Confessions of a DFTW Bride To Be

[Fashionista007]

You have to have your Marriage license before the ceremony. The best and easiest way is to the license by mail. There are several companies out there and this is how we did it. I'm trying to find the name of our officiant, when I do I will pass it along. Our officiant did a great thing, we had to meet him the day before our actual wedding. However he dated our wedding certificate for the day of our wedding.

Thanks for the tip! I've read TRs of couples who went to the courthouse but they had a car. I never rent a car and I think it would be more expensive and time consuming to do that then mail order one. I'm on board

It's less than 2 weeks until I get to book my wedding! We're getting very excited but concerned about cost. We will most likely cut the bridal portrait sessions at MK & EPCOT and the videography. Not a big deal IMO I'm still getting married at the Wedding Pavilion and that's enough for me! We are also still planning to have Mickey & Minnie and the Illuminations dessert party. I also think I read somewhere that you can go back and do the bridal portrait sessions anytime as long as you had a DFTW. If that's the case then I'm not heartbroken at all, it would be nice to have something to look forward to so I don't get the blues after the wedding and honeymoon. I'll have to see about that.

 

[Fashionista007]

I sent an email to Disney Video & Photography and they confirmed that what I had heard was true. As long as you get married via DFTW, you may come back at any time in the future for a theme park bridal portrait session. Awesome news! We can go back on our first anniversary

 

[Fashionista007]

We finally booked our date!! We got Tuesday, September 27, 2011. I don't mind not getting our first choice, really any of our choices would have been perfect. I'm booking the honeymoon and Star Wars Weekends now and I'm SO excited!

 

[mickeysshoes]

Congrats!! I am sure it a huge load off your shoulders having a date and now you can move forward with the rest of the plans awaiting the dates!!! :sohappy:

 

[Fashionista007]

Congrats!! I am sure it a huge load off your shoulders having a date and now you can move forward with the rest of the plans awaiting the dates!!! :sohappy:

Thank you so much! Yes, it does feel like a weight has been lifted and we are bursting with happiness right now! We just booked our Disneymoon and we will be staying at Saratoga Springs (Deluxe Studio). I would have loved to stay at the GF but SS was too good of a deal with the PIN code we got. Plus we are thinking of doing DVC in the future and since we're staying 8 nights, it will be nice to have a kitchen. :sohappy:

 

[Tiggerish]

Congratulations on booking your wedding date. Now on to the fun stuff, right?

Just FYI, the DVC Studios, even a Deluxe Studio, does not have a full kitchen. There is a microwave, coffee maker, toaster, counter-height fridge and a bar sink, just like this: (this photo was taken at AK-Kidani, but all studio kitchenettes are identical except for theming):

Very handy for breakfast, but you won't be able to cook a meal! (who wants to cook on their honeymoon, anyway?) I just wanted you to know what you were getting so you wouldn't be disappointed. :wave:

The decor of Saratoga Springs is very nice, I've stayed there three times and enjoyed it very much. I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[Fashionista007]

Very handy for breakfast, but you won't be able to cook a meal! (who wants to cook on their honeymoon, anyway?) I just wanted you to know what you were getting so you wouldn't be disappointed. :wave:

The decor of Saratoga Springs is very nice, I've stayed there three times and enjoyed it very much. I'm sure you'll love it.

Thank you so much for the info! I'm not disappointed at all. I'm not cooking on my honeymoon! We would want the microwave to heat up left over CS meals, that's all. I'm so glad to hear such good things about SSR, it's one of the few Disney hotels I've never stayed at. In 2003 my sister and I went to a DVC pitch over there and I have wanted to stay there ever since.

 

[the1nonlysinger]

I sent an email to Disney Video & Photography and they confirmed that what I had heard was true. As long as you get married via DFTW, you may come back at any time in the future for a theme park bridal portrait session. Awesome news! We can go back on our first anniversary

I love following your wedding planning. =) That was such an exciting time for me. I know I've told you before but I'm so jealous that you get to do it at Disney!

I do have to say though, that if I were in your shoes (glass slippers, as they may be)- I would do the photos that day and not put it off. I know that it's an added expense- but you don't want to regret not doing them. I absolutely love our wedding photos- they're even my screen saver at work so I literally look at them every day. It's been 3 years and they're still my favorite photos of us. My husband had the biggest grin the entire day. You can't recreate those emotions when you do posed photos on a different day :animwink: (Plus, do you really want to drag your dress and rerent a tux to go back for photos??)

 

[Fashionista007]

I love following your wedding planning. =) That was such an exciting time for me. I know I've told you before but I'm so jealous that you get to do it at Disney!

I do have to say though, that if I were in your shoes (glass slippers, as they may be)- I would do the photos that day and not put it off. I know that it's an added expense- but you don't want to regret not doing them. I absolutely love our wedding photos- they're even my screen saver at work so I literally look at them every day. It's been 3 years and they're still my favorite photos of us. My husband had the biggest grin the entire day. You can't recreate those emotions when you do posed photos on a different day :animwink: (Plus, do you really want to drag your dress and rerent a tux to go back for photos??)

Thank you so much! I'm happy to have people live vicariously through me, I do it all the time when I read other people's TRs

The portrait sessions are up in the air right now. I can book them whenever I want but we are waiting to see what our parents want to chip in. Neither of us have brought it up and I'm not the kind of person to ask for money so we planned this wedding as if we're paying ourselves. But if that's not the case, we will certainly upgrade our plans a bit! Otherwise, I am ok with getting the dress cleaned and shipped again and renting a tux again. It would be nice to have something to look forward to so I don't get all depressed after my fairytale wedding is over


Bachelorette Party!

