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

[AllThingsMickey4]

Hey everyone!

I've been debating starting a Planning Journal for our Wishes wedding for a couple of months now.. so here it is! We are almost 8 months away now, so I've got a lot of catching up to do.

First, a little bit about us. We have been together for 7 years.. I was 15 and he was 17 when we first met. I don't really like explaining how we met because it's so boring and anticlimactic, but I guess it's necessary for our Wedding Planning Journal

Basically, I needed a date for my 10th grade winter formal. Chad had tried to talk to me over the summer, but I had a boyfriend at the time so I showed him no interest LOL. Fast forward to September when everyone was finding their dates to the dance and I remembered Chad, so I asked him and we started hanging out and the rest is history

Here's one of our first pictures together from that winter formal in 2010
Full disclosure: I was 15 in this picture and it is very embarrassing ​

And here is some of our engagement pictures from this past May taken by the fabulous Root photography.. spoiler alert they are our wedding photographers!!!










I couldn't pick just one
As you can tell.. we've came a long way (thank goodness!)
Now that the introductions are finished.. here are the details about the wedding day!

Ceremony: 9:30 AM at the Wedding Pavilion
Pre-reception and Reception: GM Lounge above Test Track

Epcot Dessert Party: UK Lochside
https://flic.kr/p/XE5sr2
Next up... Why a Disney Wedding and my not so lovely consultant experience ​

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Why a Disney Wedding and my not so lovely consultant experience

So I have a confession... I started planning our Disney wedding before we were officially engaged

We had previously discussed getting married in 2018 and we had been talking about a destination wedding for almost a year.. so it's not like it was completely unexpected. I picked April because it fell in the cheaper seasonal pricing (which has now been removed) and I picked the 28th because it was on a Saturday and far enough away from Easter to hopefully avoid those crowds, and it will be my parents' 28th wedding anniversary

I would have LOVED to have a Christmas time wedding (love the Christmas decorations at Disney), but my birthday is on Christmas Eve and both of my parents' birthdays are in December.. so my fiance said there was already too much going on in December

My dad has been telling people I'm going to get married in Disney since I was little.. we've been on at least 26 trips in 17 years, so my family was NOT surprised at all when I first told them I was planning a Disney Wedding

My fiance on the other hand has only been to Disney twice, the first time being with his family in 2015 and the second with me in May for our engagement pictures. He was NOT a fan after his trip in 2015 (they didn't make any ADRs or FP+s ) Well after introducing him to the heaven on earth that is Disney signature dining and the variety of drinks in World Showcase.. he is a Disney fan, so much so that we have a week long honeymoon booked after our wedding

Here's a pic of us on the morning our our PPO BOG breakfast reservation. We were the first people at the restaurant so we got a special introduction and got to dine with Lumiere. I think this is where the Disney tides turned for Chad.. he thought it was pretty cool getting to go into the park before everyone else.



My not so lovely consultant experience

So the months leading up to my one year mark were AWFUL. I seriously almost abandoned the whole idea of a Disney wedding. My consultant and I obviously did not click. I originally wanted the 2:30 PM WP slot with a reception at LSS and DP at Italy Isola West. About a month before my one year mark, my consultant told me there were a lot of couples requesting the 2:30 PM ceremony and the LSS. I decided to find a different reception venue b/c I wasn't all that thrilled with LSS anyway. So I decided on ADH, but my consultant told me I didn't have enough people and that it is usually used for groups of 100 or more (even though I've seen pictures of receptions in there with only 50 people). Then my choice was the GM Lounge.. but my consultant submitted the request and it was denied. Then it was a ballroom at the YC, oh but the whole YC is booked for a convention. Then I asked about a ballroom at the GF, but the only option I was given for my "group size" was the Whitehall Room. Finally, I ended up in a ballroom at the Contemporary.. which was absolutely NOT what I wanted. My requests to him for a more unique reception location were completely ignored. The one time I called him after our initial phone call he made it sound like he would rather have me email him.. so I think a lot was lost in translation.

We ended up with our second choice of ceremony time, 9:30 AM with a reception in a ballroom at the Contemporary and DP at UK Lochside (even though I told him I wanted Italy Isola West). I filled out a survey a couple of weeks later that I received asking me about my consultant experience. I expressed my disappointment in his ability to find me a unique reception space.

