Meredith & Chad, April 28 2018 Wishes, WP/GM Lounge/UK Lochside- WEDDING VIDEO

Italian Food and Wine vs. Beer Pairing (AKA Too Much Beer and Wine!!)

This was one of those special food and wine events that I booked way back in July (I think?) It kind of stinks that you pay in full at the time of booking because I really wasn't sure if I wanted to spend 3 hours in a restaurant on a beautiful afternoon.

We checked in at Via Napoli and were showed to our table for 6. Most of the tables except one were mixed parties. A solo diner that was sort of on the awkward side was sat with us (Not judging... I can be awkward too, but more on his awkwardness later)

Here's the menu (my fork was placed like this to let the host know I had a food restriction)

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Sooo many glasses!!

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The host, Wine sommelier, and beer connoisseur introduced themselves and soon the first course was brought out. I forgot to take a picture of this one, but it was an eggplant parmesan. I don't think I've ever had eggplant but it kind of reminded me of zucchini.. it was delicious nonetheless. We had a red wine and a medium colored beer with this course. The beer won this course for me.

Next was a pizza with fresh tomatoes, Basil, and some kind of special cheese that the host described as being "watery" but strong. It was soooo good I ate the whole thing. The beer with this course was my favorite beer of the tasting, so it was a winner here. We had another red wine with this course (I'm not a red wine fan)

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Next was the main course. It was supposed to be a beef dish cooked in the same red wine served with this course, but I don't eat beef so I requested some kind of chicken. I got chicken Parmesan with potatoes and it was delicious

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The wine won this course. The beer was too thick and dark for me.

Next was the cheese course (I love cheese by the way) The cheeses were really good and strong

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The wine was a clear winner again. This beer was very very bitter and who doesn't love wine with their cheese??

Finally we had the dessert course which was rice gelato with a chocolate cookie. It was great and had just the right sweetness.

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Of course you can see the wine was the winner!! This was the only glass I completely finished. It was a really sweet Moscato, which is my favorite. The beer was very thick and rich and tasted like chocolate.

Overall I had a good time and enjoyed the food, wine, and beer, but I don't think I would do this again anytime soon. It took up a lot of time that we could've spent snacking around at the booths. We spent the rest of the day at Epcot, but I was wayyyy too full to eat anything for the rest of the day

Up next... Christmas at the Magic Kingdom!!​
 
Christmas at the Magic Kingdom!!

I planned to spend the whole day on Friday at the Magic Kingdom hoping the Christmas decorations would be up by then. Most of the decorations were up, but I ended up seeing from pictures that the wreaths over Main Street and the tree were put up the next day.. so we just missed those :sad:

Anyway, the decorations that were up were gorgeous and I loved hearing the Christmas music on Main Street :flower1:

This picture shows the change in Holidays from Oct 29th to Nov 3rd:

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It was pretty cool getting to celebrate two Holidays in one week

More Christmas pictures:

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We ate at BOG for breakfast this morning.. the food was pretty good but not as good as it usually is (my Waffle was kind of soggy) but we got to ride SDMT at 8:45 and could've rode again before the park opened but we headed for Space Mountain instead.

We had just passed the Tea Cups when the fireworks at the castle went off signaling the opening of the park. We approached Tomorrowland and a CM told us we would have to go back to the front of the castle because the park wasn't opened. We asked if we could go to the bathroom and he said yes but it would be a few minutes before the park opened :confused:

By the time we walked in the bathroom and walked back out a sea of people had filled the line at Space Mountain :sad: We ended up with a 20 minute wait

After that we hit the Jingle Cruise!! We had a great Skipper and I loved the Christmas overlay and jokes. When we passed the hippos our Skipper said, "I know how to handle this... WE DONT HAVE ANYMORE MARBLES... I should be more specific when I tell Santa I want Hungry Hungry Hippos" :rotfl:I laughed sooo hard. I love their corny jokes!!

