Wishes 10/8/11 WP/GF-- Love's First Kiss-- Trip Report Complete

[One_Song]

 

[lilsqueakrr]

Everyone looks like they had so much fun!

The little guy shirtless is adorable though!! Hopefully you're videographer got some of that on video? Little kids are priceless! ;D

 

[One_Song]

Then the DJ played our last dance, "Don't Let Me Down," by the Beatles. It was so mellow and the perfect ending to our wonderful party.

With that, the lights came on and our DJ wished everyone goodnight.

We thanked all of our friends for making the journey to WDW, and kissed all of our family members. Meri loaded us up with some wedding cake, several caramel apples, and our cards. Everything else was packed into boxes and given to my godmom, who had her car ready outside. I shoved my tired feet back into my shoes, and we set off on our short walk to the GF main building.

All I could think was, "Today was truly perfect".

 

[elleinad16]

Michelle, your day was beautiful. The reception looked like a lot of fun. I loved all the dancing pictures. The wishing well was so beautiful...I'm glad you got it! I also LOVE that there was a little connection between your bridesmaid and groomsmen. The whole time during my planning I was hoping there would be a hookup at mine.

 

[BethieTink]

I am so sad that your day is over. You are going to do your honeymoon too, right?

I have said almost a dozen times and I will say it again.

Michelle, thank you for sharing your lovely day with us. I honestly felt like I was there with you and Brandon. Congrats on planning such a beautiful and heartfelt day. I am sure your guests had a fabulous time.

Sorry, you didn't like your dj. Are you planning on doing a review?

This was an amazing trip report. Best wishes to you and Brandon for a long and happy life together.

 

[One_Song]

Everyone looks like they had so much fun!

The little guy shirtless is adorable though!! Hopefully you're videographer got some of that on video? Little kids are priceless! ;D

It was a lot of fun! I can't remember if Coby started his Chippendale routine before or after the videographers left, I hope it was before!! We were all laughing to the point of tears!

Michelle, your day was beautiful. The reception looked like a lot of fun. I loved all the dancing pictures. The wishing well was so beautiful...I'm glad you got it! I also LOVE that there was a little connection between your bridesmaid and groomsmen. The whole time during my planning I was hoping there would be a hookup at mine.

It's so funny, because Brandon and I had expected two of our attendants to hook up, but this wasn't the guy or the girl we had in mind! They were actually our two shyest (most shy?) friends, which made it even more hilarious-- we loved it!!

I am so sad that your day is over. You are going to do your honeymoon too, right?

I have said almost a dozen times and I will say it again.

Michelle, thank you for sharing your lovely day with us. I honestly felt like I was there with you and Brandon. Congrats on planning such a beautiful and heartfelt day. I am sure your guests had a fabulous time.

Sorry, you didn't like your dj. Are you planning on doing a review?

This was an amazing trip report. Best wishes to you and Brandon for a long and happy life together.

Thank you so much, I am so flattered by your kind words Yes, I will absolutely do some vendor reviews, wish I had/hadn't, and the TR of the honeymoon! We had some great pixie dust moments that I would love to share! Thank you again!

 

[fcanal]

Michelle,
I get so excited when I see you have updated your PJ! I have read the whole thing and followed along with the updates. I have to echo what everyone else has said, you are such a gifted writer, and the pictures truly tell the story. The two of you look so happy, and the wedding was so beautiful!
Congratulations and I hope you have many, many years of wedded bliss!

 

[One_Song]

Michelle,
I get so excited when I see you have updated your PJ! I have read the whole thing and followed along with the updates. I have to echo what everyone else has said, you are such a gifted writer, and the pictures truly tell the story. The two of you look so happy, and the wedding was so beautiful!
Congratulations and I hope you have many, many years of wedded bliss!

Thank you so much! It's a very happy time for Brandon and me, and I have loved sharing it with fellow disboarders. Thank you for reading! I'm going to start the honeymoon soon, and if you like food reviews, we had two really amazing dinners! Should be fun to share!

 

[One_Song]

Brandon and I walked over to the GF. He had checked us in earlier that day, so we already had keys. We took the *fancy* elevator up to the 3rd floor. Our room was on the opposite side of the building, down a little hallway in the corner.

