Wedding in Paradise Fall 2017 - complete 5/30 - Wedding TR linked!

amalone1013

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2016
Hi everyone! I'm so excited to start a planning journal and share a Disney wedding with everyone! I've been lurking the past few months, ever since I discovered that an Escape wedding could feasibly be in our budget... and drooling over everybody's Wishes weddings. At this point, we aren’t sure if we are doing a Disney wedding or an At-Home Disney wedding, so I’ll update the title accordingly as we decide. I can’t wait to share details with all you lovely people who appreciate Disney too!

Sooooo here it goes!

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Who are We?
In case you want a little background on us crazy folks...

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I’m Alyssa. Child of the 90’s, Nebraska born and raised, grew up on the “Disney Renaissance” movies. I love crafts, and I’ve been scrapbooking since I was 12. I also enjoy reading, making a fool of myself playing with pets, Gilmore Girls, and Disney movies. I work for a pet food company as a lab analyst.

DF is Zack, a systems engineer for a material handlings company. He’s into cars, computers, and of course, all things Disney. Also has a thing for Sorcerer Mickey :smickey:
I cannot even remember how many times he would tell me how Disneyland was a magical place. He and his family visited several times while he was growing up, and also when his oldest brother moved to LA.


How We Met
AKA, It took how long??

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We met about two months into my freshman year of college, in 2008. I went to an out-of-state school and had a randomly assigned roommate, and we hit it off. She knew DF from high school because they had a similar friend group, and they happened to have a class together that fall. He started coming to our dorm with a few people for study sessions, and I started making sure I looked cute for them.

Surprisingly, we didn’t start dating until January 2012. We stayed friends and chatted on and off, and my roommate and I included him in parties and such. I had a crush on him this whole time. He dated a girl for awhile who wouldn’t allow him to talk to us, and they finally broke up the Summer before we started dating. That Fall, we hung out all the time, all 3 of us would get together for studying, and finally in January he asked me out. For our first date we went to Olive Garden and then to see beauty and the best in 3D.


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After I graduated in December 2012, I moved back home to Nebraska. Originally I was going to stay in Colorado after graduation, but my mom passed away over the summer so I decided to go home for a while. We did the long distance thing for a year and a half before I moved back to Colorado.

We moved in with his parents, who had graciously offered to let us stay until I found a job and we got on our feet, and now until the wedding. I was concerned about moving out ASAP because I wasn't sure how it would go, but it actually has worked out very well. We all get along quite well and I'm definitely the favorite future child-in-law. His mom often jokes she won't have anyone to talk to after we leave. They won't take any money from us though, so I try to make dinner a lot, and bring home dog treats from work :). They've saved us a bundle. And it's nice to know that I get along with them so well!
 
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Following along! I hope to have mine up sometime in the next couple of days.

That's so sweet you get along with his parents. I shudder to imagine sharing a roof with my future in-laws. I get along with them okay, but we are VERY different people.
 
Following along! I hope to have mine up sometime in the next couple of days.

That's so sweet you get along with his parents. I shudder to imagine sharing a roof with my future in-laws. I get along with them okay, but we are VERY different people.

I'll be watching :D I was super worried about moving in with his parents, also because his mom works for the schools so she is home all summer too, and I was hanging about the house job hunting... but maybe that helped lol
 


The Proposal

We planned our first big vacation together for February 2015, to California. I was super excited because we were going to Disneyland, and I had never been to a Disney Park before. We were doing a day at Universal, 3 days at Disney, and then a few days in San Diego. I tried to microplan Disney. I was determined to see everything I could while we were there. Zack had 3 times he requested I keep open during our Disney time, which I figured were dining reservations - I had read about the fastpass dining for Fantasmic and such so I expected that. Little did I know, he had other plans.

As the day to leave approached, weather forecasts started calling for large amounts of snowfall. I didn’t understand why Zack was so concerned when the storm wasn't supposed to start until after we left Denver. I also didn’t think much of it when the night before our trip he announced he was now going to take a backpack with books and mail for his brother, who we would be staying with for part of the trip, as his carry-on. Well, Zack was actually worried about the travel plans of others. While we would be at Universal, some important people would be trying to make it out of a blizzard*. These important people were supposed to be bringing a sparkly piece of jewelry with them, and because they were worried about the weather, Zack ended up loading a backpack with random junk to hide this jewelry.

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not suspecting a thing...

After a day at Universal Studios, I was up at 7am and ready to head to Disneyland! I had an agenda. We hit the park right at opening time and Zack asked if they could ride the train around the park - it was something he had always wanted to do. I agreed, even though my excel spreadsheet said Fantasyland first (I was super planner - no joke). After a LONG ride on the train, we headed up Mainstreet - Zack tried to keep me from running - and into Fantasyland at my insistence. I was just like, why are you trying to ruin my plan? I told you I had read to hit Fantasyland first before the lines got too long.

