Meredith & Matt's PJ-June 19th, 2011 Germany/LSS - Completed TR and Blog Feature!

[pixie921]

We're married!!!! The day was so much fun and worry free! Our planner Amy was amazing and Regina and Amy were awesome!!!! All I did was wake up and left if up to our photographers and Amy to get us through the day. We couldn't have asked for a better day and we hope our guests had as much fun as we did.

I'm posting on my iPhone so it's a little hard but I just want to say Mickey and Minnie were awesome...well worth working them in to the budget. Oh and I cant wait to post pics of our cake!!

Now we just get to have fun in the parks for the next week!

Congratulations!! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

[KristiLyn]

Congrats!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!!

 

[BecBennett]

oooh! I want to see pictures of this cake!

 

[pinkfairy1684]

Congratulations!!! Can't wait to read all about your big day!

 

[irishwishes]

We're back from Disney....happy we're married, sad we had to leave We had the most amazing time with both our families and wouldn't have changed a thing. Our families got some awesome picks from the wedding day and I just need to same them to my computer. I was also posting on facebook during the whole trip and especially the day of. We were getting messages from our family and friends all day who couldn't be there but were following along on facebook. I know it seems kinda corny to be posting on facebook on your wedding day but people were loving it!

So I guess I should start with my Glad I Dids.....

1. Had a DFTW! It was amazing and I felt sooooo special the whole time we were there. I was able to relax and just have a ton of fun the whole wedding weekend. I knew Amy was there for anything that could have happened. I feel like the luckiest person knowing that I was able to be a Disney Bride. It was amazing and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

2. Getting married in Epcot. It was a really early morning but it was awesome! I had to get up at 4am but it only made my wedding day last longer and I didn't have to wait around to get anything started! It was off to the races first thing in morning and it didn't end until Magic Kingdom closed that night! It was so serene to have the World Showcase to ourselves that morning. We got a ton of awesome pictures and the wedding party was having so much fun being there alone. We were even able to get some pictures in Italy after the ceremony before we went off to the reception. It was like having our own Epcot photoshoot without having to get up early another day

3. Not seeing the LSS before the reception. DH and I weren't able to see the LSS before our wedding because there was a party there during our PS. We were just basing everything off pictures we had seen. I REALLY liked leaving it a surprise because it was something new to look forward too!

4. Chef's Choice wedding cake. We told Amy we wanted a World Showcase theme mad hatter cake and the rest was up to the chef! It turned out better than we could have imagined. The chef's are WAY more creative than the DH and I could ever be and it was just another surprise for us.

5. Mickey and Minnie. I wish we had video of everyone's face when they came in. People at that point were just kind of sitting around digesting their meal. Then Mickey and Minnie came in and everyone turned into a kid! Everyone was up and wanting to dance with them. It was great!

6. Had an early reception. It gave everyone a chance to get back to their rooms for a break before the evening events. We were able to change and relax for a bit before heading back to Epcot.

7. Drank around the world instead of a DP. I had been going back and forth about not having a DP and wondering if I would regret it. But boy did we have WAY more fun drinking around the world. We had SOOOO much more time in Epcot with everyone and not secluded to one spot. We were able to walk around at our own pace and really get to spend a ton of time with all of our friends. I feel like it was so much more relaxed and there was no structure.

8. Went to Magic Kingdom that night. It was such a nice ending to our day. I wanted to wedding day to last forever and it was a nice wind down. There was a group of about 12 of us that went and we got to ride all the cool rides together. My one friend from college and her husband came out from California to the wedding and I loved being able to spend more time with her. It was like we were hanging out in college again and having a blast.

That's all I can think of right now. As for my reviews, I don't have a bad one to tell. Every person we came in contact with gets an A+++. Everyone was absolutely amazing.

Amy Reindeau - I wish everyone could have her as a planner. I can't say enough great things about her and I could ramble on forever. I'll spare everyone though. I LOVE her!

Jack Day - awesome, funny, makes you feel so special. Don't worry if he doesn't respond to your emails. He will be there for your rehearsal and wedding day and make you feel like he's known you all your life

Elizabeth Sutton - amazing, everything looked beautiful and I wouldn't have changed anything!

DPS - I know people have some bad reviews about DPS but Amy and Regina were awesome. They work so well together and make you feel so relaxed. They even bustled my dress for me! I wish I could have spent all day with them. We were sent some sneak peeks and from what I saw our pics couldn't have turned out better. I could ramble on about them all day too.

Personal Floral - I used Plumerias Wedding Boutique. I ordered the flowers online and I think they looked great. Regina commented that it was one of the best fake bouquets she's seen. My guests thought they were real. Oh and the best compliment I got was from a bee. It came up to my bouquet and tried to pollinate it while we were taking pictures...hahahahah I think that was a good sign that they looked real.

Beaute Speciale - They were upbeat, cheerful and did an amazing job. I loved my hair and it stayed all day and ever through the night. We didn't end our night until 2am and my hair looked the same as it did in the morning. My bridesmaids and I did our own makeup so I cant really review on that.

