Engagement Spotlight: Kristen + Gustavo

Location: Disney's Boardwalk Resort
Photographer: Ashley McCormick

I've been loving all the welcome stuff, but I thought we could use a good old engagement spotlight this evening. It's snowing here in Utah and I need a little bit of color in my life. The perfect pick-me-up? Kristen's cute yellow heels. I think I need more yellow shoes in my life...

Mickey's Grand Welcome

If you're feeling overwhelmed at the idea of putting together something special to welcome each of your guests and you have a cushion in your budget for extra awesomeness, you could always splurge and have the florists at Disney welcome your guests in style!

From the Disney florist website, here's a description of Mickey's Grand Welcome ($315):



Mickey Mouse heard you were coming so he announced your arrival by placing a “surprise” sash over your Walt Disney World® Resort room door. Then, he slipped into your room to create a moment to remember! As soon as you step into your room, you see a 22" Mickey and Minnie plush pair, a personalized blanket, and a Mickey Mouse - themed welcome package waiting for you. Up high, a welcome banner hangs from the wall. Plus, there’s also a colorful Mickey & Friends jumbo balloon waiting in the room.* And look! There’s even a welcome krispie treat arrangement in a popcorn tin set on the table, along with a personalized welcome note in a Disney character frame. Also on the table is an autograph book signed by Mickey Mouse himself! And, if you take a peek around, you’ll find Tinker Bell’s shadow; she’s come to sprinkle Pixie Dust on you! All of this is not only there for you to enjoy - every piece is meant for you to take home!

Welcome Gift Box

• Inside the large, personalized, Mickey Mouse-themed gift box on the bed, several goodies await.
• A pair of Mickey Mouse mitts holds a special “Hidden Mickey” book so you can enjoy a secret hunt in the Disney theme parks.
• Mickey Mouse has also left behind a photo album so that you have a place to keep snapshots of your treasured moments together.

*Please note: Guests of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will receive a canvas Disney tote in place of the balloon, for the protection of the animals.

The florists at Disney also offer a slightly more budget-friendly package for $205:

A smaller package from Mickey Mouse is also available. It includes:

• A festive “surprise” door sash.
• A colorful Mickey & Friends jumbo balloon*
• A welcome banner to set the stage for your celebration.
• An autograph book with a personalized Mickey Mouse signature.
• Inside the large, personalized Mickey Mouse-themed gift box on the bed, you’ll find Mickey mitts and a photo album so that you have a place to keep snapshots of your treasured moments together.
• A picture frame featuring Mickey Mouse and the gang with a welcome message personalized to your family.
• And don’t forget Tinker Bell - if you take a peek around, you’ll find Tinker Bell’s shadow twinkling with pixie dust in celebration of your arrival.

*Please note: Guests of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will receive a canvas Disney tote in place of the balloon, for the protection of the animals.

Welcome Bags: Edibles and Yumminess

If you get too into the welcome bag project, you might start confusing a welcome bag for a wedding-survival-kit. Yes, it's nice to include maps, first aid supplies, and sewing kits, but these bags are supposed to be happy surprises full of treats to get guests excited about your wedding. Don't forget about the treats!

Here are some edibles and refreshments that real Disney couples have included in their wedding welcome bags:

• custom m&m's in favor tins
• custom water bottles
• Disney fruit snacks
• hershey kisses in tulle
• candy fish (tropical theme)
• wine or champagne
• snack bags like pretzels & cheetos
• mini muffins
• gum
• Kool Aid/ Crystal light singles
• single pot coffee packets
• Lifesavers mints
• Mickey mints
• Mickey pasta
• Mickey coffee
• Gold Fish Mini Packs
• Disney pez dispensers
• Breakfast bars/Granola bars
• chocolate covered pretzels
• Jumbo lollipops
• chocolate chip cookies
• Mickey shaped cookies (homemade or bought @ Disney)
• Mickey shaped Rice Krispy treats (homemade or bought @ Disney)
• tea bags
• Pirates of the Caribbean Chocolate Cannonballs
• Mickey Microwave popcorn
• Goofy Game Pieces Candy
• Disney conversation hearts
• sparkling cider
• personalized candy bars
• Florida oranges
• personalized bags of hot chocolate

Some budget tips - If you have a Costco membership or know someone with a Costco membership, you'll get more for your money buying your snacks/beverages here. They also have some Disney merchandise most of the time, but they aren't going to have the park exclusive snacks. Don't try to save money by buying park exclusive snacks from eBay, because there's no way to tell how long someone has had that food. Putting expired or stale snacks in the welcome bag is a bad way to start off your wedding!