We rode some more rides and then hit the Plaza for lunch. I'm not a fan of the new menu at the Plaza, but my Club sandwich was filling and pretty good

The park was getting crazy crowded at this point (we saw a BIG increase in crowds at the parks and resorts on Friday) so we went back to the BC for a break

Up next... 1900 Park Fare and Happily Ever After Dessert Party!!​
 


1900 Park Fare and Happily Ever After Dessert Party

We took a Minnie Van from the BC to the GF to avoid having to take the monorail or boat from the MK. It took about 10 minutes to get connected with a driver (a testament to the increase in crowds due to the Marathon and upcoming Jersey week). Eventually we got one and were at the GF in around 15 minutes.. a trip that we normally would've had to allow an hour for. We checked in to 1900 Park Fare early and were sat almost immediately.

I was hesitant about doing this dinner again because last time it was SO CHAOTIC and Cinderella and Prince Charming didn't come around to the tables :(

This time was a better experience. It wasn't too crazy because we didn't have a large party beside us and Cinderella and Prince Charming came around this time. The characters were great and the food is better than most buffets in Disney


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We went back to the Magic Kingdom and rode a few rides before the fireworks. This was our first time doing the Garden View for the Happily Ever After fireworks and I liked it A LOT better than the Terrace view. We were able to eat our desserts right when the party started and then left and rode more rides and came back around 8:30 to get a spot in the garden. We leaned against the back rail and once the show started everyone pushed to the front, so we barely had anyone in front of us

Here are some pictures from the Garden:

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I absolutely LOVE this show and could watch it every night. Illuminations has always been my favorite, but this show beats it. I wish Disney offered some kind of Happily Ever After private viewing for wedding receptions

 
Loving all your pictures and reading about the wedding details. Is there a fee for the planning session? Just curious - my dd would like a Disney wedding. Started reading/browsing. Of course, we know we have the expense of going down for it - but did not know if this was a separate charge.........so many details. TIA
 
Loving all your pictures and reading about the wedding details. Is there a fee for the planning session? Just curious - my dd would like a Disney wedding. Started reading/browsing. Of course, we know we have the expense of going down for it - but did not know if this was a separate charge.........so many details. TIA

There is no charge for the planning session itself! You get to choose 8 menu items for your menu tasting and 4 cake flavors and fillings. Definitely be sure to block off most of the day for the planning session and menu tasting.. mine took around 6 hours.
 


Life Update

It feels like FOREVER since my last update.. I honestly haven't done much with the wedding since. We've been sooo busy trying to get into our house and we FINALLY finished the renovations and moved in on New Years Eve!! Hopefully I can share some before and after pictures when I get time. I'm so proud of what we did (even though it almost caused us to get a divorce before we even got married :P) Seriously if you can make it through a whole home renovation with your spouse you can make it through anything.

We got our BEO the day before Thanksgiving which wasn't such a nice way to start the holiday LOL I mean I knew it was going to be expensive because I used the planning session to let them know anything and everything I was interested in... but holy cow let's just say the estimated budget was double what I expect to spend :scared:

So I've spent a couple of hours crunching numbers and figuring out what to cut to get this budget cut in half. Right now it's looking like we are going to cut the open bar which will save us almost $3000 (and it's a brunch reception anyway so the alcohol isn't a big deal), a Deluxe greens package at the reception ($3125), Bloody Mary's and Mimosas at the prereception ($1000), and possibly Cinderella's coach :sad:

I really do want the glass coach sooo bad but it's gone up to $3200 (thought it was under $3000 before my planning session) and I just don't think I can justify a 10 minute or less experience for $3200. My fiancé would probably rather ride in a vintage car anyway and I do like that classic look, so we will probably have to switch to that.

Most of the rest of the money saved is going to hopefully come from our decrease in guest count. We have a 50 guest count limit but it's looking like we are going to have MAYBE 30 people at the most. Which is fine with me because each person is so expensive by the time you add in transportation, reception meal cost, dessert party cost, fireworks viewing view, etc.

Future brides: Just know that this stuff they suggest and mention during your planning session adds up extremely fast!!

And I just received news today that my planner has taken a new role in the Disney company so now I have a new planner :sad: Which honestly sucks since I already had my planning session with my old planner. Hopefully the transition is smooth and everything goes well on the wedding day...

Anyway, I'm catching back up on all this wedding stuff and refreshing myself of what still needs to be done so I'll be updating more frequently as these things get done!​
 
When you did your planning session would they tell you the cost of anything? I don't really know flowers and stuff and would like something pretty, but I have expensive taste and know I'll end up picking the most expensive if they don't tell me. Can I ask them for only the least expensive flowers? I don't really want to be surprised when we get the final numbers and if they could give me estimated costs on things it would help.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning, you might have noticed me asking a million questions on the wedding board. Reading through your planning is very helpful.
 
