Once Upon A Dream: A March 2011 Disney Wedding/Honeymoon Pre-Trip Report!

FINALLY! We’re getting married... that’s right, I said married. After seven years of dating and 21 trips to Disney World together, the time has finally come. Oh dear, where do I even start? I’m constantly splattering our faces (and vacation stories) all over the internet so I never quite know how much detail to put at the beginning of a report, because it always feels so repetitive. I guess a little background on us is a must though, seeing as how this is a pre-marriage report and all.

We (Holly and Brett) met in 2004 working at one of the dive bars in our little college town. We probably worked together (flirting shamelessly) six months or so before we started dating. We weren’t together two months before Brett had my first trip to Disney planned and executed. For real. I vividly remember us hanging out at a friend’s house one afternoon when the subject of Disney came up. The conversation eventually moved to other territory, except for in our little corner of the room... Brett was downright shocked that I’d never been to Disney. He was like “Let’s go.” And I’m thinking, sure, what’s the harm in playing along with this little game, it’s not like we’re going to pick up and go tomorrow. A few days later he tells me he’s worked out all the details, and if I’m still up for it, we leave next week! Talk about sweeping a girl off her feet.

It was a short trip, and I mean short... only two nights. We took off after work one Friday night and were at Downtown Disney by lunchtime the next day. We stayed at Caribbean Beach and somehow managed to hit up all four parks and Blizzard Beach over the course of two and a half days. It was a whirlwind. Here are some pictures from that very first trip. Yes, I had to scan them in because they’re from the dark ages – April 2004 to be precise. High quality!

Overall the trip was a screaming success. Of course it was, otherwise I don’t think we’d be where we are today. :lol:

There are a handful of moments from that first trip that are as clear as could be for me... one was running through the Magic Kingdom at night during a major downpour, laughing like crazy and holding Brett’s hand as he drug me from one awning to the next, not caring in the slightest that I was completely drenched from head to toe.

Another was dinner at Ohana. I fell in love. In love with the Polynesian. In love with the restaurant. In love with the food. In love with the fireworks outside the window. In love with Disney. In love with the guy across the table from me. What?!? Uh-oh. Wait. How’d that happen?! And how am I gonna keep him from noticing? After all we’d only been dating two months.

Another was ice cream on Main Street on our last afternoon, just before we had to leave and head back home. I was hit so hard by how much I didn’t want any of it to end. I still get the exact same feeling every single time we leave property to head home. I think I mention it quite a bit in my trip reports, but my love for Disney is completely and totally tangled up and intertwined with my love for Brett. Falling in love with them both at the same time can have that affect on a girl. :animwink:

For us, Disney is a place where our relationship shines. Simply put... it is us at our best. And as cheesy as it may sound I come away from every trip even more in love with this man than before. THIS is why we are getting married at Disney World... it’s always been a part of our narrative as a couple and it will always continue to be.

 

[HollyBelle]

I’m not sure if it was the way I was describing what I wanted, or if consultants were just toying with me, but I was having trouble finding anything remotely close to what I was picturing in my head. I kept trying to explain that I wanted my dress to have a romantic feel to it, to be tight down through the bodice with a dropped waist (but not a mermaid) and fullness at the bottom (but not a ballgown). I wanted it to look and feel like a wedding dress without having to carry around a big long train.

Would you believe after describing this style to a consultant this is what she brought to me?

It’s my favorite most hideous dress ever...

Lace tablecloth, anyone? I have some to spare.

Just look at that overall shape... what is up with the lower half of my body?! :lol:

But wait, it gets better. As I’m standing there staring at this dress that literally had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at it, I hear the consultant say with enthusiasm, “Oh my, your face says it all, this is YOUR dress!”

This was my face:

Now you tell me, does this look like the face of a bride who just found her dream dress? Orrrrrrrr the face of someone who is trying desperately not to laugh at her reflection in the mirror? My mom and I got the biggest kick out of this dress. I guess I just come from the "less is more" school of thought when it comes to fashion.

In another shop (the very same day), I tried on another dress that a consultant picked out for me...

While I was up on the “pedestal” my mom pointed out that it looked like one of those 2fer dresses. You know, the kind where the skirt comes off for the reception portion of the evening. And as soon as mom said it, the consultant squealed and excitedly exclaimed “OH EM GEEEEEEE! That is totally why we ordered this one! Melissa, Melissa, come quick... do you remember this dress? I can’t believe I forgot about its best feature!” as she proceeded to rip the bottom portion of the dress off me and call for her colleague. Yes, this really happened.

Although, I've gotta say, the short version is pretty cute. It’s amazing what ripping off the bottom of a dress can do for it. :lol:

The consultant also brought me a down comforter to try. Confirmation that a ballgown isn’t for me...

