~*Amy and Shawn’s PJ*~June 6th, 2011 - Our Hawaiian Honeymoon!

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Congratulations on your engagement! I'm excited to see other 2011 (and Buffalo!) brides planning too!

Thank you! Congratulations to you also!

I read the beginning of this and knew I had to reply! This is why:

I also recently just got engaged (12/19) and have always known I wanted a Disney wedding! I have been browsing on these boards for awhile now and completely agree that it is a true treasure.

I am also 21 and majoring in Early/Middle Childhood Education. I have known by DF for 8 years. We have known that we are a "perfect match" and knew that we wanted to get married.

We also want to get married in 2011. May would be nice, but it will have to be later because my younger brother will be a senior in high school and won't be out of school until the beginning of June.

I am so excited for you and to read your plans. Hopefully I will get a PJ started soon! And look forward to hearing all the information you get from Disney because I wanted to contact them for some initial information too.


Congratulations!!!!!

Wow, we have a lot in common! Same age, same major, and we have both been dating our Df's forever lol. I am kinda worried about kids missing school too, but there are not too many, as most are in college. I actually wanted to do it in April, but will have to wait until May as I will be student teaching that semester, so obviously I can not miss two weeks for a wedding. You should deff. start a PJ very soon, I would love to read it. Congratulations on your engagement!

Amy. my Df had the same concerns over the Dessert Party. We compromised and are doing this:

Rehearsal
Dinner at 'Ohana for just bridal party
DP at UK

Wedding Day will be ceremony at WP at 5 and then bus everyone over to our reception.

I think it's a great compromise. We are also doing a buffet that I wasn't too thrilled about until we tasted the food! Not your average buffet...it was awesome!!!

We are excited we get the best of everything and our guests can still enjoy their vacations! I think you plans sound wonderful!!

Glad to hear you are doing something similar. I am starting to think maybe we will do dinner first and then a DP, but I guess I will have to see how much money we will have. It stinks that your rehearsal dinner can't go towards your minimum. I told DF the same thing about the buffet, it is Disney so I'm sure it's not what you would normally think about when you think of a wedding buffet. Thanks for sharing your plans, they sound great also!

 

[Pirate's Princess]

I made my comments in green

Thanks so much! We are lucky to be so close to the falls, however we do have to put up with the snow and cold so I guess it's a trade off!



Thank you!


*So after spending LOTS of time with mine and DF's families the past few days we got a chance to tell everyone about our engagement and Disney plans. I was a little worried that no one would come, but a lot of people already said they will come so hopefully they all really will. One reason we are choosing Disney is because DF has a HUGE family, so a wedding up here would end up costing as much if not more for something we really don't want. And although we would love for everyone to be there, a lot of his extended family don't even know me and we have been dating for 7 years! That's how big his family is. So I am glad many of the people we are close with in his family said they will come, and I'm sure a lot of his extended family won't which is fine.

*Also, yesterday I was showing Df some choices for our reception, cocktail hour, and rehearsal dinner. After talking this is what we are thinking as of now. Deff. not 100% sure yet.

Rehearsal dinner: Epcot UK upper or lower during Illuminations.
*I liked the idea of having a dessert party on the day of our wedding, but DF does not want one. He doesn't want to have an early reception, and doesn't like the idea of having to move everyone to Epcot after the reception. The only reason I'm not fighting it is because if we end up doing ADH for the reception, I like it much better at night when it is dark. Because we are thinking May, it won't get dark until late, and if we did a dessert party it would be light almost the whole time in ADH. So we compromised and decided instead to do our rehearsal dinner at Epcot during Illuminations. (I am hoping you can do this, it says some hot foods can be served here, so it sounds like it.) Has anyone done this or know of any other Disbrides who have? Do you think it sounds like a good idea? Also, we are not sure about UK, but it sounds like for the # of people we will have and in order to serve hot food this is pretty much our only option. Any opinions on UK or advice on a diff. Epcot location that might work? We will have no more around 25 I think.

