NoOrdinaryPrincess
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2011
Excellent Update! Maybe it's just me, but you're the first DP I've read that had their Wishes DP at the Marina! It looks like such a good viewing spot! Your pictures are stunning! 
*Teresa & Greg-7/1/12*Swan/Fultons/GF Marina-Epcot Character Fun-Updated*2/22*
- Thread starter Icecoldpenguin
- Start date
LittleKittyMarie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2011
Your fireworks photos are absolutely gorgeous!!
Your dessert party looked fabulous. I love how they put those stands under your desserts and lit them up, that is so cool! And what a smart idea you had bringing the guestbooks to the DP as well. I may have to steal that idea from you.
Your dessert party looked fabulous. I love how they put those stands under your desserts and lit them up, that is so cool! And what a smart idea you had bringing the guestbooks to the DP as well. I may have to steal that idea from you.
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
everythin looks absolutely delicious!!!! think the chocolate brownies made my mouth water the most! soooooo wish i could have a dessert party jus for them!
Also u'v got some amazin pictures with the fireworks hope they'r pictures an moments u treasure! I thought bout gettin pictures wi the fireworks but decided i'd prefer to watch the fireworks from the poly beach just the two of us as one of our first moments together as a married couple.
ps finally remembered was gonna pm u a bunch of questions lol so over to facebook i go an will pm u now
Debra
xXx
I think watching them together alone will be perfect!
Excellent Update! Maybe it's just me, but you're the first DP I've read that had their Wishes DP at the Marina! It looks like such a good viewing spot! Your pictures are stunning!
it really was a great place to view them from you can see the whole sky
Your fireworks photos are absolutely gorgeous!!
Your dessert party looked fabulous. I love how they put those stands under your desserts and lit them up, that is so cool! And what a smart idea you had bringing the guestbooks to the DP as well. I may have to steal that idea from you.
yes the light up stands were pretty kick a**! they looked really cool too!
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
Now is the time that I think everyone waits for the what would have done different part. So in order to do this in the most effective manner I am going to go through the following categories:
Glad I Did
Glad I Did Not
Wish I Did
Wish I Had Not
I feel like this will give the best look at my wedding planning and will help those of you still planning and those of you that just want to know what planning a Disney Wedding is like. So here we go......
GLAD I DID
*Chose Fulton's Crab House: I feel like this was one of the best decisions we made. The customer service we experienced was unparalleled. They were able to provide a great menu with more than enough food for a great price. We were also able to get sodas, kid's meals and vendor meals at the menu price which was very convenient. The service during the reception was amazing no one went thirsty or without whatever they needed because the servers were on their A game. The space for the group size that we had was perfect and the room to dance was more than adequate. The acoustics were wonderful and I am just so pleased with how it all turned out.
*Dessert Party with Disney's Catered Events: The company was just so easy to work with and they really exceeded my expectations. They worked with us to get a great menu that would cater to all our guests. They also decorated so beautifully without being told to do anything and to me it showed that they really cared about our event. All of the staff came and introduced themselves and made sure everything was taken care of for the whole event. We also got to take desserts home and I was so pleased with this as I was un-sure if that would happen. It was definitely worth the money we spent
*Took Time to take Pictures on Wedding Day: Some of my favorite pictures are the pictures from the wedding day itself. I am so glad that we took the time after the wedding to do pictures around the Swan area as well as Downtown Disney. I love the pictures with the pirate outside of the World of Disney. I also love the pictures with the LEGO Dragon. It was so much fun to run around Downtown Disney and have people treat us like celebraties. Getting to spend time together doing the photos was priceless and it gave us a chance to relax after the wedding
*A First Look: This helped calm my anxiousness and it really helped me feel like I was ready. We laughed a lot and I tried not to cry but it definitely was worth it. It helped us as a couple prepare for what was about to happen and seeing the confidence in his eyes helped me to breathe.
*Had my Checkerboard Vans: My vans were a life saver because my heels ended up killing my feet. If you are not used to heels and you are going to wear some I highly suggest having a back up pair of shoes
*Shipped My Dress to Carolyn Allen's: This took so much pressure off having to worry about getting the dress down to Florida. They showed up on time with my dress steamed. They did touch ups and they did Greg's suit. It was so easy and it took no time at all. Also having them come pick up the dress was another great decision because I did not have to figure out how to get the dress cleaned and back home on my own.
*Had A Welcome Party: We got so many compliments on the event simply for the fact that it allowed everyone to get to know one another. I think we picked a great venue and not only did it foster friendly competition but it got everyone into the Disney mood. I am glad that I split everyone up and put them in groups with people they did not know. It helped on wedding day for people to mix and mingle.
GLAD I DID NOT
*Have Characters: This was something that I really thought I wanted but we could not find it in our budget. Looking back on the wedding I am glad that I did not have them. The reason is that I just don't think they would have fit into the vibe of our wedding. I also think I would have been too preoccupied with them and I would have focused a lot of attention on them. I think with all the other things that were going on I would have just been distracted
*Pay for People's Hair and Makeup: This may seem like and odd thing but with all the changes that I had to my bridal party and to people who wanted services had I paid in advance or planned to pay I would have wasted quite a bit of money. I think making people be responsible for themselves was one of the best things we did.
*Cancel Video for the Dessert Party: I am really glad that I discussed the dessert party coverage with our videographer before canceling. After seeing that part of the video I am so glad that we have it especially since I had so much fun during that part of the day.
WISH I HAD
*Planned More Transportation: This was the one thing we really did not budget for because we figured that either people could figure it out on their own or we would just wing it with Disney Transportation or Cabs. This is the one area we really could have invested more funds just to make things easier. We either should have planned more private transportation or we should have scheduled cabs earlier.
*Added More Time to the Reception: We had 3 hours for the reception but I really wish we would have added 1-2 more hours to the reception. We had such a fun time and I think we could have danced more and had more time to eat dessert. Greg and I both wished the reception had been longer.
