My Disney World Wedding

[Bethanymouse]

Well, I have only assisted in wedding planning, never done one myself...however,

I think that the video save the date idea is SOOO cute! Especially if you have family that has not been to Disney, you can use this to show them how great it is! And as it gets closer they can re-watch it as their planning video and just get exctied about it! Also, I think it would be cute to use pics of you guys together as well as pics when you were younger.

I love the "cake topper" even if it is too heavy, it will be cute sitting next to your cake!

Have fun with the planning!

Thanks so much! It is going to be hard selecting favorite pics but I think it will be fun, and I think that our guests will enjoy it! Isnt that cake topper cute? I love it. Thanks so much for reading!

[Bethanymouse]

Thanks so much for reading along! I thought I would introduce you to our wedding party so you have an idea of what it consists of.

Matron of Honor- Corinne, 26, my best friend since the third grade. I was her MOH 2 years ago and she was a beautiful bride! She is such a great friend and I cant think of anyone better to have next to me on that day!

Bridesmaids:
Christine- 25, One of my best friends and college roomie. She always knows how to make me laugh and have fun.

Amy- 26, Another one of my best friends. The first college friend that I made. Encouraged me to hang out with Anthony and we credit her for getting us together! I was a bridesmaid in Amy's wedding in October. She was also a beautiful bride and had a wonderful wedding!

Maggie- 16, Cousin who lives in Minnesota. Cant wait to see her and share our day with her!

Mandy- 19, Cousin from Jersey. I grew up with Mandy and we have spent many holidays and vacations together. We are very close.

Flowergirl- Sarah, will be 5 at our wedding, 4 right now. Sarah is full of fun. She loves the disney princesses and cant wait to be in a "Wedding". She is absolutely adorable

Now onto the men:

Best Man- Mike, 27, Anthony's best friend since primary school. Mike is a great guy and a good friend to Anthony. He got married a year ago and Anthony stood beside him as his groomsman.

Groomsmen:
Joey- 19, my brother. Anthony and Joey are very close. They hang out all the time. I am so grateful that they get along so well.

Anthony- 27, This is Anthony's friend from college. He is a genuine sweet guy who I really enjoy being around. A very good friend.

Carmine (aka Nooch)- 23, Anthony's cousin. Nooch idolized Anthony as a kid and they did everything together. He is a funny and interesting guy, always good for a laugh!

Justin- 28, Justin is Anthony's friend from high school. He currently lives in London with his wife and new baby. Justin is a graphic designer for Hollywood movies. We see him about 2 times a year but they are always on the phone catching up. Good guy and great friend.

Ring Bearers-
We have two! They are brothers. Anthony is very close to his cousin ToniAnn and she has two young boys. Anthony lived with them for awhile and developed a close relationship with the boys. They are so much fun and we absolutely LOVE them. We couldnt pick one so they are both in it!

Keith Brian- currently 3, going to be 5 at our wedding. Ball of energy. Blonde hair, blue eyes need I say more? He loves disney movies, especially Cars and Nemo!

Kyle Anthony- currently 2, going to be 3 for our wedding. Kyle is quiet and sweet. He is a cuddler, but dont let him fool you, he doesnt like to get pushed around by Keith Brian! He is brown hair and brown eyes, like his mother! He is a handsome guy!

That is all of them! I will try to post some pics of flower girl dress ideas sometime today. Thanks for reading!

[bleukarma]

It sounds like you have a beutiful wedding in the works! How exciting! It's been so interesting to read your story!!

[princessjojo]

I am just loving this reading all of your post. You are so lucky to have so many here on intercot to share with.

BTW, I love what you've chosen for your caketopper. It is just so cute! It's unconventional which in my opinion is what makes it great and unique to you. I didn't see any I liked when we were married, so since we were married in the evening and it was slightly formal, I had my bridesmaids carry long stem red roses in their arms. They wore long black dresses with a touch of white and long black gloves. To tie it together, I had fresh red baby roses used as the cake topper on my cake. It was beautiful with the deep red on the top of the very white cake.