Well... a couple of weeks later my planner informed me that my request for the GM Lounge WAS approved
Now we will have this AMAZING view at our reception and I am so darn excited


https://flic.kr/p/XgmWqy
Next up... THE DRESS!!!!​

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

THE DRESS!!!!

From years of watching "Say Yes to the Dress," I thought I wanted a Lazaro gown.. and then I looked at the prices of some of the Lazaro ball gowns

I did some more research and found my love for Hayley Paige gowns... so whimsical and beautiful and exactly what I wanted! I live in a pretty small town in SC and the closest bridal salon that carries HP (and does alterations) is in Charleston, SC (about 3.5 hours from my town).

My family actually goes to Charleston for weekend getaways frequently, so I scooped up an appointment for a HP trunk show at the end of April... still before I was officially engaged

I had a feeling which gown would be "the one" before I even stepped in the salon, so I tried on my dream gown first and I knew immediately

Here she is in all her glory...





I got 10% off the dress and a cathedral length veil for FREE as part of the trunk show

I'm in LOVE with my dress.. and in 9 days I get to try it on again for my first fitting!! EEEKKKK!!!​

 

[lorimay]

Congratulations!!!

I saw your date and clicked on your post because April 28th will be my son and his new wife's 1st anniversary!!!
They have been together since they were juniors in high school, so I had to post here!!! They held there wedding in Ft Lauderdale where we live, it was a Friday of course and a perfect day.
Wishing you all the best and I will be following along!

P.S. Sorry about the consultant, glad it worked out for you.
My daughter had a Disney wedding in 2008, we were 50 people in ADH and it was fine!
They wouldn't give us Italy Isola either, we had The Terrace in England, it was beautiful.

Love your dress, Enjoy the planning!

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Congratulations!!!

I saw your date and clicked on your post because April 28th will be my son and his new wife's 1st anniversary!!!
They have been together since they were juniors in high school, so I had to post here!!! They held there wedding in Ft Lauderdale where we live, it was a Friday of course and a perfect day.
Wishing you all the best and I will be following along!

P.S. Sorry about the consultant, glad it worked out for you.
My daughter had a Disney wedding in 2008, we were 50 people in ADH and it was fine!
They wouldn't give us Italy Isola either, we had The Terrace in England, it was beautiful.

Love your dress, Enjoy the planning!

How neat!! The 28th seems to be a popular date! LOL.

Thank goodness my planner is AMAZING.. kind of makes up for the lackluster consultant experience. Still kind of sad about not getting ADH (love that they personalize the marquee!), but I'm glad we aren't at the Contemporary anymore! The UK terrace does look like it has an amazing fireworks view.. I'm just worried about it feeling crowded if we end up with 50 people

Thanks for reading!

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Deciding on Colors on a Theme

Deciding on our colors and "theme" was actually one of the hardest things for me to do. I am VERY left-brained (I just got my degree in Chemical Engineering ). I have absolutely NO artistic ability or ability to picture how things will look in my head. I basically need to be able to find a picture of EXACTLY what I want in order to know how it's going to look all put together.

Soooo after hours on Pinterest I found this bouquet picture that is exactly what I want for my colors and flowers (shades of pinks and peaches with greenery) and not a structured, round bouquet. I'm going for a Whimsical Garden Party look (I think )



I'm planning on showing this picture to the floral people at my planning session and telling them to make it look EXACTLY like this.. anyone had success in doing this?

For my ceremony, I want to combine the "Glamour" and "Romance" looks that were featured on the Disney Weddings blog recently



This is the "Glamour" look.. I plan on using this exact decor, but I also really like the aisle petals in the "Romance" look below:



Although, when I come back over budget (which I know I will) the aisle petals will probably be the first thing I cut, so I'm undecided on if I should even include them

Next up... Reception Floral and Decor
​

 

[UpstartCrow]

OH DANG, we wanted WP at 2:30 on April 28th too! And we didn’t get it either.

The GM Lounge looks AMAZING, wow. I had no idea that was even a thing. That view!

I’m going for a romantic/garden theme too, so I’ll be interested to hear what you wind up doing with floral and decor! I think we're pretty much going to set a budget and then ask what they can give us for that (and then go home and compare with outside vendors).

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

OH DANG, we wanted WP at 2:30 on April 28th too! And we didn’t get it either.

