My Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Trip Planning Session

[Growin'upDisney]

I know that this situation is very hard - but you have been so enthusiastic about this vow renewal for so long. Try to remember that for your 20th you wanted to completely re-new/re-do what you did on your wedding day.

By your own description your wedding day was not what you wanted it to be. Think about your husband and how much you wanted to do this for him. Try to get the spirit for which you started this whole thing back!!

 

[zurgswife]

Sent you a PM....

 

[Scotfan]

So sorry to hear about your troubles at work, I know its difficult but everything will sort itself out, and you have your wonderful party to look forward to. Pixie Dust winging its way over the pond.

 

[nutz4dzny]

Janet2k and her family are now part of my family and I can truly say although we live on opposite coasts, she is my "BEST" Friend and a true soul mate that I've been given the honor to have known. She is brilliant, funny, a great listener, ( a very rare quality nowadays!) a most generous human being God placed on this good Earth.

I am recovering from 2 major back surgeries and I call her to cheer her up since she received some depressing news about work and she turns it around and ends up cheering me up! I do hope I made her laugh a little too!

Be seeing you soon you Lovely Bride-to-be-again!

I just started walking!


Your true friend,

Renee, aka nutz4dzny

 

[lovingthemouse]

I can't remember reading such an engrossing post from beginning to this point - thank you so much. I truly hope that all goes more positively at workand that you'll again look forward to this wonderful wedding renewal. You have us all in great anticipation here... Caroline

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Janet2k You have kept me up 6 hours reading your posts. I am too planning a wedding in 2007 and loving all the info I am recieving from reading your post. I hope everything works out in the job area of your life. We too had simular job problems a while back and just starting to get in the swing of things. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[Janet2k]

Thank you, everyone, for your kind words both here and in private. They really meant a lot to me. I actually didn’t want to post what I had posted the other day, but I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and it would have been impossible for me to have hidden my feelings.

Getting through this week at work was tough. We didn’t have any more layoffs; however, we employees know they are coming. I have the sinking feeling that there might be one right before my vacation begins.

I still remember a few years ago when the department that I was in was decimated during one particularly difficult layoff. Our department was incredible; full of wonderfully, hardworking employees. We all got along beautifully, too, which is sometimes rare in our industry. When the layoff finally came, only three of us survived. The other two survivors were out of the country on business. That left me alone in our once bustling department. It felt like a tomb. The silence was deafening. This happened a few days before my vacation was to begin. I had really been looking forward to that vacation, too, because it was going to be my first Mother And Daughter Vacation. My daughter and I were so excited about it. And then the layoff hit. I felt so horrible for what had happened to my coworkers, and to top it off, I developed a horrible case of Survivors’ Guilt. I will quote below what I posted in my brief trip report back then:

- - - - - - - - - -
First, some background. My vacation wasn’t scheduled to begin until Thursday, but my company had another layoff during the prior week. It was a nasty layoff and my entire department was decimated (I was fortunate to retain a position within the company). This year alone, my company has lost 50% of its workforce. Each layoff has left me more and more depressed. This last one just about killed me. Since it was Tuesday and my new boss wasn’t due back from Europe until after I was scheduled to leave for Orlando, I decided that the heat in the kitchen was just too much to bear and I had to escape. Or else. So I picked up the phone, called the airline, changed my flights around so that I would depart a day early, and then contacted Dreams Unlimited Travel in order to get another night added onto my Port Orleans – French Quarter reservation. Once everything was set, I called my husband at work to inform him that my daughter & I would be leaving for Florida one day early. My motto was “Orlando or Bust.”
- - - - - - - - - -

Boy, I remember that day as if it were yesterday. It’s amazing how long the sad experiences stay with you.

But I am trying my hardest to put those memories behind me, and also to keep the current situation from completely smothering my joy. It’s people like you folks here on the Dis website who will help me get through this. Again, thank you for your kind words. They mean more to me than you'll ever know.

 

[Janet2k]

I am going to digress for a moment with my following post. I am doing this as my way of thanking you folks for bearing with me this week.

This post is a little out of order, and I guarantee you will see it again (no doubt in its entirety) when I post my Fairy Tale Weddings Vow Renewal Trip Report in the future. I just thought that since I’m heading to WDW in a few days, I would share one small detail with you. Believe it or not, you folks are the first to learn of it. My guests don’t even know about it yet.

Several weeks ago I sent an e-mail to my Event Manager stating that I thought I had a few pennies left over for a Dessert Party. I told him that I wanted to hold it at the Grand Floridian’s marina; and I wanted desserts, a bartender, and a bar. That was all that I asked for.

I forgot that I was dealing with one of the most creative companies on the planet. I hope my Event Manager didn’t take my simple request as an insult. I honestly have to laugh at my stupidity over actually asking Disney for anything simple. Shame on me. The proposal that my Event Manager sent back to me took my breath away.

Okay, I’m not saying anything further (even though I am itching to share with you folks the details of that event proposal). Suffice it to say, the following item (see post below) is my attempt at matching the creativity of my Event Manager. This item won’t be the only thing that looks like the bride and groom at the party that night.

