Planning The Super Secret Renewal of Vows - 18th February 2012

[MrsDuck]

Wooohoo! You're getting so close!

I'm sorry to hear about your license. I'd be upset too. I hope you're okay after the accident! It sounds like it's been a tough time for you recently. I'm so sorry.

I'm sure Karen will be fantastic-- don't worry about the weather either! It will be very nice while you're there!

If you are being charged gratutity, you don't need to tip anymore on top of it!

This is the best resource I have on tipping-- straight from the source-- Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewartweddings.co...nter/272440/wedding-etiquette-adviser#/122992

It was so nice of MIL to book at DP for you!! So sweet!

 

[MrRomance]

Thanks, Faith!

I just don't want to be over tipping people, not only because I want to save myself some money, but because I don't want the vendors to think that someone who tips less is a bad person because I go too far!

 

[MrRomance]

So the final payments have been made for the wedding and the reception meal and all we have to do now is pay the remaining balance for the cake ($78) and the photography ($200) on the big day!

I've decided that I am not going to get a jacket. We arrive in FL a week before the big day so I figure if the weather looks like it's going to be chilly, I'll run to a store in FL and get a jacket.

We are taking Amanda's dress in for alteration on Monday, it should take 3 - 4 weeks and we have 5 weeks left to departure. We didn't want to get the alterations done too early because Amanda is losing weight and we didn't want the dress to be too big on the day!

Another job that I need to do is get Katie's passport updated, so I have to do that on Monday too!

I'm so happy that it's all paid off now!

 

[Chilly]

must be glad to have it all paid for. Getting so close!

 

[librarygeek]

Congrats on being paid off! You're getting very close now!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

I'm so happy for you. Can't wait for your TR.

 

[MrRomance]

24 Days To GO!!​

I'm filled with a nervous excitement right now. It's come around so quickly and I just can't believe we have less than a month until we get on the plane! With everything paid off, I don't have any worries on the financial side of things, but Amanda is getting more and more stressed that something will go wrong as each day passes!

I really don't know what she thinks will go wrong...swarm of locusts...the end of the world comes early... With the exception of the weather which could be the proverbial thorn in our sides, I don't see how things can go drastically wrong. We do have a couple of wild card guests who may or may not be a pain in the butt, but I'll soon sort them out if they become a problem!

Amanda's dress is with the lovely, Doreen. As far as her skills as a seamstress are concerned, she seems to be AWESOME, however, the fact that she may well be old enough to be Noah's wife, is a worry! The dress is being taken up a couple of inches, the zip is being removed and a corset back is being put in. She is sure it will be finished and ready to collect by the end of the month. All the alterations cost £100 ($150) which is pretty good. The dress was originally $600, I got it on sale at $249, with the customs charges, taxes and alterations, the dress will cost a total of about £300 ($450).

We bought Amanda's dad a set of Disney Cufflinks which were engraved with little Mickey Heads. Yesterday we had them engraved with his initials and they look great! We are still waiting for the custom made necklace for Amanda's mum to arrive though!

Suitcases are partially packed! We bought a lot of new stuff for the trip so it made sense to just pack it straight away. It seems a little silly to be packed so soon but it's partly because I gave up smoking at New Year and it kept me busy for a bit!

I have been a smoker since I was a child (I first smoked at the age of 11) which is awful to think about now, but true nonetheless. I smoked A LOT, almost 2 packs a day so I didn't hold out much hope of actually giving up. 27 years of heavy smoking is not exactly an easy habit to kick! I decided after trying virtually all of the other products over the years, that electronic cigarettes would be my method this time and so far IT'S WORKED!!!
I'm still smoke-free haven't had a single one since New Years Eve and I am really proud of myself!

I have saved the money I would have spent on smoking in a jar. My only motivation for quitting (because I don't buy into the whole health and financial "benefits") was to make the 9 hour flight and the trip to Disney nicer. I will have $600 extra to take with me by the time I go! Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet because virtually everything is paid for! All of our tickets are paid for, we have the DDP, Discovery Cove is all paid for... The only thing I can think of is to arrange something special for Valentines Day.

We already have an ADR for Artist Point (our favourite restaurant on property) but I'm thinking I might use the money for another surprise!

On another off topic note... Kate came home from school last week with a letter from the head teacher...cue stress...opened it up to find that the school had raised £250 ($375) to add to the sponsorship fund for the hospital. Kate has raised £720 ($1000) in total for the hospital. She's really excited to run in the Disney Kids Race and she's been training on Wii Fit!

