Audrey's PJ Wishes Wedding ~ 2/16/2014 ~ WP/ADH ~ Be Our Guest!

[Jazzygirl72]

Hi everyone! I'm excited and a little nervous to be starting my very own PJ! I originally wasn't going to do one, but after lots of thought, and advice from a great Disney bride on here (SarahK!), I decided to give it a go.
I've never been one to put myself out there on the internet, but I know that I've gotten SO many great ideas from brides and posters on the disboards so the least I could do is try to return the favor!
I'm going to attempt to organize this first entry like a table of contents because I think it makes reading a PJ so much easier. Hopefully I can figure it out!

About us/Background Info #2
Choosing our Bridal Party (and the drama after we got engaged) #3
Site Visit and Bridal Showcase #4
Save the Dates #13
Planning Session #23
April Newsletter #25
Logos #28
Bridesmaid Dress #32
Room Block #36

 

[Jazzygirl72]

John and I have been together for about 10 years..and now we're finally getting married! I've never been in a huge rush to get married since neither of us want kids, but now that I'm 40, well, I guess it's time, right?
We live just north of Boston, MA. I am a high school science teacher. John used to be a music/band teacher but left the profession over a year ago to explore other options.
I have been a Disney fanatic since I can remember. I have converted John over the years. Before he met me, he had only been to Disney once when he was 8. At that time, there was only the MK and the Poly and Contemporary!
So when I took him in 2003, needless to say things were different. He got bit by the Disney mouse, and while he's not as obsessed as I am, he likes going back there for vacation. He also says I'm a different person when I'm there. Hmmm, I really don't know what he means?! LOL!
We got engaged at the MK in August 2012, during the Wishes show. We had bought the ring the previous summer while we were in San Franscisco. Yes, I suffered a year waiting for him to propose. He wanted to "surprise" me. Ahem. (Side note, I totally knew he was going to propose at the MK...um, hello, men think we're stupid. OF COURSE he would do it there!?)
Before you jump on him too hard for making me wait a year...there was a reason. My mom had moved in with us in May 2010 because she got diagnosed with esophageal cancer. We went through a LOT over the next two years and she passed in Feb 2012. She started to take a turn after we returned from San Fran in summer 2011. John felt torn because obviously he wanted her to see me wear the ring, but since she was declining, he felt like it would look forced or staged because she was dying. Right or wrong, that's what happened. So he thought it best after she passed to propose at my favorite place in the world...WDW. I'm not going to say it was easy to wait..and wait...and wait for the ring...but it's what happened. I'm over it and now I'm looking forward to planning the wedding.
When my mom realized she would not be around for my wedding, we went dress shopping together when she was still able to go out, in Dec. 2011. I bought a dress with her so at least she got to see me in a dress. Since it took 8 months to come in, it came in while we were at WDW last August! LOL
It was hard trying it on again without her. I didn't get that typical giddy feeling, like you see on Say Yes to the Dress. I actually didn't have it when we bought it either. It was tough because I was buying a dress before being engaged...because my mom was dying. That's a hard one to get past.
Also, I had lost 60 lbs during her treatment through Weight Watchers. I put some weight back on so right now, the dress doesn't really fit. It's a stress on my mind on a daily basis. So I've been trying to get back on WW so I can lose the weight before I go for my first fitting, which I'm estimating will be in the Fall? I still have to find a seamstress...I will start making calls soon just to get that figured out.
Anyway, I'm digressing. LOL I've had a lot of support from my bridesmaids and with their help, I WILL fit into that dress! LOL!!
I think that's it for background info. I'm going to try to tag this post in my first entry to keep organized.
Thanks for reading!!

 

[Jazzygirl72]

So John and I chose our bridal party last Fall. Obviously I had had a lot of time to think about who we wanted in our wedding.
We flew home the day after we got engaged (Aug. 24, 2012). But unfortunately we got derailed a bit from focusing on ourselves. The day after we got home, John's father had a massive heart attack. (He has finally recovered, although still an on-going process.) Needless to say, being engaged didn't matter. All that mattered was that his dad was alive. Also, John's brother was getting married on Columbus day weekend...approximately 5 weeks later. So I was determined to make sure those plans did not get derailed. It was a very hard month to say the least. There were a lot of setback. But, their wedding went on as planned, their father was able to be there, and all was well. Phew!! I have one word to describe how I felt at that point: EXHAUSTED. But, I'm happy to say his dad is doing very well now.
I purposely waited until after his brother's wedding to move forward with our wedding plans. I didn't want to take away from their time. And, I knew John was going to ask his brother to be his best man (he was his) and I was going to ask my future SIL to be in mine.
Here, we see the vast difference in the way women plan things and the way men plan things. Once we decided who we would ask, I wanted to do something special. So, I went to Shutterfly and made personalized cards for the ladies. On the front of the card, I put pictures throughout the years of me with that person...so show our happy times together. Then on the inside flap, I had a picture of the castle and put "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" across the top. On the main flap, I wrote out what that person meant to me and why I wanted them in my wedding. Needless to say I got the reactions I wanted.
John, on the other hand, just casually asked his guys. I was like, did you make sure they understand what it entails to be in a destination wedding, etc? He was like, um, shouldn't they know? I have since had casual conversations with the guys and I think everything's good. LOL Most of them plan on making it a family vacation week, which is great.
Oh, I guess I should have mentioned why we're doing it in Feb. Since I am a teacher, I am locked into when I can go away. I decided on Feb because the weather is nice and it isn't as crazy as other vacation times.
And since we just went last month for our site visit (I'll do a separate post about that), I got to see the weather for myself. I know it can change but overall it was beautiful!
So, to summarize, we have 12 people total in our bridal party. I have two Matrons of Honor, and four Maids. He has one Best Man, and five groomsmen.

