My Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Trip Planning Session…

With my vow renewal’s dinner venue chosen, it was time to have a little fun with my girlfriends. It was time, so to speak, to play ball. To Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and my dear girlfriend from home, I sent the following e-mail message:

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I believe I'm a "custom" Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal bride now. I gave them the okay about an hour ago to book a specific venue inside the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park for my dinner celebration. Can you guess where it will be?

Janet (who loves knowing something that you don't know, hee hee hee!)
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In the game of baseball, you get three strikes before you’re out. Bonzie1 was the first batter to step up to the plate.

I threw the first pitch. Would Bonzie1 hit a foul ball or a home run?

Her bat was up…and she began her swing…

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Janet, I've put on my thinking cap... Disney Studios... Let's see... No, no, that's not it... Wait, I think I've got it... A candlelight dinner while riding on the Star Tours Ride!!! What's that? That's not it you say??? Darn, I thought I had it! (just kidding!)

What wonderful thoughts I'll have drifting off to sleep... Where will Janet's special venues be???

You're on your way now! Yipee for you and Rick (and for your friends!)

Congratulations!
Bonzie1
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Bonzie1 missed the ball completely. I have a helluva fastball so the odds were in my favor that she would misjudge the speed of it.

It was time for my next pitch. Would her bat make contact with the ball this time?

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Janet, I'm still guessing... Hey, does Rick know, or is this a secret from him too?

Are we dining in the elevator of the Tower of Terror?? Then we'll drop 13 stories to make more room for dessert?? No? Okay, I'll keep guessing (yes, it's fun to be the holder of the surprise). Maybe I'll get a thought in my dreams!

Bonzie1
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It was another miss, but only by a fraction of a second. But fractions count in baseball. Bonzie1 had better increase the speed of her swing if she expected to hit anything that I was gonna throw her way.

I should note that I did find Bonzie1’s swing amusing, especially the part about her plans for making more room for dessert. I hadn’t thought of that before. That woman may not know how to swing a bat, but I bet she’s a great heckler from the bench.

I loosened up my arm for the third pitch. I wanted to make sure that it would be a good pitch so I took my time with a few arm circles:

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Bonzie1, the Tower of Terror dinner was one of my three choices (and I almost selected it). Let's see, you already know that one choice was the AKL's Wanyama Safari dinner. You have guessed that another choice was the Tower of Terror dinner. Let me know when you've figured out the last choice (and the one that I booked today).

I need to figure out if I want to keep my ceremony at 2 PM or move it to a later time. The dinner would start around 8:30 PM (once Disney-MGM Studios has closed). What do you think?

I also need to figure out when I can head to WDW for a few days in order to get my site inspection out of the way (and most importantly, my food tasting - yum!). I'm going to need an AP rate for my room (gotta save my money for October's vacation). What resort do you suggest? It might just be me who heads to Orlando, or I might take my son or daughter along with me.
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Bonzie1 banged her bat on the plate. She was ready for my third pitch. She meant business this time and I knew it by the scowl upon her face:

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Janet, no kidding... I was joking about the Tower of Terror (smile). I'll keep thinking!!!

As far as your time... What kind of natural lighting do you want for your wedding? Do you want to be able to see out of the beautiful windows in the chapel? If so, I would keep it when the sun is out. Check out the website for the sunset times and see when the sun will be setting that evening. Maybe you can have the best of both worlds. Do you want some breathing room after your ceremony, pictures, etc, or do you want to be whisked away right into your dinner? Isn't it fun to have so many choices??? Let's face it, you and your guests will be at WDW, it's not like there will be any trouble filling up time (smile)

The AP is a great thing, especially when it comes time to get room discounts. Do you want to be close to the FTW pavilion for your room, or close to where your site inspection will be? I'd probably opt to be close to the FTW site so I could ask, and ask, and ask my questions. We enjoyed the ambience of the Poly, and watching the fireworks from our room (I think we were in the Tonga building). Then we could walk to the GF. Oh, I keep forgetting about your leg. Maybe you don't want to walk too much! Of course, we love ALK too, but that's not close to either site. Tough choices!!!