So we ended up to the left of the castle, where the princess meet and greet and stage are. This pretty much only happened because the Castle was covered up for the 60th anniversary bedazzling. Now, I told Zack that it would be neat to meet characters, but I wasn’t going to stand in lines because I was maybe a little old (which was silly). But the princess meet and greet had about 8 kids in line. So I tried to drag Zack in, but he went to take a phone call. So I got in line alone. Zack came back and pulled me out of line, asking if we could go do “something.” So we start heading back across the park (I assumed to Space Mountain). I was quite upset, thinking you’re taking me from my only chance to meet princesses??

We got to the hub and he asked me, "Do you see anyone you know?"

On the other side was my dad, sister, and stepmom, Zacks’s mom and aunt, and his brother and his girlfriend.

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It was definitely a magical moment.
(and I cried a lot... you may notice)

He even ticked off all of the boxes on the proposal wishlist in my head, that I had never voiced: it was a complete surprise, a Disney photographer captured it all, and he asked my dad.

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my sister and stepmom picked us up some ears, and the photopass photographer got us I'm Celebrating buttons and wrote 'Engaged!' with the date

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So we had a wonderful week in California being newly engaged, while everyone else returned home to 20+ inches of snow.

*My family flew out to LA the day before we did, but Zack’s mom and aunt were supposed to fly saturday morning and their flight got cancelled. They spent most of saturday at home on the phone trying to get another flight, and luckily got one - and luckily made it in time, as the flight the ended up on left an hour after they got their seats!
 
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The Sparkly!

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He picked it out all by himself, no hints from me. He actually got on my pinterest board and took inspiration from there. I didn't even know he knew how to find my pinterest board :)

All those Saturdays he told me he was working overtime? No, he and his mom would leave the house at different times and meet up somewhere to go ring shopping. He drug her through 20 stores, the poor woman! A few months after the engagement we were at the mall, and stopped in a store to look at guy's wedding bands, and the employee recognized him - that's how many times he went to some of the places.


And in case you're wondering, I did get to meet the princesses, even though the line was slightly longer.

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They all made a big deal over my ring, which was fun. Snow White asked if Grumpy helped pick out the diamond. And they were expecting us - apparently my sister made it through the meet and greet before the official meet up time in the hub, and she told them all about us.
 
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A Little Background on Where We’re At

So, you may have noticed we’ve been engaged for a year-ish. Originally, we were looking at a Summer 2016 date and debating between Nebraska and Colorado. We very briefly looked into Disney - we got on the dream wedding maker, had it tell us $12,000+ for 20-40 people, and we called it a day. No research because, like so many others, we just assumed it would cost our firstborn. So we started debating Nebraska and Colorado, with the main points being:

  • I have a large family, which is about 90% located in Nebraska, while Zack’s family is small, so Nebraska would mean less travel for guests
  • I have a church in Nebraska I attended my entire life, and my parents and grandparents were married there
  • I am conflicted about the church, because the last few times I was there was for my mom and my grandma's funerals, within 6 months of each other
  • Zack’s grandparents (he has 3) can not travel, whereas my grandpa (only one left) could easily travel to Colorado
  • Nebraska would be difficult, because I am interested in a lot of DIY, so we would most likely have quite a few things to take to Nebraska
After some looking, we also found a number of places in Colorado that weren’t really any more than Nebraska (except catering - boo). We decided on a place in Colorado. We picked a date and booked a dj and a photographer (a beautiful place, though pricier than we originally planned, but we were being pressured also). Fast forward two months, family drama rears its ugly head on my side, and we end up having to cancel that date. We’ve scrapped the venue completely, and are now looking at Summer 2017 with a budget closer to the original. We lost $750 for the venue deposit, and if we end up getting married in Colorado, we might be able to move photo/dj; if not, we’re out $1000 in deposits for them. We decided to push it back a year to see how the family drama plays out, and also so we could save up for other things along with the wedding - we have enough for it today, but we decided it wasn’t the best decision to spend all of our savings on a wedding and then crash with the in-laws another year as married folks lol.

Essentially, we started back at square one except for a few details (table decor, already knowing some venues and pricing, etc). We’re also going to count only on ourselves to pay for this shindig, and if by chance my family would still like to contribute after the drama is resolved, we will cross that bridge then. I think I’d rather we foot the entire bill and they could just give it as a wedding gift...
 
