A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes: A March 2011 Disney Wedding/Honeymoon Trip Report

It’s official! Brett and I are finally married and I couldn’t be more excited. We had the most perfect wedding day ever, at our most favorite place in the whole entire world. And of course, as expected, it went by all too quickly. I’m not going to lie, coming down off the high that was our Disney wedding/cruise/honeymoon has been tough. In fact, I'm hoping that writing up/posting this trip report will help me work through some of that. However, I’ve spent much of my spare time in the last few weeks staring at a blank word document... writer’s block? Never heard of it! :lol:

For the first time ever, in all my trip report writing, I did a pre-trip report. It lays out most of the wedding-related details, but for those of you out there who are like me and rarely read pre-trip reports, here’s a quick rundown of events:

Wednesday, March 16, 2011: Drive down, check in offsite for the night
Thursday, March 17, 2011: Check-in, Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Friday, March 18, 2011: Wedding Day, Sunset Pointe
Sunday, March 20, 2011: Board Disney Dream for a 4 night Bahamas cruise
Thursday, March 24, 2011: Check-in, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Sunday, March 27, 2011: Check out and head home

We kind of saw this trip as having three legs: Wedding/Cruise/Disney!

A look back at our Disney trip reports: September 2008 (Contemporary), December 2008 (Old Key West), January 2009 (Port Orleans Riverside & Disney Marathon), July 2009 (Wilderness Lodge Villas/Animal Kingdom Lodge), December 2009 (Beach Club Villas), March 2010 (Pop Century & Princess Half), June 2010 (Coronado Springs), August 2010 (Polynesian & Engagement), December 2010 (Kidani Village)

This was our first time on DCL, however, we’ve cruised a handful of times before. So if anyone is interested, those trip reports can be found here: May 2009 (Carnival Liberty), December 2009 (Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas), May 2010 (Emerald Princess), June 2010 (Norwegian Sky)

Oh dear. I feel like I’m embarking on what will be the longest trip report EVER (and I’ve written some long ones). My apologies in advance, as it will likely take awhile to get this report up in its entirety. The good news though, is that I’ve completed the text all the way up through the wedding, so we’ll get to that part fairly quickly!

With all that said, let the memories begin...

 

[blackthidot]

We devoured our sandwiches and talked about how crazy packed DTD was, before Brett pointed out how hungry I must’ve been because I didn’t take a picture of our meals. :lol: I won’t let that happen again, my friends, not again.

I was just about to start complaining!!!

 

[blackthidot]

My parents weren’t that put out by it and were taking the “It’s no big deal, it’ll be okay” approach, but it upset me; mostly because it was their first trip and I wanted everything to be perfect. Regardless of that though, in my opinion, a room that goes for a rack rate of $540 per night in peak season should NEVER be in this kind of condition when a guest checks in. I thought they should call about the issues, because I figured the folks at the front desk would make it right, but my parents had a good point that they didn’t have time. Plus, it would’ve been a major inconvenience to try and switch rooms the morning of the wedding, so I let it go. I just really hated that this happened to them.

You should DEF still write to them and explain all that happened and why you really did not have time to address the issue. They WILL make it right for you.

 

[blackthidot]

So did you ever find out what they were snickering about???

 

[blackthidot]

At some point, my mom gave me a little something special. For those of you who followed along with my pre-trip report, you know that I have a younger sister, Lani, who passed away when she was 12. You also know that to honor her, my mom and I decided to sew angel charms into our dresses. What I didn’t know is that my mom went above and beyond. She took one of Lani’s cloths that she had kept, sewed a piece of lace from her own wedding dress around the edges of it and embroidered it with purple thread to create a handkerchief for me. It was breathtaking... and of course, caused me to cry. And cry. And cry. It wasn’t the “one-pretty-glistening-tear” kind of cry either, so it’s a really good thing my mom had the foresight to give it to me before Laine did my makeup. :lol:

Wow amazing story, amazing mother. That is awesome she was able to make Lani a part of your wedding/dress. Very very touching story.