I'm still thinking!!!
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I ignored her heckling. If she wanted my third pitch, she was gonna get it. Would it be three strikes and you’re out for Bonzie1? Or would she hit that ball right out of the park?

I wound up…then threw the pitch. Bonzie1 swung…

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Janet, I'm having fun guessing :-)

You mentioned the set for “Haunted Mansion” movie is still there, but closed to the public. You also mentioned you wanted to have pictures taken on the staircase... Is that the site for your venue??? The suspense is... The silence is... deafening... All across the miles!

Bonzie1

P.S. I know I've used up my 3 guesses, but I have one more thought... Just popped into my head... Something with The Great Movie Ride??? I'm getting all thought out!

P.P.S. Don't feel you have to tell me... Keep the suspense of your surprise!!! Like you said earlier... You're only married 20 years once!
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My pitch was a perfect slider. There was no way she was gonna hit it. This game was gonna end a no-hitter. But, wait… ”WHACK!” crackled through the air as Bonzie1’s bat made ferocious contact with the ball.

She dropped her bat and raced towards first base. She tagged it, and then it was onto second base. Before I knew it, she was rounding third. As she raced towards home plate, the ballpark went wild with cheers.

I watched the ball sail out of the park and was forced to send Bonzie1 the following message of congratulations:

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Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! The Great Movie Ride it is!

Since the ride is indoors, I won't have to fret about weather (like I did about the Summerhouse dinner party). It should be a fun party, don't you think? I almost selected the Tower of Terror dinner but I was told that dinner is held outside of the gift shop. I think that means I would have to worry about weather, not a good thing.

Janet
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And as Bonzie1 crossed home plate, she gave me some final trash talk:

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Janet, WOW! Or, to borrow one of your Janet words... YAHOO!!! That sounds absolutely WONDERFUL! And, as you said, you won't have to worry about weather... That's perfect. It should be absolutely unbelievable. The hairs on my arms are jumping up and down!

Sounds like you're off and running...

Thanks for sharing!
Bonzie1
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The next two batters were Nutz4dzny and my dear friend from home. They also hit home runs. Drats! I had become a baseball pitching has-been. It was time to take up a new sport. Tennis, anyone?
 
Janet - your story-telling ability is delightful! Who knew baseball could be so darn exciting!!!! I think you made a wonderful choice! I can't think of any better way to celebrate your 20th!

Side note - We cancelled our September trip due to all the hurricanes :(, but rescheduled for the end of October. What a wonderful coincidence to be there the same time as you! I'll be sure to look for the blushing bride & groom! :)

Thanks so much for sharing your magic with us!!! :) :)
 
Janet,
I am loving your trip reports and I am looking forward to reading more! My husband and I were married in the pavilion on October 21, 2002. We went back last year for our 1st anniversary and this year we are returning with our 2 month old son! So maybe I will see you in the parks!
I love that you picked the GMR for your reception...It sounds like you plan very unique things during your trips!I would love to read more about them!!!
((And thanks to you I know now that Tower of terror can be used! I will keep that in mind during my vow renewal ((Someday!))
Anyway, thanks for posting all the details. Best of luck!
::MinnieMo
 

They say when you’re married long enough, you begin to look alike:

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Thank goodness that isn’t true of the two of us. I’m still taller than him (heels or no heels) and he has a bigger mustache.

As happens to all married couples, there have been times when our two personalities have become so intertwined that even I have a hard time telling us apart. On the fateful day that my husband laid down the ultimatum regarding the vow renewal dinner party, our two hearts were beating as one. I let him think he had made the final decision, when in actuality, I had pretty much come to the conclusion that the Great Movie Ride would be the perfect venue in which to celebrate our marriage.