I think that's really in for the vendors. Since my wedding was inside the park we went through Disney for everything. OH and I should mention our food was delicious. I think my dad went up for 5 plates! HAHAHAHA

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

i can't wait to see pictures!! especially of the cake!!

 

[donald&daisy]

Oh I'm so glad everything turned out awesome!!! I can't wait for the details, yay!

 

[pinkfairy1684]

I can't wait to see pictures!!!!!!!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Awesome! I can't wait for pictures either!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

I can't wait to hear about it all! I'm so glad you had such an amazing time! I totally agree with Epcot....it is so weird, but so special, to have the place to yourself for your wedding in the am. I felt like a celebrity...and I am sure you did too I can't wait to see your cake. We also told the bakery to do whatever they wanted, we just said Mad Hatter, and we loved ours, and like you, we also saw our reception place for the first time when we arrived on our wedding day. It made the day more exciting as you see these places in pictures while you are planning, and than are finally there!

I saw some of your pics on FB...I need to see more! You two looked so amazing, and so happy! Congrats again

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Congrats, can't wait to see all your pictures! It sounds like you had an amazing day!

 

[irishwishes]

i can't wait to see pictures!! especially of the cake!!

Thanks! I'll try to post some time this weekend but with it being a holiday we'll be down the shore with my family. I def get some up Tuesday though!

Oh I'm so glad everything turned out awesome!!! I can't wait for the details, yay!

Thanks!!

I can't wait to see pictures!!!!!!!

I'm getting all the pics organized so I can start the good stuff next week

Awesome! I can't wait for pictures either!

I can't wait to hear about it all! I'm so glad you had such an amazing time! I totally agree with Epcot....it is so weird, but so special, to have the place to yourself for your wedding in the am. I felt like a celebrity...and I am sure you did too I can't wait to see your cake. We also told the bakery to do whatever they wanted, we just said Mad Hatter, and we loved ours, and like you, we also saw our reception place for the first time when we arrived on our wedding day. It made the day more exciting as you see these places in pictures while you are planning, and than are finally there!

I saw some of your pics on FB...I need to see more! You two looked so amazing, and so happy! Congrats again

Epcot was really awesome. I'm glad someone else had the same experience as us. The way I described it really doesn't do it justice.

Oh good! I'm glad you got to see some on facebook! Vicki messaged me a little bit ago and said I should friend you. She mentioned something about doing a disbride meet sometime next year!

Congrats, can't wait to see all your pictures! It sounds like you had an amazing day!

Thanks!!

If anyone wants to check out some pics on facebook before I get them up just PM and I'll request you as a friend!

 

[irishwishes]

So we left EARLY in the morning the Friday before the wedding. We were taking the first Southwest flight out of Philly at 5:45am. There were 22 people on our group flight so I was pretty excited to meet up with everyone at the airport and get going. A huge storm woke me up in about a half hour before my alarm was suppose go off so I just laid there listened to the storm until I decided to roll out of bed. We had to pack a few last things in the van before we left (MY DRESS) and then we were off! It was still pouring down rain on the way to the airport and my dad's defroster doesn't work. So there I am driving 8 of us to the airport with a paper towel in my hand trying to wipe the windshield. Needless to say I looked ridiculous haha!!! We got there safe so that's what counts

We got through security fast and then headed to our gate. And to my surprise my one friend and her boyfriend were sitting at the gate waiting for everyone!! I didn't think she was going to be able to make it down until later the night so it was awesome!!

Waiting at the gate

About to take off

The flight was pretty uneventful but the flight attendants did congratulate us over the loud speaker during our descent. Everyone on the group flight caught Magical Express and DH and me picked up our rental car. We rented a car for the first 5 days because we knew we'd have errands to run and with switching hotels it would just be easier.

Going through the gates

We went right to DTD to activate our annual passes and get the TIW card. We thought we would beat everyone taking Magical Express but we got a text while we were in DTD that everyone had arrived!! We headed back to Caribbean Beach and checked in. About half the rooms were ready including ours which was nice. We dumped our stuff with my parents and sisters stuff in our room and planned out the rest of the day. My sister and bridesmaid had the adjoining room to us but it wasn't ready yet so we all went to MGM for the morning. I knew my dad would love One Man's Dream and it's in air conditioning

My dad in One Man's Dream

We walked around to see some other stuff and got a snack. By that time it was getting REALLY hot and the rest of the rooms were ready. We all headed back to the hotel for people to take naps. DH and I still had to sort through our stuffed we shipped, deliver stuff to Franck's and get snacks for the welcome party that night.

My bridesmaid had arrived when we got back to the hotel so while everyone else took a nap she came with the DH and I on our errands. I was so excited to see her The 3 of us went to Franck's first to drop off the bins. We walked around the outside of the Pavilion but we couldn't go in because there was a rehearsal going on. We were searching on our phones for the closest grocery store but for some reason were having a hard time. I said forget it just look for a Target!! HAHA...Target is always my go to, I love that store. There was one like 7 miles away and we were off!! Picked up some snacks, soda and water from Target and headed back to the hotel. By the time we got back we had to order the pizzas and get ready for the welcome party.

Running Errands

Up next the welcome party!!

