Lisa & Trace-1/25/2011-WP/GF - we got our wedding pics!

[sambycat]

Ok! I have been lurking, posting and now I shall begin my own "PJ"! I am a podcaster and blogger and disney freak as well as a CRNA. This forum has been a godsend in planning a Disney wedding!!! The resources and experiences here have been so helpful so I look forward to sharing the direction we are heading and getting some good advice!!!

TIA!!!!!



This post is likely the last time I shall capitalize with any regularity...

 

[Bride-to-be]

Hi!

Can't wait to hear more about your plans! The waterslide on the dream looks like a ton of fun! The maiden voyage will make it so special - it will always be your ship!

Cassie

 

[ChocoKat]

Yay for starting your own PJ!!!
I shall be stalking... I mean following it

Can't wait to see your plans taking shape!
Your wedding is just a week before our VR!

 

[sambycat]

sooooooo.......

we met thru friends really and the online disney community of podcasters and message boards and thru mutual friendships. we slowly became friends in "the real world" and close confidants.

and we fell in love.

so skip to the good parts!!! he proposed last december, on the first night of the disney cruise we were on. he freaked me out really bad. and then he says i walked around with a look on my face like a happy little 3 year old child on christmas.

and so it begins....

we were at WDW following the cruise and my mind was in hyperdrive! i was convinced there was no way we could afford or even get a foot in the door to book a disney wedding. i have a friend who had what i know now is an escape wedding and i thought we could do something similar and maybe throw a dinner at ohana's or something and have a wonderful time!

i should back up a bit here and mention that trace, my fiance (that word is so awkward!!!! i asked him to call me his "beyonce" - not sure whats the best phrase for the dude!). trace had already booked us on the maiden voyage of the disney dream cruise ship. once i saw pics of "the champagne lounge" i was IN!!!! as i have been on a disney cruise twice before, i just figured this length of cruise left always on a wednesday, so when the gears kicked into motion, well, by the time i got home and to a calander, i was "married" to the idea of a disney wedding with the cruise as the honeymoon.

the cruise leaves on a wednesday. in january.

so where does that leave us now? well, we are "pencilled in" for january 25th, 2011, the day before the cruise. the downside is it is a weekday wedding, the plus side is that the minimum expenditure is lower, it fits with the honeymoon choice we made and its at disneyworld!!! maybe tuesday isnt the most usual day for a wedding (although i saw something in a wedding book that said tuesday weddings foretold wealth!), since we are essentially planning and paying for this shindig ourselves, every little bit helps!

i immediately started googling up things and found these boards (the wedding specific part) right away. i also stumbled across pics of WDW's ",ad hatter tea party" party theme and was sold!!! i love the colors, the whimsy, the disney theme without being too childish and mostly i want cookies that say "eat me". heh.

so here we go!!!!!!!!! next up - whats going on so far.....

and i am going to have to get better with posting pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Who cares if it's a weekday, most people who will be traveling down for the wedding will probably at least make a mini vaca out of it so it gives them more options for arrival days. I'm getting married on a Monday this summer and I think it's great as people can arrive over the weekend and be refreshed for the wedding day.

 

[sambycat]

ok.

so far:

• we are penciled in for our date
• we will be making a deposit (finally) this month
• we are getting married at the WP with organist
• reception to follow at the whitehall room COMPLETE WITH CRAZY BIRDS!!!
• "tinkerbell" brunch menu with coffee/tea/juice/bloody marys and mimosas
• mad hatter cake (MUST be buttercream! we HATE fondant!)
• ipod music for reception
• ~1 hour piano at the end of reception
• wedding photography by david and vicki arndt
• MK photo shoot next morning
• leave on disney dream wednesday ~ 11am

all of the above is with big thanks to the folks here on the boards for some great starting ideas!

i made our STD's which i sent out in february:

i am making our invites and struggling with techniques..... we are inviting 40 people, so thats 42 including us. i've already moved on to the idea of the sweetheart table for DF and i as i think 4 round tables of 10, with tables assigned (not actual seats) will be easier to do if DF and i aren't part of the seating set up.