Ssssshhhh… My lips are sealed…

 

[Janet2k]

I tell ya. There have been many, many (many) words used to describe me over the years; however, I don’t believe the following words have ever been used. Until now, that is:

Living Doll

I just went to one of my all-time favorite websites (besides the Dis) to see if that expression was stated somewhere (sometimes I am amazed at what I find there). Sadly, it did not have it listed. But I am tenacious by nature (I actually won the Tenacious Award in high school), and so am not easily deterred. I found the following definition:

doll
(Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary)
Pronunciation: 'däl, 'dol
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy
1 : a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything
2 a (1) : a pretty but often empty-headed young woman (2) : WOMAN b : DARLING, SWEETHEART c : an attractive person

I particularly found humor with definition "2a(1)": a pretty but often empty-headed young woman. When you see what I’m about to share, I think you’ll get a chuckle out of that particular definition (even though definition "1" is the appropriate one to use):

See what I mean – empty-headed? You can quit laughing now. Really. I mean it. Okay, go ahead. Get it out of your system. I’m just going to pretend that you are laughing with me and not at me.

Now that I’ve shown you the Living Dolls’ photo, I thought I would show you a photo of us in the flesh for comparison’s sake:

A few weeks ago, I stumbled onto a man who made dolls. It was by chance that I stumbled onto him. I was bumming around with my son one day and I caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. I told my son to stop what he was doing and to come with me because if what I thought I saw was what I thought it was, I was going to faint. My son, being the great guy that he is, immediately stopped dead in his tracks and went with me to check out the doll man and his wares.

We saw dolls. Lots of dolls. Dolls of all sexes, races, and nationalities. They looked like bobble head dolls but in actuality weren’t. And displayed with each doll was a photograph of a person. A real person. The resemblance between the dolls and the photographs was uncanny. I asked the doll man how he did it – how he made dolls that were so lifelike. He told me that he did it the new-fashioned way. The high-tech way.

Okay, who here on the Dis does not know that I am one of the biggest high-tech geeks around? Come on now, don’t be afraid, raise your hand. What? No hands? Smart people.

Yep. The doll man had me hook, line, and sinker with his words. He told me he would take a 3-D scan of my head, send the data to China, and they would create a doll in my image. A few short weeks later, my doll would arrive back in the United States and would become mine. My jaw just about hit the floor.

On display were various bodies that could be used for the dolls. One set of bodies caught my attention, in particular, a set of Bride and Groom bodies. I told the doll man that I was going to be renewing my vows at the end of October, and I thought the bride and groom bodies would be perfect for that. I asked him if he could scan in my head today, and then tomorrow I would send my husband to have his head scanned in. The doll man told me that was fine with him.

It was then that I decided that I wanted dolls made of my whole family. It took a little prodding on both my part and the part of the doll man before we convinced my son to sit for a 3-D scan. Eventually, my son conceded (smart kid), and so both of our heads were scanned in.

I next filled out the paperwork and paid for the dolls. I said to my son that if our dolls turned out half as good as the dolls that were on display, I would be happy. Very happy. My son agreed.

As my son and I walked away from the doll man, I turned on my cell phone. Wouldn’t you know it, my battery was dead. I quickly found a pay phone and called my husband. I told him to get his butt and our daughter’s butt out to where my son and I were. He asked me why, and I explained about the dolls. He thought I was crazy but agreed to join us. I was as pleased as could be. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?

A few hours later, my husband and daughter arrived. We went to see the doll man. Both my husband and daughter were amazed at the dolls that were on display. The doll man quickly scanned in their heads; there was more paperwork to fill out; another payment to be made; and then we were on our way. Everyone in my family agreed that as frivolous as the dolls were, they were definitely unique and would be something fun to hand down through the generations. We also imagined the day when actual 3-D moving images of our family would be displayed in our home. Yes, we are a family of high-tech geeks. The future was mind-boggling -- Musion Virtual Hologram Techology (click here), Telepresence Technology (click here), Holographic Music Videos (click here), and Holographic Fashion Shows (click here).

Several weeks went by. My phone rang late one evening. The doll man told me that my dolls had arrived from China. He asked me if I could pick them up the next day. I asked him if I could pick them up over the weekend. He said that tomorrow was his last day because he was moving to another state. I told him that I would send my husband to pick up the dolls per his request.

The next day came and I reminded my husband to pick up the dolls. Late in the afternoon at work, my phone rang. It was my daughter. She said that she had the dolls in front of her and they looked great. She was very excited and begged me to come home early to see them. I told her that I couldn’t leave for a few more hours but would be home as soon as I could.

When I eventually got home that evening, I saw all four dolls lined up in a row on my dining room table:

My son told me that my doll looked the best. I asked him if he really thought so as I bent down to view my doll. I suddenly began to laugh. The resemblance between me and the doll was incredible. Far better than I had thought it would be. And then I viewed my son’s doll. I thought his doll looked even better than mine. He disagreed with me so I told him to go into the bathroom and hold his doll up next to his face. The two of us laughed as he viewed his image and the doll’s image in the mirror. It was truly uncanny.

I went back to the table and took a closer look at my husband’s doll. His looked good, but since I had recently made him shave, the doll had a mustache and beard, and my husband did not. That didn’t really matter as the doll was still the spitting image of him.

Then I looked at my daughter’s doll. I thought hers would easily be the best because she is so photogenic. But I didn’t think the doll captured the essence of her. Sure, it looked like her, but not as good as I thought it would. I eventually decided that since she has the smooth skin of a young girl (baby fat and all), the 3-D scan of her face did not pick up the subtle nuances of her flesh. The doll man had warned me that some dolls didn’t resemble the person as much as other dolls did. What he had failed to tell me is that old, wrinkly skin like mine would 3-D scan better than the smooth flesh of a young child. I found that very ironic. But I still liked my daughter’s doll. It did look like her, and it would be fun to compare the two of them as she aged.

