Jessica and Ryan's SBP/Ariel's Wishes Wedding 9/30/13

[redlight]

How wonderful about the hidden Mickey!

[ariel_]

All caught up and joining in

Wow I love your STD's - they really made me smile! Will definitely be looking her up on Etsy!

It's great to see your colours coming together, as mine are very similar and I was also worried it wouldn't all fit. Your pic of DF with his tie on is super sweet

Your dress looks beautiful, you're right that it's never too early for a bit of crystal! Looking forward to your next update!

[disneydania]

I just wanted to pop in and say congratulations! I was reading your PJ and love, love love your dress. It is absolutely stunning.

Can't wait to read more.

[bradleyjess]

Originally Posted by disneydania

I just wanted to pop in and say congratulations! I was reading your PJ and love, love love your dress. It is absolutely stunning.

Can't wait to read more.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by ariel_

All caught up and joining in

Wow I love your STD's - they really made me smile! Will definitely be looking her up on Etsy!

It's great to see your colours coming together, as mine are very similar and I was also worried it wouldn't all fit. Your pic of DF with his tie on is super sweet

Your dress looks beautiful, you're right that it's never too early for a bit of crystal! Looking forward to your next update!

I really like how the Save the Dates turned out, and I really do recommend using her if you want something Disney themed! I hink the colors will work really well together, and it seems like EVERYTHING is coming in mint color this year. It's hard to stop myself from buying every thing I see lol

[bradleyjess]

Wow! It's been a while since I've updated! I get so caught up in the Facebook group that I forget to come back here sometimes.

So, since I last posted, not too much has happened. I did book videography, which I'm super excited about. I didn't think we were going to make room in the budget for it, but Ryan and I decided it was definitely worth it.

We decided to book Trinity Wedding Cinema. I saw another Disbrides video, and I just knew I had to book Trinity. If you haven't seen their work, check it out! They have a few different Disney weddings on the site.

I've also started working out with a personal trainer. I've lost 5 lbs. in the past month already! I really wanted to make sure my arms and back were in shape since my dress has such a low-cut back. (I get a little obsessive sometimes lol) The goal is to loose 16 lbs. by April! Let's see if I can

I've really started watching what I eat and packing my own snacks and salad for lunch at work. It saves me money and cuts out the bad calories. It's a win-win!

I'm toying with the idea of doing a small, one-tier cake and having really pretty cupcakes instead of doing a bigger cake. I love cupcakes, and if we have leftovers, they'll be super easy to eat on our honeymoon I'm all about simplifying haha

Our planning session is on March 22nd, and I'm anxiously counting down the days!

[kkbutterfly]

thats awesome that you booked videography! I honestly barely remember my wedding day anymore, I just remember being really happy but some of the details have blurred together! I know my aunt taped ours so I hope to see it soon!

Cupcakes are such a good idea. Our cake was huge and while they boxed it up, I had to cut it with the plastic silverwear in the room. The last night before we left i pulled off the fondant and just ate it, no plates, like I was a kid! Cupcakes would have been so much easier!

[MickeysStarTrader]

Originally Posted by bradleyjess

Wow! It's been a while since I've updated!

We decided to book Trinity Wedding Cinema. I saw another Disbrides video, and I just knew I had to book Trinity. If you haven't seen their work, check it out! They have a few different Disney weddings on the site.

Glad you're back!

That's so awesome that you booked a videographer. I understand your thought process, at first we thought a home movie would be fine because we didn't want some guy and all his camera equipment getting in the way, but then I spoke to other brides and saw their videos and my thoughts changed 100%. That's great news about your success with a trainer! Good job, keep going!

[bradleyjess]

Originally Posted by kkbutterfly

thats awesome that you booked videography! I honestly barely remember my wedding day anymore, I just remember being really happy but some of the details have blurred together! I know my aunt taped ours so I hope to see it soon!

Cupcakes are such a good idea. Our cake was huge and while they boxed it up, I had to cut it with the plastic silverwear in the room. The last night before we left i pulled off the fondant and just ate it, no plates, like I was a kid! Cupcakes would have been so much easier!

Ryan really really pushed to get videography. I think he's right that we'll be happy to have it when we can't remember the details anymore.

Lol at your cake situation. That's how I envision us on the honeymoon.

[bradleyjess]

Originally Posted by MickeysStarTrader

Glad you're back!

That's so awesome that you booked a videographer. I understand your thought process, at first we thought a home movie would be fine because we didn't want some guy and all his camera equipment getting in the way, but then I spoke to other brides and saw their videos and my thoughts changed 100%. That's great news about your success with a trainer! Good job, keep going!

Thanks! I'm trying, but I sure did fall off the diet wagon this week. I had pizza on Saturday and brunch on Sunday! I'll just have to make up for it this week

[redlight]

Awesome start with the weight loss!

[bradleyjess]

Originally Posted by redlight

Awesome start with the weight loss!