Have you ever noticed that a lot of those park treats really do seem to taste better than the things you can make at home? I used to think it was just atmosphere, but then I found out that a lot of the yumminess is coming from this amazing bakery called Selma's. You can't order Disney treats directly from them, but you can order other good stuff, like treatsickles....mmmmm... Everything on their website is sold in bulk and although it might seem a little pricey, spending a little under $2 per guest on something really special might be better than buying lots of ho-hum snacks to fill up those bags...

Treatsickles = deliciousness

Giveaway

Naturally, I included some yummy goodness in this week's giveaway. First off, we have customized lollipops from Etsy seller Crafty Gio. These lollis say "Thank You", but they can be customized to say anything you like. Aren't they cute? Bonus: These babies are easy to pack and they don't melt, so they're an in-park lifesaver for parents with kids who are mid-meltdown.

I'm also including four samples of delicious chocolate covered oreos (Disney wedding themed, of course!) from Etsy seller Serena's Party Boutique. She's come up with some great designs just for couples having a Disney wedding and she's ready to work on some custom orders. I love the look of these, because they're so fun and festive but they aren't too much. These would also be perfect for favors at an at-home Disney reception, don't you think?

DIY Treat Bags

A few people have written in to say that they want to know how Tiffani made her little Bear Necessities bags. From what I can tell, she just made her own toppers for some store bought cellophane bags. If you're feeling creative and want to try your hand at a similar project, check out the tutorial here for these pretty DIY cellophane treat bag toppers...

Welcome Bag Budget Breakdown

When putting together welcome bags, the hardest part is staying under budget (if you have one!). Things that seem like a perfect addition can add up quickly when you remember how many guests you have and how many things you've already bought for the bags. I know many brides who finished their welcome bags and then were surprised to find out that they had spent $500-$800 on welcome bags alone!

Ness blogged about her great welcome bags and was kind enough to break down her budget, so we can see what she put in and what she spent...


For the contents we called in a favors, changed & swapped out items & bought in bulk to save on the cost but not quality.

• 1 x Mini bottle of Pink blush champagne: $ 4.50
• 1 x Mini bottle of Coke: $0.95
• 2 x plastic wine glasses: $free
• 1 x pkt kettle chips: $0.95
  
• 1 x Block of Cadbury chocolate: $1.40
• 1 x pkt of Wine charms: (DIY)
• 1 x tube of local hunter valley jam: $1.00
• 1 x pkt of Disney Princess tissues: $ 0.10
• 1 x pkt of Disney Princess tissues: $ 0.10
  
• 2 x pkts of chewing gum: $free
  
• 1 x tube of cocoa butter hand cream: $free
• 1 x mini bottle of hand sanitizer: $free
• 1 x local information pack, map, brochures & weekend schedule

The final cost: $9.00 per bag





They sound pretty great to me! Thank you, Ness, for sharing!

Welcome Bags: Comforts and Necessities

As a courtesy to your wedding guests, it's a good idea to include a few comforts in the welcome bag, like lotion or lip balm. For Disney weddings, especially, it's nice to include extras like sunscreen and band-aids and all those other things that people always forget to pack. Here are some necessities and comforts other couples have included in their welcome bags:

• hand sanitizer
• shout wipes or tide stick
• hand sanitizer
• Advil

Welcome Bags: Papers, etc.

Our welcome folders

One of the main things that usually gets included in welcome bags are papers that help the guests out, such as a welcome letter, itinerary, or map. Here are some ideas for papers (and paper-type-things) that you might want to include in your welcome bags:

Welcome Bags from Real Weddings

People use all sorts of different things for their welcome bags, from paper bags to gift boxes to cloth totes to personalized knapsacks. Here's a little gallery of some of the welcome bags that were used in real Disney weddings. All photos were taken from Disney wedding forums and the usernames of the contributors are listed below. Thanks for sharing, ladies!

