I've got for now! Since i'm off all week and will just be sticking around the house with Jozee, I should have time to discuss more wedding plans and maybe post our engagement photos.

 

[Seia]

Eek! I'm so glad your baby girl is going to be okay. The picture of her in Duffy's raincoat is ridiculously cute. I've always wanted to try putting clothes on my cats, but I value my well-being and they're probably a little too fat for most of them anyway. Haha.

Glad you got your APs - I hope they don't decide to take them away from Wishes couples! It would have been much harder for us to plan or justify the cost of doing a planning session/tasting in person without being able to activate our APs for that trip. They are one of the best perks for sure.

 

[Molly.Dagg]

I am so happy she is doing okay, I can't even imagine how stressful that was for your and your family. I'm sending lots of doggie hugs & kisses her way.

and double yay for the annual passes! that saves you guys a ton of money for not having to purchase them yourselves!

 

[Lauren1027]

Eek! I'm so glad your baby girl is going to be okay. The picture of her in Duffy's raincoat is ridiculously cute. I've always wanted to try putting clothes on my cats, but I value my well-being and they're probably a little too fat for most of them anyway. Haha.

Glad you got your APs - I hope they don't decide to take them away from Wishes couples! It would have been much harder for us to plan or justify the cost of doing a planning session/tasting in person without being able to activate our APs for that trip. They are one of the best perks for sure.

I am so happy she is doing okay, I can't even imagine how stressful that was for your and your family. I'm sending lots of doggie hugs & kisses her way.

and double yay for the annual passes! that saves you guys a ton of money for not having to purchase them yourselves!

Thank you for the well-wishes, ladies! Jozee is doing even better today. Such a huge relief. And now I'm even more relieved that we got our APs the other day because as of tomorrow, they will no longer be offered. I totally dodged a bullet there. Hope you both have a Happy New Year!

 

[Lauren1027]

Wedding Dress Shopping!

Hey ladies! Today I went wedding dress shopping with my mom and sister. This isn't my first time dress shopping...I went to David's Bridal with my mom, sister, and one of my bridesmaids last year when I was first engaged and it was a disaster because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I've also gone to Alfred Angelo, which was a better experience, but I didn't find anything that I loved and they were a bit out of my price range. I have also ordered a couple of wedding dresses from Mod Cloth, but didn't love the quality of them so I returned them all. Wedding dress shopping is one of the hardest aspects of the wedding for me because I could never picture myself in a white dress. First off, I'm not much of a girly girl in the first place, I barely wear dresses, and I hate white. I'm a punk rock girl at heart and hate anything pouffy or princess, dress shopping is just not my thing at all.

We went to David's Bridal again today, because I am on a pretty strict budget for the dress and I know its their $99 dress sale right now. I tried on 5 or 6 dresses, and was actually pretty happy with what I tried on. In fact, there are 2 that I absolutely love and just can't decide which one is "the one." I know that I should know which one is, but I'm super indecisive and my brain just doesn't work that way. I won't post pictures of all the dresses I tried on, but here's a few.


This is the first dress I tried on, and I LOVED IT! The belt isn't part of the dress, but I would probably purchase it or something similar because I think it completes the look of the dress.


When I first got engaged, I always thought I wanted to wear a short dress. I tried on some tea-length ones the first time at David's Bridal, but hated how pouffy they were, so I tried this one on. I actually really like it (though not the sash), but it didn't feel like a wedding dress to me, so I passed on it.

Here's how the back looked:


What I really loved most about the short dress was the neckline of the dress, so I asked the sales lady if they had any dresses that had a similar neckline, but that were long. This is what she brought back:


I really, really do love the top, but I couldn't walk in this at all. So many layers and very uncomfortable.


This dress was an immediate no, but I tried it on because I liked the beading at the top. But I felt like it looked like a maternity dress on me. lol.

And finally, my other favorite dress. I really love this one too, and can't decide if I like this, or the first dress better.



They're very similar in style and about the same price, which makes the decision even harder. I love the striped, lacey details of the first dress because its so unique, but I also love the pearl beading of the last dress (which is hard to see in this picture).

So ladies, I need your help! Which dress do you like better? First or last?? I need thoughts and opinions! My mom and sister both like #1 the best, as do most of my friends that I've asked, but for some reason I can't stop looking at the last one either. I really do love both of them.