WISH I HAD NOT
*Done A Room Block: I did this purely to help my guests but we had so many people that decided not to come to the wedding that it ended up just being a lot of un wanted stress. I had to find a way for us to meet our block minimum and not end up having to pay money. The company never even contacted us after the event to make sure we did not owe anything.
*Scheduled A Family Day in the Parks: We did this the day after the wedding and it was a disaster. It put too much stress on us to try and please everyone. It ended up just being too much pressure and we should have been just enjoying each other. Instead we were trying to tie up loose ends with family. We should have just been done with family after our Ohana Breakfast.
As of right now this is all I can think of but if there are more things that come up I will be sure to add to the list. The best thing about the wedding is there is not very many things that we did not do that we wish we did and the converse is true we did not do much that we regret either. I think the wedding went as fluidly as possible and the best part is I really enjoyed it. If you have any questions about anything that happened please just ask. Feel free to email: Fangirlnextdoor@gmail.com
Coming Up: Vendor Reviews
Glad I Did
Glad I Did Not
Wish I Did
Wish I Had Not
I feel like this will give the best look at my wedding planning and will help those of you still planning and those of you that just want to know what planning a Disney Wedding is like. So here we go......
GLAD I DID
*Chose Fulton's Crab House: I feel like this was one of the best decisions we made. The customer service we experienced was unparalleled. They were able to provide a great menu with more than enough food for a great price. We were also able to get sodas, kid's meals and vendor meals at the menu price which was very convenient. The service during the reception was amazing no one went thirsty or without whatever they needed because the servers were on their A game. The space for the group size that we had was perfect and the room to dance was more than adequate. The acoustics were wonderful and I am just so pleased with how it all turned out.
*Dessert Party with Disney's Catered Events: The company was just so easy to work with and they really exceeded my expectations. They worked with us to get a great menu that would cater to all our guests. They also decorated so beautifully without being told to do anything and to me it showed that they really cared about our event. All of the staff came and introduced themselves and made sure everything was taken care of for the whole event. We also got to take desserts home and I was so pleased with this as I was un-sure if that would happen. It was definitely worth the money we spent
*Took Time to take Pictures on Wedding Day: Some of my favorite pictures are the pictures from the wedding day itself. I am so glad that we took the time after the wedding to do pictures around the Swan area as well as Downtown Disney. I love the pictures with the pirate outside of the World of Disney. I also love the pictures with the LEGO Dragon. It was so much fun to run around Downtown Disney and have people treat us like celebraties. Getting to spend time together doing the photos was priceless and it gave us a chance to relax after the wedding
*A First Look: This helped calm my anxiousness and it really helped me feel like I was ready. We laughed a lot and I tried not to cry but it definitely was worth it. It helped us as a couple prepare for what was about to happen and seeing the confidence in his eyes helped me to breathe.
*Had my Checkerboard Vans: My vans were a life saver because my heels ended up killing my feet. If you are not used to heels and you are going to wear some I highly suggest having a back up pair of shoes
*Shipped My Dress to Carolyn Allen's: This took so much pressure off having to worry about getting the dress down to Florida. They showed up on time with my dress steamed. They did touch ups and they did Greg's suit. It was so easy and it took no time at all. Also having them come pick up the dress was another great decision because I did not have to figure out how to get the dress cleaned and back home on my own.
*Had A Welcome Party: We got so many compliments on the event simply for the fact that it allowed everyone to get to know one another. I think we picked a great venue and not only did it foster friendly competition but it got everyone into the Disney mood. I am glad that I split everyone up and put them in groups with people they did not know. It helped on wedding day for people to mix and mingle.
GLAD I DID NOT
*Have Characters: This was something that I really thought I wanted but we could not find it in our budget. Looking back on the wedding I am glad that I did not have them. The reason is that I just don't think they would have fit into the vibe of our wedding. I also think I would have been too preoccupied with them and I would have focused a lot of attention on them. I think with all the other things that were going on I would have just been distracted
*Pay for People's Hair and Makeup: This may seem like and odd thing but with all the changes that I had to my bridal party and to people who wanted services had I paid in advance or planned to pay I would have wasted quite a bit of money. I think making people be responsible for themselves was one of the best things we did.
*Cancel Video for the Dessert Party: I am really glad that I discussed the dessert party coverage with our videographer before canceling. After seeing that part of the video I am so glad that we have it especially since I had so much fun during that part of the day.
WISH I HAD
*Planned More Transportation: This was the one thing we really did not budget for because we figured that either people could figure it out on their own or we would just wing it with Disney Transportation or Cabs. This is the one area we really could have invested more funds just to make things easier. We either should have planned more private transportation or we should have scheduled cabs earlier.
*Added More Time to the Reception: We had 3 hours for the reception but I really wish we would have added 1-2 more hours to the reception. We had such a fun time and I think we could have danced more and had more time to eat dessert. Greg and I both wished the reception had been longer.
WISH I HAD NOT
*Done A Room Block: I did this purely to help my guests but we had so many people that decided not to come to the wedding that it ended up just being a lot of un wanted stress. I had to find a way for us to meet our block minimum and not end up having to pay money. The company never even contacted us after the event to make sure we did not owe anything.
*Scheduled A Family Day in the Parks: We did this the day after the wedding and it was a disaster. It put too much stress on us to try and please everyone. It ended up just being too much pressure and we should have been just enjoying each other. Instead we were trying to tie up loose ends with family. We should have just been done with family after our Ohana Breakfast.
As of right now this is all I can think of but if there are more things that come up I will be sure to add to the list. The best thing about the wedding is there is not very many things that we did not do that we wish we did and the converse is true we did not do much that we regret either. I think the wedding went as fluidly as possible and the best part is I really enjoyed it. If you have any questions about anything that happened please just ask. Feel free to email: Fangirlnextdoor@gmail.com
Coming Up: Vendor Reviews
NoOrdinaryPrincess
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2011
Glad I did is one of my favorite parts of reviews. Thanks for doing them!
MrsDuck
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2011
Me too! Thanks girl!