I think I should mention the old, wrinkly part again. The doll man told me that he would electronically remove both my husband's and my wrinkles because the dolls looked better with smoother flesh. I asked him if he could remove the wrinkles in real life, too. He told me that there were some things that were beyond his control. I got a good chuckle out of that.

I actually like my wrinkles and was a little sad that he was going to remove them. But I had to trust him when it came to the dolls. If he said the dolls looked better with smoother flesh, who was I to argue with him? I told him to remove them. And as I viewed my doll that night, I noticed that my doll looked just like me, only better. The doll man was right about using the electronic wrinkle remover.

And now I find myself at the end of this post. The Bride and Groom dolls are traveling to Walt Disney World with me. I’m going to place them on a table at the Dessert Party. I hope my guests get as big a kick out of the dolls as I do. I also hope they don’t have the nerve to ask me to my face where my wrinkles have gone.

 

[Belle5]

How totally, totally cool!!!! At first I thought you might use them as a cake topper!!!

 

[MNSusan]

LOVE the dolls!! My husband worked for a company that does 3D modeling but I've never seen anything that cool. Most models he brings home are of geometric figures or working wrenches, etc. But his company can now make a 3D model from a CT scan, and we have a couple of life size plastic ears sitting around. The grandkids love them! Ahhhh, the life of a high tech household!

I'm curious, how did they scan your heads?

Susan

 

[ValerieK]

Janet2k

I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading about your planning for your Vow Renewal. We were at WDW last week and as we passed the Wedding Pavillion on the Monorail, I thought about you and what a special day it would be for you. I even was looking at the area outside the TOT where the dinner would be held if that was the route you had chosen. LOL

I hope everything works out at work. Try not to let it get you too down. This time should be very exciting for you and your family.

I love the dolls, those are just too cute.

I can't wait to read more about your planning sessions and about your trip.

 

[nutz4dzny]

Janet,

The dolls are incredible! I love them! You both look great. I also thought what neat cake toppers! Thanks for sharing,



Renee

 

[Minybear]

Janet2k

Looks like your Wedding renewel is suddenly coming up and you and all your great friends are helping you with all the details for your and Ricks marriage renewal. You are going to have an amazing evening (better then the Cinderella story) and it will take all the sadness away from you due to you will be concentrating on the great evening you and your friends have done for you and Rick.

Congratulations

Minybear

 

[tammy]

Love the dolls. You go girl....................

 

[TwingleMum]

Thanks Janet for sharing your wonderful vow renewal report. I'm sorry your going through a difficult time at work right now. The only thing I can tell you is that in my experience its the things you don't do in life that you regret. Not the things you do. If you do something and it doesn't turn out how you expected you always can learn from it ~ Next time I won't do X I'll do Y. But its the would have, should have, could haves that really get you. Someday (far far away) when your in the Disney Retirement Home for fabulous trip planners, you'll remember this special vow renewal and smile. Its not everyday (although it should be) we get to stand up in public and say "I love this man and I love our life and Family we've built. And I would marry him all over again ." Can we ever tell the people we love , that we love them too often??? God Bless and carry on. Your admirers on the Dis are cheering for you and sending tons of pixie dust your way.

 

[johnsonet]

Originally posted by TwingleMum
Thanks Janet for sharing your wonderful vow renewal report. I'm sorry your going through a difficult time at work right now. The only thing I can tell you is that in my experience its the things you don't do in life that you regret. Not the things you do. If you do something and it doesn't turn out how you expected you always can learn from it ~ Next time I won't do X I'll do Y. But its the would have, should have, could haves that really get you. Someday (far far away) when your in the Disney Retirement Home for fabulous trip planners, you'll remember this special vow renewal and smile. Its not everyday (although it should be) we get to stand up in public and say "I love this man and I love our life and Family we've built. And I would marry him all over again ." Can we ever tell the people we love , that we love them too often??? God Bless and carry on. Your admirers on the Dis are cheering for you and sending tons of pixie dust your way.

Thank you TwingleMum

 

[DisneyMom23Boys]

Hi!

I came across this thread for the first time today! After spending the past several hours reading your posts (and not getting any packing done for our WDW vacation in 10 days) you have given all of us something very special in your eloquent words!! Thank you for sharing!! I've never imagined anything so spectacular as what you have planned for your special vow renewal ceremony (and other surprises we won't know about until after your trip!!) We'll be in WDW from 10/22 - 10/30 and I hope to ride the monorail by the wedding pavilion around 8pm on the 27th to catch a glimpse of your candlelight!!

Don't forget to get pictures with the full moon in the background!!

Looking forward to reading more & praying that things will go much smoother at work.

When do you leave?

Thanks again!

Deb in PA

P.S. I told 11yo ds about your reception at the GMR & told him we were invited!! I had him going for a little while!!!

We'll be the "Disney Pirate" Family from Peter Pan & Pirates of the Caribbean at MNSSHP on the 26th - Capt. Jack Sparrow & Elizabeth Swann & sons (11, 9 & 5) are going to be Capt. Hook, Mr. Smee & Peter Pan.

