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

[lilsqueakrr]

The pictures are hilarious! =] They always make for great memories! hehe.

Everything sounds fabulous! Getting so close to THE day! hehe<3

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

Sounds like you had an amazing night out! I've never been to Jellyrolls, but it sounds like loads of fun! Looking forward to reading more!

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

I agree with the above posters--- you girls look like you had so much fun! My favorite picture is the brostache one though. And I love the GF Cafe!

 

[LyndsayJ]

Great pics!! Congrats on your wedding!

 

[One_Song]

The pictures are hilarious! =] They always make for great memories! hehe.

Everything sounds fabulous! Getting so close to THE day! hehe<3

Thank you! We have so many fun pictures, I'm going to have to make an album or something. And I'll be to the wedding day in just a few posts!

Sounds like you had an amazing night out! I've never been to Jellyrolls, but it sounds like loads of fun! Looking forward to reading more!

Oh you have to try Jellyrolls! It's so much fun, we just love it!

I agree with the above posters--- you girls look like you had so much fun! My favorite picture is the brostache one though. And I love the GF Cafe!

It was a great night. I should have mentioned that our friends at Jellyrolls with us live in Florida, Ohio, Vermont, Georgia, California, all over really. To have all of us in one place was amazing. Getting to GF Cafe next!

Great pics!! Congrats on your wedding!

Thank you! I'll be getting to some actual wedding photos soon!

 

[MrsDuck]

It looks like you had a BLAST at Jellyrolls!! Your pictures are so fun! I love that they called you up on stage to dance. So sweet!

Glad you got some time to yourself on the beach- it sounds like you had a nice time to reflect and really take it all in.

 

[One_Song]

Day 3, Continued

We made it to the GF Café on time, in spite of the monorail. I have always loved the GF Café, it’s so pretty and elegant inside. I picked it for my bridesmaid luncheon because I knew it would be beautiful with no added decorations, and my girls would have lots of delicious food options. The total cost ended up being far lower than I expected. It was a great option for a small event.

They led us to the very back of the restaurant, to a round table with lovely views of the Grand Floridian grounds. I had originally planned to order a bottle of champagne for the table, but most of us were still feeling a little sub-par from last night. Tonya commented that every time the Brostache comes out, she is sick the next morning. Jessica said it was probably the shots of Jack that come before the Brostache that does Tonya in!

After we placed our orders, our nice waiter offered to take our picture

Look how many waters are on the table—we were serious about rehydrating!

Next, I handed out the gifts. Each girl’s bag had a necklace to wear to the wedding, a lavendar French-milled soap, a card about Beaute Speciale during our makeup the next day, and a personal note. I decided months ago that I wanted to buy each of my bridesmaids a pretty, pink necklace to wear on the wedding day, but I wanted each one to be different. The MOHs had big, raspberry-colored necklaces. The other girls had dainty, blush-colored necklaces.

Here are the girls opening their gifts

Then our lunches came. I had a delicious burger that was topped with lobster and a red onion marmalade. It was so good!

We all started feeling better, now that we had eaten. We flipped through all of Tonya’s pictures from Jellyrolls (the same from the above post) and laughed ourselves silly.

I needed to go soon; Brandon was picking me up and we were meeting with Jack Day, our officiant. I ran through the day’s schedule with the girls, then headed out to meet Brandon.

 

[Ellie_N_Carl]

I am sorry I missed much of your PJ but it looks like your time was amazing. I look forward to hearing about the big day and seeing pictures. I love that you had so many of your girls with you in WDW! Oh and I just Love your card box!

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

Awww the GF Cafe is so sweet. All of the people who work there are just *so* nice. It looks like you had fun!

 

[CourtenayB]

Hi! Just catching up with your PJ- it is great! I am laughing so hard at the brostache! Hahahaha. It looks like you guys had an amazing time at Jellyrolls. And your planning is just amazing... Love it love it love it!

 

[One_Song]

I am sorry I missed much of your PJ but it looks like your time was amazing. I look forward to hearing about the big day and seeing pictures. I love that you had so many of your girls with you in WDW! Oh and I just Love your card box!

I'm getting close to the good stuff! I loved having my girls, we all had such a blast. We still love bringing up funny moments of the trip!

Awww the GF Cafe is so sweet. All of the people who work there are just *so* nice. It looks like you had fun!

We did have fun! I feel like you can see how tired I am in those pictures, but it was so relaxing-- I love girl time!

Hi! Just catching up with your PJ- it is great! I am laughing so hard at the brostache! Hahahaha. It looks like you guys had an amazing time at Jellyrolls. And your planning is just amazing... Love it love it love it!

Thank you! That brostache-- I know we're being a little childish, but we just love it! We had so much fun at Jellyrolls. All of our events were great, really. I can't wait to share more of them!

