Chris & Lin's Escape Vow Renewal - 10 Years of Magic

[ConnorsMama]

Hi everyone! Our deposit has been paid, and now it's official! Our Escape Vow Renewal for our 10th Anniversary is ON!

I am so excited to be here, and to finally be planning a DFTW event! My husband I were engaged at WDW and Honeymooned at WDW/DCL back in 2003/2004, but due to family obligations we were not able to host our wedding at WDW.

Fast forward 10 years and we are lucky to be planning a vow renewal for our 10th anniversary, and we couldn't be more excited.

We are booked at Sea Breeze Point on Friday, November 28th, which is the day after our actual anniversary. Since our anniversary falls on Thanksgiving Day this year they are not holding Escape weddings and we had to bump back a day.

We aren't sure how many people will be attending though. Some of our family is a bit wishy-washy. We do know it will be the two of us, our son Connor who will be 5, and my parents. Hoping my sister, brother-in-law and nephew can make it from Minnesota, and hoping my husbands family decides to join us as well. Besides them we are crossing our fingers that Disney gives my "sister" who will be down there doing College Program the morning off to attend.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone and to writing this planning journal!

Lin

 

[Bewitch324]

Congratulations!! 10 years is definitely a milestone worth celebrating!! I look forward to reading more about your plans!

Brooke

 

[ConnorsMama]

Congratulations!! 10 years is definitely a milestone worth celebrating!! I look forward to reading more about your plans!

Brooke

Thank you! It has been quite a road, but every bump has been worth it!

 

[ConnorsMama]

The Cast of Characters

Chris (DH) is my awesome hubby of 10 years. He is a project manager for Barbizon Lighting, a theatrical lighting company, and a lighting designer. He is an incredibly talented lighting designer. For real. He also helps coach our son's T-Ball team. His love of Disney was definitely amplified when he started dating me. Chris proposed to me at midnight on 1/1/04 (or 12/31/03...) on Main Street at Magic Kingdom, packed in like sardines during the fireworks. It was perfect.

I'm Lin, and I currently teach high school technical theatre, but I'm really a wanna-be Imagineer. I'm also busy convincing America's high school students that Imagineering and Disney are the greatest things on earth, even teaching a unit on theme park and attraction design. I'm a proud T-Ball Mama, a travel agent, an amateur baker, and a blogger/co-founder at DisneyMamas.com. I keep busy. I've been a Disney Addict since my first trip in 1992.

Connor (DS or The Dude) is our 4 and a half year old son. He's the best. A Disney Addict like me, who often starts his day by saying, "Mama, let's go to Disney today". Too bad we live in Texas... He is a pretty typical little guy. Loves dogs, baseball, Mickey Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Dusty Crophopper and Tow Mater. And Peter Pan. He is obsessed with Peter Pan.

Chris and I met in college, where we quickly disliked one another. We attended Texas Tech University, and both majored in Theatre Design & Technology. Chris was focusing on sound and lighting design, and I was a set designer. I had the misfortune of being the sound op for his first realized design, and it wasn't pretty. But, we got over it, obviously! And it makes for a lot of fun stories.

Like I said, Chris proposed at WDW, and subsequently we spent our honeymoon at The Poly and on the Wonder. Since then we have been back to WDW at least once a year, including a Babymoon in 2004, and finally became DVC members last year.

The Supporting Cast

Also joining us on our adventure will be my parents, Robin & Russ. My mom, like me, is a huge Disney fan. My dad? Well he enjoys Disney a lot more than he wants to admit, especially now that this dad of two girls has a little boy to enjoy things with. They love visiting Disney with Connor and go with us about every other year.

We are hopeful that my sister and her family will be able to join us, so cross your fingers!

Additionally, one of my former students turned sister-from-another will be down at WDW on the college program. Since our ceremony is at 10:00AM we are really hoping they will let her work a closing shift so she can celebrate with us. She has babysat for Connor since he was about 18 months and our whole family loves her. She is truly like a sister to me, and a niece to my mom.

Sadly, Chris' family is not interested. :-(

 

[ConnorsMama]

The Details

I'm a planner by nature, especially for Disney. So I'm having a lot of fun with this, but also stressing out about all the things I can't do yet. Eek! But, here is what I do know!

Where We're Staying: Animal Kingdom Lodge
We are DVC members at Saratoga Springs, but really didn't want to stay there for our VR. Our goal was to book at Bay Lake Tower or Boardwalk, but given that our dates are the week of Thanksgiving, there was no availability at either resort when our 7 month out window opened. In fact, Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom Lodge were the ONLY resorts with any availability for that week. I was disappointed at first, but I really do love AKL, so everything will work out. The only thing I'm worried about is getting from AKL to either SSR or GFR for hair and make-up, and then to The Boardwalk that early in the morning.

The Venue: We decided on Sea Breeze Point for our ceremony. We had originally wanted Sunset Pointe since our honeymoon was spent at The Poly, but construction dictated that we choose another option. We considered Wilderness Lodge, but if Chris's family decides to join us that would put us over the number of effects the terrace can accommodate. I looked at a lot of pictures online, and we finally decided that we really liked Sea Breeze Point, and it is in a great location for us all to enjoy a nice lunch somewhere in Epcot following the ceremony.

