Cinderella Fever Continues....And We Love It

I am NOT  getting married , but if I were I know three things to be true.
1. It would be at Disney
2. I would wear a Cinderella dress
3. I would still choose the man I'm married to now. I kinda like him

Hot for the holiday season Alfred Angelo debuted it's Diamond Runway show on YouTube today so you know we had to check it out. The gowns are available now through March. Look for special trunk shows at Alfred Angelo Signature stores and their partner stores. Lord above they even have a " Glass Slipper " blue fabric. If a girls gonna get married at Disney why not go all out?

Speaking of Disney be looking out for some fun Cruise posts and tweets as Davina prepares for her big birthday , Christmas cruise! And the answer is yes...I am jealous.

~ Karen

Crafty Wednesday (or Friday) - For the Disney Bride

It's Friday and I was supposed to get this up on Wednesday. So lets just say it's "Wedfriday". Besides, crafts don't care what day of the week it is. They are crafty all week long.

Here's goes my Disney Bride inspired finds...

I got married at Disney (see part one of my wedding below if you don't believe me). I feel like I say that a lot and to a whole mix of reactions. There is a "wow" -- as in "wow, that is really weird". There is the "WOW!" -- as in "WOW! I am so jealous I didn't think of it." And everything in between.



No matter the reaction, I know it was an awesome decision and for any future Disney bride, ignore the haters. Let your Disney Bride flag fly. Some crafty finds to help you make your special day even more... well, special.

For your shoes: Sparking Mickey "I DO" stickers for the sole of your shoes ($6.99). In case you can't say it loud enough, you can just kick up your heels. There are loads of colors to chose from but I think the subtle silver sparkles are nice.

A cheat sheet just in case you forget your line.

For your wall: Never forget your anniversary date with a Mickey inspired anniversary date wall art. ($10.00 - cheap because its a digital file, nothing is printed. You get the file and have it printed someplace else)

Great. Now I want a cupcake. Thanks Jeff and Nicole.

For the Wedding Guests: You know you need wedding favors, but you also need something to put those favors in. These "Happily Ever After" bags might be cooler than the actual favor inside ($22.00 for 20)

Who cares about the votive holder. This bag is a keeper.

Happy Wedding Planning! Just don't forget to invite us.

~Davina

More Dreamy Disney Wedding Dresses = Torture For The Married Lady

   In my mind I see my dreamy vow renewal at Disney- perfect for a freak like me and my two Disney freak children. It's an excuse for a trip AND I get to be the center of attention, which I somehow seem to like more than I should. The wrinkle in my vow renewal is my husband . It basically will never happen as he loathes being the center of attention and Mickey is a friend he likes to visit occasionally, not yearly, monthly, weekly ( dream on ) like myself.

  So, I look at all the Disney inspired wedding dresses and I dream of my renewal that will never happen. I've had my one Disney wedding to attend and I fear it will never happen again. So please feel free to invite me after looking at all these beautiful dresses from the new 2013 collection. Each one inspired by a princess, suitable for all different body types and personalities.



Ariel-because even underwater she looked fine. Make her hair red please



Jasmine Kardashian



Rapunzel- If it lands you Zachary Levi more power to you



Aurora AKA Sleeping Beauty- Flora won...it's pink



Cinderella...yes that's right CINDERELLA. This picture doesn't represent that to me at all. Not sure when a woodworker
in a bad vest slipped her shoe on. I like Davinas picture much better from the Louboutin post




Snow White inspired. Girl went and ate the poison apple

The entire collection of new and old Disney dresses can be found here. We'll be sure to RSVP yes to anyone who invites us to their Disney wedding


~ Karen

http://www.alfredangelo.com/disney/#disneytop

Will someone I know please get married at Disney World

While Davina is away at Disney all I can do is sit here in the frozen tundra and dream of rollercoasters, mouse ears and dole whips. I google Disney news just to see what I am missing. It's awful to say the least.

With the help of Lizzie I did discover some new Disney wedding dresses by Alfred Angelo to chat about as a follow up to my previous post " Fireworks, castles and gowns..oh My! "


Check out the new styles at the website below

http://www.disneybridal.com/


The Ariel style is the one posted above and I' not sure if it's the picture I love, the gown or just the fact that's it's Ariel..a fellow redheaded princess

What's your favorite?



