MK Portrait Session

[keenercam]

We are hoping to do a MK portrait session the morning of our vow renewal (which will look a lot like a wedding! ).

Can someone who has done it tell me what the timing is like? We are hoping for a 10 am ceremony at the WP, if that helps at all in figuring out what time my hair and makeup would likely be done and what time the MK wedding portrait session would start.

Also, how do you get to the MK? I am assuming that the transportation we will set up for transport to the WP later that morning is not the transport we'd have to use/pay for to get to the MK portrait session.

I have been reading so many PJs and TRs, and LOVE all the information I can find here. I hope someone can help me with these questions on which I have not yet located answers. Thanks!

 

[lurkyloo]

OK, I haven't done this yet, but I wanted to be sure you knew that you don't have to do it the day of your wedding - just in case that's more convenient for you!

The photograper picks you up for the session and then drops you back at your hotel. Not sure if you can ask to be dropped elsewhere... Also, you'd have to ask your hair/makeup person for an estimate on the time needed. It seems like a lot of them can have you ready in about an hour, though.

 

[CutieBugNY]

I also haven't done it yet but I have mine scheduled. The photo shoot takes place way early depending on the time of year but you will be at the park around 5am. This allows the photographer to get pics with the castel lit while it's still dark out, and then pics once the sun is up. pretty cool, although getting hair and makeup done is a pain b/c it's so early.

 

[Pezalicious]

Like Lurkyloo said, you don't have to do MK session on your Wedding Day, but if you choose to do it on another day, I believe the cost doesn't go towards your minimum. I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong on that point. Not sure if that will make a difference in when you have your session, but I thought I should point that out.

 

[DaPookie]

Can someone who has done it tell me what the timing is like? We are hoping for a 10 am ceremony at the WP, if that helps at all in figuring out what time my hair and makeup would likely be done and what time the MK wedding portrait session would start.

Hiyas!

I haven't done the MK session (yet), but my wedding is going to be at 10am. I'm having Ana from Beaute Speciale come for hair and makeup, and her calculations for 4 people (all w/hair and makeup) means a 430-5am arrival time for her. I believe they calculate it so that I could leave at like 9am for regular pics/being picked up for the ceremony.

Hope that helps for you to calculate it!

 

[Swmhc]

We had a 10am ceremony at the YC Gazebo. We did our MK session the morning of our ceremony to keep from having to get dressed up and made up more than once. We had our MK session at 6am. I had Ana from Beaute' Speciale' arrive at 4am to do my hair and makeup. Your photographer will meet you in the lobby of your resort and take you to the MK in their van. You do your photos and return to the resort around 7:30.

Hope that helps ! If you have any more questions, let me know !

 

[keenercam]

Wow! All these responses are so helpful! It is great to know that we could do the photos another day if we wanted, but I am pretty much set on doing it all in one day for many reasons -- I want to start my special day at my favorite place on earth with my favorite guy in the world. And I don't want to have to get up early another morning or get all gussied up a second day. I am not sure how I'll occupy myself for 2 more hours before the ceremony, but the whole plan sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[Swmhc]

I didn't have a problem with too much time. When we got back from the MK shoot I did get back out of my gown for a while. I had to get my daughter up and in the shower, sent my soon-to-be hubby down to the bakery (we stayed at the Boardwalk) for some breakfast. We ate, then I helped him get ready as they pick the groom up around 9am. We had our groomsman's family and my matron of honor's family all show up at our room, plus the photographer for some "getting ready" shots. Then the limo comes back for the bride around 9:30. It was a little hectic with everyone in our room, but I wouldn't have changed a thing. I did have to ask them to step outside while I put my dress back on though. I think you will be fine time-wise. Don't forget to post pictures for us !!

 

[pepples22]

Hi there,

We had our ceremony at 10am at the Wedding Pavilion and 5am MK shoot before hand. We got a wake up call at 3:30am from Anna our hair and make up person. She was checking we were up which we weren't!

I jumped into the shower, and sorted myself out before Anna turned up at 4am. We got a call from the lobby to say that our photographer was there it was about 4:30am. Anna didn't quite have me done by there, hubbie to be started to panic for no reason, the photographer was happy to wait. We got down to the lobby by 4:45am.

The photographer drove us to the MK - it was awesome, I was so quiet as the park looks so different, especially as you are being driven up Mainstreet USA.

Our photographer was really good, we stayed in MK till about 6:30am which was over our hour slot. He drove us back to the AKL and we were back in the lobby by about 7am.