I’m pretty sure I could’ve smuggled all seven dwarves into the wedding under that thing and no one would've ever known it!

 

[HollyBelle]

So, after those few experiences we found ourselves in a shop that was a bit, umm, uppity... for lack of a better term. It was one of those places that sorta scoffed at my price range (which we’d bumped up to $800). Add to that, they really didn’t have many dresses for us to browse and instead went into a backroom and picked them all out for me. While the consultant didn’t exactly pay mind to the description I gave her, she did put me in a dress that was classy and super figure flattering.

Much happier face…

I loved it, instantly. With the exception of one thing... the bust line. I didn’t like how the fabric cut diagonally across the chest instead of scooping down under it (if that makes sense) and I hated the diamond shaped bling on the bust. I kept looking in the mirror and the only thing I saw was this diamond, which was crooked by the way. It was incredibly distracting. I was told it wouldn’t be possible to get the dress without this detail; it was all or nothing, I couldn’t customize it. I wanted desperately for this to be the dress, but something was holding me back. I think the reason I may have been so taken with it is because it came on the heels of some rather hideous dresses that were totally not my style and the satin felt heavenly in comparison. We left the shop and for the next couple of weeks I compared every single dress I tried on to this dress. To the point where I had myself convinced it must be my dress simply because nothing else was beating it. In fact, there were a couple of occasions where I went to purchase it, but something always stopped me. I kid you not. My mom and I would physically drive to the shop, with the intent to purchase the dress, and I couldn’t make myself go inside and follow through. One such occasion was after first trying on the dress I ended up buying. That’s how close this dress was to being my wedding dress. Clearly I wasn’t kidding when I said I had issues.

And still, after all this effort, no dress. We kept looking, and looking, and looking. I know you must all be thinking it, and you’re right...my mom is a total saint. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m even including this mini-collage; you’re all going to think I’m a complete and total nutcase.

As you can see, for the most part there were two styles that I liked. I was drawn to the fitted satin style dresses with rouching on the bodice, but none of them really “popped,” if that makes any sense. And of course, I was still desperately searching for that elusive dress with soft, romantic ruffles. It’s like, every dress either had too much going on or not enough. There were some really pretty dresses, but none I was willing to call my own.

 

[HollyBelle]

After much frustration over not being able to find certain dresses that I had found online, we decided to go to a bridal outlet store that carried many of the designers I was interested in. I didn’t find my dress there; however, I’m mentioning this experience mostly to talk about the set up. OMG... they didn’t actually have fitting rooms. Instead, it was this huge room with “cubbies.” When I say huge, I’m talking 20-30 girls were back there trying dresses on. I guess this ensured that girls weren’t hoarding dresses in their rooms and were changing in and out of them quickly. Pay no mind to myself or the dress in this next picture... but check out the set up.

There’s truly nowhere to hide. We took this when the place cleared out around lunch time; otherwise, you’d see a girl to the left of me hanging out in her thong as she waits for the next dress to be brought to her.

Speaking of bridal salon set ups, I’m sure you’ve noticed the different “pedestals” used in the various pictures. Surprisingly, they’re not all one and the same. First, what I now believe is the purpose of the bridal pedestal is to fool a girl into looking taller/slimmer in a gown because the dresses are always too long and when one is standing on a pedestal, the gown flows off of it much better, creating the illusion of height. Cynical, aren’t I?! Anyway, some were a bit more ridiculous than others, but one in particular took home the grand prize:

Yes, I had to walk up steps to get to it. And yes, it made me feel like bridezilla looking down on all the poor pitiful souls that had to attend to my every whim and desire. I tried to refuse getting up on the “pedestal” but the consultant insisted that I needed to see the dress from up there to get the full effect. Really? You know, thinking back on it, I wonder if they would’ve sold me one of these for my wedding day. I could’ve made Brett carry it around and put it down when I wanted to stand on it and lord over everyone, feeling superior. :ROFLOL:

 

[HollyBelle]

Okay, let’s get serious now, we’re running out of time. I was really beyond stressed out about finding a dress at this point. It was becoming less and less fun as the weekends came and went. By this time, it was late October and even the non-crazy consultants were telling me I’d have to put a “rush” order on a dress if I didn’t want to have to buy it “off the rack.”

I was enamored with this next dress as soon as I tried it on. It was nothing like I thought I wanted, yet it just felt magical.

