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

[One_Song]

Ok, so after Brandon explained the different options for getting my photos to work again, I played into Photobucket's hands and upgraded my account. I feel like a sucker, but the others methods were going to take way too much time. But aside from my shame, Yay! The pictures are back up! Sorry for the slip up!

 

[One_Song]

Oh Michelle, this was an amazing post. (Well, few posts.) I am in love with your first married kiss photo. (I hope you don't mind: I've showed my MOH some of your wedding pics and we've gushed over how lovely you are. I hope I don't sound like a creeper...)

And I love that your recessional is the ending to Wishes! I am more than slightly obsessed with Wishes.

Aww you're so sweet. Not creepy, I'm so incredibly flattered. I am obsessed with Wishes too! It feels quintessentially Disney to me. It was the perfect recessional-- big and happy!

Okay Michelle, now I really can't wait for the reception photos to begin!!! I am so excited to see the wishing well as well as the entire room. I know how important the music was to you, and the struggle you had getting Disney to let your sister do it, and so to have it workout so perfectly is such a blessing. Maybe Disney learned something in the process too I chuckled when you mentioned how miserable the two members of your bridal party looked, because I had noticed that your bridesmaid with the beautiful blonde hairstyle never seemed to be smiling in any of the pictures. Obviously we don't know them like you do, and she could be the life of the party, and now I am anxious for that story as well!

Wonderful post!!!

I know, my cousin never smiles! It's so funny, because she told my aunt (that couldn't make it to the wedding) what a fantastic time she had! But she looks so unhappy, it's kind of funny. She and that groomsmen will be back

I just found your report. I loved reading you PTR and I am now enjoying your TR. Loved reading the part when you and your friends hung out at the bar. Reminds me of the night before my wedding where all of us went to the bar until like 2 in the morning, so not planned, but so much fun. It is great when you have such wonderful close friends like that to make your event/day that much more special. I love your pictures. What a beautiful ceremony. Your dress is gorgeous. Can't wait to read more.

Oh, Jellyrolls was so much fun, almost as much as the wedding! Everyone was just really relaxed and enjoyed themselves! I think, like you, it will be a great memory for us. Thank you for reading!

Hun, you're pictures and story are absolutely heartwarming! I can't wait to see more!

You look like you belonged in that WP with your gown and such! ;D <3

Can't wait to see more of it all!

Thank you so much! When the first news of the construction came out, we thought about switching venues. My problem was I couldn't imagine my dress in any other setting. The WP is so Victorian and pretty, it was the perfect setting for my vision.

I have a tech team like that (DF) hehe I'm sure your DH will fix it xx

I always rely on him for anything techy! I'm terrible at computers and things, but he's a genius. Opposites attract!

 

[BethieTink]

Michelle,

I will say once again that everything looks lovely. Wow. Love the Calvin and Hobbes story you wove into your ceremony. Beautiful.

Can't wait to see your reception and how it all came together. I am also curious to hear about the soup shooters, since we plan on doing them too.

Thank you for sharing so much of your special day with us.

 

[One_Song]

And here I feel it's only fair that I eat my words... when Disney put in the new windows I was one of the first to criticize. I threw around words like ugly, cheap, tacky, etc. But they're actually very pretty in person. As Jerry Orbach would say, "When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong." (at least that's what he says on my TV about once a month)

 

[One_Song]

 

[One_Song]

Then we went outside. Regina wanted to get a shot of us in a shower of petals. She recruited Will and another assistant to throw the petals. It was a funny moment... when you see those petals pictures, they look so dreamy. But when we were taking the picture, they PELTED us with petals! It made both of us laugh

I love this next picture. It's not the sunny, picturesque wedding photo you see in magazines. But it's very true. Our wedding day was wet and overcast, and I love that they didn't hide it. I want to remember what actually was, not what someone can make in photoshop. This is beautiful to me

They loaned us an umbrella, and we set off across the bridge

 

[One_Song]

I forgot to include this earlier... I'm not a fan of silk flowers so I asked my florist to replace the potted flowers by the WP doors. No specific instructions, just something pretty in our colors. Brandon's aunt took this picture

 

[One_Song]

Our cocktail hour was supposed to be in the Whitehall Room & Patio. However, since it was still raining heavily, and since we had 100 guests, Disney decided to move cocktail hour to the St. Augustine room.