There is no charge for the planning session itself! You get to choose 8 menu items for your menu tasting and 4 cake flavors and fillings. Definitely be sure to block off most of the day for the planning session and menu tasting.. mine took around 6 hours.

Thank you - good to know.
 
Life Update

It feels like FOREVER since my last update.. I honestly haven't done much with the wedding since. We've been sooo busy trying to get into our house and we FINALLY finished the renovations and moved in on New Years Eve!! Hopefully I can share some before and after pictures when I get time. I'm so proud of what we did (even though it almost caused us to get a divorce before we even got married :P) Seriously if you can make it through a whole home renovation with your spouse you can make it through anything.

We got our BEO the day before Thanksgiving which wasn't such a nice way to start the holiday LOL I mean I knew it was going to be expensive because I used the planning session to let them know anything and everything I was interested in... but holy cow let's just say the estimated budget was double what I expect to spend :scared:

So I've spent a couple of hours crunching numbers and figuring out what to cut to get this budget cut in half. Right now it's looking like we are going to cut the open bar which will save us almost $3000 (and it's a brunch reception anyway so the alcohol isn't a big deal), a Deluxe greens package at the reception ($3125), Bloody Mary's and Mimosas at the prereception ($1000), and possibly Cinderella's coach :sad:

I really do want the glass coach sooo bad but it's gone up to $3200 (thought it was under $3000 before my planning session) and I just don't think I can justify a 10 minute or less experience for $3200. My fiancé would probably rather ride in a vintage car anyway and I do like that classic look, so we will probably have to switch to that.

Most of the rest of the money saved is going to hopefully come from our decrease in guest count. We have a 50 guest count limit but it's looking like we are going to have MAYBE 30 people at the most. Which is fine with me because each person is so expensive by the time you add in transportation, reception meal cost, dessert party cost, fireworks viewing view, etc.

Future brides: Just know that this stuff they suggest and mention during your planning session adds up extremely fast!!

And I just received news today that my planner has taken a new role in the Disney company so now I have a new planner :sad: Which honestly sucks since I already had my planning session with my old planner. Hopefully the transition is smooth and everything goes well on the wedding day...

Anyway, I'm catching back up on all this wedding stuff and refreshing myself of what still needs to be done so I'll be updating more frequently as these things get done!​

Congratulations on your house and moving in!!!

When yo pick/choose what you want - you do have a price list there and then, Yes?

If you have a dessert party = is this in a park? & if so, do your guest have to have a park admission ticket? (silly question?).

We are hoping to have a plated dinner (later time 7:30 pm) - cake and some desserts and maybe no need to have an extra dessert party????

I don't know just thoughts going through our head.
Bummer you have a new planner now - hope it all goes well
Looking forward to more of your updates too!!
 
When you did your planning session would they tell you the cost of anything? I don't really know flowers and stuff and would like something pretty, but I have expensive taste and know I'll end up picking the most expensive if they don't tell me. Can I ask them for only the least expensive flowers? I don't really want to be surprised when we get the final numbers and if they could give me estimated costs on things it would help.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning, you might have noticed me asking a million questions on the wedding board. Reading through your planning is very helpful.

As far as I can remember they did not tell me the cost of anything during the planning session. I did express interest in certain ceremony decor before the planning session (in my planning kit actually) and my floral manager came prepared with a handout listing the price of some of those specific items. My floral manager was pretty good about telling me what was realistic.. for example I showed her an inspiration picture of a bouquet with a dahlia in it and she said she would use a different kind of flower because dahlias wouldn't be in season in April.

I'm sure if you ask they can tell you relative costs of certain items, but I know some of the things (like the cake) they have to talk with other departments to get the price.

I panicked when I first got my BEO after my planning session... I'm working on reducing it now LOL. If you have any questions about the pricing of certain floral items I can share! I was definitely not expecting some of these elements to be as expensive as they are!
 
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Congratulations on your house and moving in!!!

When yo pick/choose what you want - you do have a price list there and then, Yes?

If you have a dessert party = is this in a park? & if so, do your guest have to have a park admission ticket? (silly question?).