The GM Lounge looks AMAZING, wow. I had no idea that was even a thing. That view!

I’m going for a romantic/garden theme too, so I’ll be interested to hear what you wind up doing with floral and decor! I think we're pretty much going to set a budget and then ask what they can give us for that (and then go home and compare with outside vendors).

OMG that's crazy! Apparently there were a lot of couples wanting the WP at 2:30 on the 28th.. I wonder WHO got it

I found out about the GM Lounge from the Disney Wedding blog when they featured a wedding reception that was held there in February. That's the only wedding reception I've seen use the space. We didn't have a site visit so I haven't even seen it in person I'm hoping I might be able to see it during our planning session.

Yeah I'm super nervous about getting the pricing for all the floral and decor I want to do.. I know it's going to be way more than what I want to spend. Are you having an in-person planning session? Ours is October 30th.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Confirmed Vendors

I know, I know.. the next post was supposed to be about reception decor, but I realized I haven't listed the vendors I've already booked!

Photography: The Roots!! They were actually the first thing I booked for my wedding, even before I got my confirmed date and time from Disney

Videography: Switzerworld! After seeing that they will take video at your MK portrait session I was hooked.

Hair and Makeup: Stacie from Fairytale Hair and Makeup. I have a trial session with her while on our planning session trip. I usually like to be in control of my own hair and makeup.. so I'm actually kind of nervous about letting someone else do it

Officiant: Reverend Kevin Knox. I picked him from Disney's list of preferred vendors and it sounds like he has done a lot of Disney weddings

DJ: Charles Miles. I've seen good reviews of him on the boards so I'm pretty pumped about this

Other things we have added to our plans as of now:

Magic Kingdom and Epcot portrait sessions for the day after the wedding- This is expensive, but definitely a top priority for me

Cinderella's Coach- again, expensive but I've been dreaming about riding in that carriage since I was little

Mickey and Minnie- I'll have a good number of children at my wedding because a lot of my guests are turning the trip into a week long vacation, so I think this will be a cool surprise and a big "thank you" to my guests for traveling 570 miles for my wedding

Up Next... Reception Menu (and then maybe floral and decor)

​

 

[UpstartCrow]

OMG that's crazy! Apparently there were a lot of couples wanting the WP at 2:30 on the 28th.. I wonder WHO got it

I found out about the GM Lounge from the Disney Wedding blog when they featured a wedding reception that was held there in February. That's the only wedding reception I've seen use the space. We didn't have a site visit so I haven't even seen it in person I'm hoping I might be able to see it during our planning session.

Yeah I'm super nervous about getting the pricing for all the floral and decor I want to do.. I know it's going to be way more than what I want to spend. Are you having an in-person planning session? Ours is October 30th.

Yeah, apparently! I’m starting to be amazed we got anything at all, at this point, given how few options I gave them.

That’d be nice if they let you see it during the planning session, so you can get kind of a feel for the space. Hope it works out!

Are you allowed to hire outside vendors for your reception decor? I don’t remember what the rules are for “behind the scenes” in-park venues. If so, that might help you save some money. Our planning session is on October 13 (Friday the 13th- that’s definitely a good sign, right? ), so I’ll try to post any specific info/pricing I’m able to get then.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Yeah, apparently! I’m starting to be amazed we got anything at all, at this point, given how few options I gave them.

That’d be nice if they let you see it during the planning session, so you can get kind of a feel for the space. Hope it works out!

Are you allowed to hire outside vendors for your reception decor? I don’t remember what the rules are for “behind the scenes” in-park venues. If so, that might help you save some money. Our planning session is on October 13 (Friday the 13th- that’s definitely a good sign, right? ), so I’ll try to post any specific info/pricing I’m able to get then.

I was really glad we actually got something too! I literally only gave them one date and said I was okay with every ceremony time at the WP except 7:30 PM

I'm 99% sure we can't hire outside vendors for our location even though it's inside it's still considered a theme park location and in my new LOA I'm pretty sure it said all floral must be supplied by Disney. Although, I did ask my planner about bringing a custom bar sign and she said it was fine... sooo I'm not really sure what the boundaries are LOL

Anything you can post pricing wise after your planning session would be super helpful! And my fiancé was born on Friday the 13th so I'm sending good vibes

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Reception Menu

So I LOVE Disney food.. like really it is one of the main reasons why I go to Disney at least once a year. The reception menu is one of the first things I started looking at after I got my LOA. At first I was set on doing the "Design Your Own Buffet" Menu because it seemed like the easiest way to get everything we wanted (we agreed on a chicken, beef, and pasta entree and about four different sides all of which are mainly starches ) Well it was going to be around $110 per person to do 2 entrees, 4 sides, and add a Pasta Action Station.