Back to wedding stuff...

Overall, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings & Disney Catered Events have been fantastic!! I was a little worried with the late change of planner, because Janna has been so good, but I am sure everything will be fine. Kristin and Jen at Disney Catered Events have also been great. I've read a lot of complaints about DFTW and DCE but I can honestly say that with the exception of a couple of differing answers that needed to be checked on a clarified, they've all been SUPER for us! I can't wait to get there now!!!

This week, we need to get the last of the stuff for our gift bags and pick up a couple of piece of clothing. Hopefully, Doreen will call for us to pick up the dress and we can pack that in it's lovely flight box!

Anyone ever flown Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy? I'm reading a lot of mixed reviews! I figure it can't be any worse than regular economy and I've survived that so far in my life!

So, this may be the last update before I leave... I may get time to update again with the pre-departure excitement though! Thank you all for your support, advice and kind words over the past 6 months...

 

[Chilly]

Hasn't Kate done well! Can't believe your off in just over 3 weeks.

I'm sure it'll be a great day, it probably won't be perfect because what it, but I bet it'll still be the best day of your life.

Maybe save the money for your next Disney trip?

 

[MrRomance]

This is going to be completely off topic for the most part but today I need a place to just share the good stuff, vent about the bad stuff and distract myself!

At the moment I’m still not smoking but holding on is getting tougher and tougher. The last week has been nothing short of horrendous and we really didn’t need any of this stuff just 2 weeks before we leave for what is supposed to be a family trip to recover from an awful 18 months in our lives. This trip was supposed to be about healing our family and having something positive, but as seems to be the case with us, things just have to come along and threaten it.

I guess I’ll start with the good stuff…

Kate’s new passport came back which is a huge relief. Her previous one was in her birth name as it was done before we adopted her. 3 times we took the paperwork in to get her new one issued and 3 times they rejected it for some stupid reason. We finally got it approved and issued and her ESTA approved.
Almost all of the pre-departure preparations are done. I still need to book a hotel at the airport and parking for the holiday, but I can do that this week. The only thing left is to exchange some more money for $’s. I just found out that I’d overpaid on my credit card to which is good, it’s a little extra cushion if Amanda goes nuts at the outlet!

Now for the bad…

It appears that we are going to have to go into battle with the school over our eldest daughter. Her behaviour is getting worse, the school have royally screwed up with her, giving in to her and being WAY too wishy washy when she misbehaves. To add to that, our daughter has made an allegation against a member of staff which is a huge problem because she has a long history of lying and making things up to get people in trouble, but the allegation she has made is very serious and it could also be the case that this member of staff has done something pretty bad knowing that no one is going to believe because she lies so much.

So basically, we now have to meet with her disability social worker and her manager and hash this all out. Either way the school are not doing what they need to and considering the fees the state are paying for the school which are in the region of a quarter of a million a year, it’s just not good enough. They have taken her off of her prescribed medication and are refusing to put her back on it which only adds to the problem. If this placement fails because of her behaviour, the only place left for her is a secure mental health facility…she’s 11 years old!

Last night, our cat, Shana was coughing and gasping for breath. It was midnight so we made her comfortable and her symptoms calmed. We took her to the vet first thing this morning and he didn’t know what was wrong. He said her distressed breathing was so bad she could die any time and that we shouldn’t hold out much hope. We don’t know how old she is because we adopted her when we lived in Michigan. We bought her to the UK (cost us a fortune through quarantine!) but she was our first pet together, our first baby! We’ve had her for 10 years and they think she was 2 or 3 when we got her. We’re crushed and Katie is devastated because she’s like the cat lady! The cats all practically live in her bedroom with her and not knowing if we’re going to get her home again is agony.

So, already upset I called my mother who tells me that my Uncle is at deaths door too. He has cancer but was responding well to chemotherapy but my mum got a call from my Aunt to say he’d had a suspected heart attack and was taken into a cardiac hospital in London. My uncle was like a second father to me. My dad never really did anything with us kids, but my uncle took me to football and stuff. Knowing that he may not make it much longer, or worst still he might pass while I’m away like my dad did is really upsetting me. I wasn’t there for the last days of my dad’s life and never got to say goodbye, I don’t want the same thing to happen with my Uncle too.

How I have not hit the smokes in the last 48 hours I’ll never know!