Our room was stunningly beautiful. I think it is what people call the turret rooms. It had a little entrance hallway; a bedroom/living area that was round, with windows the entire way around; and a bathroom with a deep soaking tub. Housekeeping had left fresh orchids on almost all of the surfaces in the room. I have several pictures that I will post later.

We found this on our table

Which we immediately cracked open! We poured two glasses and toasted to the start of our honeymoon

We also had a pretty little vase of roses from our wonderful florist, Elizabeth. She is incredible!

I was having a little dilemma. After the long day, nothing sounded better than a hot shower. However, I did not want to take my wedding dress off. I knew it was unlikely that I would ever put it on again, and I was reluctant to give it up. After a few (provoked) compliments from Brandon about how much he liked the dress, I hung it up in our walk-in closet and indulged in that shower.

Brandon and I both put on those fluffy hotel robes (I love those!) and these cute little slippers

We settled down on the couch, Champagne in hand. We read through our guest book and opened all of our cards. We also flipped through all of the pictures on Brandon's camera (remember his aunt had been taking pictures all day). It was the first time we were seeing them, of course. We were deliriously happy. Reflecting on our day and reading all the notes from our loved ones was the perfect ending to our happy day.

 

[One_Song]

I'm going to pause the TR here to do some reviews.

Vendor Reviews:

DFTW- B

This score is a blend of extremes. Our actual wedding day was perfect. Most of the interactions we had with DFTW were very positive, and most of the CMs we met or spoke with were very friendly and professional. Meri, our planner, was really great about working with us and changing our BEO numerous times. However, the stress of dealing with the GF DVC construction was absolutely the most negative aspect of our planning. DFTW works as a very secretive public relations machine and they will keep you in the dark if they think the truth will impact their business. I know that sounds pretty negative. Our overall experience was great, but it wasn’t perfect.


Disney Floral, Elizabeth Sutton- A+

This woman is a goddess. Every single detail of our wedding décor (flowers, linens, centerpieces, etc.) was more beautiful than I had imagined. I gave her a picture of what I wanted for my bouquet and she recreated it EXACTLY. I felt like she had just lifted it out of the picture. She was great about suggesting less-expensive alternatives and coming up with creative ideas. She is amazing and really works to make your vision a reality. We also ordered our favors, caramel apples, through Disney Floral and they were delicious.


DPS, Regina- A; SEE BELOW!!

I can’t give it a plus because I don’t like that you can only request (not guarantee) your choice of photographer. However, we got lucky and were assigned Regina, as requested. She is simply amazing. We love almost every single picture she took all day. She has a really beautiful style that I think of as a blend between photojournalism and art. Aside from her remarkable talent, she is a very nice person and made us feel totally comfortable in front of the lens. We couldn’t be happier with our photos.

****NEW UPDATE****
Starting in August 2012, Regina is leaving DPS and starting her own business! New brides, you will be able to book her directly (for non-park events, of course). Regina is a total A+, I very highly recommend that you check out her work. She is phenomenal. www.reginahymanphoto.com


DFAP, videography- D- Changing my rating to B, see below!

I don’t mean this score to reflect personally on the videographers present on our wedding day. I can’t recall their names, but they were very friendly and unobtrusive. However, we weren’t informed until two weeks before our wedding that your music choices for your wedding video are incredibly limited. You can only pick songs listed on songfreedom.com. THERE ARE NO DISNEY SONGS AVAILABLE. I was outraged when I found out. I completely feel that it is deceitful and false advertising that you cannot have Disney songs on your Disney video of your Disney wedding! I would strongly urge all brides NOT TO USE DISNEY VIDEOGRAPHY.

I'm adding this as an addendum rather than rewriting because I think new brides deserve to know how I felt initially. But after receiving our wedding video, we are SO HAPPY with Disney videography. The video is just beautiful, audio is crystal clear, and I especially love the B roll (there really are some great creative shots). I really watch my video probably more than I should. We ended up being happy with our music selections (although I still think it's stupid that they aren't licensed to use Disney music) and they edited the footage to it wonderfully. I have no regrets about our video; it's perfect. They get a B and not higher because of the stress we felt before the wedding.


Reverend Jack Day- A+

I have nothing but the highest praise for this kind, wonderful man. He was one of the best parts of our wedding day. He gives a beautiful, genuine ceremony, and you really feel like he cares and is excited for you as a couple. He couldn’t attend our rehearsal due to scheduling conflicts, but he met with us privately the day before our wedding, just to ensure we were comfortable with the order of service. We had some ideas about ways to personalize our ceremony and he accommodated all of them! He deserves every bit of his A+!