 

[Jazzygirl72]

I contacted Disney around the Holidays and was assigned a wedding coordinator, Bill. We emailed a few times and he was pretty helpful answering questions. I decided to attend the Bridal Showcase on Feb. 9, 2013 to see if it would help me get ideas or "visions". I am a left-brained person so I have a lot of trouble "seeing" a concept. I'm actually quite bad at it. LOL
I figured I may as well schedule a site visit for that weekend too since it was going to fall right before our 12 month mark. So we had the Site Visit on Friday, Feb. 8 and the Showcase on the 9th. We flew down Thursday, the 7th...which was SO LUCKY because a blizzard came in the next day!
Had we flown any later we probably wouldn't have made it!
Days before the visit, another coordinator, Diane, emailed me to tell me she was taking over my account because Bill had to go out of town on an emergency. It would up being the best thing, because Diane is just like me...detail-oriented. Bill is more laid-back I guess. We met her Friday morning at 9am at Franck's. She went over paperwork with us and then we started the site visit. We walked over the WP and all I can say is that pictures do NOT do it justice! I always thought it looked beautiful but it's one of those places that you need to see in person. The details inside of the pavilion are so beautiful, especially the stained-glass windows. She showed us around, we saw the Groom's room and Bride's Vestibule. We also saw the outside grounds and she explained how the process works from when the bride gets there to the staged exit. Here are some pics I took:

I had scheduled to see the Living Seas and the Atlantic Dance Hall. We are planning for 100 people (hopefully less) so that puts us in an awkward place in terms of locations. Some of the more unique locations hold only up to 50 or 80. Then there's the ballrooms, which I do not want to do.
I will say that the Living Seas salon was much nicer in person. Pictures I've seen online are dark and it's hard to get a feel for the room. I don't have my pics online so I can't post them here. Maybe I'll do a photobucket or something. It was really nice but yes, a little dark. It has an intimate feel to it. The fishtank was really cool and the table set-ups are unique in that they seat six and they are on an upper level from the main floor. It has carpet everywhere so you would need a dance floor brought in, unless you want to dance on carpet. While it was nice, it wasn't for us. Especially since we are not having a nautical theme.

Then we went to the ADH. I had already seen this last summer because we stayed at the BW in August, but I wanted to see it again during the day, with a coordinator to explain how things would work in there. It's a huge building with two levels, which I loved. Since John and I are both musicians, the theme fits our personalities. Plus, each level has a balcony that the guests can go out on and it has beautiful views of the BW area. We talked about how to use the existing tables and also ideas for putting banquet rounds on the main floor. Since the ceiling is so high, it has a much airier feel to it. Ultimately, we decided on this location. The BW is a beautiful resort, although when we stayed there I didn't fall in love with the aesthetic. But I can't knock it for that. We are also making the BW our deluxe resort in our block so we can just go to our room after the reception.

The whole site visit took just over two hours. We hopped a boat afterwards to the DHS to meet another couple who came down with us. Overall, a great day!

The Bridal Showcase was the next day. Our friends came with us to that and we had a good time. I was very much looking forward to seeing David Tutera! When we got there, we got free reusable tote bags with cute brideal mickey ear pens inside, plus some other paraphenelia. The Showcase itself was okay. I didn't think it was over the top. And I can't say I got any "wow" ideas from it. If you are local, it's worth going to. But I am not sure it's worth traveling from afar to go to. I actually got interviewed by Carrie Hayward (lurkyloo) about it on her Disney Wedding Podcast. Here's the link if you're interested.
Overall, we had a great weekend with great friends!

 

[Jazzygirl72]

So I got my wedding contract this past week, signed it, and mailed it back. So now it's official! No going back now! LOL
I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the choices, particularly the ones I could get outside vendors for: photography, cosmo, etc.
I've been doing research here on the boards and it's been helpful. Probably my biggest issue is who to use for photos. I want to do a MK session so I know I have to use Disney photography for that. I am not opposed to using them for the wedding...there just seems to be so many other options...and so many pros/cons.
My sister is a makeup artist and she's in my wedding so I may have her do it. I also don't want her to feel like she's "working" so I'd completely understand if she doesn't want to bring all her stuff down to FL. I will still need someone for hair. I'll probably choose between Beaute Speciale and Patricia Lejeune.
The wedding is so far away, yet I am already stressing about these choices.
Also, I've ordered my Save the Date magnets from visaprint. I'll post a picture when they come in. I am going to put an insert letter in with them just to touch base with the guests. I'm also confirming emails because I plan to send out periodic newsletters to the guests to help them in planning. I like doing that stuff so I think it will be fun. Some brides on here have already given me their templates and I'm so grateful!
I've already spent an inordinate amount of time on all this stuff so I'm going to try to step back a bit.
I could say a lot more since I've already started with the bridesmaids dresses and it hasn't been going well. I'll leave that for another time.