My mom gave me 2 snowbabies this year in my christmas stocking (she gives me new ones each year). But the first was with Minnie is singing christmas carols with a little girl and she's wearing Minnie ears, and in the other, Mickey is putting on ice skates with a little boy. Sorry for the digression...

Keep posting. I can't wait to see what you're dresses look like. I know they have to be beautiful.

[Bethanymouse]

It sounds like you have a beutiful wedding in the works! How exciting! It's been so interesting to read your story!!

Thanks so much for reading!

I am just loving this reading all of your post. You are so lucky to have so many here on intercot to share with.

BTW, I love what you've chosen for your caketopper. It is just so cute! It's unconventional which in my opinion is what makes it great and unique to you. I didn't see any I liked when we were married, so since we were married in the evening and it was slightly formal, I had my bridesmaids carry long stem red roses in their arms. They wore long black dresses with a touch of white and long black gloves. To tie it together, I had fresh red baby roses used as the cake topper on my cake. It was beautiful with the deep red on the top of the very white cake.

My mom gave me 2 snowbabies this year in my christmas stocking (she gives me new ones each year). But the first was with Minnie is singing christmas carols with a little girl and she's wearing Minnie ears, and in the other, Mickey is putting on ice skates with a little boy. Sorry for the digression...

Keep posting. I can't wait to see what you're dresses look like. I know they have to be beautiful.

Your wedding cake sounds beautiful! I also love the idea of your girls flowers! Thanks so much for sharing that. I got a snowbaby with minnie a few years ago. It is definitely adorable. They are cute because they are all white and then the characters are in color! Thanks so much for reading. I am going to post some links to two of the ring bearer pillows I am considering later this evening. Let me know what you guys think!

[Bethanymouse]

Alright we have two ring bearers, one will be 3 years old, one will be 5 years old. I am too OCD for them not to have the same. Do you think that they both will need to carry one, or can I have only one pillow? Here are the two we are considering:

This one is very disney.
Ring Bearer Pillow 1

This one is more antique
Ring Bearer Pillow 2

Which one do you like best?

[Beast_fanatic]

I personally like the first pillow best. The second one makes me think of a baby boy rather than a wedding for some reason.

[DizneyRox]

Here is the original Save the Date we sent out.

Dear family and friends,

On the DAY of MONTH YEAR, we will be getting married at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Although it is still about a year away, we are taking this opportunity to explain Disney's wedding process to aid in your vacation planning. Formal invitations will be sent to you six to eight weeks prior ro the wedding.

In MONTH, you will be receiving a "Save the Date" letter from Disney. At that time, hotel reservations can be made for one of three selected Disney resorts and park passes will be available for purchase, both of which will be offered at special discounted rates.

If you are traveling by air, airline reservations need to be made seperately and should be made early to obtain the best possible fare. [Favorite Airline] offers several direct flights daily from [originating airport] to Orlando International Airport. [Favorite Airline] is currently booking flights for that timeframe.

In addition to the Wedding Celebration, we have also planned a couple of events we hope you will be able to attend. More information will be forthcoming on those events as the date approaches, however we are planning on a Welcoming Party at the Grand Floridian on MONTH, DAY and a dinner show at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review on MONTH, DAY.

We understand the desire to bring children to Walt Disney World, however kindly request that no children be in attendence at the ceremony or reception. We will be making arrangements with Disney for a special Children's Party on MONTH, DAY. They are of course welcome at all other events throughout the week.

Enclosed is a tip sheet with valuable information we have compiled during our trips to Walt Disney World. It is our hope these will aid you in your planning as well.

Thank you and we hope you will be able to join us.