Bridetobe82

Event Spotlight: Cassie + JB's Welcome Party

Event location: Grand Floridian Resort, Suite 4001
Photography: Root Photography
Invitations and Signage: Shelley, Impressions


The great thing about welcome dinners is that they can take pretty much any form you wish, as long as they include the whole group. You can have dinner in a private room at a restaurant, such as the California Grill or you can invite your guests to join you at a Disney event, like the luau at the Polynesian. You can do a lakeside dinner at Epcot's World Showcase, like Heidi and Tom did, or you can keep it in house and hold a welcome party in your resort suite, like this beautiful welcome from Cassie and JB...

Welcome to...Welcome Week!!

It's Welcome Week!

(At this point, some of you are really, really excited. And the rest of you are going, "huh?")

Welcome week is going to be all about welcome parties, welcome packages, welcome bags, and basically making people feel welcome at your wedding. This was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning and I'm so excited to have a whole week to hash it out.

Because this is a special week, we'll be doing a special giveaway. We're going to pack a welcome bag together, full of goodies from Etsy sellers all over, and at the end of the week one lucky reader will win the bag we packed! Here's a peek at the prize:

Believe me, the stuff in this welcome bag is too good to miss. I'll be introducing it a little bit at a time as the week goes along, so you'll get to learn a lot more about these Etsy sellers. First things first, of course...let's talk about the bag:

This week's prize is packed in a cute little suitcase, completely with lock and key. This particular suitcase is something I picked up because it was just too cute, but I really wanted to give you some Etsy options. Of course, it's more fun to shop on Etsy yourself than it is to get something that someone else picked out, so I thought I'd just send you this suitcase AND a $30 gift certificate to Mishmash Designs.

Mishmash Designs has some of the cutest Disney bags I've ever seen, thanks to the fantastic Japanese fabric used in their creation. She does hobo bags (LOVE), zipper pouches, laptop cases, iPhone cases...you name it! Take a peek:

Of course, many people use paper bags for their welcome bags to cut down on costs, but who really wanted to win a paper bag? Don't worry, I'll cover those options in another post this week. In the meantime...


Giveaway
Leave a comment on this post telling me some item you'd love to get in a welcome bag if you were a guest at a wedding. Remember, if you don't play, you can't win. You can comment on the other prizes throughout the week as I showcase them, but only comments on this post will win the grand prize next Saturday.

Good luck!

NOTE: The background in the giveaway photos is an old Magic Kingdom colorform board. Remember colorforms? Love them!

UPDATE: We have a winner!

Bridesman Spotlight: Nate

There were a lot of guys in our wedding. We had Kyle, my father, my stepfather, my father-in-law, Kyle's best man, his eight groomsmen, my man of honor, and my two bridesmen. I asked Nate and Jed to lend me their reflections on being in my wedding for guys week, but unfortunately they both completely forgot and left me out in the cold. Le sigh. I feel unloved.

Nate vaguely redeemed himself by turning in his survey at the eleventh hour, so without further ado here are Nate's thoughts on being a bridesman...

DWB: How did you get involved in a Disney wedding?

Nate: By befriending girls. Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up with the annoyance of a sister or maybe it’s because I’m not big into sports except for martial arts (and guys that like martial arts are largely either anime nerds or white thugs). I know you’re probably looking for something that’s more relatable than that, but if you’re befriending girls, you are inevitably going to end up doing something like a Disney wedding. Don’t get me wrong though; it was an honor to be a bridesman and I often brag about it to my guy friends.

DWB: When you first heard the wedding was at Disney, what did you imagine?

Nate: I guess I imagined it to be like the Disney parks, with hidden speakers and a lot of effort at creating “magic,” so I wasn’t that far off. But I did think it was going to be closer to people dressed up as cartoon characters and light shows than a normal wedding and in that regard I was wrong.

DWB: How was the wedding different than what you thought it would be?

Nate: It was more normal than I thought. Chapel. Preacher. Sermon that was not out of a movie.

DWB: What were your official duties for the wedding, both during the planning process and on the day of the wedding?

Nate: I do not remember doing anything before the wedding other than entertaining Carly and playing her video games as she, for example, laboriously constructed the flower girl’s basket. My duties during the wedding were to take pictures with Carly’s phone and send them to the blog.

DWB: Was it weird at all to be on the bride's side, versus the groom's side?

Nate: It was awesome. It helped that I wasn’t the only guy and that I didn’t have to wear a mauve or pink suit.

DWB: What was your favorite part of the wedding?

Nate: Drinking wine out of a bottle by the hotel pool (shaped like a hippie-flower) with my fellow bridespeople.

