Anjanette & Jason Disneyland Hotel PJ (May 8, 2010) -- We're back! 5/15

[MainStMandy]

OMG LOVE LOVE your song choice!! The Luckiest is one of my favorite songs...near the top of my list for "Our" song. Those invitations are pretty too!!

 

[ghoulish delight]

I'm a SUPER star wars geek. I have SW legos and my brother even bought me a life size Han Solo cutout haha. I have figures as well. It doesn't hurt I have 2 older brothers so I was more into Star Wars than barbies. I definitely want to include it in the wedding somehow. And don't forget about Lurkyloo. At her MK shoot they did the Luke/Leia pose from Episode 4.


And I LOVE that necklace. I think it would be so lovely with your dress. I don't think you'd need dramatic earrings as well, especially with a birdcage veil.

That rocks! I certainly identify. I have two older brothers too! So I used to play with their Star Wars toys, Transformers and Ninja Turtles. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum... I had My Little Ponies also. Hehe. I'm sure you'll think of some kick butt way to include your Star Wars love!

And thank you! I tend to agree. I'm not a big jewelry kind of girl to begin with, so I think a pretty necklace would be enough for me. I'd probably get some simple sparkly or pearl earrings if I go with that necklace.

Ok I love the topper it is super cute! I think if you are both NMBC fans then go for it, and dressing up jack and Sally would be super cute... maybe make them mini Mickey Bride and Groom ears lol! The lyrics are perfect too, maybe use them as a theme throughout the wedding... they are just perfect!

As far as the jewlery, I got the snow white earrings from that line and I really like them, but I see what you mean about pieces not really being mix and matchable. The Belle set is very elegent though, I saw it at a bridal store and it really sparkled, I think with eithier one you will be fine. Good quality pieces and unique styling too

Thank you!! I absolutely adore that cake topper! I'm going to try my best to coax my DF into wanting it too. He's not 100% opposed, he's just unsure.

I remember seeing your earrings! They are beautiful, and will look beautiful on you for sure! I'm going to try and go to one of the bridal stores that carries the jewelry so I can get a better idea, me thinks. Because I'm pretty hooked on that Ariel one, but I've got to see it in person.

OMG LOVE LOVE your song choice!! The Luckiest is one of my favorite songs...near the top of my list for "Our" song. Those invitations are pretty too!!

Very nice!! Ben Folds is an amazing musician! So much talent, and so overlooked! We figure most people will be hearing it for the first time, so it'll be nice. You have to let me know if you and your DF decide on using it also!

 

[ghoulish delight]

Bit of an update!
DF and I were talking and decided picking out a photographer would be our next wedding endeavor. I've had my eye on this one photographer that was recommended to me by my MoH (her best friend's sister's wedding was done by them). So, I left my information earlier today and got a call back this afternoon.

I set up an appointment for us to meet with her same day we meet with our wedding coordinator for the big planning session. The reason I did it same day, is because this photographer is conveniently enough in Anaheim and very close to the Disneyland Hotel! So, we'll go do our weddingy stuff, and then go hang out at the park the rest of the day.

Most of you other Disbrides are on the opposite side of the country, but check out her wedding gallery on her website if you'd like - http://www.squareeyephoto.com. I really like her style!

 

[anewmac]

I just saw where you were from in another planning journal and wanted to say howdy neighbor.. what a small world LOL

Ok now to catch up on your wedding details. Finally a Dland wedding! Cant wait to read all about it!

 

[ghoulish delight]

I just saw where you were from in another planning journal and wanted to say howdy neighbor.. what a small world LOL

Ok now to catch up on your wedding details. Finally a Dland wedding! Cant wait to read all about it!

Awesome! I figured, for sure, nobody would know whereabouts I lived. Hehe. I'm in Temecula more often than Wildomar too!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

[ghoulish delight]

Update on the last update (& then some)
Sooo... scratch the appointment with that photographer. I'm very bummed to say that she called and left me a voicemail today, explaining she'd have to cancel our appointment because our wedding date is booked with her now. She's the only photographer I've really liked so far, that wasn't outrageously priced... sigh. Guess I have to keep looking.