Rick and my relationship has pretty much followed the same course as the Great Movie Ride. Like the ride, we began with Musicals. On the day that we met, we were dancing when Rick stated, "You know you’re going to marry me someday."

Then our relationship continued onto the Gangster years when we enjoyed libations (strictly legal, I assure you) at many a college party (as close to a "speakeasy" as we ever got). We didn’t rob any banks like is done on the Great Movie Ride; however, if you folks have been following my trip report, you know that the thought has recently crossed my mind.

Our relationship moved onto the Frontier years when we moved to the Wild, Wild West (as in Coast) after I graduated from college. That is where we took our relationship to the next level and I made an honest man out of Rick.

Everyone knows that the Great Movie Ride has a Science Fiction area. Our relationship does, too. Both my husband and I work in the high-tech industry. We may not have had any aliens dripping goo from the ceiling as happens on the ride; however, when our daughter was a toddler, we had six months of projectile vomiting at all hours of the night (the doctors never did figure out what was wrong with her).

I think everyone’s favorite portion of the Great Movie Ride is the Land of Oz. That just so happens to be my favorite portion of our relationship. We were blessed with two munchkins of our own, lollipops and all. I should mention, though, that unlike the ride, there haven’t been any wicked witches in our relationship (my husband might beg to differ with me on that topic, though).

Yes, the Great Movie Ride would be a fitting way to relive the story of our relationship. I’m glad my husband chose that venue.
 
Janet,

Thank you so much for the smiles, the warm fuzzies, and the wonderment you provide to all of us as we read and participate in the many journeys of your FTW adventure!

Your writing is a gift (hard work too), but never the less, a gift. Thanks for sharing your magic. :wizard:
 
Oh!! Janet...the GMR was my favorite all along....I love the story telling about letting your girlfriends try to figure out the venue....That sounds absolutely amazing....

Just a few short weeks....YAHOOO!!!
 
Janet - as always, you are an incredible inspiration and positive Life Force! I cannot wait to read more and I hope Your Day is as amazing as you are - NOW GIVE US SOME MORE:crazy: :teeth: :crazy: :teeth:

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
" Do not arouse the wrath of the great and powerful Oz. I said come back tomorrow ":crazy:
 
As soon as my husband and I had decided upon the dinner venue, I left a phone message for our Fairy Tale Weddings Sales Manager with the news. Her response follows:

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Hi Janet! I received your voicemail. Thank you for the update.

Regarding space on October 27th, you are all set for the Great Movie Ride. I had tentatively held it just in case. I still have your ceremony at 2pm in the Wedding Pavilion. However, since we can’t really get into the Movie Ride until about 8:30pm, how do you feel about having your ceremony at 8:00pm in the Wedding Pavilion? Candlelight ceremony? The ceremony would most likely last about 20-25 minutes. You could have some photos taken at the Pavilion after the ceremony and then everyone could head over to the Great Movie Ride.

Please let me know your thoughts and I will make it official. We’ll also set up a walkthrough with Disney Studios. And a planning session with your Event Planner to work on all the fun stuff.

Talk with you soon,
Your FTW Sales Manager
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My husband and I were finally a Fairy Tale Weddings Custom Couple. It took a few moments for that to sink in.

Making the decision to move into the Custom category was not something that the two of us had entered into lightly. As I had mentioned before, financially, the timing wasn’t right for us this year. Our son was still in college; my husband had been recently laid-off and was contemplating going back to school; and the company I worked for was still on the verge of financial collapse and my job was in jeopardy. In spite of all the things that were telling my head, "No, don’t have the vow renewal," there were a million and one things that were telling my heart, "Yes, have it."

Since I always try to live my life without regrets, I had to really take a cold, hard look at the kind of money that we were going to spend on a Custom vow renewal. Would I regret spending that money six months from now? One year from now? Ten years from now? I had to be brutally honest with myself. If I could answer “no” to each of those questions, and sincerely mean it, then my decision would be an easier one to make.