DWB: Do you have any advice re: the bridal party for couples planning their wedding?

Nate: Make awesome friends in life and then don’t alienate them by not returning their “guest blogger” questionnaires on time. This will ensure that you will have a great bridal party.

Non-Post

This is the six hundredth and sixty-sixth post and I'm just superstitious enough to not use it on Nate.

Groom Spotlight: Kyle

I've shared this before, but in case you missed it, here is my own cute husband sharing his thoughts on our wedding:

Wedding Spotlight: Mary + Matt

Ceremony Location: Wedding Pavilion
Reception Location: Living Seas at Epcot
Photography/Videography: Studio 67 Cinema + Photo

We Have a Winner! - Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings

We have a winner! Thank you to the 50+ people who entered the giveaway this week, except for mogrill who apparently think that guys really want butterfly burst leg warmers on their wedding day. FAIL.

And the random-number-generated-winner is...Lauren!

Lauren said...

My fiance wants to pick out all of the music. He's been working on the playlist for eight months now!

Congrats, Lauren! Send me an email at thatdisneygirl at gmail dot com and I'll send out your prize.


Thank you again to everyone who entered. The next giveaway starts tomorrow!

Carly

Review: Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings by David Tutera

So, let's take a closer look at this week's giveaway.



I know that many of you have at least heard about David Tutera's new Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings book, but I bet a lot of you haven't seen it. I went all over the city to find a copy when it first came out, but apparently Salt Lake City is not so much into the whole Disney wedding thing, so eventually I had to resort to Amazon and wait for the super-saver shipping (a.k.a. we're sending it via pony express).

Weekly Update - 3/26/10

Hmm...it's becoming something of a tradition for me to start these updates by complaining about how I look/sound/act in the video. How vain is that? I'd totally skip it, except that I feel like I need to explain that I've taken to cutting my own hair because salon people bug me. It wasn't until I saw this video that I thought maybe I should actually go get a haircut. A real haircut.

In this week's video I...

• need a normal haircut
• talk about the new "Reader Question of the Week" section
• do a teeny, tiny, mini-craft
• share a song by one of the few celebrities I'm openly in love with

For the Week

• Happy anniversary to Nicola and Andrew!

• This week's giveaway is for David Tutera's Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings

• Coming next week: It's a surprise! I'll announce it on Sunday.

Other blog business

In other news on the blog, I'm still working on the idea of advertising and such, but I decided to focus my energy this week on playing catch-up. I've been sneaking extra posts into the blog so I managed to put many more of the ceremony locations up and a few other things that needed to be on the drop down menu. My goal is to really pull the site together so that you never end up at a blank page or a page that tells you the content hasn't arrived. I'm hoping I'll finish up with that sort of stuff by the end of this next week, but since non-blog life is sort of ramping up, it might take me a little longer.

Once the site content is really there, I'll shift my focus to advertising. I both appreciate and apologize to all of the vendors that have been contacting me lately, because I haven't been able to really tell you anything about promoting you on the site. Don't think that I've been blowing you off! I just need to get myself organized first. I can tell you that you will probably need to pay for some things that have been free up until now, but I'm working out the details and I'll contact you when I've got it together. I'm almost ready! :)

And, finally, I'm starting to notice that the buzz and activity in the world of Disney Weddings seems to be growing. The DFTW site keeps getting better, their Facebook fan page got over a thousand fans last week, and new faces are popping up all the times on the forums. I'm also starting to see other Disney fan blogs that are interested in Disney weddings come forward with some new content and Bridal Scene, from the Wedding Podcast Network, just mentioned The Disney Wedding Blog on their latest show. Plus, we all saw Becky and Jeff on The Knot this week, which was a small victory against the anti-Disney wedding-ites of the world. I love it! The more good press and attention that Disney weddings get, the more people will be excited about all of the weddings you've celebrated or are planning on celebrating, and that makes me very, very, very happy.




Reader Question of the Week

Dear Carly,

I want to do something nice for my fiance at the wedding, but she's planning the whole thing and I don't know how to surprise her without her finding out about it. We're paying for the wedding ourselves, so if I get something extra for the reception, she's going to see it on the budget estimate when they send it to us. I'm out of ideas. Any help?


You aren't the only person with this problem. After "how do I propose?", this is the question I get all the time from grooms. Note to brides: releasing that chokehold you have on the wedding planning might lead to something nice!