I know most of you girls are not in the California area, but if anyone has any recommended photographers for out here, I'd love to hear about 'em!

Anyhoo, onto happier things...

Possible honeymoon ideas!
Originally, we were going to do a mini road trip up to northern California for our honeymoon. I'm sort of chicken about planes, and we just didn't have the money to do much else. Well, Jason's father has offered to give us two thousand dollars as a wedding present so we can have a better honeymoon.

Lately, the DF and I have been discussing places. We narrowed it down to Hawaii (I've never been there, and yes I know it's a cliche honeymooning spot Lol) and Walt Disney World (neither of us has been there). After looking up prices for hotels in Hawaii... WDW is looking like it's going to win out.

The thing is, I really want to stay at one of the deluxe hotels. This would easily tag on an extra $1500 for us, but I'm wondering if it's worth it? I think it would be nice to stay somewhere a bit classier and more romantic, being that it's our honeymoon. The Polynesian Resort has me most interested. Any of you ladies stayed there, and what did you think? Any info on the hotels would be most welcomed and appreciated!

And, last but not least!

DF/Groomsmen tux appointment
This coming Monday, Jason and I have an appointment at Men's Wearhouse to pick out his tuxedo and the groomsmen. Seeing as the photographer one didn't pan out, I'm looking forward to this one. The sooner we get this squared away, the sooner the boys can get in there and get fitted! So yay! I will update next week after the choices are all made.

 

[Bride-to-be]

YAY for the WDW honeymoon - if you have never been you are going to love it!!!

I know you don't like planes but hear me out....

I think florida is great - but at the same time I just want to point out that you could probably do hong kong DL for the same price (or less). You can buy an annual pass for the park for less than $100 and their version of the GF is amazing and with the annual pass rooms are 50% off so they are like $150 a night for good rooms (plus I am sure they would upgrade you). Air from LAX is only like 600 RT with taxes. We didn't wait for in a single line the entire time it felt like we had the entire park and resort to ourselves and the rides are really really cool. I would really really look into it - just because its one of my most favorite places in the world.

 

[ghoulish delight]

Thanks Cassie! I'll definitely have to look into it! Ideally, our dream is to visit ALL of the Disney parks someday! Will we ever be able to afford it all? Probably not, but it's nice to think about! Hehe.

If I had it my way, and if we had the $$$, we'd be going to Japan for our honeymoon. Visit Tokyo Disney and the Disney Seas park while we're there. Honestly, I would love to go to DLP before that even, but Jason got to go there when he was in the army and stationed overseas.

We'll check out our options though, depending upon affordability!

OH! You know, on the matter of HKDL, you might be interested in this! I'm thinking we should talk to Jason's cousin! He works as a Dapper Dan regularly at DL here, but got sent to the Hong Kong park for the past 9 months or so. Maybe between you and him, we'll get persuaded into going there instead of WDW. Lol.

 

[Bride-to-be]

I begged and pleaded our guests to let us have our wedding there. I am so over the top in love with the place. Its so clean you could eat off the ground. Every morning they have people who specifically just clean out the inside of the trash cans - its really really amazing.

The DL hotel (GF =), well I can't say its a million times better than the WDW one b/c I don't want to upset a lot of people - but it is!!

Japan is super over priced. A cup of coffee is like $18. The Miracosta is fabulous! but its also like 600 a night. I loved Tokyo Disney Sea, but wasn't really fond of the DL park there - it was an exact replica of DL in CA and wasn't worth the trip to see it. The disneyland hotel in paris starts at like 800 a night. The prices are really really ridiculous.

HK is def a diamond in the rough and another plus is that Hong Kong used to be part of great britain up until the early 80s, so everyone speak english really well.

There is this super cool mickey subway that takes you straight from DL to downtown HK (you have to change trains once) but its soooo easy.