Yes, those are jumper cables on my back... it was six sizes too big, and I was having trouble picturing it in the right size. In addition to that, there was this weird layer of unflattering tulle going right around the hip area (if you look closely you can see that I had it rolled up and under a piece of lace with my hands in these pictures). My mom looked at it and quickly found a way to address the issue, and explained what she was thinking to the seamstress who agreed and kept telling me that it wouldn’t be difficult to fix at all. She’d just rip the tulle out and then cut the dress in two () to raise up the skirt and match it with the top layer of lace. Here’s the thing, my level of OCDness and inability to let go of control would never have withstood that kind of alterations process. Even after leaving this dress behind I kept thinking about it. It surprised me by being one of my top contenders. Buying a dress off the rack was sounding better and better, mostly because I was having major issues committing to a dress without knowing exactly how it would look on me in its completed state.

The very same day we ended up in one of those snooty boutiques that didn’t appear that way until we were inside and it was too late to get away. I had to sign a bunch of stuff just to try dresses on and the paperwork said “no pictures.” I quickly turned to mom and said “Let’s see how quickly we can get in and out of here.” The consultant put me in a dress that was somewhat reminiscent of the dress with the diamond shaped bling. At the time I kinda thought I liked it. Not to mention, I was feeling desperate to fall in love with a dress. To some degree I was trying to force myself to just pick one. The excitement of trying on wedding dresses had long since worn off.

So everyone is kinda talking and after being prompted by the consultant, I say something like “I think this could be my dress” and both the consultant and her assistant (who had been chewing my mom’s ear off) start clapping for me and saying “This is your dress! Mom do you want to take a picture?! This is the dress! It’s the dress.” And then my mom, not realizing what happened, gets up and hugs me and takes some pictures because they were making such a big fuss. I felt like I was going to puke and I was standing there wondering, “Did I just commit to a dress?”

Wow, I sure wouldn’t clean house at a poker tournament with a face like that! My mom took some more pictures as I’m standing there trying to smile and thinking to myself, “Well, it is a pretty dress, so I guess this is okay.” The consultant wouldn’t leave my side after that. She was helping me out of the dress and walked away for a second. At that time I called for my mom and the consultant came running back. She didn’t want me to talk to my mom alone. It was such an underhanded and sneaky move because she forced me into feeling committed to the dress. Back in my own clothes, I came out of the fitting room and my mom could easily see it written all over my face. I was freaking out. She kept saying, “Why don’t you think about it over night and we can come back? I’ll delete these pictures if they want me to. It’s not a big deal.” Taking the picture made me feel as if I’d already committed to purchasing it (no doubt their intention). As we were leaving the shop owner rolled her eyes at us and gave us some attitude. By the time we were in the car I was so mad I was shaking. Even now, just thinking about how close I was to buying that dress makes my stomach hurt. You hear all about these brides who regret their purchase and end up buying a second dress. Well, I can see why, with shops like these. My number one suggestion for future brides is to actually leave the store and think about it before purchasing.

All that drama aside, I tried on a few more dresses at other stores and eventually found the one. In actuality, it wasn’t “the one” right away. In fact, it took trying a few more on the next weekend for me to realize that I wasn’t going to find a more perfect dress for my taste and my venue. So one Monday night in November, my mom and I went back to the shop to purchase the dress. Even knowing that it was the one, it still took everything I had to actually make the purchase. This, coming from a girl whose mom was buying the dress. It was really cool that I ended up picking a dress that she loved as much as I did. I’m especially glad that I didn’t “settle” for a dress prior to finding this one. Turns out the dress I bought was from a Spring 2011 line and just arrived at the shop the day before I tried it on. The consultant brought it out from the back room for me to try, so I was able to buy it “off the rack” and save some money that way! Plus, it almost fit perfectly already and didn’t really need much by way of alterations so I was able to really visualize how it would look while I was standing there.

So those are just some of the crazy dress shopping moments my mom and I had. I can’t thank her enough for not only buying my dress for me, but for being so incredibly supportive of her crazy daughter. She was absolutely amazing throughout it all. She was totally understanding of my issues with picking out a dress and didn’t try to get me to pick one just to pick one. There were numerous times throughout the day of the wedding that she or I one would declare that we’d found the perfect dress. It couldn’t have been a better match for me. And because I’m made of all things evil, I’m not going to post a picture of the dress yet. Trust me; it looks a whole lot better with hair and makeup, and Brett on my arm. And since you’re all “guests” of my trip report, I’m going to make you wait until the “wedding.” But I do love you. Promise.

 

[DisGal]

Seriously, in some of the shops the consultants looked at me like I’d committed the most cardinal of bridal sins for planning to get married within seven months of my engagement. How dare I?! Some of their heads looked like they’d pop off as they quickly explained to me that my dress should’ve been bought, like, months ago, and that I was going to have to “rush” order it if I had any hope of wearing a wedding dress on my big day.