 

[Janet2k]

With the timing of my vow renewal ceremony out of the way, and with the venue selected for my dinner celebration, it was time to begin working on all the other details that a vow renewal entails.

The first thing on my agenda was to find out how many people could accompany me to my on-site planning session with the Fairy Tale Weddings folks. I sent the following e-mail to my Sales Manager:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FTW Sales Manager,

Hello. Here is a simple question for you: When I do my site visit, how many people may accompany me? It will probably be just me and my son, but I might have the option of bringing one of my friends along. That would mean three people. Is that too much?

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Sales Manager responded that a maximum of four people could attend. That was good information for me to have.

In order to keep costs down, I decided that my husband and daughter would remain behind on the West Coast while my son traveled to Florida with me. I was going to ask my dear friend from home to join us, but I soon found out how swamped she was at work so I decided to keep quiet. That was okay because my son and I would have fun together in WDW. We would turn our short trip into a Mother And Son Vacation. But I also had a thought floating around in the back of my mind about how much fun it would be if a Dis girlfriend or two could join us.

Since Nutz4dzny was in a lot of pain as she was awaiting her doctor’s okay for surgery, I didn’t dare ask her if she wanted to join me. I knew how sad she had felt when she couldn’t vacation with me in May. I didn’t want to cause her any more sadness so I decided to keep quiet about my planning session.

Bonzie1’s name also came to mind. I knew she had toyed with the idea of renewing her vows in WDW one day. I hoped she might want to see what happened at an actual FTW on-site planning session:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bonzie1,

I don’t know what your schedule is like, but if you’re looking for an excuse to fly to WDW for a day or two sometime within the next few weeks, you could join me when I meet with the Fairy Tale Weddings folks to discuss my vow renewal and dinner reception events. Right now I am only planning on having my son join me in Florida (I will make our quick vacation a “Mother & Son” one like I did with my daughter two years ago).

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1 replied with the following e-mail:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janet... How tempting!!! How flattering... How fun...

With taking these past 3 days off, and just returning from our vacation, I doubt I would have the time to spare from work, unless I tried to work it around a weekend.

I just went to check the 4th of July weekend. There’s a flight out on Thursday the 1st arriving around 6:30 P.M., and one returning back Sat the 3rd, at 8:00 PM. That would give me 2 full days with one off. Flights aren’t coming back from that weekend until Wed., the 7th... Don’t have that much time. All the other weekend flights return Saturdays at 7:00 am which would only give us 1 full day Friday.

As usual, I am putting the cart before the horse. I must speak with my husband first, also, you need to decide what is best for you. Do your planning on your dates, don’t plan around me, ‘cause it may not work out...

Will discuss with my husband when he gets home. That invitation sure sounds like FUN! Thanks!

Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had hoped that Bonzie1 could somehow join me in WDW. I sent her the following response:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Bonzie1!

Like you, I was thinking about that same timeframe. My guess is that a site inspection happens on a weekday since weekends are the busiest time for weddings, but I don’t know that for certain. When I set up the site inspection, I want to set it up for a Friday or a Monday. I would fly in either the day before, or two days before, and then hopefully stay for an additional day or two. I don’t want to spend much money on my site inspection trip, so I am hopeful that I could get an AP rate at one of the Value or Moderate resorts. I also am concerned with airfares. It is usually expensive to fly from the West Coast to Florida.

I also don’t know which FTW coordinator will be assigned to me. They were supposed to begin working on my contract today, and I think once I sign it, they will assign me someone (it will be a different person than who I have been dealing with so far). Of course, I want to get my site inspection done as soon as possible so I can see what I’ve let myself into. I know that I don’t need to have a site inspection; however, since I am spending so much money on the party, I really want to have one. I also am hopeful that I’ll get to have some sort of food tasting. I have read that they are a lot of fun - you get to sample the dishes and the desserts. If the food is anywhere as good as it was for the HM Movie Set Dinner and the Summerhouse Dinner, I know I will be impressed. Yum! I’m drooling now.

I didn’t mean to put any undo pressure on you. But I know that you were toying with the idea of your own FTW vow renewal someday and I didn’t want you to miss out on the opportunity of experiencing it first-hand. Let me know what your husband says. I am very flexible with dates (I’m not sure if my boss would agree!). The only thing that would hinder me would be the airfare costs. But where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can probably imagine how elated I felt when I received the following message from Bonzie1:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet...

My husband gave me the thumbs up, so I want to try to see when you’re planning to go...

Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yahoo! My planning session would be so much better with Bonzie1 along. She had a great head on her shoulders and would help assure that I got all my questions answered.

It was around this time that Nutz4dzny, Bonzie1, and I found out that the Food Network was airing a show on Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings:

- - - - - - -
Food Network Specials
Episode WDSP01

Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings
You're invited to join host Sandra Pinckney for a special hour of Disney Fairytale Weddings. From choosing the reception menu to constructing the cake, tag along as a celebration filled with Disney delicacies comes together.
- - - - - - -

We all watched the show when it aired and were impressed. I think Bonzie1 put it best:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet!

In the Food Network show last night, I saw what you were describing to me with the tasting event... The entrees, the desserts, quite a show! You will have to keep your cell phone charged so you can relay everything to Rick... Unless you can talk him into coming with you. There were so many choices.

Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I definitely agreed. There were indeed so many choices. How was I ever going to decide what to choose for my vow renewal? Yikes! I sent the following to Bonzie1:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Bonzie1.