I have been to all of the parks. I could go on and on forever about HK but thats what I would do. We would def be honeymooning there - except we were just there and we are hoping to go back shortly anyway for a good friend of DFs wedding in HK.

WDW is really great too. If you have never been I am sure you will love it! The biggest difference is that HK is super relaxing because there isn't as much to do so you can take your time and not feel guilty about spend time napping by the pool. But at the same time WDW has sooo much more to do - and the fireworks are better. I guess a big part of it depends on what kind of a trip you have in mind.

Anyhoo let me know if I can help with anything.

 

[ghoulish delight]

That's so awesome! You're a lucky girl, having gotten to visit all the parks! That rocks!! I'm thinking that for the two of us, WDW is going to be most ideal. We want to check things out at our leisure, but we also want plenty to do.

So, my next question is... what of the WDW hotels have you stayed at, and which would you recommend?? I'm pretty convinced Polynesian Resort is my first pick, but what do you think? Have you stayed there before?

Thank you in advance, my dear!

 

[Bride-to-be]

I think the Poly could be a lot of fun! Everyone on the boards seems to rave about it. I didn't like it that much when we were there but thats just me and I am weird. An upside is being able to see the fireworks from the beach.

AKL is great we always have really liked staying there, plus its one of the cheaper deluxes. One of the downsides (maybe an upside?) is that its more secluded, you have to take the bus everywhere and the bus rides take a little longer. The restaurants are excellent. I have no complaints other than the distance away from all of the parks other than AK.

The GF is a bit stuffy but I think a lot of fun especially for a honeymoon. The MK is right there and I don't know I just always liked it. Its nice to walk back in the afternoon and have an orchestra playing in the lobby. You have to eat at Victoria and Alberts - its really an experience that I wouldn't miss.

Once when I was much younger we were in the hot tub and the last people to leave. I grabbed my bathrobe and the next morning stuck my hand in the pocket and pulled out this huge diamond ring!!! Not that it matters for anyone else stay but it was a huge highlight of mine - until my parents made me turn it in

DF has an obsession with the WL. It has a very rustic camp feel and the pool is very cool. It also has a really really cool restaurant with a wild west theme and unlimited refills on milkshakes! I think the rooms are very plain though. I also think the Poly rooms are plain as well.

My favorite waterslide is the yacht/beach club. I also like the Boardwalk just because its so easy to get to epcot and there is so much to do on the boardwalk itself.

When I was really little we always stayed at the Contemp just because it was the first stop coming back from the MK so it was easy for naps for my little sis. They recently redid all of the rooms to have a really modern feel. If you get a tower room facing the park - the view of the fireworks is really great and you can watch people go down splash mountain! Chef Mickeys is fun for breakfast but other than that I always felt the hotel kind of lacked in disney theming. The interior of the tower has been redone many times but still in my opinion looks kind of drab.

All of the resorts have positives and negatives and you just have to figure out what fits you guys best.

I don't know if it helps but for our guests we are putting everyone in either the WL (if DF gets his way) or the Contemp for the beginning and most likely the Boardwalk at the end. All three hotels were choosen mainly for convenience over everything else.

 

[Pirate's Princess]

Sorry to hear about the photographer. I'm sure you'll find an awesome one! You've got time.

Either honeymoon places sounds amazing. You could always go to WDW and do a cruise you can get both the disney and the tropical feel. I've only been to AKL and Poly's restaurants but from what I've seen the lobbies are really beautiful.

Also I was playing around on etsy.com and searched for disney wedding stuff and found these and immediately thought of you:



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.ph...ng&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=2&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

 

[MainStMandy]

If you decided on WDW have you thought about renting at DVC?? The one bedrooms have the best bathrooms complete with whirlpool tub!! It might not be that much more expensive and you can still add on the Dining Plan if you want! My vote is Boardwalk because it's my favorite...