We are hoping to have a plated dinner (later time 7:30 pm) - cake and some desserts and maybe no need to have an extra dessert party????

I don't know just thoughts going through our head.
Bummer you have a new planner now - hope it all goes well
Looking forward to more of your updates too!!

They don't provide a price list during the planning session. They advise you to use the planning session as the "blue sky session" where you talk about anything you might be even remotely interested in. I took this approach to the session and I'm not sure I would recommend it. I had some major sticker shock when I got my BEO and began cutting things immediately.. for example I thought a watercolor artist would be cool.. but not for $1300!! So that was cut immediately. If you do some research you can find the price of some items before the planning session, just so you have an idea.

They are currently offering dessert parties in Epcot and Hollywood Studios (during Illuminations in Epcot and Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios). In Epcot you can rent certain areas in some Pavilions where your group can enjoy a buffet menu of your choosing and watch the fireworks. In HS you rent the area at the back of the Fantasmic stadium.

You nor your guests need a park ticket to attend the dessert party, but there is a $10/person "fireworks viewing fee"

One cool idea I've read about is some brides using the "dessert party" as their prereception (works best for a 7:30 PM ceremony time I think). Or you can have the dessert party as a welcome reception the day before the wedding!

A lot of my guests have never been to Disney or haven't been in over 15 years, so the dessert party is about giving my guests the full experience knowing a lot of them might not be back for a while.

Let me know if you have any other questions!!
 
They don't provide a price list during the planning session. They advise you to use the planning session as the "blue sky session" where you talk about anything you might be even remotely interested in. I took this approach to the session and I'm not sure I would recommend it. I had some major sticker shock when I got my BEO and began cutting things immediately.. for example I thought a watercolor artist would be cool.. but not for $1300!! So that was cut immediately. If you do some research you can find the price of some items before the planning session, just so you have an idea.

They are currently offering dessert parties in Epcot and Hollywood Studios (during Illuminations in Epcot and Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios). In Epcot you can rent certain areas in some Pavilions where your group can enjoy a buffet menu of your choosing and watch the fireworks. In HS you rent the area at the back of the Fantasmic stadium.

You nor your guests need a park ticket to attend the dessert party, but there is a $10/person "fireworks viewing fee"

One cool idea I've read about is some brides using the "dessert party" as their prereception (works best for a 7:30 PM ceremony time I think). Or you can have the dessert party as a welcome reception the day before the wedding!

A lot of my guests have never been to Disney or haven't been in over 15 years, so the dessert party is about giving my guests the full experience knowing a lot of them might not be back for a while.

Let me know if you have any other questions!!

Thank you so much - all really helpful.

My dd and I definitely have an idea of the prices for 2017. We saw the website and another poster here (lurkyloo - thank you) has been very helpful also directing me to more pricing, etc.

I did mention to my dd that say the brides bouquet starts at $250 - she/we have no idea what they are giving you for that price. She might want something she likes and it's $500 - so prices can start adding up fast. As of now - if we have a choice, we were thinking of a ceremony say 5:30 with a plated dinner at 7:30 - I would think the reception is at least four hours so no need for a dessert party but maybe throw in extra desserts besides the cake? Things add up so fast. I know we would want the open bar also for the during of the reception.

You listed transportation - and I saw this also - I am guessing everyone hires a bus to pick up their guests at their respective resorts? (3 of them? value, mod and Deluxe if that is where they are staying?) is this only a one way to the ceremony? and do they take you also to the reception if not near by? It seems that you tell them everything that you think you want and when you get your BEO (exactly what does this stand for?) - 12 months before, you decide if you want it all or starting cutting like you are doing. Once you are satisfied - you sign the agreement? Sorry for all the questions. I/we want to be prepared as much as possible so we are not in complete shock or surprise.

You have been very helpful. Thank you.
 
Thank you so much - all really helpful.

My dd and I definitely have an idea of the prices for 2017. We saw the website and another poster here (lurkyloo - thank you) has been very helpful also directing me to more pricing, etc.

I did mention to my dd that say the brides bouquet starts at $250 - she/we have no idea what they are giving you for that price. She might want something she likes and it's $500 - so prices can start adding up fast. As of now - if we have a choice, we were thinking of a ceremony say 5:30 with a plated dinner at 7:30 - I would think the reception is at least four hours so no need for a dessert party but maybe throw in extra desserts besides the cake? Things add up so fast. I know we would want the open bar also for the during of the reception.