 

[blackthidot]

After all the dress stress, I found the dress of my dreams. No seriously, she’s made of the softest, most romantic ruffles…
All you recent brides out there are probably familiar with the personalized metal wire dress hangers sold on Etsy. Well, I knew I wanted one, but it took me forever to decide on the personalization. Commonly you see the name of the bride and groom on the hangers, but this doesn’t really make much sense to me, because it’s just the bride’s dress, you know? Eventually it hit me... Hollybelle would be the perfect personalization (notice I also ended up using this on my garment bag). And I loved how it looked with all the swooping letters. As soon as Jason put my dress on the hanger though, it wilted. Although, I’m not surprised because the dress was quite heavy (except when wearing it). Obviously, Jason wasn’t surprised either, because he had come prepared with an in-case-of-emergency lingerie hanger. Yep, he's definitely a professional!

Haha I thought you meant potato chips! :lookaroun

Look at how the ‘b’ has totally smashed into the ‘y’

That is it! Mine is gonna say blackthidot!!!!!!!

 

[blackthidot]

Time was running out so it was time to head back to the Poly, get some lunch, and get married… I guess.

Hahaha love this line Brett!

Seriously though congrats to both of you! You guys through your stories and photos have made me now want to take a Disney Cruise AND get married in Disney World.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

that is it! Mine is gonna say blackthidot!!!!!!!

hahahahahahaha

 

[mamamouse]

Actually I was wondering the same,my guess is they were wondering when you'd make them grandmas lol(thatys what I'd be thinking about if my daughters were old enough to get married):animwink:

So did you ever find out what they were snickering about???

 

[HollyBelle]

Full frame is absolutely what I'm thinking! The 50D doesn't handle noise nearly as well as I was hoping. I've heard the 60D handles it much better, but I'm skipping that and the 7D and going for full frame as soon as I can.

I'm considering the 60D, so that's good to hear. Mark IV here you come!

I was just about to start complaining!!!

:lol:

You should DEF still write to them and explain all that happened and why you really did not have time to address the issue. They WILL make it right for you.

Yeah... my mom actually called the resort (upon my insisting exactly that, that they would make it right) and they really didn't do anything. I mean, at the very least I hope they've fixed all the issues with the door/bed/faucets for future guests, but there wasn't much more than an "I'm sorry... thanks for letting us know." I was pretty peeved by the whole thing, but I've let it go now.

So did you ever find out what they were snickering about???

You know... I'm not sure but I think it may have had to do with the fact that Kathy had plans to decorate the car before we left for Port Canaveral.

Wow amazing story, amazing mother. That is awesome she was able to make Lani a part of your wedding/dress. Very very touching story.

She really is so amazing, and the majority of the little details in our wedding really are all thanks to her. I would come up with an idea and she would find a way to make it happen and turn it into reality (like the leis, for example). The charm and handkerchief were the perfect touch.

That is it! Mine is gonna say blackthidot!!!!!!!

:sohappy: That is awesome... I'll PM you the seller's information. :lol:

Hahaha love this line Brett!

Seriously though congrats to both of you! You guys through your stories and photos have made me now want to take a Disney Cruise AND get married in Disney World.

Thanks, John! I'm sure you could get Colleen on board for at least one, if not both, of those things!!!

Actually I was wondering the same,my guess is they were wondering when you'd make them grandmas lol(thatys what I'd be thinking about if my daughters were old enough to get married):animwink:

:lol:

 

[blackthidot]

I'm considering the 60D, so that's good to hear. Mark IV here you come!



:lol:



Yeah... my mom actually called the resort (upon my insisting exactly that, that they would make it right) and they really didn't do anything. I mean, at the very least I hope they've fixed all the issues with the door/bed/faucets for future guests, but there wasn't much more than an "I'm sorry... thanks for letting us know." I was pretty peeved by the whole thing, but I've let it go now.

That is pretty crazy that they did nothing. Shocking actually!

You know... I'm not sure but I think it may have had to do with the fact that Kathy had plans to decorate the car before we left for Port Canaveral.

Maybe they were planning on hanging a "Please Disturb" sign on your door that night?

She really is so amazing, and the majority of the little details in our wedding really are all thanks to her. I would come up with an idea and she would find a way to make it happen and turn it into reality (like the leis, for example). The charm and handkerchief were the perfect touch.

Seems like she is. Tell her I was impressed. She will know who you mean! :ROFLOL:

:sohappy: That is awesome... I'll PM you the seller's information. :lol:



Thanks, John! I'm sure you could get Colleen on board for at least one, if not both, of those things!!!