 

[LLLBelle]

I love your wedding plans

The teal and purple are awesome colors. Your centerpieces are going to look lovely

I love your dress, it is gorgeous It is very Disney Princess

I look forward to more planning to read about

Oh, I vote for the first shoe and if you are changing shoes for the reception anyway, I would go for the cheaper one.

 

[ghoulish delight]

Thank you so much ladies for all the kind words and advice!!

Since I doubt I'll be able to post tomorrow, I figured I'd say it now...

WE'RE ONE YEAR AWAY FROM THE WEDDING!!!!!!!!



Hehe! I'll be at our planning session with Cynthia tomorrow (and visiting the park afterwards) but I had to post it! I'm getting so so so SO excited now! Hopefully I'll have lots of interesting stuff to update on when I get back from the session.

Take care and have a happy Friday everyone!

 

[beach bride 2010]

Yay for being one year out! I love your ceremony site. Last time I was at Disneyland I stayed at the DL Hotel and saw a wedding going on there and decided then and there that was where I wanted to get married. Unfortunately my family all lives on the east coast and has several children in it under 3 so travelling to DL wasn't a possibility and WDW won out.
If you've never been to WDW I'd definitely pick it for a honeymoon. This time of year is a great time to be at WDW. It's starting to get hot but is still manageable and the crowds are minimal. If you are a Star Wars fan you might even be lucky enough to be here during a Star Wars weekend. They change the dates of that every year but the flower and garden show at Epcot should be going on at that time too and I think the dates for that are already out.
It is also my dream to visit all the Disney Parks. I didn't think it would ever happen due to the cost but I was lucky enough to visit Tokyo and Hong Kong last year so now I only have one more park to go. DF was sent to work in HK for a few months so I took advantage of the free place to stay and there was no way I was flying that far and not stopping in Tokyo, especially since all the flights from Orlando connected in Tokyo anyways. I liked HK DL a lot but it is VERY small. After about 2 1/2 days there I'd seen and done absolutely everything (some several times) and this was Christmas/New Year's week so the park was really busy. I found I'd rather explore the rest of HK than go back to the Park and the rest of HK is pretty expensive. HK is an amazing city though and I'd go back in a heartbeat.
I wouldn't rule out going to Tokyo. I have a friend that lives on the West Coast and he flies there at this time of year for $600 or less round trip. The parks are amazing and you can stay in a hotel across the street and just walk to the monorail station. The people there didn't always speak English but they were soooo friendly and always willing to try or find someone that did.
If you end up at WDW look at the moderate hotels. They are a nice compromise if you can't afford a deluxe. If you've never been to WDW you probably won't be spending a lot of time in your hotel room anyhow. Port Orleans would be very nice for a honeymoon.
I can't wait to hear about your planning session!

 

[tiggersam00]

Thank you so much ladies for all the kind words and advice!!

Since I doubt I'll be able to post tomorrow, I figured I'd say it now...

WE'RE ONE YEAR AWAY FROM THE WEDDING!!!!!!!!



Hehe! I'll be at our planning session with Cynthia tomorrow (and visiting the park afterwards) but I had to post it! I'm getting so so so SO excited now! Hopefully I'll have lots of interesting stuff to update on when I get back from the session.


Take care and have a happy Friday everyone!

Congrats!!!! :Less then 1 Year then today Woohoo! I hope you have a great PS and an even better time at the park! I will admit I am a bit jealous that you are having fun in DL right now while I sit at work lol! Can't wait for all your updates

 

[spacerangerqueen]

That's so awesome! You're a lucky girl, having gotten to visit all the parks! That rocks!! I'm thinking that for the two of us, WDW is going to be most ideal. We want to check things out at our leisure, but we also want plenty to do.

So, my next question is... what of the WDW hotels have you stayed at, and which would you recommend?? I'm pretty convinced Polynesian Resort is my first pick, but what do you think? Have you stayed there before?

Thank you in advance, my dear!