Beaute Speciale- A

We had Laine and Ana do the wedding day makeup for my five bridesmaids and me. They did such a beautiful job. I had a trial appointment with Laine, and she was really fantastic about using my inspiration pictures, but also adapting it to best suit my coloring. They always showed up on time, made us feel very relaxed, and kept us laughing most of the time. Laine really made me feel beautiful (and I am overly critical of myself). I also liked that each bridesmaid’s makeup suited her individually, instead of just doing the same colors on everyone.


DJ- B

My opinion of our DJ has changed over time. If you look around elsewhere on Disboards, you will find lots of glowing reviews. Most of the CMs we talked to thought he was the best Disney DJ as well. His name is Scott Messina, and if you want a big dance party, he is probably a very good match for you. He did use some neat techniques to get guests out on the dance floor. There were no awkward moments, and he didn’t play anything from our “do not play” list. Brandon and I just have very picky taste in music, and we wanted something a little more casual than the average wedding. I don’t think I gave him enough credit initially; you can tell from our pictures that everyone had a great time dancing. Our guests thought he was great. He is a very nice man in person and he tried very hard to make this picky bride happy.


My Gatsby- A

Not associated with Disney, but I wanted to include this website because we had such a great experience. We ordered our wedding invitations and some blank cardstock (for DIY STDs) from here. They have lots of styles, it’s very customizable, and you can order samples of their cardstock colors. You get over 100 cards of different colors (easy to match your shade of blue/green/whatever). The printing is great quality and their prices are very reasonable. Mygatsby.com

 

[belle2211]

DFAP, videography- D-

I don’t mean this score to reflect personally on the videographers present on our wedding day. I can’t recall their names, but they were very friendly and unobtrusive. However, we weren’t informed until two weeks before our wedding that your music choices for your wedding video are incredibly limited. You can only pick songs listed on songfreedom.com. THERE ARE NO DISNEY SONGS AVAILABLE. I was outraged when I found out. I completely feel that it is deceitful and false advertising that you cannot have Disney songs on your Disney video of your Disney wedding! I would strongly urge all brides NOT TO USE DISNEY VIDEOGRAPHY.

I unfortunately completely agree with this! The people I have been working with are sooo nice. But the music selection is just plain HORRIBLE! You have 6 months to choose music...my 6 months was up last Sunday...but my contact said they are adding 500 songs this week so she let me slide a little bit. I am sooooooooooooo hoping that there is SOMETHING I can use that is being added! Have you guys chosen your songs yet?

 

[One_Song]

I unfortunately completely agree with this! The people I have been working with are sooo nice. But the music selection is just plain HORRIBLE! You have 6 months to choose music...my 6 months was up last Sunday...but my contact said they are adding 500 songs this week so she let me slide a little bit. I am sooooooooooooo hoping that there is SOMETHING I can use that is being added! Have you guys chosen your songs yet?

I am so glad to hear they are adding songs, thanks for passing that along! We haven't submitted anything yet-- although we were just about to give in. We were leaning toward "Enchantment" for the first song and "Magic" by Colbie Calliat for the second. The latter was added not too long ago and it has been growing on us. I am still anxious to see what new things go up, though. I hope it's not more of that royalty free crap!

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

Um... how can you NOT have Disney songs on your Disney wedding video? I just don't understand DFTW's rules!!! Like seriously?!?

I love the little gifts you were left in the GF by the way. The room looks gorgeous. Did you get to keep the slippers? (I love little hotel tokens like that.)

Also... I love the name "My Gatsby"!!!! Lovely.

 

[One_Song]

Um... how can you NOT have Disney songs on your Disney wedding video? I just don't understand DFTW's rules!!! Like seriously?!?

I love the little gifts you were left in the GF by the way. The room looks gorgeous. Did you get to keep the slippers? (I love little hotel tokens like that.)

Also... I love the name "My Gatsby"!!!! Lovely.

Isn't that completely ridiculous? And I just felt so cheated that they don't tell you until right before the wedding. We didn't have any choice at that point. I didn't even look for someone else. I figure if a vendor is available two weeks out, you probably don't want them, right? Even the bad ones were probably booked.