I also looked back at all the money that I had spent on extraneous items over the past ten years. Did I regret spending that money? Did I wish I had that money back again? My answers were all “no.” I couldn’t think of one thing that I had regretted doing.

I then looked into the future. Into a future without the vow renewal. I knew in my heart that I would regret it if we didn’t renew our vows this year. And so I told my husband that in spite of everything that life had thrown at us, the only thing I truly wanted was to be able to renew my wedding vows.

The first time I had said, “I do,” I had nothing but 20 years of regrets. This time when I said, “I do,” I wanted nothing but the most wonderful memories to carry with me for the rest of my life. With the blessing of my husband, I had left that telephone message for our Sales Manager with the news of our decision to move into the Custom vow renewal category.
 
With the “Great Movie Ride” attraction officially booked for our dinner venue, my mind was full of questions. Initially I thought I wanted drinks and hors d'oeuvres served in the Gangster area of the attraction, followed by a sit-down dinner in the Land of Oz area. However, that was before I had reviewed a proposal that had laid out things a little differently -- drinks in the Gangster area, dinner in the Western area, and dessert in the Finale area.

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I liked what I saw in that proposal and thus sent the following question to my FTW Sales Manager:

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I just want to double-check on my options for the reception at the Great Movie Ride. It sounds like I will get the details from the “Event Planner” (not sure who that is or when that will happen). However, I am hopeful that you can answer a simple question of mine.

Is it somewhat flexible as to what I want to do for my dinner reception inside the Great Movie Ride? What I mean is that initially I had asked about having my dinner in the Land of Oz. Since then you’ve given me a proposal that mentions drinks in the Gangster area, dinner in the Western area, and dessert in the Finale area. That sounds like fun. However, I am hopeful that I could do dessert in the Oz area instead (I don’t think I’ll have dancing at my dinner reception). I’m not sure if having dessert in the Land of Oz is an option, and I’m hoping you can help me out here.

I will definitely discus the timing of the vow renewal ceremony with my husband and let you know. If I have the later ceremony, would pictures be taken before or afterwards (I don’t think there’s much time afterwards due to the timing of the reception)? I would love to hear your opinion on this. The more opinions I get, the better.

Janet
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My Sales Manager sent me a response that was full of information:

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Janet, actually, you read my mind. Since you’ve pretty much decided on the Great Movie Ride, I wanted to see what you thought about the overall proposal.

After you had received the initial GMR proposal and we discussed some options; I had requested that Disney Studios approve for us to have cocktails in the Gangster area and then move into Oz for dinner, substituting the “cowboy trio” for a “string trio” at dinner in Oz. Entertainment and Catering at Disney Studios have agreed that would be fine, if that is what you would like to do. Also, you can skip dancing in the Finale area. If you’d like, we can continue in Oz for dessert. Or go out to the Courtyard for dessert/cake cutting and coffee.

I can have a more specific proposal put together for your records. You’ll be able to customize the menu and pick your table linen, centerpiece(s), personal floral, etc., with your Event Planner. They will also be providing you with a more detailed budget based on your meeting.

Regarding photos before/after the ceremony, I’d probably recommend a little of both. If you’d like to have your photographer meet you at a specific Resort (you’ll be at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, correct?), he/she can take some photos there prior to the ceremony. We usually recommend starting about 1 hour to 1 ½ hours prior, depending upon the location and types of photos. And then after the ceremony, you can take a few group shots in the Pavilion. I highly recommend a little list of particular shots you would like to get. For example: Bride/Groom/Daughter/Son, Bride alone, Groom alone, Bride and Groom at altar, etc. It helps with timing and the photographer can make sure he meets all of your requests and no one is left out.

How’s that? Does that help? Let me know what you think.