Queenie122
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2008
I agree with this, along with pictures it's the most helpful part of trip reports!!
Thank you for the great trip report and reviews I've been reading along and stalking, lol. Congratulations on your wedding and Best Wishes!
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
In this part I am going to share with you my reviews of my vendors. I am going to give them three rankings with a score between 1 & 10:
Customer Service and Communication
Quality of Product Received
Overall Impression
I feel like these areas are the areas that we all look for the most and sometimes the score can be skewed. If I forget a vendor or you do not see one on here then please let me know and I will review them.
Wedding Planner: Just Marry- Diana Stylianou
Customer Service/Communication: 10/10
I could not ask for better service. From the beginning the response to any question over email was quick and when I got switched to Diana I think the response time got even faster. After I met her in person and we realized that we really could be friends instead of emailing we switched to texting each other about wedding stuff. I was able to develop a very close bond with Diana and she took care of every single need or want that I had.
Quality of Service: 10/10
Diana never slacked on anything she always made sure to ask every single question she had to make sure she got it all right. It was even down to what should she and the girls wear so that they would fit with the wedding theme. I asked them to wear purple and they all did. She even brought extra help to make sure everything was set up from the reception to the ceremony. I never worried about a single thing because I knew she was on top of it.
Overall: 10/10
I could not have asked for a better wedding planner in any way!
Photography: Chapman Photography- Randy Chapman
Customer Service/Communication: 9/10
This is one of the only places that Randy lacks a little is on communication. He is just so busy that his response time to email is slow. Lucky for me though I would just call and talk to Linda and she would get an answer for me. His customer service is great and he really does try to get the best for his brides. He also knows how to take shots and really helps his brides feel comfortable.
Quality of Service: 10/10
He does stunning photography and the discs he sends you are of great quality. He does edits on some images to give you some fancy pictures. I did not use him for albums so I do not know what his albums look like but I love having all the images in color and black & white.
Overall: 10/10
He was amazing to work with the 2 times we have and he has a great personality. Can't wait to use him again.
Videography: STVS- Stan Severance
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
The communication was very minimal but I don't think for his services it needed to be more than it was prior to wedding day. Since wedding day it has been very hit or miss. He does not always answer all the questions in an email and he does not seem to be very patient. I am very busy with work and havent gotten a chance to review our video and give him the edits so he keeps asking. The day of the wedding he was fabulous and he got GREAT footage and I am so glad we used him.
Quality of Service: NO GRADE YET
I have not received the final product I will grade then
Overall: NO GRADE YET
I have not received the final product I will grade then
Officiant: Teresa Knox
Customer Service/Communication: 10/10
She was a last minute choice as we changed so close to the wedding. She worked with me to get all the aspects of the ceremony that I wanted and helped me completely customize the wedding ceremony. She was available via e-mail or phone as many times as I wanted to talk to her. She also made sure to reach out to both Greg and I so that what we both wanted was going to be in the big day.
Quality of Service: 10/10
On the day of she was great she made sure to check in with both Greg and I. She got all of our ceremony stuff organized she did't even freak out when we forgot the wedding license. She was so nice to use and the way she played off all the little ceremony missteps was amazing. She made everyone laugh and her voice was calm and soothing. She really was fantastic
Overall: 10/10
I think we made the best decision which was to switch to her from Rev. Tim Herring I think she fit our personalities
Floral: Petals by Design Orlando
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
I really enjoyed the initial conversation with them they seemed to be very excited about my offbeat style when it came to the floral and decor. We did have a miscommunication that caused some issue between us but the wedding planner was able to fix that. After the miscommunication occurred I did not have any other communication because we had already reached the point where there was no reason for me to talk to them. The plan with my planner was for me to talk to all my vendors to set up the wedding but the logistics would be handled by her. The miscommunication was purely about logistics and not about the design of the floral. So with that in mind I see how I could have been more specific about some things. I still really enjoyed the vibe of the company and their pricing.
Quality of Service: 9/10
The flowers were simply amazing! They were gorgeous and arranged beautifully. They really blew me away and were far beyond what I had pictured in my head. My only 2 issues were that with my bouquet sprigs of orchids fell out of my bouquet but it was not that noticeable and I could put them back in and the monkey tail were sort of top heavy and the curly q's broke off easy. My only other complaint is that there was pink in some of the personal floral and in the decor table pieces and I really did not want pink. I did not have time to care and it was one of those things that I let go because ultimately it did not matter.
Overall: 8/10
I think they did a wonderful job and I would use them again in a heartbeat but there are some things that I personally would do differently.
DJ: Celebration Expert-Maria Shafer
Customer Service/Communication: 10/10
She was simply fabulous! She communicated in email whenever I sent her a message she also gauged out the perfect time to talk about music and helped calm my nerves there. Our phone chat about music was simply awesome and we really got to know each other. I did not have to worry about anything.
Quality of Service: 10/10
She was perfect the music was spot on and there was not a bad song that was played. She found some awesome versions of disney and star wars songs I had never heard before. She introduced us perfect she timed everything amazingly. She was phenomenal and I am so blessed to call her a friend now.
Overall: 10/10
She is probably very under-rated and her pricing is fabulous she does a wonderful job and she makes the vibe of the wedding fun and fabulous
Reception: Fulton's Crab House
Customer Service/Communication: 9/10
They communicated great initially with me as we set the menu and got pricing. Our site visit with them was amazing as they took us all over and showed us what things would look like and how they would be set up. Once we were done setting the menu and all of that the communication went straight to my wedding planner and I never had to worry about a thing or communicate with the venue which made things very nice.
Quality of Service: 10/10
The day of the service was perfect. The servers made sure everyone was taken care of and the food was amazing. I was blown away by the quality of the food. The set up of the room was gorgeous and they really made the room feel comfortable. It was almost as if you did not even know that the restaurant staff was there because they moved in and out of the room so seamlessly. I also loved that they let us have sodas and pay for them as needed based on who wanted them we did not have to pay for a package bar.