In non-wedding dress related news, I think I also found the earrings I want to get for my wedding! I have gauged ears, so I can't wear regular earrings and its hard to find pretty plugs that would be wedding appropriate. So of course I searched Etsy for wedding plugs and I found these:


They're so pretty and really cheap too! I think I'm going to order them tonight.

Finally, our sales coordinator from DFTW sent us some pixie dust in the mail last week. I'm so excited to have these!

 

[Kiki La Reu]

I like the 1st one best!

 

[epcotcenter1982]

I think from my own wedding dress shopping experience there is no "The one" dress.

For me I ended up with 3 "looks" I could go for and I opted for what I wanted my look to be. I still loved and thought I looked (surprisingly in some cases) amazing in two other dresses. But the one I picked just had an edge and it is a simply stunning dress. (there are 10 layers in the skirt...I counted...and no I didn't start looking at ballgowns...but they look AMAZING on me)

So "The one" is the one you can't stop thinking about. That's what I picked. It was also slightly practical as it has small shoulder edge inch wide straps. Which means no strapless dramas or tape needed...
If I was having a large event and the budget for two dresses (I've been to friends wedding with two gown changes) and time to change I'd pick a second which was simply stunning and a completely different look I'd never in my dreams pick off the rack...but I don't....so I have my single stunner...

I like the last one...but go with your gut instinct...it's in there....it's not a "the one" feeling....it's a what do I want to wear and feel happy and comfortable in...

I've attached images of the gown I started in as it too has that illusion neck line you loved but it's the skirt I couldn't fall in love with...and it's so hard to find a lovely neckline and skirt...so I think you've found some that are really lovely for a tight budget...

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

Reading along. I'm not a Disney bride (yet) but love reading this part of the forum. I love your story and can't wait to follow you through your journey!! I am so glad that Jozee is ok, that is so scary and I would do the same for my dog in a heartbeat! Also, I like the 2nd dress!

 

[Lauren1027]

I like the 1st one best!

Thank you for your feedback!

I think from my own wedding dress shopping experience there is no "The one" dress.

For me I ended up with 3 "looks" I could go for and I opted for what I wanted my look to be. I still loved and thought I looked (surprisingly in some cases) amazing in two other dresses. But the one I picked just had an edge and it is a simply stunning dress. (there are 10 layers in the skirt...I counted...and no I didn't start looking at ballgowns...but they look AMAZING on me)

So "The one" is the one you can't stop thinking about. That's what I picked. It was also slightly practical as it has small shoulder edge inch wide straps. Which means no strapless dramas or tape needed...
If I was having a large event and the budget for two dresses (I've been to friends wedding with two gown changes) and time to change I'd pick a second which was simply stunning and a completely different look I'd never in my dreams pick off the rack...but I don't....so I have my single stunner...

I like the last one...but go with your gut instinct...it's in there....it's not a "the one" feeling....it's a what do I want to wear and feel happy and comfortable in...

I've attached images of the gown I started in as it too has that illusion neck line you loved but it's the skirt I couldn't fall in love with...and it's so hard to find a lovely neckline and skirt...so I think you've found some that are really lovely for a tight budget...
View attachment 143136 View attachment 143137

Thank you so much for your insight! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who doesn't believe in "the one." I think I do have a gut feeling which one I like better, but I'm going to sleep on it and see I feel tomorrow. I'm really not one to make rush decisions at all. And I totally know what you mean about never finding the perfect dress with everything you want all at once. I so wish I could pick the top of one dress, the bottom of another, and the pattern of one more. If it were in my budget and I weren't such a chicken, id totally consider having a dress custom made, but that's such a big risk. I never entertained the thought of trying something on that wasn't fitted, but I actually thought I looked pretty nice in the 3rd poofy dress, I just couldn't move in it. If it were more cnfortable, it may have been a contender.

Reading along. I'm not a Disney bride (yet) but love reading this part of the forum. I love your story and can't wait to follow you through your journey!! I am so glad that Jozee is ok, that is so scary and I would do the same for my dog in a heartbeat! Also, I like the 2nd dress!

Thanks for following along! You'll definitely be a Disney bride someday! I started reading PJs years ago and never thought I'd be here, but I am and couldn't be happier! I love your username too! Haunted Mansion is my favorite attraction ever!

 

[Seia]

Personally, I like the first dress best... and that may be because of the belt. I think it really does add to the dress! But I also agree that there probably isn't a single "the one" in terms of dresses. In my case, I had a clear front runner, but there were a couple of other dresses I loved and could easily have seen myself wearing. This will obviously vary for each person, but I personally would go for what feels the most like "you"... in terms of comfort, the image you have in your head for the wedding day, and what makes you feel prettiest and most like a bride.