In all seriousness, surprises are not impossible. Unless you need the surprise to meet your budget requirement, it is possible to do something like order a character or fireworks or Cinderella's Coach without her knowing about it. Contact your wedding coordinator to speak privately about it and he or she should be able to help you out. There's also the option of adding an outside vendor if you weren't planning on having a videographer or she wasn't getting her hair professionally done, etc. You need to let Disney know, but you'll be paying those people seperately, so there's no chance of it ending up in your estimate. (Just make sure DFTW doesn't put a giant note on your estimate that you'll be using this outside vendor.)

Honestly, though, being the Type A bride that I was, I would have been 50% pleasantly surprised and 50% stressed out if there had been a big change to the wedding (such as a character or carriage ride) and I didn't know about it before hand. There's a chance that your bride has spent a year of her life on this one five hour event. You might not want to throw her a curve ball.

If this sounds a lot like the woman you're marrying, consider surprising her with a spa experience on the night before the wedding or something like that. If I could have picked something for Kyle to surprise me with, I would have had him surprise me by getting the Roots to photograph my bridal tea, since I only have guest photos and would have loved to get professional photos of that event. Just something to think about!



Other wedding business

Rumor: No More "Just Married" Buttons
I've been getting emails from people who are worried that Disney has stopped giving out the "Just Married" pins. Apparently, word on the street is that they'll only have the "Happily Ever After" pins, which are decidedly less lovely. I kept telling people that I didn't know anything about it, but when people started trying to buy them on eBay, I decided to call Guest Services myself. I asked to speak to the person who knew the most about the pins and whoever they gave me to said she hadn't heard anything about them being cancelled. I don't know how this rumor got started, but I don't think it's true, so don't start surfing eBay for them. They'll still be there when you get down there.

(Watch, now that I've said that, they'll discontinue them next week. Anyone else think I've just cursed the "Just Married" pins?)



David Tutera Wedding Collection on Sale
The David Tutera Wedding Collection is on sale at The Disney Store, so if you've been waiting to snag one of these items, this is the time. Are many of the items still grossly overpriced? Oh, definitely. Paying $71.99 for a guest book is insane unless it comes with a teeny tiny pocket-sized David Tutera who's going to help me plan my wedding. That being said, if your heart is set on it, $71.99 is a much better price than $120. (Tiny David Tutera is not included. I didn't mean to get your hopes up.)



The Wedding Salon - New York
If you live in New York, you're wildly lucky. There's a wedding event going on in a couple of weeks and it's apparently going to be simply fabulous because everyone and their dog is going to this one. DFTW will be there and I've heard that David Tutera will be designing a table for them. You can get complimentary admission to the show if you become a Facebook fan of DFTW. Unfortunately, nobody is offering complimentary airfare and hotel from SLC to NYC, no matter how nicely I ask. Think I should start begging? PLEASE! TAKE ME WITH YOU!

If you make it out there, I'd love to see pictures!



Song of the Week
The song I showcased in the video this week is Brad Paisley's "Something About Her". You can find the full version of the song here on YouTube if you'd like to preview it.

Groom Spotlight: Jim

Editor's Note: Does Jim look familiar? It's probably because he and Kelly were featured on WE TV's "Disney Dream Weddings"...

DWB: When and where was your Disney wedding?

Jim: The events surrounding our Disney Wedding spanned 4 days, but we actually got married on Saturday December 6, 2008 at Disney's BoardWalk Resort. The ceremony was held at Sea Breeze Point at 5 p.m., which in December is sunset. The rest of the evening was spent at the BoardWalk Convention Center for Dinner and Dancing.

Vendor Spotlight: DJ Pat from Sound Prodigy

Today we have an interview with a man in the business, DJ Pat from Sound Prodigy. DJ Pat is one of the vendors available for weddings at Disneyland and he's agreed to answer a few questions so planning couples can get a good sense of him. Choosing a DJ for your wedding is such a hard thing to do when you're planning from a distance! We ended up choosing our DJ based purely off of other people's recommendations and I so wish that we'd had a chance to learn more about him before the wedding!

So, I thought I'd give you Disneyland brides a chance to get to know DJ Pat...

DWB: How did you get into this business?

