Sharli & Shane's Wishes Wedding 12/1/13 WP/GF

[alyaki]

I'm really enjoying reading through this. =) Too bad you didn't get any pictures of the gifts, but it's great to hear everyone enjoyed them! And Spirit of Aloha sounds like a blast (still haven't seen it, but I've only been to Disney a couple times). Also, the pictures of your SILR are really cute and funny - looked like she certainly had fun!

 

[charliegirl76]

So much for getting two updates in! I ended up getting a terrible migraine that day and then I wasn't feeling well the rest of the week. I think it was allergies, but whoa, my allergies have never been *that* bad...at one point DH and I thought I may have a cold. Yesterday was the first day I felt much better. Anyway, I’m working on an update for the day of the wedding and will have that up soon.

I'm so excited that you're doing your trip report!! I've been MIA for a couple weeks, and didn't realize you'd started...it was like Christmas when I saw the update today!!! Lots of great pictures so far, looking forward to reading/seeing the BIG DAY!!!!

Brooke

More Christmas!! It is my favorite time of year!

I'm glad you had such a good time at your RD! We had a bad experience there before (my dad, who is overweight, kept getting called "The Biggest Kahuna" by our server, to the point that he was very uncomfortable) but perhaps we'll try it again!

I'm so excited to read about your wedding day!!!

Oh! I can’t believe your server said that! And to repeat it until your dad was uncomfortable….that’s just not acceptable. Hopefully, that person is not there anymore. I do think you should try it again. We had a great time.

I'm really enjoying reading through this. =) Too bad you didn't get any pictures of the gifts, but it's great to hear everyone enjoyed them! And Spirit of Aloha sounds like a blast (still haven't seen it, but I've only been to Disney a couple times). Also, the pictures of your SILR are really cute and funny - looked like she certainly had fun!

The show is great; they incorporate a love story into the show. It’s very cute.

 

[elphie101]

Our experience was QUITE some time ago (probably 10 year or more), so I doubt it would happen again, but with so many new and awesome food experiences to try at WDW it's hard to repeat after something has left a sour taste in your mouth. Still, I don't think DF has ever done Spirit of Aloha, so I'm sure we'll be back someday.

Hope you're feeling much better! The wedding day is obviously the best part so know that you have tons of loyal readers (and stalkers I assume) waiting to hear from you!

 

[charliegirl76]

Our experience was QUITE some time ago (probably 10 year or more), so I doubt it would happen again, but with so many new and awesome food experiences to try at WDW it's hard to repeat after something has left a sour taste in your mouth. Still, I don't think DF has ever done Spirit of Aloha, so I'm sure we'll be back someday.

Hope you're feeling much better! The wedding day is obviously the best part so know that you have tons of loyal readers (and stalkers I assume) waiting to hear from you!

Oh, I totally agree about the abundance of dining options....it's insane. I am feeling better, thank you!

 

[alyaki]

Ugh, migraines are the worst! They can really wear on you. Sorry you weren't feeling so hot. Whether it was allergies or a cold, I hope you took the time to rest up! We'll be here whenever you're feeling better and ready to update.

 

[charliegirl76]

Whoop! I found the write up I did right after we got home! I don't think I posted it here....but if I have, sorry! Also, this was what I posted on the DisBrides FB page, so sorry if some of the wording is a little strange....I'm being lazy and don't want to revise it. LOL. Last thing....I have the next part of the TR done....Getting Ready, but when I tried to post it earlier today, it said I had too many photos....oops. LOL

Hi everyone! This will be a long post.

We got back from our honeymoon Friday evening and spent most of yesterday unpacking, catching up here (I'm sure I missed some very special days and I'm sorry, I was a bad DisBride), getting ready for Christmas and prepping to get back to reality (boo for having to go back to work!). I wanted to take a few moments to do a review of our vendors though....

First and foremost is DFTW as a whole. Fantastic! A+ I would do it again in a heartbeat. The cost was nothing when you take into consideration they take a lot of the stress off our shoulders and, let's face it, we need all the help we can get with that! As we spoke to people who asked about the wedding I told them that I highly recommend using DFTW.