You listed transportation - and I saw this also - I am guessing everyone hires a bus to pick up their guests at their respective resorts? (3 of them? value, mod and Deluxe if that is where they are staying?) is this only a one way to the ceremony? and do they take you also to the reception if not near by? It seems that you tell them everything that you think you want and when you get your BEO (exactly what does this stand for?) - 12 months before, you decide if you want it all or starting cutting like you are doing. Once you are satisfied - you sign the agreement? Sorry for all the questions. I/we want to be prepared as much as possible so we are not in complete shock or surprise.

You have been very helpful. Thank you.

My bouquet was quoted at $450 for this inspiration picture. I told my florist I wanted it to be full and less structured than a traditional bouquet of roses. The floral prices definitely add up faster than I thought. I originally wanted floral topped candelabras for the ceremony, but was quoted $3600 for 6 candelabras with flowers on top. I almost had a heart attack LOL. So I decided to go with 8 floral and greenery wrapped candelabras which comes up to $1200. I will most likely have these moved to the reception as decor instead of paying $3500 for a deluxe greens package (10 7'-9' ficus trees with twinkle lights). I was quoted $1000 for a custom aisle runner for the ceremony, which I will most likely cut as well because even though I love the look, $1000 is a lot for a piece of cloth LOL. I will most likely post my original BEO (Banquet Event Order) and the revised one once I get the changes sent to my planner (waiting for the phone call tomorrow with my new planner) so that everyone can see the prices.

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Transportation really depends on how many guest you have and where your ceremony and reception are located. If you are having a reception in a park you HAVE to hire backstage transportation (since your guests aren't required to have park tickets). This is usually in the form of a chartered bus (like a Magical Express or Disney Cruise Line bus). I'm using a chartered bus to pick my guests up at POFQ and the BC, transport them to the ceremony, transport them backstage Epcot for the reception, and take them back to their resorts after the reception. The bus will also be available for early departures at the top of each hour. This adds up to 8 hours and will cost $924 (I think there is a 5 hour minimum for bus charters). The transportation can get confusing, but your planner will handle making sure you have the right amount of transportation. It is your responsibility to communicate the transportation schedule to your guests (i.e. what time to be where).

You won't get your first BEO until after your planning session, which cannot be held any earlier than 6 months prior to the wedding date (I had mine 6 months to the day LOL). So if you want more time to decide what to cut or add, ask for a planning session that is as close as possible to the 6 month mark. Your BEO can be revised as many times as you want. From what I understand you send your planner the revisions you want made, she sends a revised copy, and you have to send a signed copy of the BEO no later than 30 days prior to your wedding (30 days is also when the final payment is due).
 
My bouquet was quoted at $450 for this inspiration picture. I told my florist I wanted it to be full and less structured than a traditional bouquet of roses. The floral prices definitely add up faster than I thought. I originally wanted floral topped candelabras for the ceremony, but was quoted $3600 for 6 candelabras with flowers on top. I almost had a heart attack LOL. So I decided to go with 8 floral and greenery wrapped candelabras which comes up to $1200. I will most likely have these moved to the reception as decor instead of paying $3500 for a deluxe greens package (10 7'-9' ficus trees with twinkle lights). I was quoted $1000 for a custom aisle runner for the ceremony, which I will most likely cut as well because even though I love the look, $1000 is a lot for a piece of cloth LOL. I will most likely post my original BEO (Banquet Event Order) and the revised one once I get the changes sent to my planner (waiting for the phone call tomorrow with my new planner) so that everyone can see the prices.

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Transportation really depends on how many guest you have and where your ceremony and reception are located. If you are having a reception in a park you HAVE to hire backstage transportation (since your guests aren't required to have park tickets). This is usually in the form of a chartered bus (like a Magical Express or Disney Cruise Line bus). I'm using a chartered bus to pick my guests up at POFQ and the BC, transport them to the ceremony, transport them backstage Epcot for the reception, and take them back to their resorts after the reception. The bus will also be available for early departures at the top of each hour. This adds up to 8 hours and will cost $924 (I think there is a 5 hour minimum for bus charters). The transportation can get confusing, but your planner will handle making sure you have the right amount of transportation. It is your responsibility to communicate the transportation schedule to your guests (i.e. what time to be where).