DJ Pat: I was in night clubs for years before I ever wanted to do weddings. I just hated clubs so much that I knew I wanted to do something better. I started doing voice over acting, then some on-air stuff. Then when I got married, I had the DJ perform at my wedding that was FANTASTIC! I wanted to do what he did. He had I had lunch one day and that was all it took for me to want to do it. I became his apprentice and the rest is history.



DWB: What do you like to know about a couple before you do their wedding?

DJ Pat: I want to know EVERYTHING! Wedding for me are not just a rubber stamp. The root of a tree always grows the same. The branches however, will always groom different for each tree or each client. I want to know how they met, what they do for work, what they are serving for dinner, there ethnic back round and so on. Because I will apply music to enhance certain situations. Example, If I know the guy is Irish and proud of it, I would suggest some light Celtic music for the seating. If they are having a Mexican feast then I might recommend some Latin during the meal and so on. Example... Once I met some clients that met on E Harmony (the dating site). Because people rib them so much about it, I chose to play "this will be, an ever lasting love by Natalie Cole for there grand entrance. If you have EVER seen a commercial for E Harmony you will know what I am talking about. The guests were dying laughing when they walked in. The bride and groom were so happy that I recommended it.

DWB: What is a reception moment that you think every couple should really focus on? (This can also be one that's too good to miss or something like that)

DJ Pat: I think grand entrance is one! Especially, if something big is going to happen during it. Toasts, and any secrete dance performances to hit people that are not expecting it.



DWB: Do you have any advice for couples that are worried that none of their guests will want to dance?

DJ Pat: If the music is good, they will dance. And.. if you let them request music, they will dance. Providing the music is appropriate.

DWB: What's the best part of your job?

DJ Pat: The best part of my job is working with so many wonderful people. Wedding have a very positive energy around them, how could you not be happy going to work every weekend!

Disney Groom: Mike

DWB: When and where will your Disney wedding take place?

Mike: 8/2010 at the Rose Court Garden at the Disneyland Resort.

How to Propose ... Disney Style

In our modern times, women have started to take the reins and pop the question to their intended. However, even now, it is still the man doing the asking for the vast majority of couples. Unfortunately, it's probably the women doing the most thinking about those proposals...which means the men might be up against all sorts of pre-conceived notions about what the perfect proposal looks like. Getting down on one knee has given way to elaborate surprises and heart-stopping events. Think these guys are under just a little bit of pressure? Definitely.

Groom Spotlight: Eric

DWB: When and where was your Disney wedding?

Eric: March 3, 2010. Disney's Wedding Pavillion and Conservation Station.

DWB: Why did you decide to have a Disney wedding?

Eric: I wanted something that was unique and different and that my guests would always remember. We didn't want to have the same ordinary wedding that anyone at home could have.

DWB: Did you face any resistance from family/friends when you decided to have a Disney wedding? How did you handle that?

Eric: Some family members weren't thrilled with the idea, especially my 95 year old Grandmother who couldn't make it to the ceremony. But overall both our families were excited to make the trip down to Florida.

DWB: How was the planning process? Anything you wish would have been different?

Eric: Mainly the process was relatively painless and went smoothly. I wish Disney had been more active in letting us know what was going on and where we were in the process (without always having to ask).

DWB: What was the best part of your wedding day?

Eric: Marrying my bride!!! I think it's a tie between our First Look and our overall experience with Disney. The First Look wasn't something I wanted at first but am so glad we did. I would recommend that to anyone!! That special moment alone with my Bride was amazing. Other than that, just the general feeling that Disney gave...that we were the most important people that day! Awesome!!

DWB: What would you go back and change about your Disney wedding experience?

Eric: I would have been more pro-active in trying to switch our wedding planner. We weren't entirely happy with her customer service but were afraid to speak up. That and the weather, lol, wish it was warmer!

DWB: Do you have any advice for other grooms currently planning their wedding day?

Eric: Definitely to do a First Look. I was worried about not having "that" moment when she came down the aisle, but I was so excited and we both cried the entire way down the aisle.

What is a Groom's Cake, Anyway?

I've featured amazing groom's cakes on here before, but I've never really talked about them. For a lot of people, groom's cakes are a normal and expected part of the celebration, but for others, a groom's cake is one of those mysterious things that you might want to have a reception...but you have no idea why.

Mystery unmystified: The groom's cake is an old Southern tradition. The bride made a special cake and gave it to the groom as a wedding present. These days, many brides still choose to surprise their grooms with a special cake, although not as many are making it themselves. Groom's cakes are often as elaborate as wedding cakes, usually reflecting some special interest that the groom has.