The plan for this week is to deal with the issues with our daughter. Finish up the few little things we need to do before we leave, collect Amanda’s dress which will hopefully be done this week and then get ready for the big flight out on the 11th. With so much going on, all my excitement and enthusiasm for the trip and the wedding has gone. Amanda and I really deserved this and now it all seems so lacklustre.

Good vibes needed guys! :

 

[CositaRicaFabulosa]

You *do* have a lot going on that is outside of your control, but please don't let it ruin the wedding trip. We've been having some rough times leading up to our wedding, too, and my DF also quit smoking, so I can understand how all these things are tearing you apart at a time when you want to focus on a very joyous event.

I think you have a good plan in place regarding dealing with your older daughter's situation. Sometimes the best thing you can do is have a plan for dealing with something like that; it's the only control you have over the situation.

I hope Shana is feeling better. It sounds as though she has been through it all with you, and it will be difficult when she dies. I hope Katie is okay, too.

As for your uncle, I truly think that he would want you to go on your trip and enjoy yourself. He sounds like a wonderful man, and he seems to have loved you very much. I hope he does recover. It may be helpful to have a plan - to go see him in London before you leave for Florida, and, regardless of what happens, maybe to have a special toast to him at your wedding to honor the role that he has played in your life.

I'm proud of you for not smoking, and I think you can keep it up. When I was going through a very nasty divorce with my ex, I had a wonderful trip planned with my kids and my ex and his attorney did everything to ruin it (though I was not doing anything wrong). The weeks leading up to the trip were excruciating, and my ex attempted to ruin the vacation with threatening texts the first few days we were gone. I was starting to wonder whether I should have stayed home, and then I realized that I'd put so much effort into planning the trip, the kids were having fun, and I deserved to have a little break, too. At that point, I relaxed and was able to enjoy the trip. I knew I was going to have some unpleasantness when I returned, but I realized that the stressful situations were going to be there whether I left or not, and I needed to enjoy the break, recharge, and be ready to tackle things afresh when I returned. I think the wedding trip is going to be a good thing for all of you, and I hope you have a wonderful time and feel refreshed and renewed when you return home.

 

[Jilian]

Oh no! I'm sorry that all of this is going on so close to your trip. I hope you're able to get the school stuff resolved quickly. How frustrating! Consistency is so key with kids on the spectrum and the school should know that, shame on them but I'm glad your letting them know that they can't get away with it. The squeaky wheel definitely gets the oil so keep on squeaking! I hope you're able to get to the bottom of the accusations soon too. That is tricky.

Yay for still not smoking. If you can get through this first round of stress it will get progressively easier. Is there anything else you can do to relieve the stress, like go running? Don't light up!

I hope this week is a better one for all of you!

 

[Sizzle]

I quit smoking October 2010. Sounds like you have joined the ranks of non smokers! I read a book that changed my mind about smoking (after 14 years of a heavy habit) and have never looked back! I never card about my health either lol. It was actually the social aspect that was much better after I quit. You are doing great and I have faith that things will work out well without smoking to get you through it! Big hugs

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

Aww I'm so sorry all of this is happening to you! You are in my thoughts!

 

[MrsDuck]

Good for you for not smoking! You can do this!!

So glad to hear Kate's passport is in!

I'm so sorry to hear about your oldest DD. I wish I had some advice but you will all be in my thoughts. Please kepe us updated.

It's so hard when a furbaby is sick. More hugs for Shana and your family!

My heart goes out to you and for family right now for your Uncle. I hope you can manage a visit. He will be in my prayers.

Jay, I am so sorry to hear this news. Please know I'm thinking of you and am sending major pixiedust your way!

 

[librarygeek]

Oh Jay I am so sorry to hear about all of the problems you are facing now. I really hope something is able to turn around for you soon. I know it's hard but try not to let it ruin your wedding trip. We will be praying for you.

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

Ugh, I am so sorry to hear about your string of problems. I will keep your uncle and your cat in my prayers: and congratulations on not smoking, at least!

 

[MrRomance]

First and foremost, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has followed my journal over the last 6 months or so. Your support and advice has been fantastic! To those of you who sponsored Katie (you know who you are) for her big run at the Disney Princess Marathon weekend Kids Race... thank you so much for giving my little girl the boost she has needed. The run has given her a positive focus during a very tough time in her little life. She is so proud of herself and has grown so much in confidence because people have got behind her and supported. Nothing I can say will be enough to repay the good you have done!

We leave for the airport tomorrow afternoon, so the next time I appear on the DIS boards it will probably be from the Saratoga Springs Resort! I'll try to update during the trip and expect a TR and wedding pics when I get back!