I just talked to my oldest sister (Matron of Honor #2 of 3) and she told me that she and my other sister (Matron of Honor #1) are planning to pay for an Akershus princess breakfast as my bachelorette party the day before the wedding. I have the best sisters ever!!!!! I'm totally going to wear a tiara. :animwink:

 

[HollyBelle]

Congratulations, Shelley! It's official, you're getting married at Disney World!!! :sohappy:

As for the marriage license, we handled ours directly through the Brevard County Clerk of Court. Go to the following page on their website: http://199.241.8.125/index.cfm?FuseAction=MarriageLicenses.Home and click on either the "marriage license kiosk" or "Mail Away License Information" link (on the right hand side of the page). Fill out whichever one you choose and submit/mail it to them. They will wait until just 60 days out from your wedding to send you the actual forms to be signed and notarized. You do this and mail it back to them (with the $93 fee) and then they will send you the license, which you'll take with you to the ceremony.

The reason they wait until 60 days out to send you the info is because the marriage has to take place within 60 days of the issuance of the license.

Obviously, we haven't gotten through the WHOLE process yet, but they did send the information to us right at the 60 day mark. And this way you aren't paying extra for some company to do something for you. Although, I'm not sure what service one of these companies actually provides that you can't take care of yourself directly through the clerk of court.

Hope this helps!!!

And yay for booking the honeymoon. I LOVE the pool at Saratoga Springs and the Turf Club is a great place for lunch, so you'll have to check it out. They even have outdoor seating that kinda looks out over Downtown Disney!!

 

[HollyBelle]

Oh yes, and I forgot to say that I think a tiara is an absolute must for your Princess Bachelorette Party! :king:

 

[Fashionista007]

Congratulations, Shelley! It's official, you're getting married at Disney World!!! :sohappy:

As for the marriage license, we handled ours directly through the Brevard County Clerk of Court. Go to the following page on their website: http://199.241.8.125/index.cfm?FuseAction=MarriageLicenses.Home and click on either the "marriage license kiosk" or "Mail Away License Information" link (on the right hand side of the page). Fill out whichever one you choose and submit/mail it to them. They will wait until just 60 days out from your wedding to send you the actual forms to be signed and notarized. You do this and mail it back to them (with the $93 fee) and then they will send you the license, which you'll take with you to the ceremony.

The reason they wait until 60 days out to send you the info is because the marriage has to take place within 60 days of the issuance of the license.

Obviously, we haven't gotten through the WHOLE process yet, but they did send the information to us right at the 60 day mark. And this way you aren't paying extra for some company to do something for you. Although, I'm not sure what service one of these companies actually provides that you can't take care of yourself directly through the clerk of court.

Hope this helps!!!

And yay for booking the honeymoon. I LOVE the pool at Saratoga Springs and the Turf Club is a great place for lunch, so you'll have to check it out. They even have outdoor seating that kinda looks out over Downtown Disney!!

Hey Holly! Thank you so much for the marriage license information! It's so great that they make it so easy for destination weddings. I'm so excited for you - your wedding is about a month away right?? I can't wait to see your pictures and I'm sure they'll make me cry like a baby

I've gotten a lot of good feedback on SSR. I think some people from my family might stay there as well And of course I will be wearing a tiara at my bachelorette party!!

 

[Ravenclaw87]

YAY!!! Congrats!!! I'm so glad you have a date and time now! Did you get your first choice venue for the DP?!

 

[Fashionista007]

YAY!!! Congrats!!! I'm so glad you have a date and time now! Did you get your first choice venue for the DP?!

Thank you! I'm waiting to hear back from my wedding coordinator about the DP. I would really like to get either UK Lower or Japan. I would prefer Japan because I'm 1/4 Japanese and my Japanese Grandmother is coming She loves Mitsukoshi!


A word of warning about the "glass" slippers - they are made for extremely narrow feet so I will be sending them back The plastic also looked kind of cheap so I opted for something with a little more bling. The new shoes should be arriving today, I'll post pics when I get a chance!

 

[Tiggerish]

Oh yes, and I forgot to say that I think a tiara is an absolute must for your Princess Bachelorette Party! :king:

I totally agree!

(it's getting close for you, Holly!!)

 

[Fashionista007]

I totally agree!

(it's getting close for you, Holly!!)

I SO can't wait to see Holly's wedding pictures

 

[Fashionista007]

I just booked our DP on the night of our wedding at UK Lochside :king:

 

[HollyBelle]

I totally agree!

(it's getting close for you, Holly!!)

I SO can't wait to see Holly's wedding pictures

Awww, thanks ladies! Yep... only 5 weeks to go. And I, umm, have a lot to do still! As for the pictures, my poor photographer is probably going to hate me. I already have a list of must-have shots. The photography is the one wedding "thing" I actually care about. Forget the flowers and cake. If those get screwed up I don't really think I'll care too much. But my pictures? Oh, boy! I'm no drama queen but I think I'd be able to put even the craziest of bridezillas to shame if my pictures were messed up. :ROFLOL:

Speaking of photography, who are you using Shelley? I can't recall if you said you were going to go outside for photos or just use the package that comes with the escape collection. I'm using Jason Angelini. He's actually from Tampa, not Orlando, but I found that he was so much more affordable than all the photogs I initially wanted (like 1/3 of the price). Plus, he has a nice, clean style, and he's been great to communicate with so far.

 

[HollyBelle]

Ahh yes, and congrats on the Dessert Party! That is going to be so much fun. :sohappy:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I so totally wanna crash at Shelley's dessert party and hijack at least one of the more random shots at Holly's to-do! Who's with me?! Partners in crime should speak now or forever hold their peace!

:lol:

Just kidding. I wouldn't really. Are you ladies registered anywhere? Did you do the Disney gift registry?