Yeah maybe I'll book a Cruise without her knowing somehow?



:lol:

Ewwwwwww!!!!

 

[Soaringirl]

Wow Holly you have truly written a masterpiece!!!
Absolutely amazing! Completely enchanting!
You and Brett have certainly captured all our hearts.
I think I'm crying now both because it was so touching and because now it's so over.
It's been so nice to know that I would have your TR to read whenever I
had a few minutes. Then came that last day in Magic Kingdom, then
the trip back to Sunset Pointe and the slide show....
Well, I suppose all good things must come to an end, and so I just want to wish you two a lifetime of health and happiness.
Thanks for everything...

 

[meeskamickey]

As always, great TR and pictures!! I always enjoy reading your trip reports and my kids love looking at your pictures. Congratulations on your marriage. May you and Brett have many, many happy years of Disney travel ahead of you!!

 

[onelivelygirl]

I am new(ish) to the boards and I just found your trip report. Yesterday I spent most of my workday reading the report.:zipit: Thanks for sharing!

I really love the fact that your wedding was so intimate. You were gorgeous, Brett was handsome, and your families are beautiful. I dream of one day having my own Disney wedding, if my Prince would ever find me, and I want a small wedding, too. It just seems so meaningful to have only your family present. I am glad to see that it can be done so beautifully.

Since I am so far behind the other posts, I have made a list of things I would have responded to if I would have read your entry earlier. This WILL get long winded.

1. I don't usually like reading trip reports cause they make me jealous. Yours made me happy for you and Brett and made me consider writing one for my upcoming trip in Oct. (I am taking my toddler niece for her first trip and I am uber excited.)
2. You made me change my mind about DCL. I have never wanted to sail until reading your posts! Disney should reward you for all of the money I will spend with them in the future.
3. Love your VERA.
4. Your mention of Marcel and Top Chef makes me really happy.
5. I am really glad that you didn't include any pictures of the Alien scene from TGMR. You may not get The Wiz. of Oz but I am terrified of the Alien scene. (I'm 30) I just don't like moving characters. Especially scary ones. However, I frequent a theme park that has moving characters in most of its rides. It's ironic.
6. I love the mention of the family you saw during the MM and You. That show is lovely and my favorite part is Walt saying, "Welcome". I cry like a baby. But I love the fact that you watch families enjoy themselves at the parks. This is one of my favorite passtimes. I have no children of my own so I love to watch children in my favorite place. It is so different to see Disney through their eyes. Magical!
7. On your next trip to Basin you must try the shampoo bars.
8. I agree with you about Spectro. I would buy my annual pass just to see this parade and I live in New Orleans. I KNOW a good parade when I see one. Although, the good thing about MSEP is Elliott. I love that dragon!
9. Lastly, I have to commend you on picking "HRR" as a song for your wedding and on the video. One of my fave obscure Disney songs.

Congrats and Best Wishes!

 

[oommggitskait]

Oh I just about loved every minute of this trip report!
Glad to hear you two are settling into married life I bet it is an aboslutely amazing feeling!

LOVED the slideshow. And the Jack Johnson. Wonderful!

Only 8 more days for me, and although I'm not getting married this trip (maybe another trip?! haha) I hope I have half as much of a good time as it seems you and Brett did!

 

[disneygirl1]

Oh Holly! thank you so much for sharing your story with us!!! Can't wait for another Holly and Brett TR!

 

[BYancey]

I have just recently "joined" the forums, but have been reading for quite some time. *First post!!* I am getting married at WDW in February and am beyond excited. I've most certainly looked at every photo Disney has on their websites to give myself an idea about how my big day will unfold.. But I can't get enough. I'm like a Disney Wedding junkie or something I've been dying to see a fully documented (not just 4 generic pictures) WDW wedding for a while. THANK YOUUUUUUU :sohappy: I've been laying in front of my laptop for hours reading your trip report. What a treat it has been! We're also leaving on the Dream for our honeymoon after the wedding. Again, THANK YOU!! awesome pictures.. It's like you took one of everything I was wondering about. I am so excited now that I can hardly stand it!