FTW Sales Manager
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As you just saw, my Sales Manager was a wealth of knowledge. The "photo shot list" was something that I had read many a bride & groom had regretted not putting together. Before last year’s dinner party on the set of "The Haunted Mansion" movie, I never thought I needed a photo shot list either. The only regret I have from that incredible dinner party was that not one photo had been taken of my husband and I together. There we were, celebrating 19 years of marriage in a magical venue, and we did not have one photo of the two of us alone to remember the evening by. I would definitely not let that happen at this year’s anniversary party. I would be giving a "photo shot list" to the photographer, even if it only had one shot listed on it: Photo of Bride and Groom together.

In my response to my Sales Manager, I mentioned the BoardWalk Villas rooms that I had booked for my family. I also mentioned my desire to stay at the Grand Floridian Resort, if only for a few nights. That desire would haunt me for weeks. You see, the Grand Floridian held a lot of significance for my husband and myself. However, I did not have the heart to switch resorts on the rest of my family. And so I had to put that topic out of my mind since I already had quite a few rooms booked at the BoardWalk (much easier said than done):

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Your new e-mail helped a lot. Thank you so much.

You mentioned drafting up a more specific proposal regarding the GMR; I would love to see that.

I’m not sure what resort we’ll be at yet. I already have five rooms booked for varying lengths of stays at the BoardWalk Villas via my DVC membership (room for parents, room for Aunt, room for sister, room for best friend, room for me). However, I would love to stay at the Grand Floridian for one or two nights since that is where my husband and I first began our love of vacationing at Walt Disney World. I just don’t know how that would affect everyone else’s vacation experience if we were located in a resort so far away (normally we wouldn’t mind, but for the vow renewal vacation, I think we might). I’ve been debating that topic for weeks. I have plenty of time to make up my mind and probably won’t do so for a little while yet. Still, photos at the Grand Floridian before the ceremony would be nice (I know we don’t have to stay there in order to have photos taken there).

When will I be assigned a vow renewal coordinator? Will this person also be my event planner, or is that someone different? All of this is obviously new to me.

Janet
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Oh, there were so very many things that were new to me. I had a lot to learn. As always, my Sales Manager was prompt with her reply:

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Janet, I will get with my product manager to refine the GMR proposal to meet our needs better.

You can definitely have photos taken at the Grand Floridian. The Grand staircase is a fabulous location for that.

I will begin working on your custom contract first thing in the morning. We have a room night minimum that we contract.

Once the contract is signed and sent back to me, your Event Planner will be assigned to your event. If you have a date in mind that you’d like to come down to plan, please let me know in advance. We’ll request your Planner be “pre-assigned” so they are available for your planning session and your event. I’m happy to help with whatever questions you may have.

Talk with you soon!
FTW Sales Manager
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There it was. The first mention of ~gulp~ my Custom Contract. No regrets… No regrets... No regrets…

I sent her the following reply:

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Thanks again for the help. I look forward to receiving the custom contract and moving on from there.

Within the next few days I will try to figure out what time I’d like for my vow renewal ceremony (either the later time or the earlier time). I will also try to determine when I could be in Walt Disney World for a planning session. I will keep you posted.

Janet
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Yes, I was actually looking forward to receiving my custom contract. Things were definitely starting to move forward at a good pace. More importantly, I had no regrets.
 
"The first time I had said, “I do,” I had nothing but 20 years of regrets. This time when I said, “I do,” I wanted nothing but the most wonderful memories to carry with me for the rest of my life."

I am sure you will have wonderful beautiful memories to carry with you for the rest of your life. I have LOVED reading ALL your posts! Great Job!! Looking forward to the next post....


:D
 
I think all of us here guessed you would choose the GMR. I bet that if you could have had your reception inside TOT it would have made the choice much tougher. GMR sounds perfect and I like the outdoor courtyard ending (if you choose that)...it sounds very romantic to be all alone with just your family and friends at MGM in the evening. I bet there would be twinkling lights all around...and not just in your eyes! It all sounds very magical and oh so memorable.

Thank you so much for sharing all the details. I look forward to every installment.
 