our initial budget (not the LOA) put us at about 15K with 30 people. because of the date, our minimum is still the 10K. we want to be as close to 10K as possible. that includes 4 tables and centerpieces (just a general thought of centerpieces) and some very extravagant "alice in wonderland" theming pieces.

we learned that the tables can seat 10, so all we have to add there is napkins, chair and table settings. obviously the per person price will increase by potentially 10 people. we will incur some charge for the sweetheart table, but i want to not decorate it up with a centerpiece to save $$. i was trying to think of something i could DIY for that, but now as i type i realize i could plop my bouquet there and have that work as the centerpiece.

we will keep a visit from alice and the mad hatter and just go with the multi colored table linens and teapot centerpieces. i think the victorian flavor of the room adds itself to the theme. i am wondering how we can (affordably) bring more color and height to the top of the room. working on that in my mind.

 

[sambycat]

so, i did go out and get a dress already. its on order at the local davids bridal. i was pleasantly surprised by the quality of what i saw there and bought my dress on a little bit of a sale. i like a vintage idea, never saw myself wearing a big, pouffy dress. was actually looking at bridesmaids dresses in pale pinks and ivories. this would be a picture of my "dream dress" -

this is my dress. in ivory. i am going to look into having it shortened, would love to have a blue crinoline (that will be seen). the messed up part is that i went dress shopping on my own (mother is deceased, no "BFFs" live in my area), and they had the dress in a bridal 14 and no other sizes. it was about 6 inches from zipping in the back. an 18 regular in a different dress was form fitting, but zipped. 16/18W in other dress styles were from a little big to falling off me. if the dress is in a "Woman" size, its 100 bucks more. so i bt the bullet and ordered it in a 16 regular. yes. i bought a dress that at this moment is too small. no mind you, i put on like 30 pounds in the last year and a half due to having neck surgery, not exercising while in rehab and being in love!! i am pretty miserable, because nothing in my closet fits! but i am sure if i even lost 20# i can fit into it, the dress should be here end of april, i have lost 8#. wish me luck

in my barbie dream world, i would like my groom to wear something like this:

DF's 16yo son will be the best man - we are talking about same suits, bright ties and chuck taylors (you can make personalized ones so i am wanting to get them each a personalized pair, turquoise for trace, bright green for his son). we already found and got these ties -

i will have one MOH, my BFF since the 7th grade, and podcast cohost. basically, i have just made suggestions about what she might wear, but i am not picking anything out and am hoping she finds something she likes that is not too expensive!!!! i want the vibe to be garden party and whimsical, so whatever she likes is ok with me - although i do keep sending her links to stuff!

i will need flowers. trace needs a boutonniere as will his son. i am partial to the idea of having like a wrist corsage for my MOH. im a bit stymied by what to do for everyone else. my brother will walk me down the aisle, so i think he should have a boutonniere. i think usually parents get something? but we have MANY step/parent people (his mom, his dad and step mom, my step mom and grandmother). get ALL of them flowers and boutonnieres? just the formal wedding party? just the "blood relatives"? i also don't want to disrespect if you will his mother by getting his (more recent) step mom the "same" thing as a mom, but i don't want to have his step mom with a second class citizen badge either....

 

[HeatherNJNC]

Love your plans so far!!! My DH and his groomsmen wore Chuck Taylors in our wedding, it was totally him and I LOVED the way they looked in pictures! Those little touches made it that much more "our" wedding.

 

[sambycat]

Love your plans so far!!! My DH and his groomsmen wore Chuck Taylors in our wedding, it was totally him and I LOVED the way they looked in pictures! Those little touches made it that much more "our" wedding.

i totally hear you!! in fact i was just googling up the converse website and "personalizing" some chucks for the boys!

 

[DisneyCookie24]

Love what you have so far. Your dress is beautiful. Good luck with the weight loss. I know you can do it! I especially love the ties you picked out. I am a bright colors type of girl myself and love the teal and green you are doing. Can't wait to hear more!

 

[sambycat]

So, it's march 30th. Do I pester DFTW about when can I give my depositand really get things rolling or do I wait? The wedding date is the 25th of the month. Do you think I have to wait ANOTHER month????!!