 

[One_Song]

Day 3, Continued

Brandon pulled up to the valet area of the Grand Floridian, and I hopped in the car. That morning, he had been running around, taking his family members their gifts. I think he had also rushed back to the Polynesian to change clothes. By the time he got to me, he was exhausted and sweaty.

It was starting to rain a little. It was just a minor inconvenience now. We had no idea how much it would rain in the next two days.

We made the one minute drive to Franck’s, then went inside to meet Reverend Jack Day. He had called us a few weeks ago to say he couldn’t come to our rehearsal because he had a wedding that afternoon. Since we were going to be near the WP anyway, we arranged to briefly meet with him to go over the ceremony. We had never met him in person. I chose him based solely on his website. I just got this really good feeling from him.

Inside Franck’s, we introduced ourselves to Reverend Day and took a seat on one of those pretty settees. He had a copy of our ceremony order with him.
He ran through the service, pointing out when we would turn, hold hands, speak, etc. There were only one or two changes we wanted to make, so the meeting was fairly simple.

We thanked him for being so flexible with us, then set off for our rehearsal at the Contemporary. The whole ride over, I kept telling Brandon how great I felt about Reverend Day, how I knew our service was going to be wonderful and that I trusted him completely. I was so looking forward to the actual ceremony.

 

[One_Song]

Day 3, Continued

We met up with our family and friends at the Contemporary for our rehearsal. The Wedding Pavilion was not available during our rehearsal time (or any time that day), so we decided to have the rehearsal at the Contemporary. This way, we could ride the boat over to the Fort Wilderness, for our Hoop Dee Doo rehearsal dinner, right after.

Once everyone arrived, Meri gave the schedule for tomorrow and instructions to different people. We lined up and ran through the processional and ceremony. It was mostly smooth, other than my younger flower girl, Claire, who is 2 and refused to cooperate. My older flower girl, Carley, is 6 and was very nervous about walking “the right way”. It was so cute, because I never said anything to her about walking a certain way. She just decided there must be a correct way to do it, and she wanted to make sure she knew how.

We did a second run through so my sister could practice timing the entrances, and I walked with Carley so we could practice together.

My sister pulled me aside to say that she didn’t think some things were the way I wanted. Meri had told the parents how to recess—I didn’t want the parents to recess, I think it slows things down unnecessarily. Meri also had the parents entering in the order: Brandon’s dad, my godmom, Brandon’s mom, my mom. I wanted (and had written in my packet) for both of my parents to go last.

This is always something that’s very difficult for me to explain to strangers. I grew up with two moms: one, my biological mom, and two, Pam, my godmom. The thing is, I am as close to Pam as I am to any other person in my life. She has been my mom’s best friend for decades. My first name is Pamela, after her. I have seen her almost every day of my life; she used to drive me to school; she goes on all our family vacations; she’s never missed a single of my life events. She is, in every regard, a second mother. But she’s not a stepmom or a gay partner to my mother, so no one understands when I say I have two moms. We are a very unconventional family, but it’s all I’ve ever known.

I was not trying to step on Brandon’s mom’s toes, but I was not having Pam marked as the “not real mom” by walking before Brandon’s mother. I know Brandon’s mom didn’t get it; she was not happy. But backing down wasn’t an option for me. Brandon’s mom was also unhappy about not being in the recessional. I didn’t understand why this was a big deal to her. She backed off pretty quickly though. It doesn’t hurt having a room of thirty people quietly on your side

After I made those two changes with Meri, we were finished. We had a little time before our Hoop Dee Doo show time, so we all headed down to the Wave lounge. I wish I had pictures of this, it was so cool in there. The whole thing is blue and dimly lit, sort of like you’re underwater. The bar had great drinks, too. It was a really fun hang out.

 

[One_Song]

It was almost time for dinner, so we walked in a big parade down to the dock. Taking the boat was so cool—there were about 35 of us, so we filled an entire boat.

Brandon's dad on the boat ride

We decided the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue would be a great place for our rehearsal dinner because it’s so relaxed. The food is good, plus entertainment is built in. I grew up seeing the show on every WDW trip, I just love it.

It was a short walk from the Fort Wilderness dock to Pioneer Hall, where the Hoop Dee Doo is housed. We checked in, and everyone got some more time to mingle. I was trying to keep my older flower girl entertained. We walked over to a merchandise stand, where we tried on lots of silly hats. I thought the coonskin cap was the most adorable thing I’d ever seen on her. She loved how much I made on over her and decided she wanted the hat. She knows I’m a sucker for anything she wants. I made her promise that she would wear it if I bought it. I paid, the cast member removed the tags, and Carley put it on…. For about three minutes. Then she said it was “too hot”. Haha. Oh well.