SIGNATURES

Our Tip Sheet looked something like this:

Walt Disney World Vacation Tips

• If you will be staying on Walt Disney World property, car rental is not required. Disney provides transportation throughout their entire property to all guests. Will be providing direct transportation to and from the wedding, from the three selected Disney Resorts.
• [Favorite Towncar Service] offers transportation from the airport to your resort and back. Enclosed is a coupon for $x.xx off a round trip. If you are not renting a car, this is the way to go!
• Park Admission will not be required for any of the activites we have planned throughout the week. Tickets should be purchased based on your needs. We recommend allowing one day at Magic Kingdom, Disney MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. If possible, allow for two days at Epcot as the park is very large.
• For more Walt Disney World information you can visit these sites on the World Wide Web:
  WDW Official Site: www.disneyworld.com
  Intercot: www.intercot.com
  [Others listed as necessary]
• The following are contact numbers for your convenience:
  
  Favorite Airline: xxx-xxx-xxxx
  Favorite Towncar: xxx-xxx-xxxx
  WDW Dining: 407-WDW-DINE

You may want to include info on Magical Express, etc. It's your call.

[Bethanymouse]

I personally like the first pillow best. The second one makes me think of a baby boy rather than a wedding for some reason.

Ha Ha Ha! My DF likes the first one best too. He says the other one looks a bit old lady. I am really into the vintage look so I liked it. Thanks for letting me know and I see where you are coming from. Hopefully we can get some more input as well! Thanks for reading!


Disney Rox- you rock! Thanks so much for that. The problem right now is that we dont have our date set in stone. Disney wont let you have a contract until 8 months prior to the wedding. Sending out information is a great idea, but I dont have a date or a time. I dont even have a set month because right now we are tentitively July 31, 2009. It could change to August depending on availability. Help! Would it be ok to send out but not put the date? Do you think we need to send it out yet? I am planning to do some newsletters once we have more information to send to everyone on our list. What does everyone think?

[DizneyRox]

Well, I would explain that in the message. But giving people a formal note about it being a destination wedding. It sure would help with a date/time, but it doesn't hurt to send something out. Like I said, I really just wanted people to know that there was the probability of a destination in the summer of XX year. Some people take a vacation every other year, and if this year in the on year, they may want to wait a year to make your wedding.

They really don't do anything until 8 months out? It was a year a while back, and we had the date before then, just not a confirmed time. I understand they wait until a certain date and then see what people want. Wish it was first come first served, but it's not. We didn't end up with any conflicts. I'd talk to them and see what the policy is now, just to confirm. I would be very surprised if they couldn't confirm that a date at the very least. You may need to be flexible with the location or time, but a date should be easy enough for them to say yes.

[Soul_Power]

Your story is so sweet and so exciting!

I look forward to reading the rest of your posts!

[mickey&missy]

Yeah Bethany!! I love your story, you guys are sooooo cute! Post away, please!! I can live through you! I couldn't even get DH to agree to a WDW honeymoon. Of course, that was before my addiction!

Just curious where in Northern NJ you are. I grew up in Allendale, not far from Ramapo.

[Bethanymouse]

Well, I would explain that in the message. But giving people a formal note about it being a destination wedding. It sure would help with a date/time, but it doesn't hurt to send something out. Like I said, I really just wanted people to know that there was the probability of a destination in the summer of XX year. Some people take a vacation every other year, and if this year in the on year, they may want to wait a year to make your wedding.

They really don't do anything until 8 months out? It was a year a while back, and we had the date before then, just not a confirmed time. I understand they wait until a certain date and then see what people want. Wish it was first come first served, but it's not. We didn't end up with any conflicts. I'd talk to them and see what the policy is now, just to confirm. I would be very surprised if they couldn't confirm that a date at the very least. You may need to be flexible with the location or time, but a date should be easy enough for them to say yes.

Right now we have a preliminary date. We are "penciled in". All this means is that if someone else wants our time and location then they let us know. At 12 months out we can confirm a date and ceremony location with time for ceremony. We cant confirm reception time or place until 8 months out when the contract is drawn up. It is really frustrating. I asked if we could do it and put out a down payment if we did it early and they told us no. It does concern me because we want the GF. I know it is a popular location and I want to make sure that the ceremony time and date match up with the location. So frustrating! Thanks for your advice! Apparently they keep changing things!