My favorite resort is the Wilderness Lodge
I've never stayed at the Poly though. My MOH used to be a concierge there. If you are going with a moderate resort instead of a deluxe then I highly recommend Port Orleans Riverside. My parents always stay there, they even prefer it to the Wilderness Lodge lol Animal Kingdom Lodge is also really cool my mom wants to buy DVC there and we had a blast when she stayed there for a night in December. Also if you like Pirates they have new pirate themed rooms at Caribbean Beach which look really cool though I have not seen them in person.

Anyways,

yey! for one year!!!!

Hope your PS went well and can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

 

[ghoulish delight]

Yay for being one year out! I love your ceremony site. Last time I was at Disneyland I stayed at the DL Hotel and saw a wedding going on there and decided then and there that was where I wanted to get married. Unfortunately my family all lives on the east coast and has several children in it under 3 so travelling to DL wasn't a possibility and WDW won out.
If you've never been to WDW I'd definitely pick it for a honeymoon. This time of year is a great time to be at WDW. It's starting to get hot but is still manageable and the crowds are minimal. If you are a Star Wars fan you might even be lucky enough to be here during a Star Wars weekend. They change the dates of that every year but the flower and garden show at Epcot should be going on at that time too and I think the dates for that are already out.
It is also my dream to visit all the Disney Parks. I didn't think it would ever happen due to the cost but I was lucky enough to visit Tokyo and Hong Kong last year so now I only have one more park to go. DF was sent to work in HK for a few months so I took advantage of the free place to stay and there was no way I was flying that far and not stopping in Tokyo, especially since all the flights from Orlando connected in Tokyo anyways. I liked HK DL a lot but it is VERY small. After about 2 1/2 days there I'd seen and done absolutely everything (some several times) and this was Christmas/New Year's week so the park was really busy. I found I'd rather explore the rest of HK than go back to the Park and the rest of HK is pretty expensive. HK is an amazing city though and I'd go back in a heartbeat.
I wouldn't rule out going to Tokyo. I have a friend that lives on the West Coast and he flies there at this time of year for $600 or less round trip. The parks are amazing and you can stay in a hotel across the street and just walk to the monorail station. The people there didn't always speak English but they were soooo friendly and always willing to try or find someone that did.
If you end up at WDW look at the moderate hotels. They are a nice compromise if you can't afford a deluxe. If you've never been to WDW you probably won't be spending a lot of time in your hotel room anyhow. Port Orleans would be very nice for a honeymoon.
I can't wait to hear about your planning session!

Thanks so much for the advice!

I was actually looking into the Orleans hotels if we wouldn't be able to afford one of the deluxe ones for that many days. It looks pretty nice, and New Orleans Square is our favorite area in DL, so it might be a nice alternative. OH! And hopefully we will be going on a Star Wars weekend, like you said. That'd be perfect! Thank you for reading!

Congrats!!!! :Less then 1 Year then today Woohoo! I hope you have a great PS and an even better time at the park! I will admit I am a bit jealous that you are having fun in DL right now while I sit at work lol! Can't wait for all your updates

Thank you, thank you! Sadly we didn't go into the park afterall, but our PS was great! Be filling you all in on it in just a bit...

My favorite resort is the Wilderness Lodge
I've never stayed at the Poly though. My MOH used to be a concierge there. If you are going with a moderate resort instead of a deluxe then I highly recommend Port Orleans Riverside. My parents always stay there, they even prefer it to the Wilderness Lodge lol Animal Kingdom Lodge is also really cool my mom wants to buy DVC there and we had a blast when she stayed there for a night in December. Also if you like Pirates they have new pirate themed rooms at Caribbean Beach which look really cool though I have not seen them in person.

Anyways,

yey! for one year!!!!

Hope your PS went well and can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

All the hotels look so nice! I'm going to have a heck of a time deciding. The one thing that makes me feel good, is that several of you have mentioned a specific one is your favorite, but they've all been different. This tells me their resorts are pretty darn nice! I think I'd be thrilled to stay at any of them, so long as it's not the "value" ones. I'm sure those are just fine, but for a honeymoon, they seem sort of... uh, for lack of a better word, tacky.