Elizabeth, our floral planner, I'd give an A. Honestly, I didn't have much interaction with her. I knew what I wanted, she took my vision, tweaked it and made it perfect. In the end, we didn't really need a whole lot of communication. She got me right away.

Impressions by Shelley - I'm giving them an A++. They really went above and beyond my expectations. Shelley created a very custom invitation and searched the internet looking for fonts when I couldn't figure out what I wanted. She made good when there was an element left off of the inner envelopes. She also did some last minute projects for me and had everything finished in time for the reception. I enjoyed working with them from start to finish and would use them again. They can be pricey, but the outcome is more than worth it. Everyone was impressed with everything they did for us.

Beaute Speciale - A, For both the wedding and for our portrait session, I had Priscilla. I know that she has gotten some bad reviews on here, but I thought she was great and did everything exactly how I wanted, even after I changed some stuff from the trial. Another girl, Bisi, came on the wedding day for the other girls. Both were wonderful to work with, it wasn't awkward or quiet at all, we didn't even need any music playing, it was just like we were all friends. They did mine and the girls' hair and makeup perfectly. Both of my girls looked beautiful and loved both hair and makeup. My mom was another story. LOL I thought Bisi did a lovely job on my mom's hair (before my mom made her change it to what you see in photos) and makeup, but my mom is *very* hard to please and I could tell she wasn't happy. Bisi tried her best and stayed professional, she was very patient with my mom which I appreciate greatly.

Randy Chapman Photography - A+ Randy was great to work with, super fun and he managed to get me to relax in front of the camera, which is very difficult for me. He kept us on schedule, and even though we haven't gotten our photos back yet, I'm positive he got some great shots. He looked out for me when I was oblivious to my surroundings....there was one point when he was trying to get a photo of Shane and I with Mickey and Minnie and one of the guests not only tried to photo bomb, but he almost spilled two glasses of red wine on my dress. Randy immediately brought this to the attention of the handler and they both diffused the situation. Also, I'm not sure many people know, but he has recently taken on a second shooter, Angie. She is also fantastic, easy to work with and they're both really fun and have great ideas for getting shots. I definitely recommend using him and will be requesting an anniversary session with him in the future.

Rev. Kevin Knox (and Theresa Knox) both get an A+. Rev. Kevin was not available for our rehearsal, so his wife Theresa came in his place. She was great! Funny, and they're both very charming. He did the ceremony exactly as I had written it. I would recommend them to other brides and I would use him if we had a vow renewal at Disney.

DJ Chuck Johnson - He gets an A++. He was able to get every person on the dance floor. Even people I never thought would dance. He kept the reception moving, played everything we requested and was a joy to work with. I would definitely recommend him to any bride, he was great!

Saving the best for last, Jamie and Jessica, our planners (I elevated Jessica to planner status, she deserves it). They get the highest grade possible, A + infinity. They were great to work with, I always got a quick response when I had a question or request, they worked with me to make our wedding as close to our dream as possible....and exceeded every expectation we had. They blew my mind. Everything was absolutely perfect on our wedding day. If anything went wrong, I still don't know about it. I try never to use this word because I feel it's overused these days, but they were AMAZING. I can't speak highly enough of them, they were that perfect balance of professional and friend. I had read about other girls really bonding and having a relationship with their planner. I never thought that would happen for me because it can be tough for me to get close to people quickly. But during the planning session, we bonded over our love of sparkly boys. They are true and genuine, and I know it sounds corny, but they have a place in my heart. I love them and feel as though I have two new friends....just an added bonus of having a Disney wedding.

I hope I haven't bored you....and I hope someone gets something from my reviews. All in all, I think The Lord and my grandparents were looking down on us that day and made sure everything went perfectly. All the planets aligned for a wonderful day. It was the best day of my life to date. I kept hearing our guests saying as they were walking around, dancing and having fun, "Best. Wedding. Ever." LOL I'm not sure about that, but it was a wonderful and beautiful day for all who came.

 

[elphie101]

Yay reviews! I'm glad to hear you liked Chuck, we have him for our reception and my biggest DJ-related worry is that we won't have people dancing since we're brunch (our reception is 11:00am-3:00pm). Hearing that he got everyone up on the floor makes me feel good

Oh the dreaded picture limit on this DIS!