I was flipping through the menus again one day and noticed how much food you get with the pre-designed brunch menus for a lot less than the design your own option. I liked the Briar Rose Menu, but wanted to add a chicken dish and replace the egg Station with a Mickey Waffle Bar (probably an unpopular opinion but I REALLY dislike the smell of eggs )

Anyway, this is what we came up with for our Brunch reception

Cocktail Hour ​

• Yogurt Parfait​
• Domestic Cheese Display with Grapes, Crackers, and Baguettes​
• Chef's Selection of Breakfast Breads and Pastries​

Brunch Reception
​

• Parmesan Crusted Chicken Marsala​
• Maple Ginger Lacquered Roasted Pork Loin​
• Pasta with Wild Mushrooms, Tomato Confit, Spinach and Asiago Cream Sauce --> this will be an Action Station​
• White Cheddar Baked Mac and Cheese​
• Cheddar Cheese Potato Gratin OR Yukon Gold Potatoes (will decide at menu tasting)​
• Seasonal Vegetables in Citrus Olive Oil​
• Brioche French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Whipped Cream​
• Mickey Waffle Action Station with Seasonal Fruit, Warm Fruit Compote, and Syrup​
• Hardwood Smoked Bacon​

All of this for $75 per person!! Which is only $3 more than the price of the menu before customization Although my fiancé did request the Manchego Cheese Grits, so I'll try those at the planning session and add them to the menu if they are good.

We are trying to stay as close to our F&B minimum as possible (luckily it's $125 for a brunch reception). The remaining $50 will be used toward the cake and alcoholic drinks.

I definitely want to do a BOC bar since we are having a brunch reception.. but I haven't decided if I'm going to do a full open bar with premium liquor or just a beer and wine bar. We are having two signature drinks named after our dogs, the La Vie en Rose Slush from the France booth at the Flower and Garden Festival and the Andalusian Nights drink from my fiancé's favorite restaurant- Spice Road Table. Mouthwatering pictures below:


"Milo's Sweet Pink Drink" (Milo is a boy but he is so sweet and loving we call him our Milo baby) $13.75++


"Chip's Carolina Sunset" (Chip can be a little fire ball, so this fits him well.. plus it incorporates our home state, South Carolina) $12.50++

So whatever open bar I decide to go with would be in addition to the signature cocktails. I want to go with the most cost effective option.. but the more I think about it the more I think the prices would come out about the same. Having a full open bar with premium liquor will probably increase the number of drinks, but people can generally put back A LOT more beer and wine than liquor (especially if that's their only choice).

Any suggestions or advice on which way to go would be greatly appreciated My parents basically just tell me it's up to me when I ask their opinion and my fiancé is mostly a beer drinker so he has already said it doesn't matter to him. I guess I'm just torn on if it's bad taste to ask my guests to drive 8 hours and then only offer two liquor drinks ​

​

Up Next.. A Picture Heavy Post about Reception Floral and Decor!!​

 

[Lynne G]

I'd do a full open bar, with premium liquor. That way, people may drink more, but at least all can have their favorite drink made for them, including plain wine and beer.

Love your dress, and the menu sounds lush.

What a cute story of how you met.

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

I'd do a full open bar, with premium liquor. That way, people may drink more, but at least all can have their favorite drink made for them, including plain wine and beer.

Love your dress, and the menu sounds lush.

What a cute story of how you met.

I think we will end up going with the full open bar.. especially after seeing the limited beer options on the drink menus. Plus, after getting the prices on our signature cocktails I'd rather pay the $10 for a premium cocktail instead of paying for a ton of signature cocktails that people might order just because those are the only liquor drinks available.

And thank you.. I'm so excited to try it on again in just 3 days! The sample dress was reallllllyyy beat up (holes in the sleeves and the skirt!) and did not fit me well at all, so it's going to be like trying it on for the first time!