~ Karen

Disney Facebooking brides..read on

If you are currently on Facebook and “like” the Disney fairytale wedding site then here’s a new update for you. Naturally if your not getting married there any time soon then you can ignore me.

This past week they have added a new interactive feature for future brides that you can access by clicking on the "Create a Site" tab on the top of the page. When there you can customize your own page and allow all friends and family , Facebookers or not, to stay up to date on all your wedding details. Share photos and keep all guests up to date on any potential park or wedding changes. It also is a fun way to ask opinions on anything from the dress to the food.

Facebook is known for their fun questions and polls, so create your own for your wedding guests. You can even keep everyone up to date on who’s RSVP’d and after the wedding is over keep the fun going with honeymoon photos. Remember to use this you must first “like” the Disney page then you can create away.

My big question is where was this when I was workin my planning magic for Davina? I like a good poll or two. We could have polled each other on who drank the most wine at California Grill after her ceremony. It may have been a tie.

~ Karen

Who does'nt love a photo booth?

I had to write about this because I think it's fantastic.

Disney now has the options for brides to add a photo booth to their reception instead of the disposable cameras that sometimes get lost, not used or used to take 24 pictures of a strangers dirty feet. I am a fan of the photo booth and would love to go to a wedding that had one. I would prefer that it be a wedding of someone I am close too so I can be free to take as many stupid pictures as possible. Imagine the end of the night pics after many cocktails? Priceless..

~ Karen

Dessert party at Disney..and you're all invited!

Yet another great wedding add on by WDW is a personal dessert party for the bride, groom and guests. For a fee of $22 a person you and your guests can choose between an Illuminations dessert party at Epcot or a Fantasmic one at Hollywood Studios.. I'm gathering that this might be best for a more intimate crowd and also a great way to celebrate a vow renewal or anniversary.

What you get...

For an IllumiNations Dessert Party, your group is admitted to Epcot at about 8:30 pm. IllumiNations starts at 9:00 pm and runs about 12 minutes. Your event concludes about 9:30 pm. During the party, your guests will enjoy a buffet of yummy desserts and non alcoholic drinks. Alcoholic beverages can be added on for a higher price and trust me...I would add on the bevs.

For a Fantasmic Dessert Party, your group is admitted to Hollywood Studios at about 30 minutes before the park closes. The show usually starts around the time of "official" park closing and runs about 25 minutes. Your event concludes about 30 minutes after the show ends. During the party, your guests will enjoy a buffet desserts and again, nonalcoholic drinks.

I have been trying to find more info on the official wedding site to make sure that all pricing is up to date and accurate, but it has'nt been easy. For some reason their site seems very random but trust me..it all sounds delicious!

~ Karen

Franck says..head over to the Grand Floridian for some wedding cake

Located directly next door to the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian is a recreation of Franck’s Bridal Studio from the popular movie “Father of the Bride”. Anything and everything wedding related can be found here, all housed in a beautiful, relaxing, Victorian setting. Future Disney brides can meet here with a wedding specialist to plan out all aspects of their big day. From the flowers to cakes, music, decorations, guest books to linens…it’s all here.

What a fantastic way to see actual elements that can be incorporated into your ceremony or reception, while listening to beautiful classical music in a tranquil setting. Sample some flavors of cake (YUM!) or take some photos at Picture Point to see just how beautiful a view it really is.
So shake that wedding planning stress off and head over to Francks’ Bridal Studio for their open house on Saturday August 28th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. , Disney’s Wedding Pavilion – 4401 Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Why this did'nt happen when Davina got married there I'll never know. Phooey on me for not being prepared enough to plan a girls trip around Franck. I will think of it though as a good excuse to utilize Franck's services when she has her 5 year anniversary vow renewals. You better be ready Brian ! ( Mr. Davina )

~ Karen

THE CAPTAIN AT MY WEDDING? YES PLEASE...

Disney announced recently that all you pirate loving, swashbuckling couples can now have a pirate themed WDW wedding. Complete with pirate cake, favors, decorations and flowers. The pictures I have seen all look great and very different. Personally I think that some of the themes seem to be an overkill and a bit gawdy, but this one looks super cute.