Yes, I watched that show last night. It was fun seeing the one couple’s planning session. I can’t wait to have my own.

As to the $70,000 wedding, the wedding cost was smaller than that. That $70K included the Mad Hatter Tea Party which runs in the $7K to $14K range. So, knock that price off the $70K. Also, I think they had a rehearsal or welcome dinner (I can’t remember). If they did, that usually runs a few thousand dollars. So, by the time you knock off all the extras, the cost of the wedding was comparable to what most people spend in any of the big cities. I think a lot of people who aren’t familiar with how FTW operates don’t realize that you can have a FTW for way less money than $70K.

It sure was fun watching the TV show. I hope my planning session is as much fun as hers was! I should have my FTW contract on Wednesday. Yippeeeeeee!

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Both Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1 were FTW savvy and knew that a wedding could be had for less money than was mentioned on the Food Network show. I felt sorry for the folks who weren’t as knowledgeable. I’m sure some of their dreams were prematurely dashed by the price tag that was mentioned.

During one of my phone conversations with Nutz4dzny regarding the show, I decided that I had to ask her to attend my FTW planning session. She had been feeling a little blue and I thought that maybe, just maybe, if she could join me for my planning session, it would help lift her spirits. And so I threw caution to the wind and asked her if she would like to join me, my son, and Bonzie1 in WDW for it. She was thrilled with the invitation and told me that she would somehow find a way to join us. I was elated and informed Bonzie1 of the new addition to our group:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Bonzie1.

If you have a timeline to forward along, please do so. I know I’ve already broken all sorts of rules by not having my dress ordered yet (shudder!), my attendants’ (my daughter & my niece) dresses ordered yet (double-shudder!), my menu selected (yikes!), my Justice of the Peace booked (yowsa!), and a myriad of other things that I have not done yet (like not booking photo, video, floral, transportation, etc.). I am trying not to worry too much because I know Disney can work magic.

I can’t wait to get my contract, then I can ask the FTW folks when I can show up for my planning session. I am hopeful that you will be able to join me. (I have my fingers, toes, & eyes crossed!)

This weekend Nutz4dzny called me. Like you, she has been toying with the idea of having a FTW vow renewal (she’s thinking of doing it for her 25th). Since you already know Nutz4dzny (you met her at the DoomBuggies event last year), I took the liberty of asking her if she would like to join us for the planning session. I hope you don’t mind. Nutz4dzny has been a little blue about her health problems (her surgery is tentatively scheduled for the end of July). And I know how disappointed she was that she couldn’t join me during my May vacation. I thought if I could give her something to look forward to, it would raise her spirits and help her get through the weeks leading up to her surgery. Anyhow, she was thrilled at the invitation. I think it would be a hoot to have you, Nutz4dzny, me, and my poor son (odd man out) at the planning session. Just think of the myriad of questions we could ask the FTW folks (okay, maybe my son won’t ask any - he’d probably be too embarrassed to be seen with three such astute Disney enthusiasts)!

I will keep you posted,
Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I admit it. I was dangling the proverbial carrot before Nutz4dzny’s eyes. As one of her best friends, I felt obligated to do it. When I was recovering from my surgery last Fall, she had done the same thing to me. When I had contemplated canceling my vacation due to my heath concerns, Nutz4dzny had kept me motivated with our jointly planned WDW vacations. She had worked miracles for my morale, and it was my turn to repay her kindness. I was awfully glad that I had something fun to dangle before her – my planning session. And Praise the Lord that the Food Network had recently aired a show that gave a small glimpse into what happened during a planning session (well, at least the menu tasting portion of it, yum!). Yep, I had my carrot dangling, and to quote that famous rabbit, “Eh, what’s up, Doc?!”

Bonzie1 sent me the following response:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet.

Oh don't worry about asking Nutz4dzny to your planning session! Of course! The more, the merrier, the more, the more ideas (smile). Three Mousketeers in action... FTW won't know what hit them! I had sent Nutz4dzny a pm asking for her address so I could send her a picture from last year's Doom Buggy event. When she replied, she indicated how much her health issues have her down. This will be great for her to get out.

I am hoping I will be able to join you. If there's any way you can give me a few weeks notice, then I could check the flights. I hope they can do the walkthrough around a weekend. Whatever happens, just let me know, and I'll try as hard as I can to be there.

About Disney working magic... yes they can and will. I just mentioned the list of things to do because it popped into my mind (smile). FTW will keep you on track with your details.

Bonzie1
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Now that our little group contained four members, it was time to find a date when everyone could travel to Florida for the planning session. A chain of phone calls and e-mails began in earnest in regards to the date:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi, Nutz4dzny.

As to the planning session, what dates are you not available in July? I know you mentioned the 27th is bad. Any other dates? I will probably try to schedule my planning session for the middle of July. I think that works out okay for Bonzie1. Let me know how it works out for you. Of course, I have no idea if that will work out okay for the FTW folks! But I’m going to ask them as soon as they assign me an Event Manager (that will be the person who will help me plan my vow renewal and dinner party).

Janet
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Nutz4dzny gave me another date that was bad for her, so I made sure to keep that date off our list.

I sent a few questions to my Sales Manager regarding how things would work from here on out. All of this planning stuff was so new to me, I wanted to make sure that I knew what to expect. When she responded, she addressed all of my concerns:

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Hello again! Let's see if I can help you out with some of your questions.