It's been sooooo long since we've met.. I didn't realize how young we really were until I dug that old picture out. It really does feel like it was just yesterday!

 

[Lauren1027]

Following along! Absolutely love all your plans so far.

First off, I had Stacie for my park shoots (MK and Epcot as well), and you have nothing to be nervous about...she is fabulous! And so sweet too.

Second, we had a BOC bar. We were originally going to do beer and wine only in order to save money, but our planner actually told us that if we added liquor to the bar that in the end, we would probably end up saving money. Her reasoning for this is that if a non-beer drinker was given the choice between wine and liquor, they would usually choose a mixed liquor drink, which if you do non-premium, are cheaper than a glass of wine (plus they will most likely drink less mixed drinks, whereas if it was only wine, they would probably drink more). Her logic made sense to me and I wasn't opposed to mixed drinks so we ended up going that route and we still ended up getting a few hundred bucks back in the end, so I say add the liquor if you have the means!

Happy planning and can't wait to hear more

 

[UpstartCrow]

I was really glad we actually got something too! I literally only gave them one date and said I was okay with every ceremony time at the WP except 7:30 PM

I'm 99% sure we can't hire outside vendors for our location even though it's inside it's still considered a theme park location and in my new LOA I'm pretty sure it said all floral must be supplied by Disney. Although, I did ask my planner about bringing a custom bar sign and she said it was fine... sooo I'm not really sure what the boundaries are LOL

Anything you can post pricing wise after your planning session would be super helpful! And my fiancé was born on Friday the 13th so I'm sending good vibes

Aw, rats. Hahaha a question for your planning session, I guess (about the boundaries). I would think since it's inside/private, you'd be fine doing things like table numbers- they probably just don't want you hiring someone to set up a custom dance floor, or pin spotting, or something? Maybe? I guess?

Yeah, I'll try to get a post up quickly! (Apologies in advance if I fail to do this. )

I agree with everyone else that you're probably better off including premium liquor instead of just doing wine/beer. And your menu is making me hungry!

 

[MermaidFantasia]

I am so excited to see your planning from beginning to end. You have fabulous taste!

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Following along! Absolutely love all your plans so far.

First off, I had Stacie for my park shoots (MK and Epcot as well), and you have nothing to be nervous about...she is fabulous! And so sweet too.

Second, we had a BOC bar. We were originally going to do beer and wine only in order to save money, but our planner actually told us that if we added liquor to the bar that in the end, we would probably end up saving money. Her reasoning for this is that if a non-beer drinker was given the choice between wine and liquor, they would usually choose a mixed liquor drink, which if you do non-premium, are cheaper than a glass of wine (plus they will most likely drink less mixed drinks, whereas if it was only wine, they would probably drink more). Her logic made sense to me and I wasn't opposed to mixed drinks so we ended up going that route and we still ended up getting a few hundred bucks back in the end, so I say add the liquor if you have the means!

Happy planning and can't wait to hear more

That's good to hear about Stacie! I've seen her work on Facebook and I've loved everything she's done, so I'm sure she will do great. I was originally going to go with Patricia LeJeune after seeing all the positive reviews on the boards, but it's just me getting hair and makeup done so her minimum was just too much.

The logic about the liquor does make sense! I'm hoping that's what happens with our guests.. especially since it will be early in the morning.

Thanks for following along!!

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

Aw, rats. Hahaha a question for your planning session, I guess (about the boundaries). I would think since it's inside/private, you'd be fine doing things like table numbers- they probably just don't want you hiring someone to set up a custom dance floor, or pin spotting, or something? Maybe? I guess?

Yeah, I'll try to get a post up quickly! (Apologies in advance if I fail to do this. )

I agree with everyone else that you're probably better off including premium liquor instead of just doing wine/beer. And your menu is making me hungry!

Yeah it sounds like I might be able to provide my own table numbers, signage, etc. but I can't hire outside vendors like in a ballroom venue.

And it's completely okay if you don't get the post up quickly! I'm already slacking in my updating skills

My menu makes me hungry every time I look at it... especially when I look at the cake flavors and fillings for the millionth time

 

[AllThingsMickey4]

I am so excited to see your planning from beginning to end. You have fabulous taste!

Thank you so much!! I'm excited to have you along for the ride!!