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Following along! I love how he proposed, and your ring is gorgeous!

Thanks! I was totally clueless - I even talked to my dad Saturday morning before Universal, asking him about the snow in Colorado... really, he was just on the opposite side of LA!
 
At Home vs Disney

So originally, if you’ve read all of my rambling, you know we were looking at NE vs CO vs Disney (now). We’ve narrowed it down to CO vs Disney. We have about 200 people on our guest list, and we went through it and made our best educated guess as to who would come to a wedding in NE and who would come to CO - which didn’t help much because we ended up with almost the same number! Step two was to look at who the people actually were. When it came down to it, we chose Colorado. To me, there is a difference between can’t travel and won’t, and no one on my side falls into the can’t category. Zack’s grandparents can’t travel, and I want them to be there also because his entire family has taken me in as if I was always there. While there are a few of my relatives who won’t come to CO that I would love to have at my wedding, I doubt they will travel because they are the type who always come up with a reason not to.

We worked out our budget for an at home wedding, and our best guesstimate for an escape wedding with Carrie's book and BEOs posted on other people's PJs. The numbers are similar enough that as long as the family drama plays out ok, we will be having a magical Colorado wedding. If it doesn't, we can do an escape wedding and hopefully some type of home reception. Fingers crossed!

As it stands, we (I) are going to continue planning a magical Colorado wedding. Luckily the few things I did have done or decided should transfer to the new venue we are looking at.
 
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I am conflicted about the church, because the last few times I was there was for my mom and my grandma's funerals, within 6 months of each other

I know how you feel. My mom and I are both the same denomination, her because she was raised that way (my grandfather was a minister) and me because I chose it. She grew up in a town called Pfafftown, and the church there is very near and dear to her and she and her family actually helped build the new sanctuary. Until last September, I'd only been there for funerals, so I really don't have any fond feelings towards it. I'm glad I found such a home in Hillyer (my church), and hopefully one day you'll find a church that makes you happy in Colorado or wherever you end up!

I am sorry to hear your family keeps causing drama :hug: But I'm sure you and Zack will have a beautiful wedding, no matter where it is!
 
Following along! I love your proposal story! So cute!

I think my boyfriend and I will be in the same boat when we get engaged - we're both from different provinces, and then live in a third one. I enjoy reading your thought process of narrowing down your location! I can't wait to see which one you end up with!
 
The Plan

On to the fun stuff! I’m hoping for a less formal, more casual vibe. I want a nice wedding, but a formal ballroom event is not us. I’m thinking, dressy casual, fun, a bit of whimsy, and a lot of subtle Disney magic.

Our colors will be varying shades of blue - navy, cobalt, sky, royal, light, etc. Zack likes to tell people “50 shades of blue” when they ask. He’s pretty relaxed about a good deal of the planning, and I know if I had wanted a ‘girly’ color such as pink or purple, he would have been fine with it, but I get the feeling he’s glad I picked blue.

This is pretty much the best inspiration collage photo I found on pinterest (because I'm too lazy to make one myself, I would rather just pin lots of pictures):

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I plan on having bridesmaids in mismatched dresses. I am hoping that each can be in a different shade of blue; most importantly, I want them to like and be comfortable with the dress they wear. Like many, they are different shapes and sizes, and I am not one of those people who is good at dressing people. They know what they like and what looks good, so I trust their judgement. I think I’ll make them each a little color inspiration card they can take shopping with them, and a pinterest board with some inspiration pictures and perhaps some dresses for ideas (or they can pick right off there). I may make a few requests (like short, or certain fabrics). Mostly, I just want to make sure they stay in the blue category.


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Is this too many pictures?
Guys, I really love blue. :jumping3:

Anyways, I know I'm DIYing the invitations. I already have a decent mock up for those... And they incorporate Disney! I think we'll send vistaprint post cards for save the dates, since most of the guest list is from out of town. I'm also debating/playing around with some flower ideas.

My favorite part so far is the centerpieces. Even though it's something everyone says people won't remember... It all started in Disneyland, the same day of or possibly the day after the engagement. My sister showed me the Huffpost article 25 Whimsical Wedding Ideas For Disney-Obsessed Couples. There were so many fun decoration ideas... I thought, why not do different centerpieces based on different movies?