 

[CinderALLIE]

Congratulations. Look forward to reading more.

Sorry to hear about your Mum. Glad your FIL is doing better.

 

[Princess SarahK]

YAYY!! So glad you started a PJ! I can't wait to read more about your plans and see how beautiful your day turns out!

 

[bradleyjess]

Congratulations! You've been through so much with your family that I can't wait to see your day come together perfectly! You deserve it!

 

[Jazzygirl72]

Thanks so much! CinderAllie, SarahK, and bradleyjess. I'm touched by your comments!

 

[mariapicardikenyon]

Thanks so much! CinderAllie, SarahK, and bradleyjess. I'm touched by your comments!

Thrilled to be following you!

 

[wiigirl]

Congrats! Can't wait to hear more.

 

[princessvirginia]

Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials-- I'll be reading along now, too!

So this is kinda cool-- I actually got engaged after Wishes in the MK literally four nights after you did!

I also went to the BW/ADH to see it (not official, just looking around) and the Bridal Showcase that same weekend just like you-- we probably passed each other a few times, at least at the showcase! So, since we didn't meet before, hi! I'm Virginia!

*starts humming "It's a Small World"*

 

[Jazzygirl72]

Thanks Maria, wiigirl and Virginia!
Virginia, that is SO funny! I wonder how many more are out there like us. LOL!
I've been super busy this week so I haven't had time to post more. I wanted to post some stuff having to do with picking my colors and bridesmaid dresses. Having some issues. I've gone shopping twice for maids dresses and it wasn't too successful. However, the last trip, one of my maids tried on a LOT of dresses and I got to see a LOT of color swatches...which helped a lot. I felt I needed to regroup, look at more pictures and re-evaluate my original thoughts. What I know for sure is I am going with a dark green...such as hunter or holly. The issue I've been having is that I want it to be a "cool" green, not a "warm" one, like moss. I have found a few companies that have the hunter like that...Dessy is one...but the colors change depending on the fabric. I was going to go with a long flowing dress, no strapless. Satin can be heavy and unforgiving. However, I am opening up to tea length and maybe a light satin in tea length if it means I'll get my color. I do not want to compromise on this. The color tone means a lot to me. So, I need to go back to the store and re-look at swatches and lengths. I just haven't had the time. I have plenty of time to get the dresses and it gets so overwhelming that sometimes I need a break.
On a happier note, I got my Save the Date magnets in the mail yesterday!

I got them from vistaprint, as well as these cute fairy tale type envelopes. I stuffed them all tonight and put in a Welcome letter just to give basic info and confirm email addresses. I have decided to do my newsletters via email to save on postage. I will mail any to people that don't use email (i.e. the older crowd). I'll probably put out my first newsletter in a couple of weeks. I want to give people time to respond to my letter if the email I included was wrong or missing. So, I guess that's my next step. I got some great templates from people on here so it will make my life SO much easier when I go to make the newsletter. Yay!!
Oh, and I got a message on Friday from my wedding planner. I paid my deposit last week so now I have my planner. Her name is Amy. I waiting for an email from her but I may try to call her tomorrow so I can figure out when to plan my Planning session.
It's all really happening now!!

 

[Princess SarahK]

I agree that you shouldn't compromise on your color scheme and make sure you get exactly what you want! It's not worth second-guessing yourself later and wondering what it could have looked like.

Your STD's look great! And congrats on getting your planner! That is when things start to feel real. Time will surely start flying soon!

Happy planning and keep the good updates coming!

 

[bradleyjess]

Is your planner Amy Riendeau? She's my planner, and I think she's wonderful!

 

[Jazzygirl72]

Is your planner Amy Riendeau? She's my planner, and I think she's wonderful!

I don't know because on her message she only said her name was Amy. I am going to try to call there today. She didn't leave a number so I'll just call the main line. I was hoping to get her email today so I could get the ball rolling. If it is the same person, I'm glad to hear good things!!

EDIT: RIGHT after I typed this, her email came into my Inbox! So yes, it is Amy Riendeau!!

 

[bradleyjess]

:thumbsup: you're in good hands! You won't have too much contact until your planning session, but she's always made herself available if I really felt like I needed an answer to something.

 

[Museofire]

Audrey I'm so excited to be following along on your journey! We're getting married at the wedding pavilion the same day, just a few hours apart. I get more and more excited as I read about your wedding. (And feel slightly behind lol)
Can't wait till I get to read more

 

[Jazzygirl72]

Wow, that's awesome! Congrats! This will be fun planning at the same time!
I have some more updates but don't have time to post right now. Hopefully later! Have a good day, everyone!

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! You two have already been through so much, you really deserve to have this magical day!

I love your locations! Weddings at ADH always look so fun! And I love your save the dates!

Looking forward to reading more!