 

[irishwishes]

We planned on having a pizza/pool party for our Welcome gathering at Caribbean Beach. The majority of our guests were staying at Caribbean Beach so it just made it easier to have it there. Caribbean Beach is HUGE so we told everyone to meet at the main pool just outside the food court. We were staying in Aruba and there was a bridge right outside our building going over to the main pool...it was awesome We (me, bridesmaids, brother-in-law, DH) were all ready in our bathing suits and coverups waiting for the pizza to be delivered to the room and then we were going to head over. The pizza guy calls me and says he'd be there in 5 min. I look outside and see a HUGE storm and it starts to pour The pizza comes and the poor guy is soaked I told him I'm sorry and take the 10 pizza off his hands.

I knew the texts from my friends and family were coming and boy did they. I told them to just meet us inside of the food court and we'd make a break for it once the rain let up. Most of them were on the bus or stuck in their rooms anyway. It thunder stormed for about 20 mins and then the rain let up. We made a break for it with the 5 of us carrying everything we could...we looked ridiculous We were the first ones to the food court anyway so we spread out in a corner and took over a bunch of tables. It worked out just fine and I'm pretty sure everyone had a good time. We had pizza, snacks and cookies and everyone just mingled. The pool was closed because of the lightning but the bar was still open!!

Even though we couldn't swim we still had an awesome time. We were able to see everyone that had arrived that day and just relax with our guests. We had a few beers and filled up on pizza and chips.

Matt, his bestman, and groomsman in the phillies hat

Me, MOH and Bridesmaid

Me,MOH

Enjoying some beer and my sisters beer shoved in there

Me, MIL, DH

You can tell I'm a little tired in my pics from the day. I was up at 3:00am and didn't have time for a nap. It didn't matter because it was so much fun!! Posting the trip makes me relive it all over again and wish I was still there. Up next...Magic Kingdom

 

[jlocmac]

So glad you guys had a blast even though you got hit with a thunderstorm. Not even rain can get you down at Disney World!

 

[princess_ariel_85]

Congratulations on your wedding!

I really really cant wait to see more pics

 

[irishwishes]

On a side note...I just got our invoice from Disney and I'm a little shocked by the number. We didn't get our full deposit back and I was a little shocked. I then went to the detailed bill and saw that our BOC bar was the culprit.

I was mostly shocked by the amount of mimosas served...210 We only had 60 guests so that's 3.5 mimosas per person and I find it very hard to believe that EVERYONE had that amount. That's not counting the amount of beer and wine that was served on top of that. I'm sorry to be bringing this up here...I'm just a little shocked by the number

I'm trying not to dwell on it. I was having SOOOO much fun and really wasn't paying attention to the bar. Maybe everyone did drink that much

 

[irishwishes]

So glad you guys had a blast even though you got hit with a thunderstorm. Not even rain can get you down at Disney World!

The rain was out of our minds as soon as people starting showing up for pizza. We were just so excited to be getting the weekend started!

Congratulations on your wedding!

I really really cant wait to see more pics

I'm anxiously awaiting our professional pics but I won't delay the TR. I'll just have to go back and post more pics. I think I have some decent ones that are good enough to post here.

 

[irishwishes]

After the welcome party a whole bunch of us went to Magic Kingdom because it was open until 2am that night. I wanted to catch the fireworks and the late parade too! We got there right as Wishes was going on and then we just stayed on Main St. to watch the parade too.

I REALLY LOVED going to the parks with a whole group of us. Just walking around with everyone and riding stuff with all of us together was amazing.
I wish everyone could go to Disney together all the time. Its some of my best memories from the trip

DH and Me on Main St waiting for the parade

I just LOVE the castle all lit up

My Brother-in-law with his giant ice cream cone

Waiting somewhere and my sister, brother-in-law, and 2 of my friends goofing off

Brother-in-law and sister

The next morning we slept in until 11:30. My sister and bridesmaid actually woke us up and I can't believe we slept for so long. We were totally exhausted from the day before without a nap. They had the adjoining room so they were knocking on our door haha! Rehearsal was at 4:30 so we decided we would just eat lunch and hang out at the pool until it was time to get ready. While we were waking up Matt's groomsman was messaging him and was in Magic Kingdom. Matt said it seemed like his groomsman really wanted him to meet him there so I told him he should go. It was his groomsman's first time in Disney and I really wanted him to have a good time.

After Matt left, me, my sister, bridesmaid and BIL got our suits on and went to grab lunch and hit the pool. We actually got some really good burgers and sandwiches from the food court and delicious Sangria We took a quick dip in the pool and before we knew it it was time to get ready for rehearsal! The weekend was flying by way to fast

BIL and sister sippin some Sangria

Kelley (bridesmaid) and me indulging

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Your welcome party looks like it was so much fun! Yah, BOC bars can be really scary! I had the opposite of you though. I was suppose to have BOC mimosas, and they stopped serving at one each, so I ended up getting a refund I was mad though, because I wanted another mimosa! Oh well.....

I can't wait to see more. And I really hope David and Vicki do a disbride shoot! I will use any excuse to go back to Disney!