 

[Amanda132]

I agree too that there is no "the one" dress. I was very conflicted between two dresses when I was dress shopping. In the end, I think whichever one you pick is "the one" because that's the one you'll be wearing on your wedding day! That's how I felt anyway... I can't imagine getting married in any other dress than the one I did because that's the one I did get married in.

 

[Sarah28]

Following along! I love the story of how you met and your proposal, very sweet! I am also glad your dog is getting better. I think I prefer the last dress but they're all lovely. Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Lauren1027]

Following along! I love the story of how you met and your proposal, very sweet! I am also glad your dog is getting better. I think I prefer the last dress but they're all lovely. Looking forward to reading more!

Thank you, Sarah! You're so sweet and my dog is doing better and better every day

 

[Lauren1027]

THE DRESS!!!

First of all, thank you all for your help and guidance in my wedding dress struggles! Your kind words and advice really mean a lot to me. In my last update, I was torn between two wedding dresses. I thought asking for the opinions of my friends and family and sleeping on it would help me a little, but when I woke up the next day, I still loved both dresses and couldn't make a decision. So yesterday, my mom, sister and I went back to David's Bridal so that I could try both dresses on one more time. To recap, here are the two dresses that I was torn between:

Dress #1

Dress #2

I tried on Dress #2 first because that's the one that I liked slightly better. I came out and once again, loved it. The pearl details on it were so beautiful and I loved the lace pattern as well. I felt like a bride in it.

Then I tried on Dress #1 and felt the exact same way. Haha. While my mom and sister said that both dresses were absolutely gorgeous and I'd be beautiful in either, I did notice my sister get a little teary-eyed when I came out in Dress #1. There were also a group of ladies next to my mom and sister who were there with a friend trying on wedding dresses and one of the ladies gasped when I came out, came over to me and told me that the dress looked amazing on me and she just couldn't not say anything. While I loved the details of Dress #2 better than Dress #1, I couldn't ignore the fact that Dress #1 was more flattering and fit my body better. But again, I still couldn't commit, so I asked my mom if she thought I was being psychotic to try both dresses on one more time each before making my final decision. She told me absolutely do what I need to do, so back in the dressing room I went to get back into Dress #2.

When I came out again in Dress #2 (after just getting out of #1) I really realized the difference in weight between the two dresses. Dress #1 was very lightweight, while Dress #2 was MUCH heavier due to all the pearl beading in it. Once I walked out and started moving around more, that's when I noticed that I kept wanting to pull the top of the dress up because of the weight. Dress #2 also had a considerably longer train than the first dress and once I started walking around in it a little, it was much more difficult to move around. I'm also not a big fan of trains and never envisioned having a dress with one.

So after taking these thoughts into matter, I went back into the dressing room to put Dress #1 back on one more time. When I came out and looked in the mirror, I just felt so much more comfortable and confident in this dress. I could move freely, it fit my body perfectly, and I just felt like this was the dress I was supposed to wear to my wedding. With still just the slightest twinge of hesitation, I told my mom and sister that I think this is the one. They were both thrilled and then the sales woman who was helping us came over and asked us what we thought. I told her that I think this is the dress. She then gave me the whole David's Bridal spiel about how I should close my eyes and envision my perfect wedding day. If I could picture it with this dress, then I should ring the bell and all my dreams and wishes will come true each and every day. My mom started crying and then I rang the bell and got just slightly choked up, even though I wanted to laugh out loud at how vomit-worthy the whole bell thing is.

I HAVE MY WEDDING DRESS !!! Dress #1 is the one for me! For those interested, its a Galina Lace Sheath Wedding Dress. Now that its mine, I absolutely love it and I'm SO happy I found my wedding dress because let me tell you, dress shopping freakin sucks! Another thing, having my dress makes this wedding feel SO real now. Like more real than paying that $4,000 non-refundable deposit with DFTW. Haha. Sounds crazy, but I'm serious.

I didn't buy the belt that's shown in the picture of Dress #1 because it was overpriced, but I do plan to incorporate a small belt into the dress with a little bling and some pearls. Time to scour Etsy for belts!

 

[hollybearsmom]

Jumping I. Love the dress you picked. Such a sweet story of you two. Glad your little puppy is good.