Thank you!

[emc1123]

[QUOTE=MickeysStarTrader;46731761]Yes I am because it was so much cheaper, I know what my flowers will look like on the day and I love having flowers around the house so I'll use them again afterward

I am using silk as well, I found a great seller on Etsy that makes beautiful bouquets and they are much cheaper!

[bradleyjess]

Time for an update! We had our planning session on 3/22, and let me tell you, I wish I could do it over again. It was so much fun!

The day before my session, I got it in my head that the Attic was going to be too cramped and I wanted the freedom to invite more than 36 people (even if those people decline, I wanted to be able to be polite and invite them.) I wanted to keep the reception at the Boardwalk area so I won't have to pay for transportation -- plus, we're staying at the Boardwalk. I also knew I didn't want a ballroom; while I think the ballrooms are gorgeous, I don't want to pay or get creative with decorations. That left three venues: the Attic, Atlantic Dance Hall and Ariel's.

I love ADH, but it didn't really mesh with the vibe I want for my day: simple and romantic with light colors. However, Ariel's is perfect! I don't know why I never thought of using it before.

The room is much larger but, unlike a ballroom, is split into 3 different levels, so even if you don't have many guests the levels help make the room look less empty. Here are a few pictures:


This is where the tables will be set up. It’s the main level. We’ll have four 10-top tables.


This is where the buffet will be set up.


Here’s the dance floor – I think this is my favorite part. Even though we won’t have a lot of dancing, I love the idea of having this area off to the side for our ceremonial dances. The doors go out to the pool at the Beach Club, and I couldn’t see clearly through them, so I’m not too concerned with the privacy aspect. I also asked my planner about noise, and she said not to worry about it because we’ll be louder than they will ☺

The fish tank is no longer in the room; this is what is in its place.

I’m a little bummed about that, but, hey, who wants to look at an empty fish tank anyway?

Ariel’s has these adorable little chandeliers:

I think they are so cute and match my colors so well!

The whole room ties in well with my color scheme: mint, light pink, navy and silver accents.

Since we moved the reception, we’ll also have a designated area for our pre-reception, which we wouldn’t have had at the Attic. The Pre-reception will be at Martha’s Vineyard, the hotel’s lounge right next door to Ariel’s



This is the entrance to Ariel’s (don’t mind me in my neon pink pants ☺)

[bradleyjess]

NEXT UP: Planning Session

Now that that’s settled, let’s move on to the actual planning session – if you’re still awake, that is!

We got to our session a little early so we walked over to the wedding pavilion and peeked inside. It’s such a gorgeous building.



Here’s what the construction at the GF looked like last week:


This is us super-duper excited to go into Franck’s and get some planning done!


After meeting our planner Amy, whom I absolutely love, by the way, we sat down to discuss venue logistics. I don’t have any specialty transportation, Disney photography or videography, characters, a rehearsal and decided to cut my dessert party, so that conversation was pretty short haha.

Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you guys! I booked Regina Hyman for photography! I’m so excited because that shaves off about $3,000 from our Disney minimum that I can spend on décor! I decided to do it because I was able to slim down one of her packages to cost not much more than what the DVD of images from Disney would’ve cost me; we’re getting a much better value with Regina – plus, she’s just great ☺

ANYWAY, back to the planning session. We talked a little about how the timeline for the wedding would go. In case any other girls are wondering how their 10 am ceremony timeline will look:

8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.: Bride getting ready photos
8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Groom/Groomsmen/Groom family photos in BW lobby
9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.: Bride/Bridesmaid/Bride family photos in BW lobby/BW area
10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (roughly): ceremony
10:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.: Bridal party/immediate family photos
10:45 a.m. to noon: Bride and Groom pictures around Boardwalk during pre-reception
noon to 2 p.m.: pictures at reception (reception goes until 3 p.m., but photogs won’t stay the whole time.

After that was nailed down, Amy talked me into getting a DJ. I planned on having an acoustic guitarist at the ceremony and reception just because I like the relaxed feel. However, Amy assured me that even though I don’t want a lot of dancing at the reception, a DJ can play relaxing music and is a good person to have to keep the flow of the wedding going. The DJ will announce us and various cues for the wedding like cake cutting, toasts and buffet line that a guest would’ve had to do otherwise. Now we’ll have a guitarist at the ceremony and pre-reception and a DJ at the reception. The DJ booth will be on the dance floor (another reason why I like having that designated space to the side)

Amy also talked me into putting together a seating chart. She said not having one usually doesn’t give the reception a relaxed feel like brides think it will and it actually starts a lot of problems an awkward situations. I took her advice and I’m now working on a seating chart. I’m going to have table numbers made and have a table with name cards attached to these lollipops:



I’m waiting on the samples to come in the mail. The ones I ordered are pink with mint green fishies and raspberry flavor. I thin they’re perfect for Ariel’s! Here’s a link to the etsy shop in case you want some, too!