 

[sambycat]

couple of things -

• working on a "slideshow" presentation of inspiration/pics/etc to hopefully share with our wedding planner, especially since i am not sure either of us will be able to go down for a wedding planning session... i think i saw this idea referenced on the disney blog
• feeling ugly and miserable and huge today!!!! cant stop eating and generally running myself down. NO GOOD!!!! trying to refocus and move on to tomorrow. without eating everything in my home. and outside it too.
• i read on the new-ish DFTW site something about couples booking a wishes wedding getting a watch?
• trying to figure out how to do a video of the ceremony - can we afford something proffesional? i don't think so. looking at some posts from earlier today making me think "tere must be a way..."
• puzzling over invites. making our own, kind of folding, with a pocket. pretty straightforward. playing around with fonts, and additional designs, wanting to add a bit of that "alice in wonderland" flair. taking the folding envelope and adding a "program" to the side opposite the RSVP fold. wanting to add some hand colored details through stmps possibly. also considering a little amount of glitter in the invites, but do not want people to stone me for flinging glitter about their homes.

i found this piece of clip art i was going to tint underneath the printing. i think if i mix up the fonts, it is too busy. unsure of how its looking either way.

however i am liking my RSVP card mock up! the figures are stamps. people can circle one or another?

i have resisted the urge to call DFTW yet to ask when when when can we make our deposit!

 

[sambycat]

so i got an email that my dress was in today. IN A SIZE SMALLER THAN THE ALREADY SLIGHTLY TOO SMALL SIZE I ORDERED!!!!


i was able to hold myself together in the following 27 minutes it took the local david's bridal to open and respond to the ringing of the phone. long story short, apparently there was some kind of notation that indicated they were aware that the wrong size apparently had been ordered. and, despite my fears, the nes size would be ordered without any penalty on me or me needing to open up a bridal sized can of whoop A-$-$ on anybody. whew.

i'm trying to figure out how to post or link to the inspiration board/slide show that i am assembling. although i also realized that i've not really saved or noted the photo credits so i suppose that would be un-kosher.

in any event, the fear of sweet baby jesus has been put into me, and i have got to get on the whole diet/health thing like 5 minutes ago. but i am actually really hungry right now.

ARG!

 

[Ann117]

Welcome. I love the Mad hatter tea party theme. I am planning a tea party before my wedding am having to much fun with the theme. I with I would have seen your response cards before I sent out my invitations I love them. Also I want your dream dress its so cute. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[sambycat]

Welcome. I love the Mad hatter tea party theme. I am planning a tea party before my wedding am having to much fun with the theme. I with I would have seen your response cards before I sent out my invitations I love them. Also I want your dream dress its so cute. Can't wait to hear more.

thnaks! i know i'm enjoying checking out what others are doing with the same theme. this weekend i'm going to try and post more inspiration pics i've come across.

 

[sambycat]

ok. its been a busy week. i came home and had a crafting fit. and i bought a 100ft aisle runner from Michael's. i have ZERO idea why or what i shall do with it. i also got a little something in the mail -

and, as others on this forum have shared, there was much drama getting this darned card to begin with (apparently they think i live in afghanistan - but thats another story). so of course i go to log into disney honeymoons and...... the website is down. like it is every other 5 seconds. ok, whatever. sure is a cute gift card though and it comes in a great little card!

anywho, i got some inspiration for tweaking our invite format - here's what i've done (its a mock up using pieces of invites i've already used or printed on, and alot of cut and paste. just squint!) -

ok - this one is showing my new idea for stamping the march hare (or is the white rabbit? i don't really understand which is which. i guess its the rabbit - he's the "i'm late" one, right?? i've tinted it a bit with colored pencils. the polka dot-ty thing is just tissue paper. i've been looking for some kind of vellum sheets, but saw this today in the wrapping paper section of walgreens and thought "hmmmmm".... you can see a bit of the "info" card that will be attached to the folding envelope (got to pimp the basic Michael's DIY invites, right?) and a little bit of the thing i am thinking of doing for a table card saying a donation we will make in some loved one's names.

more of the donation card (its just on regular printer paper for now).

the invite and "info" card in more of a closeup. i took out the design i was trying out behind the lettering and kept the different fonts. then theres confetti. is confetti just a total no-no? i really am not going to put a gallon in each envelope. i swear.