 

[epcotcenter1982]

You sound a LOT like my mental process! It's a logic thing. Yes it needs to look good. Yes it's got emotion too. But weight was a HUGE consideration with me.
I didn't go with any of the first styles I looked at because I had to lift and carry EVERY TIME I MOVED....
Given I have no bridesmaids ....this....is a problem....

I am wearing a ballgown but the skirt is actually not weighed with any details. It's all in the bodice. So it's much much lighter than you might expect.
That was a big deal...
I had the nearly off shoulder straps lifted by an inch each side and the not too long train bustled after I bought it and now the length is naturally PERFECT. I can walk and wander and move without having to lift every single time.

Definitely getting the dress is the thing that makes it real. So glad you feel happy about it all now.

 

[Seia]

Yay for having your dress!!! It's such an exciting feeling, isn't it?

 

[Lauren1027]

Jumping I. Love the dress you picked. Such a sweet story of you two. Glad your little puppy is good.

Thank you! I love it so much too and can't wait to wear it on my big day!

You sound a LOT like my mental process! It's a logic thing. Yes it needs to look good. Yes it's got emotion too. But weight was a HUGE consideration with me.
I didn't go with any of the first styles I looked at because I had to lift and carry EVERY TIME I MOVED....
Given I have no bridesmaids ....this....is a problem....

I am wearing a ballgown but the skirt is actually not weighed with any details. It's all in the bodice. So it's much much lighter than you might expect.
That was a big deal...
I had the nearly off shoulder straps lifted by an inch each side and the not too long train bustled after I bought it and now the length is naturally PERFECT. I can walk and wander and move without having to lift every single time.

Definitely getting the dress is the thing that makes it real. So glad you feel happy about it all now.

Absolutely! Being comfortable on my wedding day (and any day for that matter) is a HUGE deal for me. If I'm not comfortable with what I'm wearing, then my self-esteem is shattered and I feel like this would put an damper on my day. I felt completely confident in the dress I chose, and now that I look back on the other photos after actually purchasing the dress, I know that I absolutely made the right decision and now I'm completely banning myself from looking at other dresses (which is easy for me anyways). All I have to do as far as alterations go is get it hemmed a little bit because I'm only 5-foot.

Yay for having your dress!!! It's such an exciting feeling, isn't it?

SO exciting! I feel like everything will fall into place so much easier now.

 

[AnnaGiselle]

That dress is gorgeous! You're right, dress shopping is so hard. I didn't have "the one" either, but it all works out somehow! I think it was smart to go with what was more comfortable. The worst thing you'd want in a strapless dress on your wedding day is needing to pull it up all day!

 

[Lauren1027]

Wedding Colors

Hello and happy Sunday! Lets talk wedding color combos today, shall we? Picking wedding colors has been pretty hard for me. Mainly because I have the pickiest fiance in the world! Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that DF wants to help with the wedding planning and have a say in everything, but its hard when he nixes all of your ideas!

I've always been into having a vintage-style wedding, so I was naturally drawn to a pastel color-palette (even though I never wear pastels in everyday life). Now that we've got our venues confirmed (Wedding Pavilion and The Attic) I'd like to stick to the pastel color palette because these are both very light and airy venues that I think lend well to pastels.

One of the first decisions I made when I started wedding planning was the bridesmaids dresses. I fell in love with these grey, lace dresses from Mod Cloth (I'll post pictures in another post) and knew immediately that I wanted my bridesmaids to wear them, so grey will definitely be one of my wedding colors. Other than that, I don't really have a clear idea of what other colors I'd like, but here are some palettes that I found on Pinterest that I really like:





Its been really difficult coming up with a clear vision of how my wedding will look without having my colors 100% picked out, but these images are ones that I really like and I'm not really drawn to any other color combos because I'm kinda picky. For one, 90% of my wardrobe is black and grey (but I don't really want a monochrome wedding) and I'm not a fan of bright colors. I think these pops of pastel colors go really nice with the grey and will look great in both the Wedding Pavilion and The Attic. I've still got to get DF completely onboard because he's not a big fan of the purple, but he does like the mint and grey combo. We'll see how it goes!

PS- We also got out Planning Session date confirmed and our planning kit sent to us! Our planning session will be on Monday, June June 13th at 9AM and our menu tasting will be the same day at 2:30PM. I'm so excited, even though its so far away. And looking at the sample menus is making me soon hungry! I don't know how I'll ever decide what items to try.