Once you return the signed contract to me, you will be assigned an Event Planner. This person will be assisting with all of your planning and budget.

Please try to give us about 2 weeks notice of your visit so we may schedule the florist and culinary if you are having any menu tastings. Our planning sessions are on a Monday-Friday basis, due to weekends being taken with weddings. I will have a planning kit sent out to you to help you get started.

Rehearsal - Ceremony rehearsal will be scheduled by your Event Planner. They will do their best to book the Wedding Pavilion. If there is a request for a wedding on the day and time you have held, your planner will ask if you'd like to change the time. Or, have a mock area set up in the Convention Center. That way everyone can practice coming in and going out.

Officiant - In the folder I gave you during our site visit, there is a list of Officiants we recommend. With the Intimate weddings, they are included. However, with the customs, they are not. We ask that you contact and book them directly. All are excellent to work with. I think their fee is around $175-$200.

Floral/Candlelight/Photo/Video/Transportation - All of these options will be discussed during your planning session.

Tour of GMR - I will be taking you on that tour, prior to your planning session.

Pre-reception/Dinner/Dessert/Entertainment/Floral/Centerpieces/Photo/Video/Transportation will all be taken care of at your planning session.

Overall, the site will take about an hour or so. The menu tasting about an hour. And, the planning session may take about 3-4 hours.

I've attached some information on rehearsal dinner/welcome party ideas. Let me know if any interest you. If it is a private space, I can add to your file.

Hope this helps!!

Have a great day,
Your FTW Sales Manager
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My Sales Manager sure was a wealth of information. I felt so much better about things now that a few more holes had been filled in.

The Rehearsal Dinner / Welcome Party Ideas document that was attached to her e-mail message was 20 pages long. I'll share the first two pages below, but the rest of the pages are found in my planning photo album: click here.

I quickly sent off the following response to my Sales Manager:

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FTW Sales Manager,

Wow! What wonderful information. Thank you so much.

Since I plan on dragging two of my friends along to my planning session, I will be sure to give advance notice to you folks. My friends live in different parts of the country than I do, and both are toying with the idea of having their own vow renewals in Walt Disney World. I just couldn't resist inviting them along to my planning session (a little free marketing for you folks). I am hopeful that my friends and I will be able to find reasonable airfares, and once we do, I'll give advance notice to you folks. If I could schedule my planning session for either a Monday or a Friday, that would work best for me.

I will have my husband look through the officiant list. Over the years, I have heard nice things about all of them.

I am happy to hear that you'll be giving us the tour of the Great Movie Ride. I am especially looking forward to that. Do you know if Disney has ever videotaped that venue for a wedding or convention party? I sent a request today to the video folks asking them if they had any footage of that venue to share with me because I need to make my video decision soon. They haven't responded yet so I thought I would ask you if you thought something existed in their video collection. I would really like to see Disney's work when it comes to videotaping that particular area. If you know of a particular event that occurred there, maybe it would help prod the video folks along in sending me something sooner rather than later (I would like to see a video sample before I arrived for my planning session). Please let me know.

I will review the rest of the information that you sent me. I look forward to receiving my contract tomorrow. Again, thank you for everything.

Janet
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I next received the Letter of Agreement from the FTW folks:

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Dear Janet and Rick:

I am pleased to enclose the original copy of your Letter of Agreement detailing all initial arrangements that have been made to host your Wedding at the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. Carefully review this Agreement, initial every page, and be sure to have all responsible parties sign on the final page. Please do not make changes on the document before speaking with me, I am happy to discuss any questions with you. Be aware that returning the Agreement with changes could result in a significant delay of the processing of your event.

I have also included samples of your personalized Save-the-Date letter, sample envelope with return address label, Reservation Form and Ticket Mail Order Form. Please note that these items will be printed on Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings letterhead. A sample of our new Save the Date letterhead has been included for your records. Review these carefully to ensure complete accuracy and initial each and every one of these forms to indicate your approval. Please make any necessary changes or corrections right on the forms. We will require a complete guest address list to begin this process. Sending me your guest list in a table format, via e-mail, will ensure that your save-the-date mailing will proceed promptly and with accuracy. This special mailing will be compiled and mailed to your guests shortly following the execution of the Letter of Agreement by both parties.

Be sure to enclose the signed Letter of Agreement, full deposit, Save-the-Date, sample envelope, Ticket Mail Order, and complete guest address list and return to me.

Do not hesitate to call me with any questions regarding this information. We look forward to hosting your very special event!

Warm regards,
FTW
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The Letter of Agreement document that was attached to her e-mail message was 13 pages long. I'll share the first two pages below, but the rest of the pages are found in my planning photo album: click here.

That agreement was some pretty serious stuff. I decided that I would print it and read it that evening when I could devote my attention to it.

I sent the following response to my Sales Manager:

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FTW Sales Manager,

I will review the information this evening and my husband and I will sign it. May we FAX it back? And is there some way we can put the deposit on a credit card instead of sending a check? Or can we wire the money? I only ask because I am anxious to get this portion of things out of the way so that an Event Manager may be assigned to me and I can set up my on-site planning session. I would like to set up my planning session for the middle of July, and that’s not very far away, thus my wanting to speed things up as much as I can.