The Reception: Since our vow renewal is at 10:00 in the morning we are going to have our cake and wine reception at the venue following the ceremony, because cake is the world's best breakfast food. Following the reception time we will probably head to World Showcase for a family lunch, perhaps at Teppan Edo or Coral Reef. We may wind up breaking up the party after the reception and then reconvening for something later in the day, but until we have a better grasp on who all will be attending we feel our plans are somewhat up in the air.

The Colors: Navy and red. These were our wedding colors, so we figured it would be a nice nod to our beginnings. Plus I love navy blue, and both colors work well for fall. I really like royal blue as well, but right now I want red roses...who knows, maybe I'll do royal with white flowers. Decisions.

The Theme: I'm going to try my hand at creating a custom invitation and logo in the style of Mary Blair, but other than that I'm not really a theme person. When we got married I had toyed with several different themes ranging from Snow White to Celtic to Theatrical, and had thrown them all out in turn. I want this to be more of a celebration of our life, but since it's at WDW there will certainly be a bit of Mickey flair and Mary Blair inspiration thrown in.

The Dress: This is where I am totally lost... I have no idea what is appropriate for a vow renewal dress. I really don't want to go wedding formal, but I'm having the hardest time settling on a style of dress for myself. I love vintage inspired fashion of the 40's and 50's, but the cuts don't typically flatter my figure. Plus, since our VR is in late November the weather could be anywhere from hot to cold. This is typically when we travel and our trips some years have had perfect weather with temps ranging from the low 60's to mid 80's, and other have been cold with temps in the 40's to 60's.

This is one option I like, though I wish it were in a darker shade of blue. I'm pretty pale, and this is a pretty springy color.

I do know that Chris and Connor will be in suits, not tuxedos. And that's about it!

The Officiant: We have asked my dad to be our officiant. I'm pretty excited about that.

 

[disneyfun15]

Love that your Dad will be officiating! We too are going to ask my FIL! Can't wait to read more- we are having our Escape ceremony Feb of 2015!!

 

[ConnorsMama]

Love that your Dad will be officiating! We too are going to ask my FIL! Can't wait to read more- we are having our Escape ceremony Feb of 2015!!

Ah, yay for you guys! Congrats!

Thanks for reading!

 

[ConnorsMama]

Every day things feel a bit more official!

Last week our deposit processed and we received notice that our event had officially been handled over to our coordinator, who would be in touch in 7-10 business days. And yesterday we heard from her!

We are officially working with Kristin Kimberlin for our Vow Renewal. I don't know a thing about her, but she seems very nice.

At my request she sent me information on a private dining event after our champagne and cake hour, but at a minimum of $1220, and with no decorations at all, I'm thinking this is out of our budget. Now for a plan B...

I also find myself having issues with the Disney Weddings website. When we first started planning this event I had created two different options: Disney Cruise Line or Yacht Club Gazebo. Well, we decided against DCL, and Yacht Club Gazebo was booked so we moved over to The Boardwalk. I added a third option at the request of Kristin, but the site won't let me deselect the Yacht Club option as our default plans. It also isn't letting me edit the ceremony details page to increase our budget, as I discovered that the site won't save enhancements that take your total over your original budget. I'm not trying to add anything fancy, but I wanted a Crystal Mickey for both my flowers and my husbands boutonniere, and an additional boutonniere for our son. I can add two of those, but not all three. Hoping she can help me get this sorted out.

We still haven't received a firm commitment from anyone but my parents. My sister says they really hope to depend, but it will depend on airfare. My brother-in-law won't really say anything either way, though my sister-in-law really wants to attend, and my mother-in-law is concerned about dizzy spells confused3). My father-in-law will be doing some sort of photography tour in Africa at the time.

In non-vow renewal news, we are now only 4 days away from being able to book dining for our trip, so that's exciting at least! Any opinions on where we should dine this trip?

Thanks for reading along!

 

[ConnorsMama]

We have been working with Kristin on figuring out what we will be doing after the ceremony has concluded. What I thought was going to be a simple decision has become anything but! (If you read this thread on the main board I apologize in advance!)

We had originally planned to all go to lunch following the ceremony, but the limited dining options without entering a theme park made us think again, so we reached out to Kristin about doing a private catered brunch. She provided us with a few options, and we have been going back and forth for the past week trying to make sure we understand what our options are.

Right now it looks as though we will be renting half of St. James Room at The Boardwalk for a short brunch. I wanted to utilize The Attic but it is booked for another event. The only thing I don't love at St. James Room is that it doesn't have a lot of personality, and is void of decoration. But, we will figure it out. Now we are working on menu options, as we are trying to combine elements of two of the brunch buffet menu's we were sent over.

We had also really wanted to do an Illuminations Dessert Party, only to find out that they are not holding them from November 26th through 30th. So, now we are looking at other options for that as well. Epcot is holding an Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party on the night of our renewal, which is an option. While not private it would have a similar feel, and we would not have a photographer for our dessert party anyway so no worries about private images.