 

[charliegirl76]

Yay reviews! I'm glad to hear you liked Chuck, we have him for our reception and my biggest DJ-related worry is that we won't have people dancing since we're brunch (our reception is 11:00am-3:00pm). Hearing that he got everyone up on the floor makes me feel good

Oh the dreaded picture limit on this DIS!

Oh, he's great! I (and others) left him rave reviews on a couple of other sites. Don't worry, he'll have everyone dancing!

 

[charliegirl76]

Alright! We’ve made it to the wedding day!

My MOH and her +1 (who I guess I should name. LOL Her name is Brenda.) stayed the night with me. We stayed up kind of late talking, but eventually decided it was time to go to sleep when we all started nodding off a little. I woke up sometime in the middle of the night worried that I hadn’t told my friend Jennifer where to go to catch the ride to the wedding. Of course, it took forever for me to go back to sleep, but I managed.

December 1 – Our Wedding Day!

Priscilla and Bisi were set to arrive around 8am to begin hair and makeup. Honestly, I’m not really sure what time my alarm was set to go off…what I do know is that I was awake around 6:30am. I sent a text to Jennifer to let her know where to meet the motor coach. My memory is a little fuzzy for this part….I am fairly certain that I got up and took a shower and after my shower, I woke up MOH and Brenda. There was a knock at the door and it was room service. They came in and set everything up for us. Another knock at the door, this time it was DM and BM! MOH was next up in the shower. Priscilla and Bisi came in and began working on hair and makeup. MOH was up first for hair, BM was first for makeup. I ate my breakfast…well, part of it, I didn’t want to eat too much because I wanted to make sure I didn’t get too full or bloated before the ceremony. We’d ordered mimosas…I drank mine and it was yummy! I sat on the sofa watching the girls get their makeup done. I love watching people doing their own makeup, or getting it done. I’m very much a people-watcher. Everyone was talking and seemed to be having fun in the crowded, tiny room. At one point, Priscilla asked me if I was nervous. I said no and she said she couldn’t believe that I wasn’t. I said, “It’s Disney, what’s to worry about? And I also happen to have fabulous wedding planners!” Her response was, “You have to be the calmest bride I’ve ever met!”

I’ll take this moment to cut away from the girls and tell the details I know of what the guys were up to….DF, FFIL, FMIL, with FSsIL and DB went for breakfast. I’m not sure who ate with whom, other than DF and FSsIL, but only because of something DF said later. Anyway, DB apparently had a huge hamburger…totally what he would do. No need to be hungry before the reception! FMIL and FSsIL went to DTD after breakfast. It was time for the guys to start getting ready. Apparently, they were pretty much done by the time the photographer, Angie (Randy’s second shooter…love her!), got there. There were only a few photos of them getting ready….

These guys…. The silliness begins. There were a couple more of DF working on his hair or something…the problem is, he was in front of the mirror and….the mirror was dirty. I’m not sure if DF splashed water all over it, or if it was that way when he checked in. Either way, I just can’t include those. Blah! So, that’s it for them….back to the girls! LOL

I remember our room became too stuffy and warm so we had to open the door. Soon it was my turn to get my makeup done! So soothing…really, I almost fell asleep! More chatting and laughing and then it was time for hair! The rest of the getting ready goes by quickly, even though in my head it was kind of slow…I have no idea if that even makes any sense, I hope it does. Priscilla was working on my hair when Randy walked in. He introduced himself and was off to work! He quickly began photographing me getting my hair done….

Randy said, “Smile! You’re happy!!”

After snapping away at me for a bit he began looking around. I pointed to the invitation, jewelry, and my perfume bottle that were sitting on the dresser/tv cabinet and told him I’d brought the items for him to photograph and asked if someone would grab my shoes from the closet. He went over, looked at everything, and said, “Oh, great! You came prepared!” LOL He gathered the items and began shooting them.

Then shoes: There are tons of photos of our shoes...but here are just a couple....

Pretty soon he was taking my dress, the bridesmaids dresses, the hangers, shoes and our ear hats and, I assumed, going to take photos of them all.

I love this one:

The bouquets were delivered….I fell in love with them. All three are just breathtaking.