Sincerely,
Janet
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My Sales Manager responded that Disney needed the signed contract mailed back to them. She also stated that either a check or money order was required for the deposit, but any future payments could be made by credit card. She had her assistant send me the wire transfer instructions. Since I didn’t want to wait for a $1,000 check to clear, the wire transfer was the route that I took in order to keep the ball rolling. I made arrangements for the wire transfer as quickly as I could.

It was at this point that I sent a list of dates to my Sales Manager and asked if any of them would work out okay for my planning session. With the ball continuing to roll, I gave an update to both Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1:

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Hi, Bonzie1.

Yes, the vow renewal is officially scheduled for the evening of October 27th. I’m trying to decide if I want to plan some sort of get-together (welcome party or dessert party) for the afternoon or evening of the 26th. I put an inquiry into the FTW folks the other day as to what sort of events they suggest. I won’t make my decision until after my planning session. I need to first determine exactly how much my ceremony & dinner are going to cost.

The FTW folks sent me the wire-transfer info, so I think I will be wiring my deposit to them tomorrow. I’ll also FAX them the contract and then put it in the US Mail (they need the original). Once I have done that, I will wait for an Event Manager to be assigned to me.

I sent a list of potential planning session dates for mid-July (Monday’s & Friday’s) to my Sales Manager. She should see them when she comes into the office tomorrow. She is the one who will be giving us the GMR venue tour (I think she said that tour could last an hour). Once the tour is done, we’ll be passed over to the Event Manager for the rest of the day (menu discussion, food tasting, floral meeting, entertainment meeting, photography meeting, etc.). That portion of the day will last quite a few hours (anywhere from four to six hours). It should be a very busy day filled with all sorts of wonderful things.

Janet
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Out of the blue, a package arrived in the mail from my Mom. Inside it was a floor-length dress and matching bolero jacket. My Mom had picked out my vow renewal dress, God love her!

I tried the dress on and it fit. I was thrilled. I had been dreading shopping for something to wear to my vow renewal and my Mom knew it. When I put her dress on, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I can’t tell you folks how relieved I felt. Phew!

I sent the following message to my Dad:

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Dad,

Let Mom know that the dress is lovely and it looks very nice on. I now have one less thing to worry about (I was dreading shopping for a dress – I’m not big on shopping for anything except for electronic gadgets!).

My daughter is at Tae Kwon Do class today. Rick took her. My son is at home registering via the computer for a college class that begins next week. I hope he gets the class that he wants.

Janet
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Yes, I was a happy woman now that my Mom had put me out of my misery. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Mom?

All of this happened right around the four-month mark. Time was beginning to move very quickly. If I thought the first 19 years and 8 months had gone by in the blink of an eye, I had no idea how quickly the last 4 months would pass by. Even Bonzie1 noticed how quickly time was marching on:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HI Janet!

It must feel good (and overwhelming) to finally be on your way! Four months to go. I am excited for you. I was able to touch base with Nutz4dzny. She is looking forward to the trip and planning. She already has her ticket.

One thing at a time... the pot is on, you've added the ingredients, let's see what turns out!

Thanks for the update. Stay calm. Think good thoughts.

Sending Pixie Dust,
Bonzie1
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Yes, as Bonzie1 had stated, Nutz4dzny had already purchased her airline ticket in hopes that the date of the planning session was at hand. What a woman! She had the faith of a saint. She had far more faith than I had, and her faith was soon rewarded:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ladies,

WE HAVE A PLANNING SESSION DATE – JULY 23RD! IT’S A FRIDAY!

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boy, I was excited. We had a DATE! Yahoo! But then a little hiccup popped up:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janet,

Hi! I am just now able to sign on at work and saw your note. I’m glad you got a date. Right now I’ll have to talk things over with my husband. The 24th is when we start for the shore, and I’m really obligated to be a part of the preparation and activity, but I really, really want to be a part of your planning... we will talk tonight, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. As long as you can go with Nutz4dzny, that will be great to be able to have someone along to plan with! Go ahead with your plans. I’ll keep in touch.

Bonzie1
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Oh, no! There was no way I was going to have a planning session without both of my Dis buddies with me. The three of us had worked so hard to find a date when all of us could be in attendance. I can’t even count the number of phone calls and e-mails that everyone had exchanged as we honed in on a date. If there was an issue with July 23rd, I would find another date when there would not be an issue. Like I’ve mentioned before, I am a very tenacious woman. I do not give up easily.

I quickly received an e-mail from Bonzie1:

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Janet... I just got off the phone with Nutz4dzny. She is so excited... Don’t change anything if this works out for you... Okay? If I can’t go... I KNOW you’ll be taking pictures... I am still scheming!

Quick question: How long is the planning session on Friday? This sounds crazy, but I’m looking into flying down on Thursday and back Friday night to be able to drive the loaded car down to the shore Sat morning! Do you think I would be cutting it close to try that?

Let me know... All is not lost!
Bonzie1
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It seems that I wasn’t the only tenacious one in the group. Bonzie1 was trying to find a way to make the July 23rd date work for her, bless her little heart. I sent her the answer to her question:

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Bonzie1,

I have the planning session scheduled for the morning. They haven’t sent me the timeline yet but I am hoping that it will start first thing in the morning (8 AM or 9 AM) and run through the early afternoon. My guess is that we will be finished by 2 PM or 3 PM. You could always leave earlier, as I am hoping the good stuff will be done in the morning like the menu tasting & cake tasting (yum!). You can’t miss the FOOD! I hear it’s a lot of fun (and it looked that way on the TV special). I can ask about moving the date, though. I really want both you & Nutz4dzny there. Should I ask for the planning session to be moved to Thursday? That date was available, I believe. Of course, I can ask for it to be on that Monday or Tuesday, too. I’m sure something could be worked out.