Your story is so sweet and so exciting!

I look forward to reading the rest of your posts!

Thanks so much for reading! I really have enjoyed sharing everything with my intercot friends!

[DizneyRox]

Well, if it eases your mind then, there are about 8-10 ballrooms at the grand I think. I'm not sure how many you need for your party size, but I really wouldn't sweat not getting the grand. I don't believe that would be a big time for any conventions, etc so you are probably safe.

[Bethanymouse]

Well, if it eases your mind then, there are about 8-10 ballrooms at the grand I think. I'm not sure how many you need for your party size, but I really wouldn't sweat not getting the grand. I don't believe that would be a big time for any conventions, etc so you are probably safe.

Thanks. Our wedding coordinator mentioned that it is a popular location so she suggested we scout out other areas just in case. We are keeping our fingers crossed!

[Hull-onian]

Wow Bethany!! Your plans so far sound great. I like your idea of a photo CD very nice. You have everything under control.

[crazypoohbear]

Alright we have two ring bearers, one will be 3 years old, one will be 5 years old. I am too OCD for them not to have the same. Do you think that they both will need to carry one, or can I have only one pillow? Here are the two we are considering:

This one is very disney.
Ring Bearer Pillow 1

This one is more antique
Ring Bearer Pillow 2

Which one do you like best?

I personally like the first one best as well.

Also, It is "wedding custom" that the ring bearer keeps the pillow as a momento... At least that was what I had read and heard way back when I got married.
You could always use the fancy one for the rings and give the younger ring bearer a more plain pillow to carry and keep.
Enjoy your planning.

[Bethanymouse]

Wow Bethany!! Your plans so far sound great. I like your idea of a photo CD very nice. You have everything under control.

I really dont have anything under control! But thanks for your insight!

I personally like the first one best as well.

Also, It is "wedding custom" that the ring bearer keeps the pillow as a momento... At least that was what I had read and heard way back when I got married.
You could always use the fancy one for the rings and give the younger ring bearer a more plain pillow to carry and keep.
Enjoy your planning.

I did not know that it was customary for him to keep the pillow. Do you think that I need to have two? Can I bypass it altogether? What do you think?

[Bethanymouse]

Hello all, For those of you who think I have it all under control, I think I just have you under a spell! I am really trying to stay afloat with this entire thing! Here is the newest update. Disney wont allow you to do a planning session (chose photographer, videographer, flowers, linens, location of reception, officiant, food, tastings, etc) until 8 months prior to the wedding. Their reasoning is because that is when you sign your contract. I would be willing to sign it right now, but they wont let us. We even offered a deposit. So needless to say, we want to be there for all this and not just have phone planning sessions so we need to travel down to disney somewhere between October 31, 2008 and Springtime 2009. As early as possible is best to get everything set up. Anyway, I work as a school psychologist and Anthony is a teacher so getting off from nonschool holidays is near impossible. That leaves us with teacher's convention November 6-9? or winter break between Christmas and New Years. I just dont know if they will do a planning session between christmas and new years. So here is where I need your help- we looked up airfare and lodging for the week after christmas and the prices are astronomical. I guess I never realized this. We wanted to get this going because I know that as it gets closer the airfare will be really high. The POLY quoted us at $630 a night. and the pop was 140! Are these prices normal for that time of year, are there any ways to save money during that time....help!!! I am starting to stress!

[DizneyRox]

Yes, those appear to be normal rack rate prices, offered when there is no existing discount.

I will tell you, we planned the whole thing over e-mail and phone without a hitch. They really are great at planning, so a distance isn't an issue.

We did stop down for a bit to do a meet and greet, but it was a weekend trip just to say hi, we didn't do much else. We met the officiant that weekend (Rev. Tim Herring) and our wedding coordinator, etc.

Yes, Disney doesn't want to waste and time/money of poeple who aren't under contrac tto spend even more. It's a pain, but that's how Disney works. I really wouldn't sweat it, they are great, and they do an exceptional job during the planning phase.