You won't get your first BEO until after your planning session, which cannot be held any earlier than 6 months prior to the wedding date (I had mine 6 months to the day LOL). So if you want more time to decide what to cut or add, ask for a planning session that is as close as possible to the 6 month mark. Your BEO can be revised as many times as you want. From what I understand you send your planner the revisions you want made, she sends a revised copy, and you have to send a signed copy of the BEO no later than 30 days prior to your wedding (30 days is also when the final payment is due).

This is all so helpful......you have no idea :) $1,000 for the runner........crazy!!!!! Definitely looking forward to all your pictures and expenses (even private if you don't want to post here). We are looking/thinking 11/5 or 6/2019. So May 5/6/2019 for the planning session would be perfect (which is when DH and I were planning going down) - dd and Fiance can come same time and we can all be there - (or can we, the parents attend?). I need to write all this stuff down!!!!!
 
This is all so helpful......you have no idea :) $1,000 for the runner........crazy!!!!! Definitely looking forward to all your pictures and expenses (even private if you don't want to post here). We are looking/thinking 11/5 or 6/2019. So May 5/6/2019 for the planning session would be perfect (which is when DH and I were planning going down) - dd and Fiance can come same time and we can all be there - (or can we, the parents attend?). I need to write all this stuff down!!!!!

You can have up to 4 people (including the couple) at the planning session. So yes, parents can attend :)
 
Reflecting on the Planning Session

I decided I would do a quick post detailing what I wish I would've done and what I'm glad I did for my planning session in the hopes it will help someone in the future. I know when I went into my planning session I really wasn't sure what to expect or how much to prepare.. so hopefully I can save someone else (a little) bit of stress in the future!

What I'm Glad I Did:

  1. I'm SOOOO I happy I spent hours researching past Disney weddings and organizing my Pinterest boards!! Yes, this is your "planning" session, but you want to have some elements planned or at least have an idea of what you want before the session. There is A LOT to talk about and even with all of my preplanning my menu tasting and session lasted around 6 hours! Definitely try to have a "vision" for your wedding before the planning session, it will make deciding on certain elements a lot easier.. for example start thinking about your napkin color, texture, and fold so you aren't wasting 30 minutes trying to figure out what will look good with your overall theme/vision.
  2. Print off inspiration pictures! For your bouquet, cake, reception table, sweetheart table, ceremony decor, etc. Anything you want a specific look for. I showed my florist inspiration pictures for pretty much everything and it made it a lot easier for her to show me what she could do that was similar.
  3. Bring color swatches for your wedding "colors". I ordered color swatches from the Dessy Group. There's probably a cheaper option, but I wanted the Pantone swatches and wasn't sure where else to get them. Also, dont stress about narrowing your wedding colors down to three colors (i.e a main, secondary, and accent colors). I thought my florist would think I was crazy when I pulled out 6 color swatches but she said they were very complimentary and that it was fine.
  4. Bring a pen and something to write on. I've been keeping a notebook since I started the planning process where I write down stuff I told my planner, things I still need to tell my planner or things I need to do, etc. You can also start a list of questions in this notebook so that you will have all your questions for the planning session in one place. It was also useful to be able to write down any modifications we made the day of so I could look for those updated details in the BEO. Remember you won't get your BEO until weeks after your planning session (mine took about a month), so you want to make sure you don't forget any of the small details you and your planner talked about.
What I Wish I Would've Done Differently:

  1. This was sort of out of my control, but I wish my fiancé and I could have attended the planning session by ourselves. My fiancé couldn't get off from work, so he didn't attend and my family (parents and sister) attended instead. My parents are paying for the wedding so of course they have every right to attend, but their opinions were sort of overwhelming. I started tearing up during the menu tasting because my parents and sister were all giving their opinions about the food, and then my planner was looking at me for my opinion on the food and the chef was also there waiting for my opinion. Some of the food I didn't like, but my family would try it and start gushing over how good it was, so I felt like I couldn't be the negative Nancy and tell the Chef what I thought. I ended up telling my planner to remove some of the stuff later, but I wish I would've been more honest with him in person. Definitely just be honest with the Chef about the food. He is there to make something you like and don't let anyone else's opinions influence yours.
  2. The menu tasting goes by pretty fast. The Chef and my planner were talking to me a lot and I felt like I didn't get to taste as much of the food as I wanted, so just try to take it all in.
  3. This might only apply to my situation, but don't let the Chef talk you into something you don't want at your reception. Our Chef made a couple of extra dishes that I didn't ask for, which was nice, but I'm on a tight budget with the buffet menu and didn't want to spend extra money on cheeseburger rolls (I don't eat red meat) or a liquid nitrogen action station. He pushed the cheeseburger rolls so hard and my family loved them so I said yes, but told my planner later that day to remove them.
  4. If you are having a dessert party you can try dessert as one of your menu tasting items. I wish I would've tried one of my dessert options just to get a feel for the quality.
  5. It is a LONG DAY of planning. You will make a lot of decisions and will likely feel overwhelmed. Try to stay focused though and remember that this is your only chance to plan in person. I still had a couple of questions for my florist at the end of my session, but it had been almost 6 hours and my family was ready to go. I wish I would've finished asking my questions though because my florist does a lot of events and I've only heard from her once since the planning session.
  6. I'm sort of torn on this, but I wish I wouldn't have used the planning session as the "blue sky" session. Yes I can always remove stuff, but it does make you panic to get a BEO that is double your original budget. Then you have to comb through 10 or more pages to see how much each element cost and then figure out what to cut. Try to keep your planning in line with your budget (i.e. don't ask for a watercolor artist for $1300 like me LOL :rotfl:Oh and twinkle trees cost $3500 for 10 :eek:)
More wedding details coming soon!!!​
 
Our Final Reception and Dessert Party Menus

So everyone LOVES food, right? Especially Disney food. So I thought I'd start the "final detail" posts with the food and dessert party menus! (Also because these are basically the only things set in stone right now LOL). So here is the final reception menu straight from my BEO:

Pre-Reception 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Included in Price of Brunch Buffet

Fresh Fruit Display with Honey Yogurt Dip
Premium Cheese Display with Grapes, Crackers, and Baguette
Chef's Selection of Breakfast Breads and Pastries
Coffee, Iced Tea and a Selection of Hot Tea

BOC Mimosas: Domain St Michelle and Orange Juice $9.00 each
BOC Blood Mary: Svedka Vodka, Blood Mary Mix $9.00 each
**I might nix both of these or just keep the mimosas**

BOC La Vie en Rose Slush (Frozen): Grey Goose Vodka, Orange Juice, St. Germain Liquor, and Cranberry Juice frozen in a slushy machine $13.75
BOC Andalusian Nights from Spice Road Table: Apricot Brandy, Myer's Rum, Orange Juice, and Pina Colada Mix $12.50

Brunch Buffet 11:45 AM -1:15 PM
Price $72 per Guest (++)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Marsala
Action Station: Baked White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with toppings of shredded beef, chicken, broccoli, shredded cheddar, chives, bacon, and parmesan cheese
Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Tomatoes (Chef's Suggestion)
Cheddar Cheese Shredded Potato Gratin made with Smoked Bacon Bits
Seasonal Vegetables Tossed with Citrus Olive Oil and Sea Salt
Manchego Cheese Grits
Brioche French Toast with Caramelized Bananas Foster and Caramelized Peaches and Whipped Cream
Action Station: Mickey Waffle Bar, cooked on stage with Seasonal Berries, Warm Fruit Compote, Maple Syrup and Whipped Cream
Croissants and Hard Rolls with Butter, Jams, and Preserves
Coffee, Iced Tea, and Selection of Hot Teas

BOC La Vie en Rose Slush (Frozen): Grey Goose Vodka, Orange Juice, St. Germain Liquor, and Cranberry Juice frozen in a slushy machine $13.75
BOC Andalusian Nights from Spice Road Table: Apricot Brandy, Myer's Rum, Orange Juice, and Pina Colada Mix $12.50

I had a really cool bar sign made for these two specialty drinks (we are naming them after our dogs)

**We have decided not to have an open or a package bar. We had a package premium bar in our original BEO and it came to $1880 for 40 guests (not including tax or service charge). We will just be having our two speciality drinks that will be billed per drink and possibly mimosas at the cocktail hour**​
 

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