Loving the details Janet....all of them add even more intrigue....
 
Thanks Janet for the wonderful reports. I just love reading and learning new things about our favorite place to vacation , WDW.
 
The next thing that I had to decide upon was the ceremony’s start time. When my husband and I were an “Intimate” couple, we had booked an afternoon ceremony (2 PM). Now that we were a “Custom” couple, we had the option of booking an evening ceremony. However, since we were changing things around so late in the game, I soon discovered that all the late afternoon and early evening time slots were already spoken for. Drats!

I was told that since our dinner party would be starting late (Disney-MGM Studios had stated that it couldn’t start prior to 8:30 PM), we did have the option of having our vow renewal ceremony inside the Wedding Pavilion at 8 PM. I was happy to be given that option.

Since I wasn't sure which time slot to choose, 2 PM or 8 PM, I asked Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1 for their opinions:

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I am very excited about my FTW vow renewal now. I need your input again, though. If I go with the 2 PM ceremony, there will be quite a bit of time between then and the dinner (assuming dinner is at 8:30 PM). I'm not sure if I like that.

If I go with the 8 PM ceremony, I fear I will feel rushed through the photos in the pavilion. The majority of my photos will be taken before the ceremony, probably inside the GF. Inside the pavilion I will only need photos of Rick & I, and then photos of all my guests. I'm hoping 30 minutes is okay, what do you think?

The dinner can start at anytime; however, I don't want it to start too late. Right now I think they have it scheduled for 8:30 PM, which could easily be moved to 9:00 PM. Do you think 30 minutes for photos inside the pavilion after the 15-minute vow renewal ceremony would be enough time? My FTW Sales Manager thinks it should be fine.

Please give me Pro's and Con's for both time slots. I would really appreciate it.

Janet
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Nutz4dzny gave me her Pro’s and Con’s over the telephone. She also told me that she was fine with either time.

Bonzie1 gave me her opinion next:

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Hi Janet! I will think about the pros + cons of the different ceremony times.

A candlelight ceremony will definitely be beautiful! Off the top of my head, I would be concerned with being rushed. An 8:00 ceremony would mean definitely starting on time (which means guests must arrive on time). It would also mean the 15 minute ceremony would be kept to 15 minutes. Is that long enough for you?

I would write down pictures you definitely want: you + Rick, you + Rick + the children, the whole family, the guys, the women, etc.

You’ll also need to account for transportation time...perhaps the dinner should start at 9:00?

Bonzie1
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I contacted my sister next. She stated that my parents would want an earlier ceremony since they were not Night Owls. She definitely pushed me towards keeping the 2 PM time slot. But after I had talked with my sister, I picked up the telephone and called my parents.

My Mom told me to go with the 8 PM ceremony time. I pointed out that she and my Dad were not Night Owls and would probably want to go to bed early. My Mom laughed and said that the only reason they go to bed early is because there is usually nothing to do. With my ceremony starting late, and with the dinner immediately following it, they would definitely have a reason to stay up late and she was looking forward to it. Her point was well-taken and so I told her we would go with the 8 PM ceremony.

After I had hung up the phone with my Mom, I called my sister again. I relayed to her our mother’s wish for an 8 PM ceremony. She was surprised, but also stated that she had never considered the “we go to bed early because there is usually nothing to do” angle. The two of us laughed over that. Our mother sure can be very profound when the occasion calls for it.

I sent the following message to Bonzie1:

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Bonzie1, just moments ago I phoned my sister and also my parents regarding the FTW vow renewal ceremony time. My sister said to go with the 2 PM time because she is concerned that my parents are such early birds, they would prefer that time. Then I called my Mom. She said to go with the 8 PM time. I tried to talk her into the 2 PM time but she would hear none of it. I found that too funny! She said the 8 PM time sounded perfect, with dinner following afterwards. So, it sounds like 8 o'clock it will be.