UK is a very popular place, and I'm sure it is for a reason. we're going with UK Lochside. We're also trying to plan some savory food and not all just desserts. I love the idea of a rehearsal dinner, but that does not fit into our budget. It's definitely a good compromise between you and DF

Ceremony: WP either 2:30 or 5
*This is the one thing we are sure about, is the WP. We are not sure which time would be better. Leaning more towards 2:30. Can you do the ceremony at other times or only the listed times such as 2:30, 5 etc. I would really prefer to do something in the middle but don't know if that is possible. Any advice on which time slot is better?

Personally I'm not a WP fan, but a lot of people are and I know I'm one of the freaks who aren't. As for the time, when are you planning on the reception and cocktail hour? How long of a ceremony. It does seem like a large gap having a ceremony at 2:30 and then having a party at ADH that goes until dark (in may). Figure a 5 pm ceremony, 6pm cocktail hour, then party from 7-10? 11? That's a little late, but I think it goes along with the time frame you want. If you could convince Shawn of a first look, you could always do pictures earlier.

Cocktail Hour: Marina at the Grand Floridian.
*We are thinking our guests can just walk over and enjoy some drinks and snacks while we take pictures. I like this location because when me and DF were down a few years ago we rented boats from the marina and then ate lunch there. I liked the view of Cinderella castle from where we ate, and think the guests would enjoy being able to view the castle as well.

I'm unfamiliar with the Marina. Will it be catered? Open bar? Cash bar? Either way, it sounds like a fine idea to me, just curious about the details

Reception: ADH
*Not 100%, but deff. leaning towards it. Df is not crazy about having to have a buffet, I don't mind because I think it provides for more mingling between guests. It is funny to see Df concerned about these things. I would never have imagined! LOL

Personally I'm a fan of buffets, while not as classy, you get more variety of food for the money, and I'm very indecisive about food choices. I'm all for having a little bit of everything.

*Please let me know your opinions on all of this. I would appreciate feedback even if it is constructive criticism.

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Your plans look good so far, can't wait to hear more!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Sam, thank you for the feedback, it helped a lot. I think that I will do the ceremony at 5, as long as I can get DF on board. That way we can have a relaxing morning. I really want ADH to be dark, so this will work out better. The time frame you suggested sounds good, similar to what I was thinking. We will just plan on a short ceremony and even if we do pictures after, we are going to do an MK/Epcot photo shoot the next day, and I don't even know if I'm going to get a professional photographer the day of, so pictures shouldn't take too long. Waking up the next day for the MK shoot will not be fun, but oh well we can sleep after.

As for the marina, I don't know exactly what we will do as far as food and drinks yet, but am thinking just some snacks and open bar, most likely BOC for this part, for one hour, typical of what the first hour of a reception would be like.

Thanks again for the feedback, very helpful.

 

[iixheartxyouxox]

Congrats! Just found your PJ and i have to subscribe! I've been lurking on the wedding boards for a while cuz its always been my dream as well to have a disney wedding..but im not engaged..yet. =[ lately i've really liked the idea of a reception at ADH so im really excited to see how it turns out for you! I've only seen a couple of ppl on here with ADH receptions so i will def follow your PJ to see how it goes..good luck with everything!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Congrats! Just found your PJ and i have to subscribe! I've been lurking on the wedding boards for a while cuz its always been my dream as well to have a disney wedding..but im not engaged..yet. =[ lately i've really liked the idea of a reception at ADH so im really excited to see how it turns out for you! I've only seen a couple of ppl on here with ADH receptions so i will def follow your PJ to see how it goes..good luck with everything!

Thanks! I will be sure to post plenty of pictures after the wedding for you to see! Your pictures on your signature are really cute! Thanks for reading!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

*We have decided where we will be staying for our DFTW!*
And, we have almost decided what resorts we will be offering for our wedding guests, but I need a little feedback from you girls first!