Overall: 9/10
I only did not give them a perfect score because I wish we had paid for more time and I wish they would have been more inviting about having more time. Other than that they were perfect.
Dessert Party: Disney's Catered Events
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
The initial communication was difficult until I found away around their traditional way of doing things. The people I worked with were great but I did not like how impersonal they were until I got to my day of coordinator. He was fabulous and really helped me get a completely custom menu with all of the aspects that I really wanted. On occasion the communication was pretty slow.
Quality of Service: 10/10
They way they decorated without me even saying anything, the way the food was displayed, the way they were there for anything we needed was perfect. They greeted us when we got there and there was a higher ranking supervisor there the whole time. The cast members working and clearing plates were so very nice and would talk to everyone. I really enjoyed the bananas foster action station it was pretty cool to have chefs out making food. The wishes music was piped in and it was perfectly on queue.
Overall: 9/10
I think they did a wonderful job but they really could work on their customer service with faster responses via email. Also they could make it not so difficult to get started and not try and scare people off.
Hair & Makeup: Beaute Speciale
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
they were quick to respond to emails and questions and they always had time to talk to me. The one thing I wish they did however was get you in touch with your hair and makeup artist ahead of time to send pictures to and to find out how likely it is that they could do what you wanted.
Quality of Service: 10/10
They were exceptional from their demeanor to their artistic expression. These girls know what they are doing and they are very skilled. When I showed them my inspiration pictures they knew exactly how to do it but also give it unique flair. I would use them again in a heart beat. The girls have also all become some of my good friends.
Overall: 9/10
they do not have a perfect score only because I think they could be more personable before the big day
The only vendor I did not grade was the people we used for linens because I never directly worked with him my planner set all of that up for me.
I hope this helps everyone,
Teresa
Customer Service and Communication
Quality of Product Received
Overall Impression
I feel like these areas are the areas that we all look for the most and sometimes the score can be skewed. If I forget a vendor or you do not see one on here then please let me know and I will review them.
Wedding Planner: Just Marry- Diana Stylianou
Customer Service/Communication: 10/10
I could not ask for better service. From the beginning the response to any question over email was quick and when I got switched to Diana I think the response time got even faster. After I met her in person and we realized that we really could be friends instead of emailing we switched to texting each other about wedding stuff. I was able to develop a very close bond with Diana and she took care of every single need or want that I had.
Quality of Service: 10/10
Diana never slacked on anything she always made sure to ask every single question she had to make sure she got it all right. It was even down to what should she and the girls wear so that they would fit with the wedding theme. I asked them to wear purple and they all did. She even brought extra help to make sure everything was set up from the reception to the ceremony. I never worried about a single thing because I knew she was on top of it.
Overall: 10/10
I could not have asked for a better wedding planner in any way!
Photography: Chapman Photography- Randy Chapman
Customer Service/Communication: 9/10
This is one of the only places that Randy lacks a little is on communication. He is just so busy that his response time to email is slow. Lucky for me though I would just call and talk to Linda and she would get an answer for me. His customer service is great and he really does try to get the best for his brides. He also knows how to take shots and really helps his brides feel comfortable.
Quality of Service: 10/10
He does stunning photography and the discs he sends you are of great quality. He does edits on some images to give you some fancy pictures. I did not use him for albums so I do not know what his albums look like but I love having all the images in color and black & white.
Overall: 10/10
He was amazing to work with the 2 times we have and he has a great personality. Can't wait to use him again.
Videography: STVS- Stan Severance
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
The communication was very minimal but I don't think for his services it needed to be more than it was prior to wedding day. Since wedding day it has been very hit or miss. He does not always answer all the questions in an email and he does not seem to be very patient. I am very busy with work and havent gotten a chance to review our video and give him the edits so he keeps asking. The day of the wedding he was fabulous and he got GREAT footage and I am so glad we used him.
Quality of Service: NO GRADE YET
I have not received the final product I will grade then
Overall: NO GRADE YET
I have not received the final product I will grade then
Officiant: Teresa Knox
Customer Service/Communication: 10/10
She was a last minute choice as we changed so close to the wedding. She worked with me to get all the aspects of the ceremony that I wanted and helped me completely customize the wedding ceremony. She was available via e-mail or phone as many times as I wanted to talk to her. She also made sure to reach out to both Greg and I so that what we both wanted was going to be in the big day.
Quality of Service: 10/10
On the day of she was great she made sure to check in with both Greg and I. She got all of our ceremony stuff organized she did't even freak out when we forgot the wedding license. She was so nice to use and the way she played off all the little ceremony missteps was amazing. She made everyone laugh and her voice was calm and soothing. She really was fantastic
Overall: 10/10
I think we made the best decision which was to switch to her from Rev. Tim Herring I think she fit our personalities
Floral: Petals by Design Orlando
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
I really enjoyed the initial conversation with them they seemed to be very excited about my offbeat style when it came to the floral and decor. We did have a miscommunication that caused some issue between us but the wedding planner was able to fix that. After the miscommunication occurred I did not have any other communication because we had already reached the point where there was no reason for me to talk to them. The plan with my planner was for me to talk to all my vendors to set up the wedding but the logistics would be handled by her. The miscommunication was purely about logistics and not about the design of the floral. So with that in mind I see how I could have been more specific about some things. I still really enjoyed the vibe of the company and their pricing.
Quality of Service: 9/10
The flowers were simply amazing! They were gorgeous and arranged beautifully. They really blew me away and were far beyond what I had pictured in my head. My only 2 issues were that with my bouquet sprigs of orchids fell out of my bouquet but it was not that noticeable and I could put them back in and the monkey tail were sort of top heavy and the curly q's broke off easy. My only other complaint is that there was pink in some of the personal floral and in the decor table pieces and I really did not want pink. I did not have time to care and it was one of those things that I let go because ultimately it did not matter.
Overall: 8/10
I think they did a wonderful job and I would use them again in a heartbeat but there are some things that I personally would do differently.