One time Brandon and I were brainstorming themes for a party, and I said we should have a "Gatsby party". He had no idea what I meant. I just dropped it.

 

[One_Song]

Glad I Did…

Had a DFTW- I am the first to admit the process was not smooth. We were lied to about the construction and the stress it added to planning was regrettable. However, the actual day of was perfect. Any small blips were handled well. The service was impeccable. And when you love Disney like I do, it’s worth it. I can’t imagine having gotten married anywhere else.

Had a long engagement- 17 months total. Planning was fun! And it was much better not having to rush. You get to be married your whole life (well, hopefully), but you’re only engaged a short while. It’s exciting in its own way.

Picked the bridal party I wanted- instead of the one people expected. We didn’t have an equal number of guys and girls (who cares?). Brandon and I both have a sibling that we did not ask to be attendants; both of those siblings were critical throughout planning. My sister tried to create problems, as I knew she would, during the wedding trip. But the beauty was, I just left the area, and it had no effect on me. I also had two MOHs, because I have two best friends. Believe me, everyone in the world told me they’d never heard of having two MOHs. But oh well, I did. And it was perfect.

Cut traditions that held no meaning for us- We didn’t include a unity candle, sand ceremony, or songs during the ceremony. All of my music selections were non-traditional. We didn’t do parent dances. We didn’t have the bridal party enter the reception apart from other guests. No bouquet or garter toss. And we didn’t miss a one of them. Enrich your wedding by including meaningful elements, and cut the rest.

Had a lounge area at the reception- Our guests loved it, and it really helped our reception not feel like your standard ballroom reception.

Wish I Had…

Taken more time to plan out our wedding events. I would have loved to have a dessert party, but by the time I found out what they were, we had already planned other events. I didn’t want to give up the things we had planned (and I’m glad I didn’t), but I could have fit it all in with a different plan.

Checked for a schedule of special events- at WDW for the weeks of our trip. After we got back from our cruise, the World was PACKED. There was some sort of golf tournament going on. If I had known, I would have picked a different time for our wedding. I know it sounds strange, since I love WDW, but I hate crowds! I don’t enjoy the parks when they’re crowded.

Been more aggressive/firm with Disney- about the things that greatly mattered to me. The first time I brought up having timed entrances for the ceremony, I got brushed off. I just said to myself “well, I’ll bring it up later”. Big mistake. It turned into an unnecessarily huge conflict with my planner (and unfortunately, colored my perception of her in an unflattering way). I got my way in the end, but I should have just put my foot down initially.

 

[lilsqueakrr]

But, but, but you CAN'T be done?! =[ Not allowed. I so look forward to reading your wedding reports everyday but now I can't. Wah.

I can't wait to see your pictures of the room! It sounds fabulous. I've always wanted to stay at GF but if we do get our VR down there as I'm hoping I am SO going to be staying there. Just once, please?! lolo.

So so so happy for you love. <3 All I ask is that you don't leave the boards! hehe

 

[One_Song]

But, but, but you CAN'T be done?! =[ Not allowed. I so look forward to reading your wedding reports everyday but now I can't. Wah.

I can't wait to see your pictures of the room! It sounds fabulous. I've always wanted to stay at GF but if we do get our VR down there as I'm hoping I am SO going to be staying there. Just once, please?! lolo.

So so so happy for you love. <3 All I ask is that you don't leave the boards! hehe

I definitely won't be leaving the boards! I have a serious addiction, I'm on here way too much. Plus there are so many upcoming disbride weddings that I have to see!

I'm sad the wedding part is over, it was probably the most fun to write about. But if anyone is still interested (or purely for my own enjoyment ) I have lots of pictures & stories for a honeymoon TR.

 

[DisneyShamrock]

I definitely won't be leaving the boards! I have a serious addiction, I'm on here way too much. Plus there are so many upcoming disbride weddings that I have to see!

I'm sad the wedding part is over, it was probably the most fun to write about. But if anyone is still interested (or purely for my own enjoyment ) I have lots of pictures & stories for a honeymoon TR.

Half the fun of these boards is all the photos. I say do a honeymoon TR!

 

[mebbradley]

Half the fun of these boards is all the photos. I say do a honeymoon TR!

I agreed!!!

I can't wait to get my laptop fixed to catch up. My phone....no bueno for reading.

 

[lilsqueakrr]

yaaaay for honeymoon!