But, we are also looking at doing a fireworks cruise or viewing Wishes from The Contemporary by booking The Napa Room at California Grill.

In other news, we did make about a zillion ADR's for that week.

And there are only 6 days of school left for this teacher (who is on conference period right now).

 

[naomiatx86]

10 years is awesome! I'm hoping to renew my vows at Disney someday too and because of the cost I'm sure it will be my 10th anniversary too. LOL!

Please keep us posted! Hope you will be able to find a dress.

 

[lcataldimay]

Congrats! We did a 10 year VR in March at the Poly and had a blast! Following along!

 

[ConnorsMama]

10 years is awesome! I'm hoping to renew my vows at Disney someday too and because of the cost I'm sure it will be my 10th anniversary too. LOL!

Please keep us posted! Hope you will be able to find a dress.

Congrats! We did a 10 year VR in March at the Poly and had a blast! Following along!

Thanks! And welcome ladies! I appreciate you reading along!

 

[ConnorsMama]

We finally settled on renting half of St. James Hall at The Boardwalk for a family brunch. We went back and forth, but ultimately my husband decided he really wanted to alleviate the stress of having to transport our cake somewhere and make an ADR, especially if it was all the way back at Animal Kingdom Lodge. So, St. James Hall it is! Still haven't figured out what to do that evening though...

Anyway, we were also able to swap out a couple of the menu choices on the Briar Rose Brunch Buffet. Chris is allergic to mushrooms so we swapped the chicken dish for Mickey Waffles (because let's be honest, we need the Mickey Waffles), and we weren't too keen on yogurt parfaits so we swapped those for fresh fruit with honey yogurt dip instead. So, in addition to our cake we will be having the following menu for brunch.

Briar Rose Brunch Buffet
Cocktail Hour
Fresh Fruit Display with Honey Yogurt Dip
Premium Cheese Display with Grapes, Crackers, and Baguette

Brunch Buffet
Tomatoes, Mozzarella, and Basil with Balsamic Drizzle
Seared Salmon with Pancetta Marmalade and Dill Cream
Mickey Waffle Bar with Seasonal Berries, Warm Fruit Compote, Warm Maple Syrup, and Whipped Cream
Maple Ginger-lacquered Roasted and Pressed Pork Loin with Fig Compote
Cheddar Cheese Shredded Potato Gratin
Seasonal Vegetables tossed with Citrus Olive Oil and Sea Salt
Hardwood Smoked Bacon
Egg Cookery Station
Made-to-Order Omelets: Choice of Smoked Salmon, Ham, Bacon,
Cheddar Cheese, Onions, Mushrooms, Peppers, Asparagus, and Egg Substitute
Brioche French Toast with Caramelized Bananas Foster and Whipped Cream
Cinnamon Rolls, Danish, Croissants, and Hard Rolls
Whipped Butter, Jams, and Preserves

Assorted Juices, Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Iced Tea, and a Selection of Hot Teas

That seems like A LOT of food! I wonder if we'll be able to take any back to the resort with us...

 

[ampooh]

Following along. I've been wanting a vow renewal for a long time. Our 25th is in 2016. Not sure if I can talk DH into it but I keep reading for ideas.

 

[Mrs Hobbes]

following along

Im loving your plans so far - we're doing a VR on the Disney Dream August 2015. Im thinking about the 1940s/ 50s theme as well.

I love the dress you've picked out!

 

[ConnorsMama]

Life get's busy. Man I wish things would slow down.

We wound up cancelling our reception and are doing lunch at Sanaa instead. I'm torn about it, but financially it was the best decision by far. Chris's family waivered back and forth for a month or so, and we had friends who would be vacationing at the time that were planning on attending just since they were there, but it didn't work out. Chris's family decided difinitely that they were not coming, and I felt bad asking friends to use half a day of their vacation to attend our ceremony and reception, especially because they are fairly new friends. So, with only 6 adults, a 5 year old and a 2 year old we were going to be spending a pretty penny on that reception.

However, this cleared the budget for us to be able to FLY to Orlando instead of drive like usual. Normally I don't mind the drive, but it was stressing me out. I'm much happier now that we are flying. We were also able to extend our trip by a day since we didn't need the extra travel day.

Now our struggle is what to wear. Not that this hasn't been a struggle, but it isn't much better! I'm soooo not a fashionista. I am most comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, so figuring out what type of dress to purchase has been an ordeal to say the least. I love vintage-inspired style, and had been eyeing several dresses on ModCloth and Unique-Vintage. I finally ordered one over the weekend, and am hoping that I still love it when it arrives! What do you guys think?

Chris and I have a consultation appointment at Nordstrom's on Sunday, so I'm hoping they can help us settle on some sort of style! And I'm excited to see about a suite for the little dude.

We received our BOE and are working to figure all of that out right now, and are scheduling our phone interview with Kristin for early next week. I feel like I've been the worst person ever for communicating with her. I definitely owe her big.

Aside from that we are still trying to find someone to come and do my hair and make-up since the salon's won't be open in time to visit one of them, and are sorting out photography packages.

And, that's all I've got!