Me and DF:

Grand Floridian: 4 nights
Wilderness Lodge: 2 nights

*We knew we wanted GF because we have never stayed there, and our ceremony will be at the WP, so GF is very convenient (although also very expensive)! My DF LOVES WL, and we have also never stayed there, although we have visited it several times, so we will also be staying there. We are planning on doing a week in Disney, and then a week in Hawaii.

Our Wedding Guests:

Deluxe:
Grand Floridian: (We need the discount since GF is so pricey, and my parents will be staying here for a few nights as well, and possibly a few of DF's aunts.)

Moderate: Edited: Chose Caribbean Beach
Coronado Springs?: (Of the moderates, I have only stayed at Caribbean Beach, and that was when I was like 2, so I don't really remember it. From the research I've done, I like the look of this the best.
*Please let me know if you think a diff. moderate would be a better choice.

Value:
All Star Movies: (I have stayed at sports and movies, and liked the movies better. Have not stayed at music or pop).

Fourth Resort?: Edited: No fourth
(Not sure yet. We are thinking WL, so we can get the discount, and we think some other guests might enjoy WL as well. Although it is a deluxe, it is one of the cheapest in that category.)

*Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

 

[Ann117]

Welcome! I also work at a YMCA before and after school program. Can't wait to hear more about your plans

 

[ChocoKat]

*We have decided where we will be staying for our DFTW!*
And, we have almost decided what resorts we will be offering for our wedding guests, but I need a little feedback from you girls first!

Me and DF:

Grand Floridian: 4 nights
Wilderness Lodge: 2 nights (maybe 3)

*We knew we wanted GF because we have never stayed there, and our ceremony will be at the WP, so GF is very convenient (although also very expensive)! My DF LOVES WL, and we have also never stayed there, although we have visited it several times, so we will also be staying there. We are planning on doing a week (6 nights) in Disney, and then a week in Hawaii. We will prly end up doing 2 nights at WL, but might stay one day longer in Disney, and do one less day in Hawaii, because I am not sure we will have time for everything I want to do in Disney in 6 nights.

Our Wedding Guests:

Deluxe:
Grand Floridian: (We need the discount since GF is so pricey, and my parents will be staying here for a few nights as well.)

Moderate:
Coronado Springs: (Of the moderates, I have only stayed at Caribbean Beach, and that was when I was like 2, so I don't really remember it. From the research I've done, I like the look of this the best, and my sister (who is also my MOH) wants to stay here for some of the trip, so that also helped me pick CS). *Please let me know if you think a diff. moderate would be a better choice.

Value:
All Star Movies: (I have stayed at sports and movies, and liked the movies better. Have not stayed at music or pop).

Fourth Resort?:
(Not sure yet. We are thinking WL, so we can get the discount, and we think some other guests might enjoy WL as well. Although it is a deluxe, it is one of the cheapest in that category.)

*Please let me know what you think, as well as where you picked and why. Thanks!

I have stayed at all of the values and moderates you have listed, so here is my feedback:

Coronado Springs is great, I stayed there for several days, granted I was working during a conference, but the grounds are very pretty and what I saw of the pool area was very neat. I didn't have the time to use it, but it was very nice. My only gripe was the food court, when the conference didn't feed us it was sorta hit or miss.

All Stars Movies is very cute and has a bunch of Disney icons all over the property, it is in need of a refurbishment though so the rooms might tend to look a bit worn out, but the last time I was there (earlier this year), the staff made up for it with enthusiasm and our housekeepers were outstanding.

All Stars Music was recently refurbished so it has newer paint, furniture, etc, we stayed there a couple of times once on the Broadway section and another in the Jazz section and we enjoyed it a lot!

All Stars Sports is my least favorite of the All Stars, but that doesn't mean anything bad, just that the theme doesn't do much for me. We have stayed there once when we couldn't get a room at any of the other values and we had a great time anyway.

We are picking Pop Century as our value resort for guests. We go to it a lot ourselves, we have it booked for a trip in Spring to celebrate my birthday, it has one of our favorite food courts in property and we enjoy the decor and the fun design.