Three etiquette notes on groom's cakes:

Styleboard: Khaki Suits for the Groom

A lot of attention is paid to the bride's ensemble on the wedding day. Isn't it rather unfair that the groom is often overlooked? Sure, there might be the groom that waits until the last minute and then walks into Men's Wearhouse and tells the clerk, "I need a tux for my wedding. Whatever you have," (*cough*Kyle*cough*) but I bet a lot of grooms really put thought into the suit they'll be married in. It's just a shame that it's so often unappreciated.

Of course, you could always do what Justin did and choose an ensemble that's just slightly unexpected and completely awesome...

photo by Root Photography

Groom Spotlight: Van from The Netcot Podcast

We'll be doing a round of groom spotlights this week and I wanted to start with a special one. I started getting to know Van long before I ever got engaged. He's the host of The Netcot Podcast and his is one of the few Disney fan podcasts that I don't think is completely pickled in its own arrogance and self-importance. His funny quips and honest reviews of the Disney parks led me to seek him out and now we've been long-time cyber friends. You might have even heard me a couple of years ago on one of the podcasts about Disney weddings.

Van got married at Walt Disney World in 2004 and I asked him to share a little bit about his wedding...




DWB: When and where was your Disney wedding?

Van: Our wedding was November 10th, 2004 (a Wednesday which isn't as odd of a wedding date in Disney). We used mostly Disney vendors with two exceptions 1) We decided to fly the Pastor from our home church down for the ceremony - we just felt it was an important thing to do and more personal than picking someone from a list. 2) We interviewed a number of non-Disney photographers who specialize in doing Disney Weddings. We went with Doug Gordon from Patken Photographer (www.patkenphotographer.com). The studio is based out of NY and he is nationally known for his style and quick pace. We really liked the mix of picture types he takes. Even today, photos from our wedding are heavily featured on their website under Disney Destination weddings.

DWB: Why did you decide to have a Disney wedding?

Van: Most of our family doesn't live where we do, so they would have had to travel anyway. That fact helped us justify the idea to family members (since it cost less for most of them to get to Orlando than Minneapolis). Beyond that, we always wanted to have a Disney wedding that featured the classic fairy tale feel that only Disney can offer. Most of our friends expected Mickey and Minnie and were surprised to see classic, fairy tale like themes in a setting that was truly magical (including the fireworks!)

DWB: Did you face any resistance from family/friends when you decided to have a Disney wedding? How did you handle that?

Van: A little. People were worried that our wedding wouldn't feel "real" because it wasn't in a church. But once they got there, saw the wedding chapel and our own Pastor, they quickly were ok with it. Ending the night with a reception on the top of the Contemporary with a private viewing of Wishes helped seal the deal!

DWB: How was the planning process? Anything you wish would have been different?

Van: The planning process was almost surreal. It was odd to do so much online with conference calls, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations. For as odd as it seemed at first, we realized quickly that it was also very convienent. Today more of this content is online which is nice because by the time we wrote the check we couldn't help but wonder if we hadn't missed a file that needed to be reviewed (we didn't thankfully).

The only thing I wish we would have done differently was that it would have been fun to go pick more things out in person but our schedule just didn't allow for it.

DWB: What was the best part of your wedding day?

Van: By far it was having our picture taken against some amazing backgrounds. People still ask us where we went for our wedding because some pictures have white sand beaches at the Grand Floridian while others show the backdrop of the Polynesian and still others show us at night while fireworks light up the sky behind us. It almost looks like we went to 3-4 different places to do our wedding ... which of course is exactly what I tell people. ;)

DWB: What would you go back and change about your wedding day?

Van: I would be sure to go more slowly. Everything happens so quickly because there are so many things to coordinate. I also think I would have spent a bit more money on a few indulgences. I don't think many people are actually in a position to really afford the wedding they are having so you make lots of compromises but in the end it's the only (hopefully) wedding you have so it's worth spending a bit more on a few things here and there. For example, I wish we would have invited more poeple to come down. We kept it small-medium sized to limit it to really close family and friends but in hind sight we could have expanded the list a bit more and hoped that more poeple would be willing to make the trip for our special day.

DWB: Do you have any advice for other grooms currently planning their wedding day?

