Tlhbdm Planning Journal, updated, One Week Left!

[tlhbdm]

Hello everyone! I am not new to the boards, but I am mostly a lurker not much of a writer. I love all the TR and PJ. Sorry this post may only have a couple of pics but once I get going it will have a lot more pics.

First introductions:

Me(20)-I am a sophomore at the community college(DMACC) here in Des Moines, IA(pronounced dee moine, you wouldn't believe the amount of people who live here get it wrong). Anyway so I'm a sophomore, I am just getting my A.S. then going on somewhere else, to get my bachelor degree in International Business. Also, I am a tutor at DMACC and I work part time at Pottery Barn kids. I love everything I do, even though I may not like school sometimes. I am a Disney nut, have been to Disney World 8 times will be 9 in December for my Disneymoon. I have never stayed at a Deluxe resort and now I will get the chance to do that.

DF(21)-He is a senior(kind of) at Drake University also here in Des Moines, he is a MCMB major which stands for biochemistry cellular and molecular biology. He goes to school full time and works 33 hours a week at Walgreens in the pharmacy department. He wants to get his masters in teaching and wants to be a college professor, I'm hoping he can get a job at University of Central Florida, some day, then I wouldn't be just miles from the mouse. He is working 33 hours a week because we need to have health insurance when we get married. Converted Disney nut, has been 4 times 5 in December. Never stayed at a Deluxe before either.

I know what you're thinking you guys are so young, but...

Us-We have been together for almost 5 years(anniversary is on Nov. 2). We could not be more in love. We met through mutual friends in high school, I was a freshman he was a junior, our first date was a disaster but we can laugh about that now. We went through some rough times within the first year of dating, 1. His mom hated (still hates) me and tried to break us up on more than one occasion, 2. He went to Germany for a month and we talked twice in those 2 months, 3. I had to deal with a problem while he was in Germany and we weren't allowed to see each other for a month after he got back. So after we got past that, we really haven't been apart maybe total two months since then. Jump ahead to summer of 2005, I went to Spain that summer and was gone for 10 days but he left 10 before that so we were apart for about another month but this time everything was ok, except we didn't talk at all during this time and we missed each other like crazy. Then in October 2005, I got in a really bad car accident. (I flipped my car going 65 MPH. The car just shut off going down the road, and I had no control, it his an embankment head on, the airbags should've gone off, even the cop and paramedics said they don't why the airbags didn't go off, but if they would have I would been killed because they would've come out at my neck, anyway I walked away from the accident with only a broken shoulder.) Then two weeks after that my parents told me they were getting a divorce. (This was my senior year of high school). So I really didn't care about anything, and almost committed suicide. He stuck with me through it all. Then in March of 2006 we went to Disney World for my senior trip here is a pic:

This is when he proposed to me, it was March 21, 2006. He proposed during Wishes but he did secretly cause my little sister was with us and we didn't want her knowing before my mom(you know how little sister's can be). We were in two separte rooms so they didn't know anything until the next morning when we were in line for Big Thunder Mountain.

Continued...

 

[tlhbdm]

So then when we got home we had to decide on a date, I knew since my parents were getting a divorce I wouldn't be able to have a Disney World wedding so we sat down and discussed when we wanted this wedding. To tell you the truth I have NO idea how we settled on December 7, 2007 @7:00p.m.

Then in May 2006, I graduated high school and DF and I got an apartment together.

Then in September 2006, disaster struck again, my dad told me TWO WEEKS before he was moving to Arizona. I was mad, angry, upset, and happy all at the same time. I was mad at him for telling me two weeks beforehand, upset because he is my dad and I knew I wouldn't get to see him that much, and happy because him and my mom wouldn't fight as much anymore, (oh yea forgot to mention, within October 2005 and September 2006 my dad started dating and is still dating a person 2 years older than me).(Also within this time I went into depression, finally in May 2007 I got out of my depression (without drugs)).

Then Christmas of 2006, Brandon knew something wasn't going right, well I was sad because it was the first Christmas without my dad. :Sad: So he surprised me with a trip to Disney World May 20-25 during my summer break, (I go to year round college so I only got a one week summer break). So now I am super excited about going to Disney World again, but it didn't hit me we were going until two days before we left. Here is a pic of us during May 2007 trip:

We couldn't decide what we wanted to do for our honeymoon so we flipped a coin, litterally, and decided on Disney World, I will post details after I start on all the wedding details.

Continued...Wedding details

 

[tlhbdm]

Wedding details....

Ok so date set: √
Honeymoon set: Kind of √
Church: √

My mom works at our church so we knew that is where the ceremony would be since we got it for free! Well I can't find a picture of my church, but I will try and get one within the next week.
*update* took picture

Ok so now we need to decide on the places where we want to have the reception, we (meaning DF, my mom, and I) sat down and listed like 10 places that would be possible, so the next day I started making phone calls, the hotel we really wanted to have it was ALL READY booked a year and half out! Wow! So choice number 2, called the Renaissance Savery, one of my mom's volunteer's is the wedding coordinator there, so we made an apointment to go and talk with her. WOW! is the first word that came out of my mouth, here is some pics of it, the pics do not do it justice though.

Lobby:

Ballroom:

Hotel room: (This picture does NO justice to what it actually looks like, the suite we are in has miroors everywhere and has a jacuzzi tub):

Here is the hot tub:

Ok so the reception venue has been decided on. Next on my list dresses, ok so, I don't really have any pics of me trying on other dresses but I have one of me in my dress! They didn't have me in a crinolin(SP) at all so the pic is kind of crappy, you can't see the whole effect:

Front:

Back:

Next up...Cake yummy

 

[tlhbdm]

Ok before I go on here is a picture(not the exact picture but) of my ring:

Ok now onto the cake, we really didn't know what we wanted for a cake but we knew we wanted to be amazing, so we set up an appointment to go to a cake place about 20 miles from here, well the cake was not good at all. So we went to another place, let me just say AMAZING cake! We went in and looked all the samples she had, well we decided on this one cake we designed, then a few months later I was here on the boards, lurking and saw this one cake:

OMG! I love this cake, so I contacted my baker and she said let me do some research and see what I can do. Fast forward a week later, she can do it!