By this time Priscilla was putting in my veil and fluffing it….

 

[charliegirl76]

Part 2 of Getting Ready....

It’s finally time to put on my dress!! Aaah, I can’t explain to you how much I love my dress. I want to wear it every. Single. Day.

Randy leaves and, if memory serves, he said he’d be back in 15 mins, that should give me enough time to get into my dress so he can come back and get shots of everyone helping me.

Now, let me tell you, our room was not that big. And remember all that stuff we needed for the wedding? All those boxes we shipped. Well, they were, for the most part, empty and stacked in the corner. Our room was a complete disaster. Everything I’d neatly placed on the desk and dresser….most of it was now on the bed. Someone managed to clear out the breakfast dishes and room service tray. I’m not really sure what I was thinking about when I decided to leave all that stuff laying around….I can tell you it certainly wasn’t pictures. I felt bad for Randy and Angie trying to work around the mess. They really did a great job in not getting it in the shots, though I did go back and do a little editing to a few photos. Oh, these are the days I wish I had PhotoShop. LOL I think it would have been vastly different if we didn’t have 3 ladies getting ready from start to finish, but it was too much fun having them in the room with me.

For those of you who are using Randy, he is prompt!! I was barely stepping into my gown and he was knocking on the door. It was a good thing though….kept us on time.

My mom had to be called over…for two reasons, because she hates having her photo taken, and because she kept crying. LOL

Here’s one where you can see a little of our stack ‘o’ boxes in the corner (reflected in the mirror). LOL

Here’s my mom helping….and you can see the gift bags for our planners. I’m proud of those, they turned out really nice. Randy used a sheet of the tissue for some shots. LOL

Meanwhile, the guys were downstairs getting their boutonnières put on.

The remaining boutonniere for DB and the wrist corsages for our mom’s and DF’s grandmother…

A shot of the guys’ Memoriam pins, each one has a photo of a deceased grandparent except DB’s which has a portrait of our grandparents (who would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on the same day)…the photo of DB’s is missing.

And their cufflinks….

Here are a few shots Angie got before we left....my bouquet was spectacular!

MOH/BM necklace

And me all ready to go!

DF had a gift for me that I'd forgotten. He insisted that I open it before I left. We couldn't find the card, so I just opened the gift. It was the new iPad Air. I love it!! I’m going to stop there for now. I’ll continue with the before ceremony portraits.

 

[elphie101]

Yay wedding!!!! I simply adore how colorful your day was. I love love all the bright, bold colors, so fun and so big in personality! I also love the little things like the pile of boxes in the corner - it may be unromantic but it's an accurate portrayal of how you remember the day

 

[alyaki]

Your wedding morning looks so fun! And I love the pics - all of them turned out really cute. Your comment about your DB getting a hamburger that morning made me laugh, I didn't even know there was someplace you could get a hamburger that early in the day. Looking forward to reading more abour your wedding and honeymoon!

 

[charliegirl76]

Yay wedding!!!! I simply adore how colorful your day was. I love love all the bright, bold colors, so fun and so big in personality! I also love the little things like the pile of boxes in the corner - it may be unromantic but it's an accurate portrayal of how you remember the day

Thank you! I love all the color and I wouldn't do it any differently. I'm going to have a hard time not doing the same thing for a vow renewal.

Your wedding morning looks so fun! And I love the pics - all of them turned out really cute. Your comment about your DB getting a hamburger that morning made me laugh, I didn't even know there was someplace you could get a hamburger that early in the day. Looking forward to reading more abour your wedding and honeymoon!

They actually don't normally make burgers, but DB can be very convincing!

 

[charliegirl76]

I’m back!! Work got stupid, so I couldn’t update….every time I tried to begin writing something would come up. Dang job, keeping me from updating my PJ!!

Anyway, on with update! This time I'll be posting the before ceremony portraits. I’m going to start with the guys to keep it kind of chronological….the first set of guys photos were being taken by Angie (Randy’s second shooter) while Randy was taking the girls’ getting ready photos. The guys started out at the ASMu resort and then moved to AoA, which I thought would be fun for them.

There are several more, but they decided fairly quickly to move to AoA.