DJ: Celebration Expert-Maria Shafer
Customer Service/Communication: 10/10
She was simply fabulous! She communicated in email whenever I sent her a message she also gauged out the perfect time to talk about music and helped calm my nerves there. Our phone chat about music was simply awesome and we really got to know each other. I did not have to worry about anything.
Quality of Service: 10/10
She was perfect the music was spot on and there was not a bad song that was played. She found some awesome versions of disney and star wars songs I had never heard before. She introduced us perfect she timed everything amazingly. She was phenomenal and I am so blessed to call her a friend now.
Overall: 10/10
She is probably very under-rated and her pricing is fabulous she does a wonderful job and she makes the vibe of the wedding fun and fabulous
Reception: Fulton's Crab House
Customer Service/Communication: 9/10
They communicated great initially with me as we set the menu and got pricing. Our site visit with them was amazing as they took us all over and showed us what things would look like and how they would be set up. Once we were done setting the menu and all of that the communication went straight to my wedding planner and I never had to worry about a thing or communicate with the venue which made things very nice.
Quality of Service: 10/10
The day of the service was perfect. The servers made sure everyone was taken care of and the food was amazing. I was blown away by the quality of the food. The set up of the room was gorgeous and they really made the room feel comfortable. It was almost as if you did not even know that the restaurant staff was there because they moved in and out of the room so seamlessly. I also loved that they let us have sodas and pay for them as needed based on who wanted them we did not have to pay for a package bar.
Overall: 9/10
I only did not give them a perfect score because I wish we had paid for more time and I wish they would have been more inviting about having more time. Other than that they were perfect.
Dessert Party: Disney's Catered Events
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
The initial communication was difficult until I found away around their traditional way of doing things. The people I worked with were great but I did not like how impersonal they were until I got to my day of coordinator. He was fabulous and really helped me get a completely custom menu with all of the aspects that I really wanted. On occasion the communication was pretty slow.
Quality of Service: 10/10
They way they decorated without me even saying anything, the way the food was displayed, the way they were there for anything we needed was perfect. They greeted us when we got there and there was a higher ranking supervisor there the whole time. The cast members working and clearing plates were so very nice and would talk to everyone. I really enjoyed the bananas foster action station it was pretty cool to have chefs out making food. The wishes music was piped in and it was perfectly on queue.
Overall: 9/10
I think they did a wonderful job but they really could work on their customer service with faster responses via email. Also they could make it not so difficult to get started and not try and scare people off.
Hair & Makeup: Beaute Speciale
Customer Service/Communication: 8/10
they were quick to respond to emails and questions and they always had time to talk to me. The one thing I wish they did however was get you in touch with your hair and makeup artist ahead of time to send pictures to and to find out how likely it is that they could do what you wanted.
Quality of Service: 10/10
They were exceptional from their demeanor to their artistic expression. These girls know what they are doing and they are very skilled. When I showed them my inspiration pictures they knew exactly how to do it but also give it unique flair. I would use them again in a heart beat. The girls have also all become some of my good friends.
Overall: 9/10
they do not have a perfect score only because I think they could be more personable before the big day
The only vendor I did not grade was the people we used for linens because I never directly worked with him my planner set all of that up for me.
I hope this helps everyone,
Teresa
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
Ok ladies so I wanted to give you our budget breakdown on what it was like to have a swan and dolphin wedding.
If there is something you want to know as far as a breakdown of the costs just send me a message or leave a comment.
Swan & Dolphin Site Fee:$1595.00
Wedding Consultant Fee:$1,095.00, we used our planner for the reception as well so this was the fee broken down away from the fee for the ceremony site itself it included all services for the ceremony and the reception.
Officiant:$200.00
Fulton's Crab House (Reception):$2,064.14, we had 22 adults with meals that were $72 each
DJ:$700.00 we used her for 3.5 hours
Floral:$1504.53 this was for all floral and decor for the ceremony and reception
Photography:$1757.25 this included our wedding day all day coverage and the dessert party coverage that night
Videography:$2081.15 this included all day wedding day coverage plus dessert party coverage and the blu ray upgrade package
Dessert Party:$1938.20 this was for the wishes music that was piped in plus a menu including taxes that was $45.10 per person and we paid for 32 people to meet our minimum even though we did not have 32 people. This ended up being ok and was a good amount of food for everyone.
Linens:$777.30
Total Wedding Budget:$13,712.57
I hope this helps everyone that is trying to price out a wedding at the swan and dolphin. If you would like a breakdown of costs, taxes and gratuity charges I will be more than willing to give it to you just message me.
With this part this ends the wedding day! Now it is time to move on to our honeymoon trip report!
I hope you enjoy it
Teresa
If there is something you want to know as far as a breakdown of the costs just send me a message or leave a comment.
Swan & Dolphin Site Fee:$1595.00
Wedding Consultant Fee:$1,095.00, we used our planner for the reception as well so this was the fee broken down away from the fee for the ceremony site itself it included all services for the ceremony and the reception.
Officiant:$200.00
Fulton's Crab House (Reception):$2,064.14, we had 22 adults with meals that were $72 each
DJ:$700.00 we used her for 3.5 hours
Floral:$1504.53 this was for all floral and decor for the ceremony and reception
Photography:$1757.25 this included our wedding day all day coverage and the dessert party coverage that night
Videography:$2081.15 this included all day wedding day coverage plus dessert party coverage and the blu ray upgrade package
Dessert Party:$1938.20 this was for the wishes music that was piped in plus a menu including taxes that was $45.10 per person and we paid for 32 people to meet our minimum even though we did not have 32 people. This ended up being ok and was a good amount of food for everyone.
Linens:$777.30
Total Wedding Budget:$13,712.57
I hope this helps everyone that is trying to price out a wedding at the swan and dolphin. If you would like a breakdown of costs, taxes and gratuity charges I will be more than willing to give it to you just message me.
With this part this ends the wedding day! Now it is time to move on to our honeymoon trip report!
I hope you enjoy it
Teresa
celerystalker
<font color=green>Look! I'm yankeepenny!<br><font
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2006
Wow. I've read this whole thing over the past few days. Wow, wow, wow!