Then it was time for us to be seated. There was a bit of confusion when we got inside. I had called Hoop Dee Doo numerous times to ask how we would be split so I could make a general seating plan. No one would ever give me any information. Three dozen people all trying to find a seat, but not impose on anyone else, was a little hectic. After a minute or two, we all got seated, and it was actually a really good arrangement. We were at four different tables—two long and two round. The entire bridal party was at one long table with me and Brandon, which turned out to be a lot of fun.

The show had a great cast, although the opening song was not the one I have always seen, and I wasn’t happy about that.

One of my cousins told a cast member that we were getting married tomorrow. During the anniversary dance number, they made a big deal over us. Then we got up to dance to “Let Me Call You Sweetheart”.

We were a little worried that some of our friends wouldn’t get into the show, but it wasn’t a problem. In fact, my MOH’s husband, who is very serious and manly, loved it the most. There was a part where someone asks the audience “Do you want to hear Six Bits sing?” and my MOH’s husband screamed “YES!” We were thrilled with how much everyone enjoyed themselves.

Then came the part of the show when they take audience members to participate. I should have realized they would likely pick us, but I never thought about it. We were sitting at the table eating, when all of a sudden, both Brandon and I had a performer leaning over our shoulder. They pulled us up on stage

And introduced us down the row. Each performer says why they picked you, and it’s usually something like “because of her beauty” or “because of his bravery”. But for us, they sang the line “He/She’s getting married in the morning!” like from My Fair Lady. It was so neat.

Brandon loves to joke that this woman was really into him.

I remember the guy asked me if I was nervous, and I said yes. Turns out, he was talking about the wedding, but I was talking about being onstage!
They took us backstage and explained what you would do in the show. They’re very simple parts and they go over it with you a lot. They put our funny costumes on and we waited for our cues. Brandon was first.

Brandon was Davy Crockett’s Indian scout. He shows up to help Davy and gets shot in the foot.

Then I came on as a can-can dancer.

That’s Six Bits leading a chant of “Oo-la-la!”

Then someone says, “That there can-can dancer is supposed to kiss that there bear!”

And I replied “I couldn’t do that, I’d be too emBEARassed.” This part of the show has a running gag of bear jokes. It was so awkward to say, but you could hear our tables laughing like crazy.

Then we sat for a bit

And took our bows

We were so wrapped up in the excitement that the rest of the show passed very quickly. Here are some of the girls playing a washboard.

And that was about it.

 

[One_Song]

Day 3, Continued

After dinner, we said our goodbyes to everyone that was taking a bus or driving. A few of us headed for the dock (Brandon and I had to go back to the Contemporary because our car was there). Along the way, it started to drizzle. Then the rain got heavier. And heavier. And all of a sudden it was pouring.

We sprinted the rest of the way to the dock, and we huddled with several other people under a small overhang by the boating office. Boat service had been suspended, obviously, but we didn’t know what to do. If we ran through the rain to the buses, we would still have to find our way to the Contemporary to get our car. We hoped the rain would let up and the boats would start running again. To top it off, my brand new dress was made of silk.

We waited for twenty minutes or so before we accepted that the boats wouldn’t likely run that night. Everyone was looking to me, as the Disney expert, to come up with a plan, but I really didn’t know a good way to get back to the Polynesian without the boats.

I was desperate to get out of the rain. I decided we should dash to the buses, then I would figure out where to go once we got to the outpost. Brandon could tell how worried I was about my dress, so he suggested I wear his button down shirt like a jacket (he still had an undershirt on). He is always such a gentleman. It reminded me of our very first date, when it was also raining, and Brandon held his sweater over my head so I wouldn’t get wet.

So we all started jogging. And it wasn’t just raining, it was a deluge. The rain was blowing into us from the sides. We were running as fast as we could, and soon we were all laughing at how ridiculous the whole situation was.
We got on the first bus and rode it up to the outpost stop. All of our friends with us were staying near Downtown Disney, so they transferred to that bus. Brandon and I were the only ones left. I couldn’t think of a convenient way to get to the Contemporary. I called my mom (who had driven herself to dinner) and asked if she would come back and pick us up.

We took a few pictures on Brandon’s phone. They’re not great quality, but we didn’t want to forget how soaked we were from running through the rain. Sometimes the things you never expected make the best memories.

Me wearing Brandon’s drenched dress shirt.

Once my mom picked us up, we got our car from the Contemporary and returned to the Polynesian. We had originally planned to invite friends to the Tambu lounge with us, but we were exhausted from all the disorder after dinner. I was also starting to feel just a touch jittery.