finally, back to the aisle runner deal. my future hubby had scooped up all kinds of red and pink fabric petals on sale after valentines day (so cute!). we cant afford and don't think we need much decor at all at the WP. but looking at all the redbuds in bloom here today, i had a vision of maybe two big vases or urns (not like biblical hercules size) but maybe 2 vases with some "forced" branches in them? where the branches have the flower buds opening? like in pinks. its january after all, so it would be in season, and i thinki people have said things can be taken to the reception site as well? so branches with buds/pink flowers on either side of the alter area or alter (if there is one i guess i don't know if they strip all the furniture out then charge you piece by piece... ), but those and then the white, scroll-y aisle runner - possibly our date or initials at the foot of it? and all the petals!

whew! i'm exhausted!!

 

[sambycat]

and its time for another bridezilla freak out...

first off, i've run out of calories for the day and its 611pm. i am having my period. i have 47 zits and i am 43 years old.

i want this wedding to be how we want but not break the bank. i am wondering if it would be cheaper - or at least more bang for the same buck - to use an outside florist. our budget right now is probably around 14k (with tax). our floral/place settings aren't the biggest chunk, i think really the biggest chunk is getting married at the actual WP. if we weren't, that $$ could go other places, or maybe thats how everyone seems to be having more guests than we, have a cheaper event and more activities.

i'm kind of freaking.

this month we make the deposit and then we will really get to actualities, which will be a HUGE relief. but although i LOVE and am committed to our "alice/mad hatter tea party theme", when i look at some of the WDW pics, though i do LOVE the idea of all the colors, i think there is a "more" factor i want but i KNOW it will be way beyond what we can do. not that this ruins the wedding or anything like that, my mind is just churning.

i am sure you know what i mean!





and david tutera has odd taste in his own denim wear. hello????

 

[sambycat]

here is what happens when you are insane and crafting and live 2000 miles from your fiance....

• you spend 3 hours trying to figure out how to print out the monogram you have into a 2x3ft tiled image so that you may paint it onto the aforementioned aisle runner. but though you toil mightily, you cannot make the disparate pages print out in an exact size so that the design just wont match up. ARG. must go to kinkos....
• you do some printing and stamping and now have blackened fingers
• you double check the davids bridal to MAKE CERTAIN the dress that came in in a size smaller than what you ordered has indeed been reordered. and ask about dress measurements which you realized noone ever even suggested taking and fear that you will never EVER fit into your dress, of which you visited a likeness of whilst you were there
  

RSVP card making - reposition-able glue stick is your friend!

--

--

-- the finished product - only 7 million more parts to make!!! woohooo!!

spent time this week perusing the many planning journals. trying to cull some specifics i can learn from. contacted DFTW, i don't know how i am NOT keeping all these stupid dates straight, but i thought i was going to make a deposit this month. but i guess its 8 months from the wedding date? ug. thats two more months before i can start getting concrete answers??? ----> insert exploding emoticon here!!!! anyway, i went over the estimate letter and refigured some number based on what we knew we were changing and i am hoping that, even with 10 more guests and a sweet heart table we will still be closer to the under 13K (including all the taxes), potentially leaving a tiny tiny window for that confetti streamer thing (if its only the $500) and i am sure there has got to be something that can add to the ceiling area for no more than $500. something besides mickey balloons. sigh.

i get to go out and see my sweetie end of the month and we are making a very bizarre and quick trip to disneyland! i am super excited. his 41st birthday is next week - last week we had "tracefest" at WDW! he and i were there a week, his son was out for part of it and other friends... it was alot of fun. kind of a bummer we are not together on his actual birthday but we will make up for lost time when we finally get these two households merged!!!!!


and my dog is driving me insane at the moment. oy.

 

[SuzeQ]

I love the RSVP cards! Such a cute theme.

 

[sambycat]

I love the RSVP cards! Such a cute theme.

thanks for saying so!! tonite i am attempting to craft an aisle runner...

voila!

think i will just let everything dry now and get ready for bed.

on another note, my dress apparently is in. i know its not going to zip up so i am excited and not excited. and i am hungry.