My poor bf has had to look at a lot of your pictures.
He's said yes to using Randy (if possible), yes to doing a first look and I think he wants to go with fruity pebbles for confetti.
Thanks for inspiring me!
My poor bf has had to look at a lot of your pictures.
He's said yes to using Randy (if possible), yes to doing a first look and I think he wants to go with fruity pebbles for confetti. Thanks for inspiring me!
again as with the rest of ur posts the last few posts have been very helpful for me an has cleared up questions for things tht i'd not even thought bout yet. so thanks for clearing some 
confusion b4 it even occured lol
ur flowers looked beautiful i'd not even hav realised ther was anythin wrong wi them
while i have more thinkin 2 do wi my own budget seeing urs has been helpful
just realised u didnt have a cake or i didnt see it
no cake!! 
now i'm lookin forward to some honeymoon an disney activities lol 
Debra
xXx
confusion b4 it even occured lolur flowers looked beautiful i'd not even hav realised ther was anythin wrong wi them
while i have more thinkin 2 do wi my own budget seeing urs has been helpful
just realised u didnt have a cake or i didnt see it
no cake!! now i'm lookin forward to some honeymoon an disney activities lol Debra
xXx
charliegirl76
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2012
I've been following your PJ and everything was absolutely beautiful! I love the Fruity Pebbles idea.
We booked Randy to do our photos, I just love the way his couples seem to have so much fun with him.
We booked Randy to do our photos, I just love the way his couples seem to have so much fun with him.
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
Wow. I've read this whole thing over the past few days. Wow, wow, wow!
My poor bf has had to look at a lot of your pictures.
Thanks for inspiring me!
I am so glad that I could inspire you to do some cool things that are a little offbeat. I hope you like the pictures and I hope your BF liked them
again as with the rest of ur posts the last few posts have been very helpful for me an has cleared up questions for things tht i'd not even thought bout yet. so thanks for clearing some
ur flowers looked beautiful i'd not even hav realised ther was anythin wrong wi them
while i have more thinkin 2 do wi my own budget seeing urs has been helpful
just realised u didnt have a cake or i didnt see it
Debra
xXx
No we did not have a cake we opted for dessert party instead and our guests got cheesecake with the menu we chose. what kind of things were you thinking about now I am curious?
The fruity pebbles were great! I am glad you picked randy he is pretty fantastic. Thank you for the compliments on our wedding.
Teresa
Summer Daydream
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2011
I don't know if I've ever commented before but I love your photos! Randy did an amazing job. Your first look photos were so beautiful-they captured the emotion of that moment perfectly. I also love the fruity pebbles toss. Best wishes to you and your husband for the rest of your lives together
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
I don't know if I've ever commented before but I love your photos! Randy did an amazing job. Your first look photos were so beautiful-they captured the emotion of that moment perfectly. I also love the fruity pebbles toss. Best wishes to you and your husband for the rest of your lives together
Thank you so much for the compliments and yes randy can do wonders with a camera. The fruity pebbles have been a bigger hit than i expected I am so glad people like the idea of using them. Thank you for the well wishes.
Teresa
LyndsayJ
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2011
Great reviews! I agree about the communication with Stan. Since we're doing the package he and Randy offered, a lot of the communication has been him telling me to coordinate with Randy. For example, times and locations for video / photo. I think it works better that way because then I don't have him telling me one time, and Randy telling me another...then having to coordinate the two! They seem to work great together!
did u use Beaute Speciale for ur hair an makeup? if so could u write me a quick review of them? i was gonna get my sister to do my hair an makeup but then we realised she'd need 2 do mine an her own an my mums.
i have emailed them but not had a reply yet
also in the sandpiper room was there enough room/facilities in the bathroom to wash ur hair? my mums thinkin it would b better washing an blow drying an straightenin her hair b4 puttin accessories in an was asking me if she'l need 2 do this in the villa b4 we go 2 the swan or if beaute speciale can do this for her. an of course i said i dunno lol
the things that helped were the budget bit especially photography and videography as i'd asked randy bout a joint package between the 2 of them an not heard bck. i'v not emailed stan at STVS directly yet tho its on the 2 do list! also the fees for justmarry an S&D an officiant helped since i'd seen the justmarry packages for a sorta full package but hadnt looked in2 individual prices as i'l prob b doin a sorta customised package wi things i do an dont want individually priced.
i liked how involved an commited justmarry were to ur wedding even down to wht they wore 2 the wedding!
i'l need 2 see about changin from heels to flats for the ceremony to takin pictures but the question i hav is did it not affect the length of ur dress an make it too long when u took ur heels off?
i'm wordering about how to get my dress to florida from the uk i dnt wanna risk it goin missing
i like the advice on a family day right after the wedding. we'l need 2 make some sort of schedule to make sure we spend time wi both my family an fiances family in the parks we want an the whole group is together when we want/know when they will b apart too. the one thing we have both said an agreed on is from watchin the fireworks alone on the wedding night until the day we travel home (between 4 or 5days to a week) we'l b classin this as our honeymoon, we will stay in disney(while everyone else stays in ther villas) an this is time for us to b together we will not b meetin up wi any family during this time. after reading ur wish i did not i'm glad i wont also b tryin 2 please people or tie up an lose ends etc. will need 2 work some magic on my whole holiday planning lol
i have emailed them but not had a reply yet
also in the sandpiper room was there enough room/facilities in the bathroom to wash ur hair? my mums thinkin it would b better washing an blow drying an straightenin her hair b4 puttin accessories in an was asking me if she'l need 2 do this in the villa b4 we go 2 the swan or if beaute speciale can do this for her. an of course i said i dunno lol
the things that helped were the budget bit especially photography and videography as i'd asked randy bout a joint package between the 2 of them an not heard bck. i'v not emailed stan at STVS directly yet tho its on the 2 do list! also the fees for justmarry an S&D an officiant helped since i'd seen the justmarry packages for a sorta full package but hadnt looked in2 individual prices as i'l prob b doin a sorta customised package wi things i do an dont want individually priced.