Thanks to pinterest, I found a few blogs featuring people who had done just that, and I was sold. So was Zack. So even though it's a bit of work, and we have to keep an eye on it so it doesn't blow our budget, it's been lots of fun. We've done lots of hunting in thrift stores and at garage sales. A few weekends ago I pulled out everything we had bought so far and we arranged some of them and now, after seeing a few 'completed' mock ups, I'm even more excited about them. I've been trying really hard to make sure they don't look like little kid party decorations and I think we're doing very well. I can upload a few of those pictures if anyone is interested :earsboy: The head table will be Beauty and the Beast, because that was the movie we saw on our first date. So far, we've spent less than $100 for approximately 25 tables. We have about a third of the items we need so I'm happy with our projected cost. I want to try and get runners or overlays in a few shades of blue to help tie everything together - just have to figure out a budget way lol.

Hmm... can't think of any other big pieces right now.
(And then I remembered a few!)

Zack's family has offered to host the rehearsal dinner, and if it's in the budget (I'm not letting them pay to feed even a small amount of people after letting us live for free), we're hoping to invite a lot of the out of town people. That way we can spend more time with everyone, since I was used to seeing all of my extended family at least about once a month, and some of them weekly. Perhaps a casual open house style thing, inviting people to bring suits if they'd like to swim in the pool. And burgers and hot dogs if we end up feeding people. Don't worry - we mentioned this idea to his parents, and they are more than ok with this idea haha.

Last two things:

For our honeymoon, we are of course planning on Disneyworld!
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I am way excited and so is Zack. Neither of us have been. We are thinking of going a little bit after the wedding, after school starts up again so hopefully there's a few less people. Plus the extra time will allow for a little more vacation time to build up so we can do something outrageous (aka awesome) and go for like 2 weeks. I might see if we can take a 2-3 day solo trip up to a mountain town to spend a few days alone after the wedding craziness before returning to work; that'll just depend on Zack's time off (I'm lucky and get quite a bit).

And, since we are no longer getting married this summer, we are going on a family trip to Disneyland in July. It'll be us for a week, and his parents, aunt, and brother and girlfriend for half the time. Also excited to go back (and see the castle, because it was covered up getting bedazzled last February).

And that's it for now!
 
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I am sorry to hear your family keeps causing drama :hug: But I'm sure you and Zack will have a beautiful wedding, no matter where it is!

Thanks! I'm sure it will all work out in the end, it just stinks while it's going on.

Following along! I love your proposal story! So cute!

I think my boyfriend and I will be in the same boat when we get engaged - we're both from different provinces, and then live in a third one. I enjoy reading your thought process of narrowing down your location! I can't wait to see which one you end up with!

It was hard, and really the most helpful thing for us looking at the guest list and ignoring outside influences (my dad was pushing for Lincoln just so the highest number of his family would go). I talked to my grandpa on the phone the other day, and told him we were planning on Colorado, and his response was the best: Why the hell not? It'd be crazy to try and plan it from a state away, and you can't make everyone happy.

Thanks, grandpa. :)
 
and a lot of subtle Disney magic.

Well of course!

I can upload a few of those pictures if anyone is interested :earsboy:

YES! Yes please! I want to see!!!! I would love to have each table themed after a different movie, but I think Joe may put his foot down on that. He vetoed the Tangled save the dates :sad1:

Perhaps a casual open house style thing, inviting people to bring suits if they'd like to swim in the pool. And burgers and hot dogs if we end up feeding people.

I'm so jealous! This is really what Joe and I want. An informal cookout, come as you are and hang out. But no. His mom wants to go to a really fancy restaurant (that SHE likes) with just the bridal party and close family. I have a feeling she's going to come up a lot in my PJ....
 
I have a feeling she's going to come up a lot in my PJ....

Dun dun duhhhh...

I feel you. My dad has been remarried almost two years, and my stepmom is nice. However, she was never married before, a single career woman who made her way up and did very well, and with no family she had a highly disposable income... pretty much opposite of how my family worked growing up. Her motto seems to be, why DIY when you can pay someone?

Even before the major family drama, we had (nicely, because I'm a pansy) butted heads about things. Like the difference between two places we looked in NE were that one set the tables and chair up, and the other didn't, but due to food and alcohol requirements, the one that did was $3500 more after everything was said and done. I am not paying that much more when the basic difference is table and chair set up. She argued about that, and that they were giving us money so they didn't have to work on the wedding day, I won't want that, etc. You would have thought I told her something awful, like we were considering plastic plates (which is a consideration, and I'm not ashamed of it. It's been common at my family weddings too, unless they were in a hotel ballroom. Gotta be practical with 200 people on a budget).

From now on, I'm just going to smile and nod, say 'we'll think about that,' and do what I want - which is advice my aunt gave me way back when. It'll just be easier now not worrying about if money comes with strings.
 
Love everything about your story! Love the blue (it's my favorite color)! I'll definitely be following along your journey. :) Also, give me a shout out when you're visiting Disneyland in July, I'm only about 20 minutes away!
 

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