So we decided on this cake except ours will have five tiers, not three and the flavors will be:
Layer 1: Almond
Layer 2: Marble
Layer 3: Cocount
Layer 4: Strawberry
Layer 5: Marble
and then we are having two sheet cakes almond and chocolate.

Ok so lets recap:

Ok so date set: √
Honeymoon set: Kind of √
Church: √
Reception venue: √
Cake: √
Dress: √
Ok onto the PJ:
Bridesmaid dresses: I didn't know what I really wanted, honestly I really didn't care, so in September last year one of my bridesmaid and I went dress hunting and found the perfect dress, so finally in July of this year they ordered their dresses, I don't have a pic on this computer so I will post one when I get home. Man I am tired from staring at the screen so I will do more later.

 

[Glorydaz]

wow, you certainly have got a lot accomplished!! it looks wonderful! how many people are you having? have you decided on favors yet? believe it or not, it's the little details that will threaten to put you over the edge! like now, I have a dilemma about place cards! also, before I forget, your gown looks simply lovely on you..looking forward to reading more!

Michelle

 

[hmgolden]

I love your ring!

 

[DisneyFairy19]

WOW everything looks GREAT

 

[tlhbdm]

thank you everyone for the comments, we are expecting 200-250 guests, my wedding coordinator said not to waste our money on favors. We're not doing assigned places(place cards) because it is a very informal reception. we are going to do fun table signs though that will be our favorite rides at Disney World

 

[tlhbdm]

Here is the BM dress, it is this dress but in a light silver:

What next oh yes invitations, we originally were going to get them through a company we could get for 50% off but we decided to get them at Target and do it ourselves:

Flowers I am really not sure on yet, I need to go talk to the florist again because I have changed my mind so many times about flowers, I am really not a flower person, so there really won't be many flowers. Here is our cake toppper and our champagne flutes(can't find a pic, they are the ones you can get in the theme parks, they have our names and date on them plus mickey and minnie:

Our limo looks like this:

Then there is the little details that are boring and I just don't want to post them, if you have any questions feel free to ask. Of yea my ring bearer pillow is mickey and minnie also.

Now...the Disneymoon

 

[tlhbdm]

Ok, so DF and debated our honeymoon a lot, first we wanted to go to Europe, but figured that would be too expensive, then we thought about a cruise, but the dates just weren't working out, so then we decided why not our favorite place in world? Disney World of course.

Ok so we have decided on where, now when? So we went online to look at both of our school calendars and the dates just weren't working out, so we decided that I would take my finals early and we would go December 9-16, 2007. So if you're following we have when and where, now where on property should we stay, I guess I should've mentioned I have ALWAYS stayed on property and will never NOT stay on property. We knew it was our honeymoon and we would never take a trip like this ever again, so that meant a deluxe. We made an excel worksheet with prices and pros and cons.

We narrowed it down to two Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian. Well GF was too expensive for us, Polynesian just isn't us, so Contemporary it is. We decided on a Magic Kingdom view room in the Tower. I called Disney and got it booked.

It is cold tonight and our door is open, I know what you're thinking, shut the door, but then it will get hot in here.

 

[IloveChip]

Congratulations from another Iowa Bride! Your PJ is amazing and I am sooo jealous that you will be staying at the Contemporary! Your dress is fantastic! I have enjoyed reading your PJ! and the pictures are great!

 

[shasess]

Congrats!! Your cake is so cute!!

 

[oneyodafan]

Congrats! Love all the details!

 

[tlhbdm]

Thank you everyone for tuning in, I have class tonight then I am playing bunco, if I get bored in class I will type some more.

 

[caryndisneydiva]

my sisters are wearing a dress similar to your bridesmaids! you're having a big wedding! i love that hot tub, i wish disney had one that was that cool, my df would be in heaven!!!

 

[tlhbdm]

Yea it's a pretty big wedding, my family is number one in my life and I wanted them to be in the wedding so that is why I have so many bridesmaids and that is why we are inviting so many people. We just got the bridesmaid dresses and the color is really really light silver, it almost looks white!

 

[tlhbdm]

Sorry, it has taken me so long, we are having MAJOR family issues. Lets just say my father has decided not to come to my wedding.

I had a bridal shower last weekend, I am getting pictures soon from my future mother-in-law, so I will post them when I get them. In the meantime here are some pictures from today. I had bridal portraits today so here is me getting my hair done, a couple of my bouquet, one pic from getting my makeup done, and one finished product, my photographer will have them up next week, so I'll post the password then! For now here are these.

 

[Hillary12.8.07]

aw I'm so glad you started your PJ!!

Everything looks great!! Seems like you've gotten everything pretty much under control! good for you!

Your dress is so pretty, you look awesome! And I love your hair for your bridals, that is how I want to wear mine too, it looks so pretty!!

And we are going to be on our honeymoons at the same time! You are getting married the day before me too. We are staying right across the lake from you at WL! Are you going to be wearing the bride ears? I'll have to keep my eyes open for you!!

Can't wait to hear more!

 

[tlhbdm]

Yes I will be wearing my bridal ears and I will have a lime green mickey attached to my backpack! Hope to see you around the world!

 

[linzwylie]

your PJ is great, I love your cake it is sooooooooo cute !

LINZ XXX