For our moderate we probably will pick Coronado Springs or Port Orleans French Quarter, not sure yet. Our deluxe will be Animal Kingdom Lodge which will be where we will be staying. We thought about staying at the Grand Floridian at first (and I might still change my mind), but the AKL is so nice and our favorite deluxe, we have been going there at least once every year so it is hard to change our routine

Great choices! Looks like your plans are shaping up.

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Welcome! I also work at a YMCA before and after school program. Can't wait to hear more about your plans

Hi Ann! That's great you work for the Y also. I love doing the afterschool program, it is so much fun!

I have stayed at all of the values and moderates you have listed, so here is my feedback:

Coronado Springs is great, I stayed there for several days, granted I was working during a conference, but the grounds are very pretty and what I saw of the pool area was very neat. I didn't have the time to use it, but it was very nice. My only gripe was the food court, when the conference didn't feed us it was sorta hit or miss.

All Stars Movies is very cute and has a bunch of Disney icons all over the property, it is in need of a refurbishment though so the rooms might tend to look a bit worn out, but the last time I was there (earlier this year), the staff made up for it with enthusiasm and our housekeepers were outstanding.

All Stars Music was recently refurbished so it has newer paint, furniture, etc, we stayed there a couple of times once on the Broadway section and another in the Jazz section and we enjoyed it a lot!

All Stars Sports is my least favorite of the All Stars, but that doesn't mean anything bad, just that the theme doesn't do much for me. We have stayed there once when we couldn't get a room at any of the other values and we had a great time anyway.

We are picking Pop Century as our value resort for guests. We go to it a lot ourselves, we have it booked for a trip in Spring to celebrate my birthday, it has one of our favorite food courts in property and we enjoy the decor and the fun design.

For our moderate we probably will pick Coronado Springs or Port Orleans French Quarter, not sure yet. Our deluxe will be Animal Kingdom Lodge which will be where we will be staying. We thought about staying at the Grand Floridian at first (and I might still change my mind), but the AKL is so nice and our favorite deluxe, we have been going there at least once every year so it is hard to change our routine

Great choices! Looks like your plans are shaping up.

Thanks for the feeback. I have heard a lot of great things about the POP, so maybe I will consider switching the value to this. I personally don't like the look of it from pictures, but have never stayed there or visited. And I know many people think it is the best value. I'm going to ask some of our guests who I see often which resorts they might stay in before making a final decision, but many guests have never been. Thanks for the feedback on CS, I'm glad to here you enjoyed it. I figure it is likely to have the least amount of kids since it has a lot of buisness amenities, and since the value will deff. be kid friendly, I want to pick something that is not so much that way for the parents, grandparents, etc. who don't want to be surrounded by kids constantly.

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

We have decided we will deff. be doing ADH for our reception site, as well as using the GF marina for cocktail hour. I am thinking of having the wedding on a Monday. First I was thinking Sunday, but a lot of our guests will be driving, so that gives them Saturday and Sunday morning to drive, and be there in time for the rehearsal dinner on Sunday night. With ADH, it can only be Sunday or Monday for dinner receptions.

Also, I started looking at bridesmaid dresses, and I LOVE this one. I think as long as it is not too pricey, and the girls like it, I will use this one. I am trying to decide between the two colors, they are similar, one is darker.

 

[lpizzuro123]

Yeah for ADH. We had our reception there in November of '08 and everyone just loved it. It is such a unique and different place. We had our cocktail hour at ADH on the 3rd floor balcony. It sounds interesting that you will be having yours at the GF. I never would have thought of that.

Love the dress for your BM also.

Can't wait to read more planning.

Linda

 

[iixheartxyouxox]

Yay for deciding on ADH! Cant wait to see how cocktail hour at GF Marina turns out..i want my dessert party to be there..& i love love that dress! i like the lighter color better!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Thanks girls! I am starting to really freak out about how much a DFTW costs. I budgeted everything for the wedding and honeymoon, and it is soooo expensive. I am a little stressed right now!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Since I have some free time until I go back to school on the 25th, I've been planning our December 2010 trip to Disney for our planning session.