Our menu for cocktail hour:

Chilled soup shooters (strawberry, gazpacho, and vichyssoise)
Mushroom tarts
Vegetable samosas with mango chutney
Petite roasted potatoes with creme fraiche and caviar
Strawberry and brie crostini
Cheese spread with dried fruit and crackers


Our guests raved about the food. Carley especially loved the strawberry soup

She had four or five of them! The soups came in these cute, cone-shaped glasses. Like martini glasses with no stem. They were displayed in little holders, then you picked the cone up to drink it.

 

[belle2211]

Yay! I could see the pics now. Absolutely GORGEOUS!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

My sweet Michelle - Goodness your photos just get better and better!!! The latest batch are absolutely stunning!! Regina did a fabulous job. You both look so rlaxed and happy. I particularly love the one of the two of you sillouetted in the WP window. I think that would make a beautiful wall canvas!!

 

[Princess_K]

Love the photos! I've worried about rain, but seeing how gorgeous yours are despite the rain make me feel so much better!

Can't wait to see more

 

[lilsqueakrr]

Gorgeous. I wasn't sure about the new windows either.. but then once I saw pictures LOVE them. All of your pictures are so so stunning I don't know how you're going to choose! I say print them all and make them into wallpaper! hah.

I love the petal photos! They are crazy dreamy for sure. Esp with your gown! ;D

The one of the gazebo and the sky is just gorgeous. I love it for the same reasons that you had said.. it captures the day and what it really looked like. Sometimes rainy photos can be better than sunny! (even though I NEED sun on my wedding day because I'm not going on no beach in the rain! hehe)

Yay! Cannot wait to see more!

 

[NoOrdinaryPrincess]

AAAAAHHHHHH!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO CATCH UP ON YOUR WEDDING!! EVERYTHING LOOKS SO PHENOMENAL!!

*takes deep breath*

Wow! I am just blown away by all of your photos. Particularly of your little flower girl. Unbelievable.

 

[One_Song]

Michelle,

I will say once again that everything looks lovely. Wow. Love the Calvin and Hobbes story you wove into your ceremony. Beautiful.

Can't wait to see your reception and how it all came together. I am also curious to hear about the soup shooters, since we plan on doing them too.

Thank you for sharing so much of your special day with us.

Thank you so much! The soup shooters were a big hit. I am a big fan of food that is kind of fun like that. Brandon and I got to try all three flavors, and we loved them. My favorite was the gazpacho, Brandon's was the vichyssoise. A recurring theme of working with our Disney vendors was we got the best results when we gave them only a little direction (we let our chef pick the flavors and never asked to sample them). Our florist, the bakery, the chefs: I think all artists like having some creative freedom.

Yay! I could see the pics now. Absolutely GORGEOUS!

Thank you! I hate to pay for things that are generally or often free (like I hate to pay for shipping), but I decided it was worth the $3! You win, Photobucket.

My sweet Michelle - Goodness your photos just get better and better!!! The latest batch are absolutely stunning!! Regina did a fabulous job. You both look so rlaxed and happy. I particularly love the one of the two of you sillouetted in the WP window. I think that would make a beautiful wall canvas!!

I was way more relaxed in the post-ceremony photos. It seems silly, since we live together and see each other every day, but we were just so happy to be together, after the morning apart. It was wonderful. And we liked our photographers so much, we felt really natural with them by that point. Regina picked that window picture as the cover for our online album. I agree, it would be a gorgeous canvas!

Love the photos! I've worried about rain, but seeing how gorgeous yours are despite the rain make me feel so much better!

Can't wait to see more

If your venues are all indoors, I wouldn't worry at all about rain. Good photographers will just find beautiful, inside photo spots. It makes transportation a bit trickier, but it's nothing Disney can't handle. I have no regrets about the rain. It in absolutely no way diminished the quality of our wedding day.