We decided to wake my parents up, which I think is one of the best memories I have. I knocked on the door, hubbie to be and I was standing there and I said "Anyone order a bride and groom?" It was the first time my parents saw the dress and hubbie to be dressed. The looks on their faces were great to see

Then we had time to slip my dress off, eat something from room service and wait for my sister and her boyfriend to turn up. I didn't really have time to get bored as the AKL was so beautiful I had to show it off to my sister. We had about two hours before hubbie to be needed to leave and two and half hours before I needed to.

It was well worth doing the photo shoot before wedding as you don't have to get hair & makeup done again. And the pictures came out so lovely.

Any other questions please shout.

 

[keenercam]

Oh, my goodness, you have all brought tears to my eyes! I can just "see" the memories you have made!
Now that I think of it, I may have to plan on some other logistics -- I think DDthen20 will be my only attendant (too difficult if I start choosing among my 4 "oldest" friends and 6 very very dear new absolute best friends to be my attendants -- what an amazing blessing to have that problem in my life!).

If I do hair and makeup at 4 am and go off to the MK, I will have to figure out when DD is going to do hers or have hers done. She does such a beautiful job on her own that I am reluctant to have someone else do hers. Maybe I'll treat her to a salon appointment the day before for mani/pedi & massage instead, before our dessert party. Then, I could just wake her when we return from MK and she will still have plenty of time to get ready.

Oh, thank God I have more than a year to do this. Last time (during my senior year of college), I decided on December 7 that all I wanted for Christmas was to be married to DH and we got married on 12/22. Not a whole lot of time in the interim to worry about planning, what with applying to law schools and taking finals. I plan to make up for that with LOTS of planning this time!

 

[lurkyloo]

Like Lurkyloo said, you don't have to do MK session on your Wedding Day, but if you choose to do it on another day, I believe the cost doesn't go towards your minimum. I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong on that point. Not sure if that will make a difference in when you have your session, but I thought I should point that out.

It DOES count toward your minimum - believe me, I checked and double checked with three different Disney staffers on this because it was a huge deal for us. They said it's the only thing they allow to count for minimums that's not on the day of the wedding, because they understand that it can be hard to fit it in with the wedding events.

 

[keenercam]

Does the "minimum" issue only arise if you are using Disney photographers? What if we are using Randy Chapman? Is he able to do MK portrait sessions and will DFTW charge us to be able to do this with an outside photographer? I hadn't even considered that issue or any budgetary implications.

 

[Pezalicious]

Thanks lurkyloo, that's fantastic news! That was the one kink in my whole plan, because I can't see waking up that early and then making it to Illuminations or Wishes that night. Now I don't have to worry!


Keener,

Only Disney photographers can do the MK session. No Randy.

 

[BayouPrincess]

Keenercam,
Unfortunately, Randy will not be able to take your MK Photoshoot pics. You must use Disney Photography for that part. You are allowed the outside photographer for your event, but for the special inside the park shoots, i.e. MK Photoshoot, Honeymoon shoot, etc. you must use Disney...that's why it can count toward your minimum.

Good luck on planning for your VR...Ours will be 11/24/08 and it will look very much like a wedding too.

 

[Swmhc]

Your make up artist can do your DD's hair and makeup while you are gone if you'd like. I used Ana and she said if my DD (12) decided she wanted hers done after we got back from the MK shoot, or if I needed any changes or touch ups to just call her and she'd come back. So, that is just a thought. One reason I went with a local artist rather than doing it myself is that we had an August 1st wedding and I didn't want to risk the heat melting my make up off and hair frizzing, etc.... so I went with someone used to the heat and humidity. It worked fabulously !

It does make for a long day, but in all the excitement, you won't even notice. I only got 2 hours of sleep the night before our wedding (which started with Ana arriving at 4am) and closed MGM at midnight the same day. Now, yes, I was tired by the end of the night, but I didn't want to miss a thing !! I just slept really well and then got up and hit the pavement running the next two weeks !!!

 

[orangetiggs]

i have been told as well it counts towards your min spend if its not on your wedding day, ours is two days later

 

[keenercam]

Thanks so much, everyone! Lots of information here that I didn't know and I really appreciate everyone who took the time to share information!

 

[Lisacope]

So you can bond with us other Vr'ers!

 

[keenercam]

So you can bond with us other Vr'ers!

Oh, thank you, Lisa! I am definitely going to do that. I want to pull out some pix from our first wedding (we only had pix that friends took for us and not a single one of them is clear) and start my PJ. I am almost afraid to "jinx" myself by doing that until DFTW confirms our requested date.

Can't wait to read yours. I haven't had time to search for PJs specifically on VRs.