To unwind, I took a bubble bath and listened to the playlist of our wedding ceremony songs. I tried to imagine what it would feel like tomorrow to hear the songs from the speakers in the Bride’s vestibule.

Brandon and I were feeling a little snacky, so we ordered room service

And we put something mindless on the TV. We just snuggled for a while, and it was exactly what I needed to feel calm.

With that, we turned out the lights, and went to sleep as single people for the last time.

 

[mebbradley]

epp!

I love your report! Looks like you had quite the day!

It's almost time for the wedding!

 

[One_Song]

epp!

I love your report! Looks like you had quite the day!

It's almost time for the wedding!

Oh thank you! And I'm finally to the wedding day! I'm so excited to post pictures!

 

[One_Song]

~~~WEDDING DAY!~~~

We awoke Saturday morning to a gray, rainy sky. I wasn’t too concerned about it since all our venues were indoors. Here’s the view from our room

Surprisingly, I felt very rested and refreshed. I was excited and ready to get married!

We dressed and packed up most of our things. After breakfast, Brandon would be checking us into the Grand Floridian, where we were staying until our cruise.

We braved the rain (which wasn’t too bad yet) to get to the Great Ceremonial House for our breakfast reservation. We were having breakfast, just the two of us, at Kona Café. We wanted a little alone time before the day really started. This was such a good decision, I would highly recommend it! It was so nice to begin the wedding day with a sweet, romantic meal. It helped me stay calm, too.

Our waitress was so wonderful and bubbly, she made on over us and made us feel so special. We both ordered big breakfasts—I wasn’t jittery at all and I was starving!

While we were waiting for our food, we talked about all the things we were excited for that day. I said things like putting on my dress, getting my makeup done, seeing my bouquet, walking into the Wedding Pavilion… and somewhere in the process it started to feel very real. I had this very intense feeling that the wedding was finally here. I had been waiting for a year and a half (even longer in my day dreams) and it was finally here.

And that’s when I started feeling a little fidgety. I still ate most of my breakfast, but I was getting a twinge of nerves. My sweet Brandon, he didn’t mind at all. He just held my hand and reminded me of all the happy things that were coming today. I wasn’t nervous about getting married or about marrying Brandon. I had a little anxiety about the day going smoothly. I guess that’s probably normal.

 

[One_Song]

After breakfast, we went back to our room. The weather was very bad at this point, with strong winds and lots of rain.

We finished the last bit of packing and called for the bellhop. Brandon was going to check us into GF, then go to Port Orleans French Quarter to get ready with his dad, brothers, and groomsmen. I was walking downstairs to my mom & godmom’s rooms, where all the ladies were getting ready. But before we left, it was time to exchange wedding gifts!

When we initially were planning our ceremony, I was torn between traditional vows or writing our own vows. I couldn’t imagine not saying “I do” and all the usual things you hear in movies (I grew up watching “Father of the Bride” all the time). On the other hand, it was important to me to get to speak from my heart. There were deep, sincere things I wanted, I needed, to tell Brandon.

I settled the dilemma by deciding to recite traditional vows at the ceremony and exchange letters on the morning of the wedding. We each wrote our letter before the trip. It took me several days to work out exactly what I wanted to say.

We exchanged letters first. We sat next to each other on the bed and silently read our letters. That note is now my most treasured possession, even more than my rings. I was so moved, tears fell down my cheeks silently while I read it. I won’t bother you with our romantic musings, but here is a picture of the envelope Brandon gave me

After much hugging, we opened our gifts. Brandon gave me a beautiful diamond bracelet.

I was stunned. It was so pretty and shimmery.

I got Brandon a pair of silver cufflinks with the emblem of our alma mater, UNC.

And a bottle of scotch—Macallan 21 year. I had to do a lot of reading about scotch because I didn’t know anything about it (although now I’m quite versed!). Brandon has developed a real taste for scotch over our relationship, and I wanted to get him something nice.

I was a little nervous about this one, but he loved it!

We were ready to go now, but the bellhop still had not come. I called the desk and they said that because of the rain, lots of people were checking out early and they were swamped. They said it would be another half an hour at the least. I sort of expected that since we were having a Disney wedding that day, we would go to the top of the list. No such luck, unfortunately.
I called my cousin Graham and my MOH Erica and explained the situation. Graham ran over and Erica sent her husband, and the guys helped Brandon carry our many bags out to the car.

Brandon and I had a sweet kiss goodbye, and we went our separate ways.

 

[DoomBuggy0922]

Oh, I am so excited that you are on the wedding day! I cannot wait to read about it!

(And how cute that you got to go on stage for Hoop De Doo! DF is so shy, he never would have done it.)

Also--- I grew up on Father of the Bride too. (The Steve Martin one though, not the original.) And we're getting married on the same day as Annie Banks! Fun fact.