Anyhoo, thank you!!! I'm just slightly excited about it! Hehe.


Now, I'm going to go make another post with all the updates from the PS...

 

[ghoulish delight]

Updates from the planning session!
I've returned from the PS (well, we did yesterday actually but y'know)! And I bear exciting new info regarding the wedding!

But before that, I'll share a smallish picture of what my DF's tux he picked out will look like. He's going to look so very handsome in it!:

ALRIGHTY! So, we were a few minutes late thanks to good ol' Californian traffic. But, I had called Cynthia to give her a heads up! Once we got there, parked, and all that we were much more relaxed and excited.

We covered everything! I'll start with menu, because it sounds delicious and I can't wait for our tasting!! Oh! And we finally took a picture of where our pre-reception will be held.

Pre-reception menu!
And, at the pre-reception our guests will be having the Heartland Selection and Crudites Array.

The Heartland Selection consists of: mild tillamook cheddar, laura chenel goat cheese rolled in chives, candied pecans & cracked black pepper, cheese torta: layers of cream cheeses with sun-dried tomato pesto & basil pesto, brie en croute with caramelized apples & pecans. Phew. Okay, and the

And the Crudites Array is: garden fresh baby vegetables displayed in a unique and bountiful presentation to include carrots, celery, red & yellow pear tomatoes, english cucumbers, asparagus, broccoli, & jicama with buttermilk bleu cheese & pepper herb.

Since we chose the harpist for our ceremony, we decided to have her continue over to the pre-reception to play more classy music for our guests. We won't get to be there for it, but I think it'll create an awesome atmosphere.

We're also going to have her price how much it'd be to drape material (with lighting in it) from around the chandelier in our reception area. I'm hoping it's not TOO pricey, because I've seen it before and it's just gorgeous. Here's to hoping!


Now onto our reception menu!
Artisan bread basket.

Caesar salad with baby romaine lettuce, focaccia croutons, parmesan crisp & tangy lemon dressing.

Roasted meyer lemon chicken breast with garlic jus, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus spears, carrots & squash.

Tahitian vanilla bean creme brulee with seasonal berries.

Freshly brewed coffee, decaf coffee, & specialty teas.

Business with the cake!
Yummy! Now, the good news is -- I TALKED DF INTO MY DREAM CAKE!

I explained to our coordinator what I had in mind, and she said that the pastry chef could of course make it happen. So, I ordered the cake topper as soon as I got home! It's going to be on top of a mad hatter styled cake. The cake itself with be primarily white, but will include our colors. Like, one tier will be black and white striped, another will be white with teal swirl designs, and another will be dark purple with white polka dots. Or something like that. Jason is good at drawing, so he's going to try and sketch up what we have in mind so we can send it to Cynthia.

We also decided on a different flavor for each tier of cake!

First tier: marble cake, white chocolate mousse, fresh red raspberries, with an amaretto cake soak.

Second tier: red velvet cake, with cream cheese filling.

Third tier: Lemon poundcake, coconut cream filling, with coconut rum cake soak. (We love love love coconut!)

For those of you who haven't seen, this will be our caketopper:

My next purchase is going to be our champagne flutes! WHICH by the way, we've cleared with Cynthia what we will be toasting with... our most favorite of Disney park drinks, MINT JULEP! We couldn't be happier! No icky tasting champagne for us. So, here's the glasses I'll be buying shortly for us:

Ummm... trying to make sure I covered the most interesting things! We're going with their standard white linens, which are nice on their own, but we're going to be having teal and dark purple napkins. We're doing white chair covers with sashes with the same colors too. One table will be dark purple napkins/sashes, another will be teal, and it'll alternate. Hopefully it'll look quite nice!

I think that about does it for now!

Since we were there on the actual one year from our big day, we went over and took pics of the roses in bloom. The weather was absolutely perfect, so we can only hope it'll be that nice next year! Here's a couple pictures of our site from yesterday.