 

[journ116]

First off, I must start by stating that I rarely read other people's trip reports. This is not because I find them uninteresting, but because it makes me long for my next Disney trip. However, after glancing over your very first post-trip report, I was glued in. Reading your blog allowed me to get my "Disney fix," without those pesky withdrawal feelings that no doubt arise immediately after returning home from the World. The report was full of humor, romance, anticipation, and of course all sorts of Disney tips! In fact, because of you, my family (DH, DD's 5 & 2) and I, along with my DH's parents, are planning on a cruise on the Dream for December of next year!

When your report came to a close, I was reminded of the last episode of "Oprah." Both were bittersweet, filled with inspiration and insight, and full of grateful "thank you's" to your viewers. However, your story left me smiling at my computer, knowing that I just read probably one of the best trip reports ever posted!:sohappy:

Thank you, for taking the time out of your days and nights to transcribe such a beautiful wedding and honeymoon for perfect strangers to enjoy! As I raise my mouse in a toast, "Here's to a happy and life-long marriage! May you both find magic in every sunrise and dreams in every sunset! Many blessings to you both!"

 

[HollyBelle]

Yeah maybe I'll book a Cruise without her knowing somehow?

Now that one would be hard to pull off! Good luck!

Wow Holly you have truly written a masterpiece!!!
Absolutely amazing! Completely enchanting!
You and Brett have certainly captured all our hearts.
I think I'm crying now both because it was so touching and because now it's so over.
It's been so nice to know that I would have your TR to read whenever I
had a few minutes. Then came that last day in Magic Kingdom, then
the trip back to Sunset Pointe and the slide show....
Well, I suppose all good things must come to an end, and so I just want to wish you two a lifetime of health and happiness.
Thanks for everything...

Thank you so much, Gloria! I really appreciate all your kind words.

As always, great TR and pictures!! I always enjoy reading your trip reports and my kids love looking at your pictures. Congratulations on your marriage. May you and Brett have many, many happy years of Disney travel ahead of you!!

Meeskamickey! Thank you so much.

I am new(ish) to the boards and I just found your trip report. Yesterday I spent most of my workday reading the report. Thanks for sharing!

I really love the fact that your wedding was so intimate. You were gorgeous, Brett was handsome, and your families are beautiful. I dream of one day having my own Disney wedding, if my Prince would ever find me, and I want a small wedding, too. It just seems so meaningful to have only your family present. I am glad to see that it can be done so beautifully.

Since I am so far behind the other posts, I have made a list of things I would have responded to if I would have read your entry earlier. This WILL get long winded.

1. I don't usually like reading trip reports cause they make me jealous. Yours made me happy for you and Brett and made me consider writing one for my upcoming trip in Oct. (I am taking my toddler niece for her first trip and I am uber excited.)
2. You made me change my mind about DCL. I have never wanted to sail until reading your posts! Disney should reward you for all of the money I will spend with them in the future.
3. Love your VERA.
4. Your mention of Marcel and Top Chef makes me really happy.
5. I am really glad that you didn't include any pictures of the Alien scene from TGMR. You may not get The Wiz. of Oz but I am terrified of the Alien scene. (I'm 30) I just don't like moving characters. Especially scary ones. However, I frequent a theme park that has moving characters in most of its rides. It's ironic.
6. I love the mention of the family you saw during the MM and You. That show is lovely and my favorite part is Walt saying, "Welcome". I cry like a baby. But I love the fact that you watch families enjoy themselves at the parks. This is one of my favorite passtimes. I have no children of my own so I love to watch children in my favorite place. It is so different to see Disney through their eyes. Magical!
7. On your next trip to Basin you must try the shampoo bars.
8. I agree with you about Spectro. I would buy my annual pass just to see this parade and I live in New Orleans. I KNOW a good parade when I see one. Although, the good thing about MSEP is Elliott. I love that dragon!
9. Lastly, I have to commend you on picking "HRR" as a song for your wedding and on the video. One of my fave obscure Disney songs.

Congrats and Best Wishes!

Welcome! Thank you for all the kind words… our day really was exactly what we wanted it to be and I think because of that the intimacy of it did make it somehow feel more special. I’m just glad that both Brett and I wanted the same type of wedding – it was nice that it fit both of our visions (and not just the bride’s ).