After this, we discussed floral! I knew I didn’t care too much about my floral, so it was a fairly quick meeting haha. Michelle is our floral contact, and I think she has a good grasp on what I like and don’t, so I have confidence that she’ll make something great ☺

This is what our centerpieces will look like:



She’s going to make the ball with antique green hydrangeas, carnations and roses, I believe. She estimated the cost to be around $125 each. I’m going to have four, and they’ll be used at the ceremony as well.

Here’s the antique green hydrangea:



My bouquet will look like a combination of these two:




My bouquet will be all white and more fluffy like the first bouquet, but since those flowers are out of season Michelle will use fluffy roses, hydrangea and carnations – all white. I’m also having two hidden Mickeys, and the stems will be partially wrapped.

Ryan’s boutonniere will be two white roses and a hidden Mickey. Much like this one, but without the third rose:



My dad will have the same without the Mickeys. Our mom’s will have wrist corsages like this, and they’ll be light pink:



The groomsmen won’t have boutonnieres. I just didn’t think it was worth the etxra money. Plus, my bridesmaids are going to carry clutches instead of flowers – they’re cute, and they’ll double as a gift hehe.

We also picked linens. I decided against white napkins since the table cloths are white. I chose these:



They’re a $1.25 a piece extra and can’t be folded fancily. Since we didn’t want them just lying on the table, we decided to budget for silver ribbon to tie them or a silver napkin holder, which will cost an extra $2 per napkin.

I decided, for now, to keep the banquet chairs that come standard.



Even though I don’t like them, I’m not sure if it’s worth the extra $500 for chiavari chairs, and I don’t like the chair covers. I really don’t think people will remember what the chairs looked like, but if there’s an extra $500 when I get my BEO back, it will probably go toward a chair upgrade ☺

[bradleyjess]

NOW TIME FOR CAKE!! WAKE UP!

This is my favorite part!!!

Here’s a photo of the cake we decided on:



It’s so pretty! Ours will be metallic silver instead of gold and have real flowers instead of the peonies pictured. Disney can’t recreate the flowers pictured exactly, so we have to use real flowers or sugar. Michelle said she could use roses and freesia, and it was cheaper than the sugar, so I decided to go with that.

The chef did say this is a risky cake because the humidity can make the metallic paint run thus ruining the cake, but I’m taking my chances!

I’m also going to get a pedestal cake stand for the cake. Future brides, they won’t give you a cake stand! Plan for it if it’s important to you!

The cake tasting was awesome! Here’s a picture of the cake tray:



They were ALL delicious, but we ended up choosing a yellow cake with amaretto mousse filling and butter cream icing under the fondant. My second-favorite filling was the Bailey’s, and, if this weren’t a wedding cake, I probably would’ve chosen the raspberry mousse ☺

MENU TASTING!!

Oh my goodness. The menu tasting is so much fun. We had a great time talking with the chef – he was so sweet and funny.

Here’s a list of what we tried with pictures:

Tinkerbell’s brunch buffet:
Smoked Salmon served with red onion, eggs, capers, cream cheese, caviar, dill and bagel crisps (very nice appetizers for the pre-reception.)

Macerated berry shot (This was really yummy, but I wasn’t blown away by it. I would’ve cut it, but Amy said it wouldn’t remove much from the cost. Also for pre-reception)

Grilled chicken with wild mushroom ragout and pinot reduction served with green beans and oven-roasted Yukon gold potatoes with braised fennel and parmesan cheese (SO GOOD! Especially those potatoes and the mushroom ragout!)

Penne pasta with cognac cream cheese sauce, artichoke and green peas (Possibly my favorite. I wish I could’ve eaten all of this, but I knew I had a lot more to go lol)

Wild berry and grand marnier cream cheese crepes (DELICIOUS!! Try these!!)


Briar Rose brunch buffet:
Seared salmon with pancetta marmalade and dill cream served with cheddar cheese shredded potato gratin and asparagus (Ok, this salmon was AMAZING. So much so, that we decided to switch it for the chicken that was on the Tinkerbell menu, switch the Yukon potatoes for the gratin and add the asparagus!)


We also decided to switch the sausage links on the menu for bacon because, well, who doesn’t love bacon?

I also decided to have a special drink created for our pre-reception in my dog, Samson’s, honor. After I eat my yogurt every morning, Sam gets the leftovers, so I thought a smoothie would be a nice way to recognize him. I also say “O’hana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten” to him all the time. SO, the chefs will create a tropical smoothie (tropical for lilo and stitch), and we’ll call it a Tropical Sam-oothie hehe I’ll have a framed picture of him next to it with the O’hana quote on it. I think it’ll be cute!

The chef also sent us home with Mickey Krispies! My favorite!! It was the perfect ending to our perfect planning session. I want more events to plan!!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I've lost 11 pounds since January!