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I decided to leave a phone message for my Sales Manager asking her if I could move the planning session up by one day. I followed up with an e-mail:

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FTW Sales Manager,

Hi. I just left you a phone message but thought I would follow up with e-mail, too. I hate doing this but is it possible to move my planning session to Thursday, July 22nd? There is a conflict with one of the ladies who will be joining me, and Thursday would work out better for all of us. If my planning session can be moved, please let me know as soon as possible.

Again, I apologize for asking for my planning session to be moved.

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After I sent that message, all I could do was keep my fingers crossed. It was a weekend and I wouldn’t be hearing anything until the new week started.

That weekend I attended the wedding reception of one of my best friends from work. He and his bride had gotten married earlier in the year at a small civil ceremony. My friend knew that Rick and I were renewing our vows in October. He said that he and his wife would love to attend; however, they were planning a trip to Russia and could only afford one more trip this year after their whirlwind honeymoon. I teased him that if they went to Russia, they would be choosing the wrong trip. My vow renewal would be way more fun than anything they could do in Russia. He agreed and teasingly responded that he would talk it over with his wife. I laughed. I knew they would have a lovely time in Russia, and I completely understood their desire to travel there. Russia it was. Or was it?

I sent the following message to Bonzie1 about my fun weekend. Even though my coworker probably would be vacationing in Russia, there was another friend who I had also invited to my vow renewal:

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Hi, Bonzie1!

I just returned from a wedding reception at my friend's house. It was a gorgeous day and he had it catered in his backyard. My whole family had a wonderful afternoon & evening (plus, my daughter went swimming in his pool with one of the other little girls -- she had a ball).

Earlier today I invited another person to my vow renewal & dinner. I was so happy when he said he would love to attend. That just really made my day! I told him that two of my favorite Dis'ers would also be in attendance. He knows Nutz4dzny quite well, and hopefully will get a chance to get to know you, too. He is such a doll. I haven't met his wife yet but I know that Nutz4dzny has. I hear she's a lovely lady. Boy, it should really be a fun dinner party. I am getting more excited by the minute!

Janet
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Yes, earlier that day I had decided to invite another friend to my vow renewal. Since my husband and I had moved into the Custom FTW category, that allowed us to invite more people to our celebration. I thought it would be fun if my friend could attend. Plus, I had heard such lovely things about his wife from Nutz4dzny, that I was hoping I would finally get the opportunity to meet her. I was thrilled when he said they would both love to attend. Yahoo!

As my weekend came to an end, I suddenly found myself holding my breath in anticipation of whether or not I could move my planning session up by one day. Before I knew it, the e-mail that I had been waiting for arrived:

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Janet,

Hi! Sure. Go ahead and plan on the 22nd. We have an appointment set with MGM at 8:00am. Hope that is o.k. I can meet you and girls at Franck's Studio/Pavilion around 7:45am. Then I will drive us to the Studios for a walk through. I have requested MGM entertainment and catering be there as well. I would also like for your Wedding Planner to be there, if possible. Have made the request.

See you in a few weeks!!
FTW Sales Manager
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think my scream of elation was heard all the way to the East Coast:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FTW Sales Manager,

THANK YOU! I am so EXCITED (I know, I need to calm down)!!! I will relay the info to my girlfriends. We are going to have a very fun planning session, I just know it (and hopefully some day they'll become Fairy Tale Weddings vow renewal ladies, too).

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And in case Nutz4dzny and Bonzie1 didn’t hear my elated scream, I decided to follow up with an e-mail message:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ladies,

YAHOO!!!! We have a planning session date of Thursday, July 22nd!

Janet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1 was the first to respond:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janet!!!

YEA!!! More answered prayers... I will book my flight!

Yea!!!
Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But then she responded again:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janet...

In waiting, I lost my air fare... then I called up and got a recorded message stating to go online and book... ONE seat was left and I got 5% off!!! Wow! Another miracle!

I am booked and ready to come! Good luck with your fare!

Bonzie1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bonzie1 had initially lost her special airfare rate, but then wound up getting an even better deal in the end. Life sure can surprise you sometimes.

I next heard from Nutz4dzny:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janet,

I am glad you were able to change it. Will Bonzie1 join us now? I hope so. Did you get your flight yet? I am so excited. I will try to call you tonight. I was up at 1:30 AM and could not get back to sleep last night. My Mom taped the FTW segment and I am going to watch it again tonight! My husband keeps saying to me...I see that look in your eye, don't get any ideas until our 25th. I said sure, that way I will have it all figured out by then thanks to my best friend Janet! We both started laughing.

Nutz4dzny
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With my Fairy Tale Weddings planning session’s date booked, and with everyone’s airline tickets purchased, all we had left to do was wait for July 22nd to arrive. There would be four people in attendance at my planning session on that day. What I didn’t know at the time was that my son would not be one of them. Stay tuned.

 

[Janet2k]

Folks, this will be my last post for awhile. I head to Walt Disney World in just a few short days. I promise to share photos and stories upon my return.

Thanks again, everyone, for the kind words and pixie dust. They meant a lot to me.