1. TOTALLY write a report.
2. Hmm… I’d be happy to settle for a complimentary cruise. :lol:
3. Love VERA in general!
4. Woohooo the new season of Top Chef shouldn’t be too far off.
5. Next time I’ll be sure to get an Alien shot for you. :lookaroun
6. I really do love watching other people experience the magic. And I can’t wait to see Disney through a child’s eyes. That is something I have yet to experience.
7. Okay, so the shampoo bars? Any one in particular you recommend? I was eying them the last time we were there and passed because I was unsure of whether or not they were a good substitute for the norm.
8. I’ve got to agree with you… Elliott is pretty fabulous. Seeing him the first time we watched MSEP really did take me back. I remember watching Pete’s Dragon as a kid.
9. Gotta love Lilo and Stitch. That was easily my favorite song choice for our wedding. Perfect for the Poly.

Oh I just about loved every minute of this trip report!
Glad to hear you two are settling into married life. I bet it is an aboslutely amazing feeling!

LOVED the slideshow. And the Jack Johnson. Wonderful!

Only 8 more days for me, and although I'm not getting married this trip (maybe another trip?! haha) I hope I have half as much of a good time as it seems you and Brett did!

You’re going to have a FABULOUS trip. And you leave so soon!

You’ve gotta love Jack… that’s probably my favorite song of his and I thought it was a good fit, and as a bonus, he’s from Hawaii. Perfect.

Oh Holly! thank you so much for sharing your story with us!!! Can't wait for another Holly and Brett TR!

Thanks, Reese!! Have fun on your upcoming trip.

I have just recently "joined" the forums, but have been reading for quite some time. *First post!!* I am getting married at WDW in February and am beyond excited. I've most certainly looked at every photo Disney has on their websites to give myself an idea about how my big day will unfold.. But I can't get enough. I'm like a Disney Wedding junkie or something I've been dying to see a fully documented (not just 4 generic pictures) WDW wedding for a while. THANK YOUUUUUUU I've been laying in front of my laptop for hours reading your trip report. What a treat it has been! We're also leaving on the Dream for our honeymoon after the wedding. Again, THANK YOU!! awesome pictures.. It's like you took one of everything I was wondering about. I am so excited now that I can hardly stand it!

Woohooo… congrats on the first post! You’re going to love this community. And an even bigger congrats on your upcoming wedding! Are you a Wedding Pavilion bride? I was totally a Disney wedding junkie leading up to the big day, as well. In fact, I still am to some degree. I did a pre-trip report, which is linked in the first post if you’re interested in some of the pre-wedding planning details. And Shelley (a member on this board, fashionista007) will be getting married in September… so be looking for her report, too! You can find her planning thread in the Weddings and Honeymoons subforum.

Have fun on the Dream… she’s a beauty. I’m glad you enjoyed my report!

First off, I must start by stating that I rarely read other people's trip reports. This is not because I find them uninteresting, but because it makes me long for my next Disney trip. However, after glancing over your very first post-trip report, I was glued in. Reading your blog allowed me to get my "Disney fix," without those pesky withdrawal feelings that no doubt arise immediately after returning home from the World. The report was full of humor, romance, anticipation, and of course all sorts of Disney tips! In fact, because of you, my family (DH, DD's 5 & 2) and I, along with my DH's parents, are planning on a cruise on the Dream for December of next year!

When your report came to a close, I was reminded of the last episode of "Oprah." Both were bittersweet, filled with inspiration and insight, and full of grateful "thank you's" to your viewers. However, your story left me smiling at my computer, knowing that I just read probably one of the best trip reports ever posted!

Thank you, for taking the time out of your days and nights to transcribe such a beautiful wedding and honeymoon for perfect strangers to enjoy! As I raise my mouse in a toast, "Here's to a happy and life-long marriage! May you both find magic in every sunrise and dreams in every sunset! Many blessings to you both!"

Yay! A Disney cruise on the horizon. Glad I could help with that. :animwink:

Thank you so much for all your kind words and just hearing that you were smiling at your computer at the end of the report really makes my day.

Your toast gave me chills… so thank you!

And just a thought… the best way to address those “pesky withdrawal feelings” after a trip is to write a trip report. You should try it.

 

[ctosh]

What a great trip report. I have been glued to my computer. Love all of the pictures and details. Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[HollyBelle]

What a great trip report. I have been glued to my computer. Love all of the pictures and details. Thanks so much for sharing.

Thanks, ctosh! I'm glad you enjoyed it.