Gorgeous. I wasn't sure about the new windows either.. but then once I saw pictures LOVE them. All of your pictures are so so stunning I don't know how you're going to choose! I say print them all and make them into wallpaper! hah.

I love the petal photos! They are crazy dreamy for sure. Esp with your gown! ;D

The one of the gazebo and the sky is just gorgeous. I love it for the same reasons that you had said.. it captures the day and what it really looked like. Sometimes rainy photos can be better than sunny! (even though I NEED sun on my wedding day because I'm not going on no beach in the rain! hehe)

Yay! Cannot wait to see more!

I think the WP windows look much softer in person than they sometimes look in photos (initially I thought the zigzag was kind of jarring, but it really isn't). I LOVE the wallpaper idea! Don't know how Brandon would feel about it. Maybe I should surprise him with it one day (And you're right-- a beach in the rain, not so much!!)

AAAAAHHHHHH!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO CATCH UP ON YOUR WEDDING!! EVERYTHING LOOKS SO PHENOMENAL!!

*takes deep breath*

Wow! I am just blown away by all of your photos. Particularly of your little flower girl. Unbelievable.

Thank you!! Aren't the little girls completely adorable? The kids take the spotlight sometimes, but they're so darn cute when they're in it! Almost all of the kid pictures are in my personal "favorites" folder.

 

[One_Song]

We made it across the bridge, mostly dry. The coach was waiting by Franck's.

All the ponies were huddled under the cover, I can't blame them!

I was glad to see that the ponies look exquisitely well cared for. I am very sensitive about animals and animal welfare. Later in the trip we got to see where the ponies live, which was really cool!

And of course the coach was just as lovely as ever.

 

[lilsqueakrr]

Aw, yay for happy ponies! I feel the same way about animals as you do. I see even the littlest animal not well taken care of and it upsets me. My dogs even having little 'tears' in their eyes makes me sad!

Can't wait for more!!

 

[virtuous girl]

ur photos r awesome

 

[One_Song]

Brandon and I climbed into the coach. We asked if they would turn the little lights on, so they did. That was a nice part about the rain-- if the weather had been nice, it still would have been sunny during the coach ride. It was sooooo pretty with the coach all lit up.

After a little coaxing for the ponies (they were NOT interested in getting wet again!) we set off for the GF convention center.

We were again accompanied by the cast member Bill. He asked how the ceremony was and what we had planned for the reception. We told him about our food, the music, the wishing well, everything we could think of. It was so comfortable, snuggling up together in the coach and getting excited to see the ballroom.

Bill said he was sorry about the rain, but we told him how many things we had loved about the rain-- the ceremony lighting, the lights on the coach, the staged entrance, how intimate we felt because of the stormy weather. This was another instance when someone expected us to be unhappy about the rain, then was impressed (not that we deserved it) by our atttitude. Bill gave us his number and told us that, if we were interested, he would like to set up a meet & greet for us. We thanked him profusely. He really was so nice.

By this time we were approaching the GF convention center. Our guests had gathered outside to watch our entrance.

Look at that cutie!

I bet Carley was the first to spot us

People started cheering when we got close. It was really exciting!

 

[One_Song]

Meri led us to a small room in the convention center. On the table, we each had a plate with one of every appetizer from the cocktail hour. The only exception was the petite potato with creme fraiche and caviar-- they were completely gone by the time we arrived! I was a little disappointed we didn't get to have one, but I knew that meant our guests had loved them. We also had glasses of water and Champagne, and Brandon had a scotch. Meri said she would give us a few minutes to relax and eat, then she would get us for pictures by the coach. I took my veil off-- it was not really ideal for sitting.

We tasted some of everything, and there was not one single thing that we disliked. My favorite thing was the gazpacho shooter. Brandon's favorite was the vegetable samosa.

In a way, these few minutes were some of the best of the whole day. We were sitting comfortably, off our tired feet. We got to eat some delicious food and have nice drinks. We told each other what our mornings had been like. It was quiet and relaxing. I had a deep feeling of contentment. All of my needs were met.

 

[One_Song]

After our guests had been ushered back into the cocktail hour area, Meri took us outside for more pictures.