 

[Lorelei528]

YAY!! I'm loving these!!! I somehow missed the update with the getting ready photos!
I think my fave one is of the guys "fixing" Mater, cause if you look at his "face" it looks like he's freaking out to what the guys are doing! LOL. Adorable!

OMG. I guess I hadn't seen any pics of your bouquet really! It is FANSTASTIC!!!! I'm so glad they were able to do what you wanted with it! Sometimes I get a little nervous about Disney Floral, especially cause they didn't understand "NO pink" for my bouquet, and how hard is that? LOL

I'm loving all the color and how everything came together!! Can't wait to hear and see more!!

xoxo

 

[charliegirl76]

More from the guys….they piled into the limo and headed for the GF.

When they got there, it was time for more photos around the resort….

I DIED when I saw these next two photos! I’m not sure if this happens all the time, but I’ve never seen any photos of Richard with the groom/groomsmen….

Honestly, these are probably all out of order, but since I wasn’t there….LOL I tried to put them in an order that made sense to me because I know DB came to my room, then he ran away and then came back again. I really had no idea he was going to have to run around so much. He did tell me later after he left the girls, he stopped at one of the bars and got a margarita. He said he was getting nervous and needed something to calm his nerves. Then he said, “I only needed one! They make them strong!” As you can see, DB (in green) is not a small guy….he’s just a big teddy bear, so for him to say he only needed one…anyway, I said all of that because he’s not in the next several photos.

 

[charliegirl76]

Oh, boys! Charlie’s Angels?! Well, I guess some people do call me Charlie…..

By this time, DB was on his way back to the group….he is nothing if he isn’t a little goofy. LOL If you scroll fast enough, you may be able to see the progression….

Time to head back to the ladies!

 

[charliegirl76]

I know there were a lot of guy photos, but I just love them so much….I told you Randy really outdid himself….I just can’t say enough. So, getting back to the ladies, we were ready to head out. I now had Randy and Angie taking photos of us….at times I could hear Randy wanted to get some shots of me in the elevator.

After everyone piled into the elevator, it kind of jumped…which, I think, made us all just slightly nervous. My MOH and Brenda were left behind, I think because they were trying to gather their things (remember, they got there the day before and stayed the night with me, so they had to pack and have their suitcases transferred to the other resort) as well as stuff they thought I would need…..like my 46343546345 pairs of shoes to change into. When we got to the first floor, Richard was there to greet me! I was so happy to see him. He had a huge smile on his face and was his usual happy self! I had on flats to walk around the resort and heels for some of the photos. Richard took my heels and bouquet so I could hold my dress up while I walked.

I’m not sure what was said when Randy took this first photo, but whatever it was, I thought it was hysterical!

We began chatting as we walked. Richard is so adorable! He said, “Did you know I’m on the internet?” I said, “I did! You’re famous!!” We chatted about his FB page and how he should really get a computer so he can go look at all these things! We laughed and had a great time!

We made our way to the fountain in the courtyard behind the lobby. People would pass by and gasp, little girls were pointing….a woman even stopped to watch and then began chatting with my mom. LOL

It was time to take photos with my girls which meant one thing….time to put on the heels! My mom, BM, and Richard all helped….it’s not easy to see your feet with a billowing skirt and tulle. I’m guessing this was just after MOH realized she’d forgotten her shoes because DM stepped in for some photos with me and BM.

MOH returned with her shoes. I’m not sure who found it, or even who handed it to me, but they found the card from DF! I said I’d read it later and they said, “No, he wants you to read it now.” So out came the card…I teared up, it was so sweet.

Alright, now that all the mushy business out of the way, let’s get some photos! It was so bright out and I don’t think any of us are used to going without sunglasses.

Divas!

 

[charliegirl76]

Once we finished up in front of the fountain we moved on to what I lovingly call “A Forest”. LOL But first we have to stop for some shots…..

And now….a forest!

I love the WP in the background....

 

[alyaki]

Love all the pictures! Everyone looks like they're having a blast, and some of the guys ones from AoA made me chuckle a bit (particularly the ones where they're pretending to fix/figure out what's wrong with a car). Also, the little story about your DB stopping for a drink made me grin.

Looking forward to seeing ceremony pictures! I'm sure they'll be just as cute.