Following on from my last post...just to update you

We lost our much loved cat, Shana, and still do not know what was wrong. We went to see her at the vet hospital on the Monday after she was admitted and it was obvious to us that she was suffering. We said our goodbyes, gave her some love and fuss, and she was put to sleep in my arms. Our hearts broke, but we knew it was right for her. Her ashes came home yesterday and although we miss her, we are happy that we saved her (twice) and enjoyed her in our lives for a decade.

My uncle is doing a little better. He is still in hospital but has improved somewhat. He underwent surgery on Monday and they hope that he will be able to improve and go home soon. All of your good wishes and thoughts for him are really appreciated.

The situation with our daughter is a huge worry, she seems to be spiralling out of control. We have decided that we have to let go of the stress and enjoy our trip. We are leaving things in the hands of her social worker while we are away, but we need and deserve to enjoy our time at WDW.

On to the wedding stuff...

Some of you will know this from the FB group, but for those who don't, Disney have thrown our whole day into chaos at 10 days out!

So, our reception at Fantasmic! has been booked and paid for FOR MONTHS. From no where, yesterday, we are told that it will either have to be cut short or have the time changed because the Park is now having 2 shows that night. Basically, this would give us about an hour to eat a buffet meal, the dessert party, all while watching the show. Yeah...not happening!

The only other choice was to move it forward by 30 minutes. It doesn't sound like much, but it actually throws everything we had planned and schedules into chaos because the ceremony is at 3pm and now we will have to leave for the reception at 5.30. Now, they already know that because we have an outside vendor for the cake (and therefore can't have it AT our reception) we had planned to have a cake cutting and toast back at Saratoga between the ceremony and the reception.

How are we now going to have the ceremony, get all the pictures done, get back to SSR, cut the cake and have our toast and get the pictures of that, and get to HS, all in a little over 2 hours? Yeah...not happening is it?

SO now we are going to have tell all of our guests that the schedule they had is all wrong, and we'll have to cut the cake before the ceremony so we can get the pictures for that part.

I understand that things change (especially when you choose a show as your reception venue) but, they couldn't tell us this weeks ago? Did they have to wait until we are 2 days from leaving the UK for Orlando to drop this on us? They must have known they were going to add a second show a while ago and they knew we had our event booked and paid for, so why couldn't they have told us weeks ago?

Disney Catered Events say they didn't know anything about it until yesterday when the "Park Team" called them. I've paid for the venue, I've paid for meal, I've paid the set up fee, I've paid for the service of our food, the least you can do is tell me before I'm almost on the plane out!!

Amanda is really upset. We'll make it work because frankly, we don't have a choice, but our whole day has been thrown out. Maybe if they told us a month ago, we could have talked to DFTW and moved the ceremony forward 30 minutes or something. It's just not fair to mess with people's big day like this at the last minute.

So, today, we're getting everything set for our house sitter. We're still waiting on a couple of things that we need to get to take with us, but hopefully everything will get here on time.

We pick Kate up from school at lunch tomorrow, drive to Gatwick, meet and greet parking will collect the car at the terminal and then we'll do twilight check in with Virgin Atlantic. Once that's done, we can walk to the hotel minus our luggage, check in and relax. Hopefully, Virgin will give us the seats they agreed to!

We should be touching down in Orlando, at around 5.30pm, pick up the car and then it's off to SSR for some food and an early night!

Thank you all for your support and good wishes! You're all AWESOME!

 

[CositaRicaFabulosa]

I'm glad that you got through things and home and are ready to enjoy your trip to the fullest.

I'm not happy about what happened with Fantasmic. Disney certainly knows their schedules more than a week in advance. We have a fireworks cruise booked for our upcoming trip and Disney told me to call two weeks in advance to comfirm the time of the fireworks (Magic Kingdom). So I called yesterday and they were able to check. It should be the same with Fantasmic. I'm so sorry that you had such an unpleasant surprise dumped on you at the last minute.

 

[Sccrmnky2005]

Actually Disney addeds extra shows day of a lot of times, or a day before.

I know it's not fair to you that booked and have everything planned for many many months, and It's not fair they are making you work around everything.

But they really don't know ahead of time when adding another show. They mostly do it based on the projected guest count or other things when adding additional shows parade, etc.

I know that this will not ruin your most magical day. It will be beautiful and I can't wait to see pictures

Safe travels to Florida and have a great wedding!!

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Wishing you a wonderful trip and vow renewal! Looking forward to hearing all about it.