If you are a pirate lover and looking for something different, then this is for you. What a great way to tie in all the Pirate’s of the Carribean movies with a fun Disney twist. And girl...if Captain Jack starts making appearances at pirate weddings, then I’m going to have to run to WDW and have myself a pirate vow renewal! (say this in your best Niecy Nash voice)

~Karen -AKA.. Mrs. Captain Jack Sparrow

ESCAPE FOR A DISNEY WEDDING

After the excitement of the proposal winds down and the celebratory confetti has settled, you and your bride or husband to be may be at the point where your ready to decide on the best place for your wedding. You’re a huge WDW fan but you just don’t know if you can afford it or let’s say you only have a handful of people you want to invite. On the other side of the scale you could be ready to go all out and get married with a grand boom! Either way WDW has 3 different wedding packages for you to choose from. They are perfect for all budgets and styles. From an intimate gathering to a gala event, it’s up to you to decide.

The three collections are
- Escape
- Wishes
- Couture



Today I’ll talk about the Escape collection which Davina and I have personal experience with. Davina decided to get married at WDW a few years ago and wanted to keep it a small, simple affair. She had envisioned a tropical , Hawaiian style wedding but that proved to be a difficult task. I was traveling with her as her maid of honor with my husband and two small children. A 12 hour plus flight was not in the cards for me. The perfect solution was the Polynesian Resort…mini Hawaii! They offered the Escape collection there which is listed as an “Exotic” choice. Ceremonies are 7 days a week at Sunset Pointe.You could also choose between 4 different ceremony times which made it more convenient. It truly was gorgeous with Cinderella’s castle in the background, Hawaiian music playing and a perfect cropping of palm trees surrounding the bride and groom. Keep in mind that this site will only technically accommodate 8 people, but more are welcome to watch from the beach.

Other Exotic locations include an open air elevated veranda in Canada at Epcot. It looks out onto the World Showcase in one direction and has the mountains behind you. Maximum guest number is 20, but you can only have your ceremony at 9 a.m. Sunrise Terrace at the Wilderness lodge also looks like a gorgeous spot. Elevated on the 4th floor with a view of the untouched area surrounding Bay Lake. Maximum guest count here is 8 and you can also choose from four different ceremony times here.

If your feeling more magical then head over to the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian. This site can accommodate 20 guests and has wonderful views of the lagoon and castle . Pictures would be great here surrounded by all the beautiful foliage. Ceremonies are 7 days a week.

If your idea of romance includes saying “yes” in a romantic garden setting then choose a garden ceremony location. Head over to sea Breeze Point at Boardwalk Resort. Say your vows In a classic white gazebo on the shores of Crescent lake. Maximum guest count is 18 with 4 different ceremony times to choose from.

If you’re in a New England state of mind then the Yacht Club Resort wedding gazebo is the perfect choice for you. Surrounded by roses with architecture that will remind you of the beach hotels of classic New England. Again the guest count is 18 with 4 different times to choose from.

With all of these you also get flowers, a cake and champagne, violinist, limousine, WDW photographer and a personal wedding website. Add ons are always available for a cost. At Davinas wedding Mickey himself appeared looking quite dapper in a top hat and coat tails. Needless to say he was a huge hit with the kids, but I couldn’t wait to get my picture with him as well. It’s not every day you can dance at a wedding with the head cheese himself.

I think he loved me.

~Karen

A Disney Wedding: Part 1 - Picking a Location

Let me start by saying, I am not a princess bride. My dream wedding was always on a beach with only a handful of people attending. Bare feet, palm trees, and the most basic of dresses rounded out my fantasy ceremony. So I think it came as a surprise to just about everyone when I chose Disney as my wedding destination.

Disney? Cinderella's hometown? It just didn't add up. Well actually, it did-- in a really bizarre way. My dream wedding destination was Hawaii. It was my first choice until I really thought about what I was asking family and friends to do. Not that people would not love Hawaii-- just traveling 12 plus hours did not seem fair.

I checked other beach locations on the East Coast but I could not let Hawaii go. I fretted over the destination until one day my mom said to me, "you could always get married at Disney's Polynesian. It's like fake Hawaii." A light-bulb went off and the idea steamrolled. I had never even thought about Disney as a wedding destination and had no idea if they even allowed weddings on the Polynesian site - but it seemed too perfect and idea to let pass by.

Turns out, they not only hosted the weddings at the Polynesian, but they have a whole wedding planning department that can make almost any wedding dream come true.

You want to ride to the wedding in cinderella's coach? Check.
How about Mickey as a guest? Check.
Pictures in front of the castle? Check.

Picking a location became as easy as a phone call to the Fairy Tale Wedding 800 number.