I'm going to leave a phone message for my FTW Sales Manager requesting the 8 PM time slot. I'll let you know as soon as I've heard back from her. Keep your fingers crossed that it's still available.

Janet
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It was time to ask my Fairy Tale Weddings Sales Manager for an official ceremony time change:

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Hello. If the 8:00 PM time slot is still available at the Wedding Pavilion for October 27, I would love to have it. I spoke with both my parents and my sister just a short while ago. They think that time would work out very well. So, please let me know if my 2:00 PM vow renewal ceremony can be moved to 8:00 PM.

Janet
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After I had sent my message, I received one from Bonzie1:

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Janet, I should have read your 2nd note first (smile). If your parents think 8:00 would be fine... Then I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!

The candlelight will be beautiful. I guess I’m still thinking you’ll have to pull the dinner back a bit... ‘Til 9:00. I wouldn’t want to see FTW rush you out of your own service (smile... But I know you better than that. And with me there too, they won’t be pushing you anywhere you don’t want to go!)

It’s probably best to have the service and then proceed to the dinner. That would be like a magical progression. Everyone would be together for the transportation. There wouldn’t be 2 “call” times. Once the event started, it would continue without interruption. You would have everyone together in the same place.

Let me know how you make out! I’ll be rooting for you!

Bonzie1
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Bonzie1’s e-mail was too funny (“…they won’t be pushing you anywhere you don’t want to go…”). Nutz4dzny had told me the same thing. I tell ya, those two ladies are the best. And I wholeheartedly agreed with the statement that it would be good to have the evening start and then continue on without interruption.

When I heard from my Sales Manager the next morning, she mentioned that she had put a request in for the 8 PM time slot. She hoped to have the official okay from the Control Clerk by the next morning.

I was on pins and needles while waiting for that official word. And then it arrived:

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Hi, Janet.

Yep! You are all set. I have the contract being processed right now. Should be out to you by late today or first thing in the morning!

Your FTW Sales Manager
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I must say that I was very relieved when I read that message. Timing, as they say, is everything.
 
Hi, gang. I’ve been a little blue lately. My company is reorganizing again. Several of my wonderful coworkers were laid-off within the past few days. I have been through this so many times over the past four years, you would think that it would be easier for me to take by now. But it’s not. It becomes more and more difficult with each passing layoff/reorg. And I can’t believe that I am going to admit this, but I am not looking forward to my vow renewal now. I didn’t think there was anything that could take that joy away from me. I am hoping that within the next few weeks, somehow I’ll regain a little bit of that joy back. I certainly don’t want to travel to the most magical place on Earth with a dark cloud hanging over my head. My family and friends deserve better than that.

Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1 have been trying their hardest to cheer me up. Nutz4dzny has gone through two surgeries within the past several weeks. If anyone should be cheering anyone up, it should be me cheering her up. But she’s been a pillar of strength for me, God Bless her. She always knows the right thing to say. The same goes for Bonzie1. Before I left work this evening, Bonzie1 sent me an e-mail alluding to the Top Secret Dessert that the Grand Floridian is preparing for the dessert party that my husband and I are hosting at the resort’s marina on the night before our vow renewal. I have kept all details of that dessert party a secret from everyone, including my own husband. All anyone knows is that there will be yummy desserts and ice-cold drinks that evening. That’s it. And it is driving Bonzie1 crazy. Her e-mail stated that she doubted her Special Agent status could pry that detail from Jane Bond’s lips. Right she is. Her words really made me laugh, and I didn’t think that was possible this evening. But somehow Bonzie1 pulled it off, God Bless her.

I’m trying to remind myself of all the things that I have to be thankful for this year. At the top of my list is my family and friends. I am very fortunate to have those people in my life, I don’t need anything else.

I head to WDW soon. Between everything that is happening at work, and everything that I have left to do before vacation, I don’t know how much free time I’m going to have. I’ll try to post as much as I can before I leave.
 




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That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
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