i liked how involved an commited justmarry were to ur wedding even down to wht they wore 2 the wedding!
i'l need 2 see about changin from heels to flats for the ceremony to takin pictures but the question i hav is did it not affect the length of ur dress an make it too long when u took ur heels off?
i'm wordering about how to get my dress to florida from the uk i dnt wanna risk it goin missing
i like the advice on a family day right after the wedding. we'l need 2 make some sort of schedule to make sure we spend time wi both my family an fiances family in the parks we want an the whole group is together when we want/know when they will b apart too. the one thing we have both said an agreed on is from watchin the fireworks alone on the wedding night until the day we travel home (between 4 or 5days to a week) we'l b classin this as our honeymoon, we will stay in disney(while everyone else stays in ther villas) an this is time for us to b together we will not b meetin up wi any family during this time. after reading ur wish i did not i'm glad i wont also b tryin 2 please people or tie up an lose ends etc. will need 2 work some magic
on my whole holiday planning lol
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
did u use Beaute Speciale for ur hair an makeup? if so could u write me a quick review of them? i was gonna get my sister to do my hair an makeup but then we realised she'd need 2 do mine an her own an my mums.
i have emailed them but not had a reply yet
also in the sandpiper room was there enough room/facilities in the bathroom to wash ur hair? my mums thinkin it would b better washing an blow drying an straightenin her hair b4 puttin accessories in an was asking me if she'l need 2 do this in the villa b4 we go 2 the swan or if beaute speciale can do this for her. an of course i said i dunno lol
the things that helped were the budget bit especially photography and videography as i'd asked randy bout a joint package between the 2 of them an not heard bck. i'v not emailed stan at STVS directly yet tho its on the 2 do list! also the fees for justmarry an S&D an officiant helped since i'd seen the justmarry packages for a sorta full package but hadnt looked in2 individual prices as i'l prob b doin a sorta customised package wi things i do an dont want individually priced.
i liked how involved an commited justmarry were to ur wedding even down to wht they wore 2 the wedding!
i'l need 2 see about changin from heels to flats for the ceremony to takin pictures but the question i hav is did it not affect the length of ur dress an make it too long when u took ur heels off?
i'm wordering about how to get my dress to florida from the uk i dnt wanna risk it goin missing
i like the advice on a family day right after the wedding. we'l need 2 make some sort of schedule to make sure we spend time wi both my family an fiances family in the parks we want an the whole group is together when we want/know when they will b apart too. the one thing we have both said an agreed on is from watchin the fireworks alone on the wedding night until the day we travel home (between 4 or 5days to a week) we'l b classin this as our honeymoon, we will stay in disney(while everyone else stays in ther villas) an this is time for us to b together we will not b meetin up wi any family during this time. after reading ur wish i did not i'm glad i wont also b tryin 2 please people or tie up an lose ends etc. will need 2 work some magic
*I will add their review to the vendor reviews
*my shoes were not that high so it did not make much of a diference or if it did i was too busy to care
* the main thing to keep in mind that I think happens in the planning process is that we over plan and we think about all of these things like if the dress will be too long and on the day of the event you are not going to give a crap because you wont have time
*I would ask the other UK brides how they handled the dress situation
*I am not trying to advise on doing a park day after the wedding I think the breakfast was enough. you will find out that the day after and trying to do the parks after all the wedding stress and not enough sleep was the WORST IDEA EVER! I highly recommend doing a meal and that is all
Icecoldpenguin
May the Force Be With You
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
Now that the wedding has been wrapped up it is time to tell the story of our amazing honeymoon. This is more of your normal trip report with some pictures and definitely some fun stories. To start it off I am actually ending the wedding and family portion because we had a farewell breakfast that next day. Let me just say that going to the parks with family is something I have NEVER done until this trip and man is it difficult. I am not sure that I really like it......
I know that is crazy but before this trip I had really only ever been by myself or with my now husband so it is really weird....and hard to manage. The whole vibe of our honeymoon was very fun and we just relaxed. I think you guys will love following along.
***************Honeymoon Day 1: The day of tears/laughs and smiles************
July 2nd, 2012
We had to wake up early because we were all checking out of Old Key West. This would be the first move for Greg and I as we transferred to Saratoga Springs. We had an early reservation at Ohana with us and the entire wedding guest list. Not everyone came but they were invited. Upon getting there we tried to locate everyone and get them all together. It was like herding cats because everyone wanted to wander around. We ended up having less people than we had a reservation for and they did not charge us for it because we did show up for the ADR.
Disbride Mandi and her Fiance Steve
We had a lot of fun at breakfast most everyone enjoyed the food and they enjoyed seeing the characters. My grandpa and I even jumped in the parade. My youngest nephew carried around a stitch the whole trip but when it was time to meet him he freaked out!
getting scared!
Parade Dancing
Disbride Michelle and Mickey
Once breakfast was over we all made our way out and said goodbye to most people. A lot of people were going home at this point and some were going to the parks. My brother and youngest nephew were going home so we said bye to them and that took a little while. Greg's family headed into MK and would meet us later. We eventually got through all the thank you's and the goodbyes and rode the resort monorail to MK and oh goodness it was packed!
Greg tried to contact his family so while he did that we all went to the Hall of Presidents. My grandparents were with us and they can't walk too much so I was going for rides that would be shorter waits. They really enjoyed it as we are a pretty political family and then Greg got a hold of his family. Up to this point he had not spent that much time with them in the parks and I think it caused him some stress. Not only that but we were both exhausted from the wedding and really could have used more sleep. All of this combined caused us to get into our first fight as a married couple to the point we both went our separate ways and did thins with our own families instead of everyone together.
So I took my family on Pirates because the wait was not too bad and my grandparents and mom love the pirate movies. After that we went and did the Laugh floor because I knew they would think it was funny. I would have loved to have done more than this but the waits were just too long and I had to be aware that my group ranged from 11 to 77. Everyone wanted to eat ice cream so we stopped and grabbed some and luckily found a place to eat. We made sure to take some photopass pictures!