~Davina

Next Up: A Disney Wedding: Part 2  - My Best Friend the Wedding Planner (check out her most recent post for all the Disney wedding updates)

Fireworks, castles and gowns..oh my!

Have you ever dreamed of getting married at the most magical place on Earth? Having an illuminated castle as your backdrop , fireworks sparkling overhead or a large mouse dressed in a top hat as a wedding guest? Well I have and I've been married for the last 10 years. Too late for me but not for you, you lucky princess.

Walt Disney World weddings are extremely popular even though some might never have considered it. When my best friend decided to get married there I sprang into planning mode, after my heart stopped palpitating from excitement, and began to do my wedding research. There's a package for all budgets, all wedding sizes...if you've envisioned it chances are Disney can do it. There is so much to discuss about WDW weddings that I'll have to break it down weekly as my fingers just can't handle all the typing. Things are always happening so count on me to keep you in the know. Today I'm going to start with two of my favorite things..fireworks and gowns. Oooooohhh.....

Recently WDW just released new info on adding a little sparkle to your wedding reception with your own personal fireworks display. Seriously how fabulous is that? At the end of a magical day you can surprise all your guests with a fireworks display made just for you. A champagne toast with Cinderellas Castle glowing in the background and fireworks overhead. Sign me up. The cost, I don't know , but if your going to go the distance to get married at WDW then save those pennies and make it a night to remember for all.

Now how about the gown? Designer Kirstie Kelly has partnered with Disney and has a collection of gowns aimed at making any princess happy. Feeling like Cinderella? She's got the look. More of a Snow White gal? She's got that too. After looking at the collection I found myself partial to the Giselle gown . I may be biased by her red hair or the fact that Prince Edward is a favorite. You can even pick out the matching his and her rings at the site as well. Talk about easy one stop shopping .

http://www.disneybridal.com/

Disney is quite frankly an ideal place for a "destination" wedding. It offers something for everyone and obviously very family friendly. With so many different reception sights to choose from , from the exotic to traditional, it's a winner in my autograph book.

Next time we'll talk about all the different locales to choose from. I'm dreaming of Epcot as I type this and envisioning an exotic Moroccan wedding, where guests enter through an authentic Koutoubia minaret, smell roast lamb and olive trees and..... hey look there's Donald Duck!

Karen

Is Disney World just for kids? Oh hellllllllll no!

When Davina got engaged and started her quest for the perfect, low key destination wedding I crossed my fingers, rubbed Buddhas belly for luck and prayed to the Mouse gods that Disney World would somehow end up on her short list of options. Well don't you know that her quest for a tropical setting would lead her , and me, right up to the doors of the Polynesian Resort. Buddha...many thanks.

Once her decision was made of where to have her wedding at the beautiful Poly this naturally called for a girls trip. When I say girls trip I don't mean a caravan of biddies trying to get their groove back, I mean just Davina and me..really you don't need more than just your bestie. Because the wedding was going to be miles from our Massachusetts homes we decided that of course we had to go check out the hotel rooms and possible restaurants for a reception dinner. We absolutely had to stand in the spot where the ceremony would be. While we're their why not check out the spas and salons too? And no trip would be complete without riding all the rides as well. This was right after Pirates of the Caribbean was refurbished and the animatronic Captain Jack was put in. Oh did we ride that more then just a few times..

So much planning so little time.

But really this first "girls only" trip to Disney would pave the way for more and create some memories that will last forever. There are a multitude of "grown up" activities at Disney World so don't write it off for your next girls trip. We of course did the parks and rode all of our favorites because really no trip is complete without it. We also checked out the Spa at the Swan and Dolphin. Ahhhh...massages and me time. Lounging by the pool with a few tropical drinks before getting ourselves ready for a FANTASTIC dinner at California Grill. Our server was phenomenal and I think just a wee bit happy to encounter 2 girls without kids who wanted to drink some fine wine. Is there really any better way to end your day than watching the fireworks from the observation deck there with a glass of champagne? The answer would be no.

California Grill would become the place for Davina's post-wedding dinner. Because of our wonderful experience there it's now our favorite restaurant to go to and we plan a visit each girls trip. Husbands are also allowed to tag along too.

The long and short of it is Disney World is not just for kids or families..but for friends looking to get together, reconnect, relax, revel in feeling like a kid again, and in our case plan what would be the best day of ones life. Thanks for letting me be a part of it all D. Girls trip 2011 coming soon!

Karen