Van: Yes! Take your time and enjoy it. Many of my friends that are women say that they have been planning their wedding for years (before they knew who they'd marry) but most of my guy friends don't start thinking about it until the months before. I say "get onboard early" and participate. It's a fun process and worth spending some time thinking and dreaming about it.

Oh, and bring lots of tip money. I nearly ran out before I had to tip the limo dude. Sorry, man.



Thanks, Van, for the interview! And, for the rest of you, here are some more of the beautiful images from Van's wedding:

Calling All Men!! It's Guy's Week!!!

You heard right, ladies. This week, it's all about the men. I tend to neglect the Disney grooms, often speaking directly to the brides and assuming that my readers are all women. Well, I'm happy to announce that it's not true. Men do read this blog! (Ok, three men...that I know of...maybe there's a fourth? A fifth?)

Anyway, I'll be speaking to the guys this week and featuring some of our long neglected Disney grooms. But first, I need to start by talking about the guy that is THE man when it comes to Disney weddings.

Ladies and gentleman, it's David Tutera.


Wedding expert David Tutera is the host of My Fair Wedding, the author of numerous event planning books, and the man behind Disney's Couture Weddings. He's even designed a special line of upscale wedding products for Disney weddings.

I simply couldn't start Guy's Week with anyone else! And I definitely couldn't start the week without a giveaway, right?



Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a copy of David Tutera's Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. Just leave a comment on this post that answers the unanswerable question: What do men really want on their wedding day? Remember, those who don't play, don't win!

Good luck!

UPDATE: We have a winner!

Engagement Spotlight: Jenny + Beth

Locations used: Disneyland and California Adventure
Photographer: Teegan Photography

How to Book a Specialty Cruise at Walt Disney World

This is a reprint of an article that I wrote for Associated Content:

Although many people are sad to see their day in a Walt Disney World park come to an end, the spectacular fireworks displays at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom cheer them right up. Unfortunately, getting a good spot to watch the fireworks can be an unnecessarily stressful and annoying event. There are many good places from which to view Wishes, the fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom, and IllumiNations, the fireworks show at Epcot, but often the best places to watch these shows are held hours in advance by tourists who know what they're doing. If you're a first-time visitor or simply a guest who doesn't want to waste park time holding down a spot, you might find your fireworks viewing to be somewhat compromised when you realize that everyone else in the park is standing in front of you.

Wedding Photos and What To Do With Them

You know how I went on and on about how great it was that we sent out blank cds to collect everyone's pictures from our wedding? Well, after I wrote that post I thought to myself, "You know, I should really do something with those. It's been more than a year and I haven't even really gone through all of them." The nice people at Blurb had given me a $60 gift certificate to make a book and they're doing free shipping right now, so I decided to sit down yesterday and make myself put all of those wedding pictures into some sort of organized album.

Holy heck.

I sat down yesterday afternoon with the thought that I would just make a simple album (no text) and that way I'd at least have all the photos in a book. I started pulling photos from the various folders and hard drives that they ended up on and finally got them all into one place. And you know what? There were 5,296. FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX PHOTOS!

That, in case you were wondering, is far too many photos.

We have a Winner!!! - Etsy Seller Serendipity

We have a winner for this week's giveaway and it is...J.R.!

J.R. on March 15, 2010 5:41 PM said...

That is tough! I think for our wedding invites, I'd like to see one with our "logo" on it. Granted, I am working on the logo, but it would comprise of our initials...J&K.

For a postage stamp in general, I would like a picture of "Speedy Delivery" Mr. McFeely from Mr. Rogers. I think seeing him on my mail would bring a smile to my face...and it seems only appropriate he would be on a piece of mail ;)

Congrats, J.R., you were lucky #2 this week when I generated a random number! Send me an email at thatdisneygirl at gmail dot com and I'll hook you up with your prize.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Check back tomorrow for this week's special giveaway...

A Disney Cruise with the Roots

Did this week make anyone else want to just jump on a plane, fly to Florida, and set sail for Castaway Cay? Well, I'd love to be like Oprah and give everyone a free Disney Cruise (how much fun would 200 Disney Wedding fans on a boat be?!), but alas I am not Oprah. I'm not even Ellen. So, no free Disney Cruises for you guys. Or for me. :(

BUT, what I can do is share these awesome photos the Roots took when they were photographing Cassie + JB's Disney Cruise reception. A detailed photo tour is almost like being there, right?

Thank you, Nathan and Jensey, for the photos!!