Greg and I had agreed through text (while the argument was happening) to meet at a certain time I think it was like 1 or 1:30pm. My family needed to leave to go check in to Coronado and get something to eat as they were hungry. So once I walked my family out and said my goodbyes I of course started crying because my first day of being married and getting to take my grandparents for the first time to the magic kingdom had been less than stellar....
While I waited for Greg I went and got my sorcerer's of the magic kingdom cards for the day and bought some vinyls. He finally showed and I just started crying again partially because I was so upset that we got into a fight and partially because I was tired, stressed and in a bad mood. He apologized and so did I and he really did not want me crying in magic kingdom...I kind of felt bad that I may have made him feel bad. We got everything sorted and then we left MK to head to Saratoga Springs. It was time to check in to our new resort and officially start our honeymoon.
On the ride there we had no idea where to get off as we had never been there so we ended up riding the bus full circle back to MK and then back to SSR
Our bags had already shown up from the transfer service we checked in and I really liked our room.I completely forgot to take pictures of the room for everyone here on the DIS. We decided we would find a place to eat on resort property so we ate at the Turf Club Bar and Grill. I actually really liked it. They also gave me cool blinky lights one that is Tinkerbell and one that was Lightning McQueen they clip on to your shirt/lanyard or whatever. They are the toys they give the kids but because of our Just Married buttons they gave them to us I guess. We did a little walking around DTD as we love it there and then we realized we needed to get some important papers to my mom at Coronado. So we found our way over there and did a little bit of shopping with some picture taking fun involved!
Burrito the pin trading donkey pinata!
We said goodbye to my mom and nephew and my grandparents and headed back to SSR. As you can imagine we were pretty tired.....Sleep!
***I DO NOT recommend trying to do MK close to a holiday the day after your wedding when you have been going non-stop with wedding stuff for 4 days before.*****That is my Disclaimer
Coming up: Day 2 Bridal Portraits!!
I know that is crazy but before this trip I had really only ever been by myself or with my now husband so it is really weird....and hard to manage. The whole vibe of our honeymoon was very fun and we just relaxed. I think you guys will love following along.
***************Honeymoon Day 1: The day of tears/laughs and smiles************
July 2nd, 2012
We had to wake up early because we were all checking out of Old Key West. This would be the first move for Greg and I as we transferred to Saratoga Springs. We had an early reservation at Ohana with us and the entire wedding guest list. Not everyone came but they were invited. Upon getting there we tried to locate everyone and get them all together. It was like herding cats because everyone wanted to wander around. We ended up having less people than we had a reservation for and they did not charge us for it because we did show up for the ADR.
We had a lot of fun at breakfast most everyone enjoyed the food and they enjoyed seeing the characters. My grandpa and I even jumped in the parade. My youngest nephew carried around a stitch the whole trip but when it was time to meet him he freaked out!
Once breakfast was over we all made our way out and said goodbye to most people. A lot of people were going home at this point and some were going to the parks. My brother and youngest nephew were going home so we said bye to them and that took a little while. Greg's family headed into MK and would meet us later. We eventually got through all the thank you's and the goodbyes and rode the resort monorail to MK and oh goodness it was packed!
Greg tried to contact his family so while he did that we all went to the Hall of Presidents. My grandparents were with us and they can't walk too much so I was going for rides that would be shorter waits. They really enjoyed it as we are a pretty political family and then Greg got a hold of his family. Up to this point he had not spent that much time with them in the parks and I think it caused him some stress. Not only that but we were both exhausted from the wedding and really could have used more sleep. All of this combined caused us to get into our first fight as a married couple to the point we both went our separate ways and did thins with our own families instead of everyone together.
So I took my family on Pirates because the wait was not too bad and my grandparents and mom love the pirate movies. After that we went and did the Laugh floor because I knew they would think it was funny. I would have loved to have done more than this but the waits were just too long and I had to be aware that my group ranged from 11 to 77. Everyone wanted to eat ice cream so we stopped and grabbed some and luckily found a place to eat. We made sure to take some photopass pictures!
Greg and I had agreed through text (while the argument was happening) to meet at a certain time I think it was like 1 or 1:30pm. My family needed to leave to go check in to Coronado and get something to eat as they were hungry. So once I walked my family out and said my goodbyes I of course started crying because my first day of being married and getting to take my grandparents for the first time to the magic kingdom had been less than stellar....
While I waited for Greg I went and got my sorcerer's of the magic kingdom cards for the day and bought some vinyls. He finally showed and I just started crying again partially because I was so upset that we got into a fight and partially because I was tired, stressed and in a bad mood. He apologized and so did I and he really did not want me crying in magic kingdom...I kind of felt bad that I may have made him feel bad. We got everything sorted and then we left MK to head to Saratoga Springs. It was time to check in to our new resort and officially start our honeymoon.
On the ride there we had no idea where to get off as we had never been there so we ended up riding the bus full circle back to MK and then back to SSR
Our bags had already shown up from the transfer service we checked in and I really liked our room.I completely forgot to take pictures of the room for everyone here on the DIS. We decided we would find a place to eat on resort property so we ate at the Turf Club Bar and Grill. I actually really liked it. They also gave me cool blinky lights one that is Tinkerbell and one that was Lightning McQueen they clip on to your shirt/lanyard or whatever. They are the toys they give the kids but because of our Just Married buttons they gave them to us I guess. We did a little walking around DTD as we love it there and then we realized we needed to get some important papers to my mom at Coronado. So we found our way over there and did a little bit of shopping with some picture taking fun involved!
We said goodbye to my mom and nephew and my grandparents and headed back to SSR. As you can imagine we were pretty tired.....Sleep!
***I DO NOT recommend trying to do MK close to a holiday the day after your wedding when you have been going non-stop with wedding stuff for 4 days before.*****That is my Disclaimer
Coming up: Day 2 Bridal Portraits!!
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Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