We will be going in mid December. I am very excited to go around Christmas time because we have never been around this time before and I can't wait to do all the special events they have! Here is what we have planned so far:

Edited: Staying at Pop instead to save money! We will be staying at the Dolphin resort. We decided to stay here because during this time all Disney resorts are at peak rates, while the Swan and Dolphin are offering some of their cheapest rates of the year. Also we have never stayed here and it is in such a great location and has a lot of nice amenities and a ton of dinning options.

I deff. want to do MVMCP!

We are also going to do all the other Christmas activities like the Candlelight processional at Epcot... with the dinner package at Biergarten... hopefully it's offered again this year. And the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights.

I already have picked out many places we will be dinning....
Dinner:
Biergarten... never been, me and DF are both big beer drinkers.
Jiko... looks really nice and we have never been to AKL so we figure we will check it out and have dinner there after a day at AK.
T-rex... New since we have been last... this is DF's pick.

Lunch:
Big River Grille and Brewery Works

I love planning trips to Disney... DF thinks I need to get a life!

Also, I set up a phone appointment on Monday to talk to a Disney wedding consultant for the first time.... I'm excited and nervous.... I hope we can get penciled in and our date is available.

 

[iixheartxyouxox]

thats so exciting that you are planning your PS already! your plans look great and hopefully ill be down there just a few weeks after you in jan..all the places you mentioned you want to dine at sound good..i've never been at christmas time either and never thought about the dolphin and swan being cheaper..hmm ill have to remember that so next time maybe ill stay there lol

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

I spoke to someone from DFTW today for the first time. I found out I can get my date confirmed and my LOA at 12 months out rather than 8 since I am using WP/ADH. Patiently waiting until then.... It seems so far away!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

I'm trying to figure out the time line for the day of the wedding. I'm not sure how long the ceremony will last and how much time I should leave for traveling, etc. Help

This is what I am thinking:

5:00 - ceremony at the WP
5:30 - cocktail hour begins at GF marina, we take pictures.
6:00 - we finish pictures and head over to cocktail hour.
6:30 - cocktail hour ends, guests take motorcoach to ADH.
7:00 - reception begins.
11:00 - reception ends.

*I don't know how long the ceremony is, do you think we will be able to take pictures and still go to the 2nd half of cocktail hour?

*I'm not sure if 1/2 hour is too long to leave in between cocktail hour and reception, but DF wants a limo for the bridal party, and I would like to have a little bit of time to spend in it, and I would also like to get a few pic's on the Boardwalk.

 

[ChocoKat]

I'm trying to figure out the time line for the day of the wedding. I'm not sure how long the ceremony will last and how much time I should leave for traveling, etc. Help

This is what I am thinking:

5:00 - ceremony at the WP
5:30 - cocktail hour begins at GF marina, we take pictures.
6:00 - we finish pictures and head over to cocktail hour.
6:30 - cocktail hour ends, guests take motorcoach to ADH.
7:00 - reception begins.
11:00 - reception ends.

*I don't know how long the ceremony is, do you think we will be able to take pictures and still go to the 2nd half of cocktail hour?

*I'm not sure if 1/2 hour is too long to leave in between cocktail hour and reception, but DF wants a limo for the bridal party, and I would like to have a little bit of time to spend in it, and I would also like to get a few pic's on the Boardwalk.

Hmmm I think maybe the guests will need more time to get from the WP after the ceremony to the marina?

On the shuffle from the cocktail hour to ADH I think you can stand to loose around 45 mins to an hour.

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

Hmmm I think maybe the guests will need more time to get from the WP after the ceremony to the marina?

On the shuffle from the cocktail hour to ADH I think you can stand to loose around 45 mins to an hour.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm trying to time the reception around Illuminations fireworks, as they can be viewed from the balcony, so I'm trying to have the reception begin at 7, but I think I might have to push it back to 7:30, and wait to do first dance and have Mickey and Minnie come until after Illuminations, I just want to make sure we leave enough time for dancing.