I completely understand! My DH and I were engaged and married within 5 1/2 months and every dress shop I went into I received the same horrified reaction. I'm so glad we had a short engagement - I could have never waited a year or more to get married.

Can't wait to see your dress!

 

[barrettismyhero]

Wow.. I can't believe how some of those places are but I do understand the uppity thing very well..

I've kinda started looking for an e-ring.. Lots of places the second I say budget the workers at stores just turn off.

---

Those were nice dresses.. but then again Im not the one picking them out

 

[Ariel484]

Wow, stress is right. Hopefully at this point you can look back on the whole thing and laugh. And I don't think you sound crazy - that was the one wedding dress you will ever purchase...may as well make sure it's the right one.

And speaking of The One, can't wait to see the pictures!! :sohappy:

 

[corey154]

LOL!:ROFLOL: I love the look on your face in those pics! I'd of loved to seen your Moms.

I can't wait to see the dress but I'm so glad you shared your story with us!

 

[MillerPoppins]

Yay Holly! Happy to hear more about the wedding. No worries about the 100 dresses..for not being a girlie girl, I did about 100 dresses just for my senior prom. I'm fully prepared for that number or more for my wedding. Can't wait to see the dress!!!

 

[HollyBelle]

I completely understand! My DH and I were engaged and married within 5 1/2 months and every dress shop I went into I received the same horrified reaction. I'm so glad we had a short engagement - I could have never waited a year or more to get married.

Can't wait to see your dress!

Oh me either, Alissa. I also can't imagine what it would be like to spend those 1-2 years between an engagement and marriage being completely wrapped up in planning a wedding.

I loved your dress and thought it fit Sunset Pointe beautifully!

Wow.. I can't believe how some of those places are but I do understand the uppity thing very well..

I've kinda started looking for an e-ring.. Lots of places the second I say budget the workers at stores just turn off.

---

Those were nice dresses.. but then again Im not the one picking them out

Oooh engagement rings! I like the sound of that. :sohappy: What I don't get about sales people is... a sale, no matter what the budget is, is a sale, right? And why wouldn't they want that?

I agree, lots of those dresses were beautiful! I just couldn't commit to any of them. :lol:

Wow, stress is right. Hopefully at this point you can look back on the whole thing and laugh. And I don't think you sound crazy - that was the one wedding dress you will ever purchase...may as well make sure it's the right one.

And speaking of The One, can't wait to see the pictures!! :sohappy:

You're so right, Shannon. My mom and I have definitely gotten some good laughs out of the whole experience and to be completely honest in the beginning we did have a lot of fun.

LOL!:ROFLOL: I love the look on your face in those pics! I'd of loved to seen your Moms.

I can't wait to see the dress but I'm so glad you shared your story with us!

Oh yeah, we were cracking up when we got home and saw the face I was making in that one pictures with the "tablecloth" dress. My mom was such a trooper. I'm glad you enjoyed the story, I was hesitant about posting it.

 

[barrettismyhero]

Oooh engagement rings! I like the sound of that. :sohappy: What I don't get about sales people is... a sale, no matter what the budget is, is a sale, right? And why wouldn't they want that?

I agree, lots of those dresses were beautiful! I just couldn't commit to any of them. :lol:

Yeah thats what I didn't understand.. I kinda figured there were gonna be a few places that were like that but not almost all of them I went to.. Oh well.. Still got about a year till Id even buy it.

Can't wait to see your pictures of everything at Sunset Pointe!

 

[Tiggerish]

Wow, what a roller-coaster ride! And what crushing disappointment at the end for the reader!! (I'm totally kidding--I agree with your reasoning, 100%. I'd much rather see the dress as it was meant to be seen instead of in a bridal shop dressing room)

As stressful as the whole thing was, look how quickly you are able to laugh about it! :ROFLOL: :wave:

 

[HollyBelle]

Yay Holly! Happy to hear more about the wedding. No worries about the 100 dresses..for not being a girlie girl, I did about 100 dresses just for my senior prom. I'm fully prepared for that number or more for my wedding. Can't wait to see the dress!!!

Woohoooo... my crazy has company!! :ROFLOL:

Yeah thats what I didn't understand.. I kinda figured there were gonna be a few places that were like that but not almost all of them I went to.. Oh well.. Still got about a year till Id even buy it.

Can't wait to see your pictures of everything at Sunset Pointe!

I think I remember Brett saying that they were trying to up-sell him on everything. Figures.

Wow, what a roller-coaster ride! And what crushing disappointment at the end for the reader!! (I'm totally kidding--I agree with your reasoning, 100%. I'd much rather see the dress as it was meant to be seen instead of in a bridal shop dressing room)

As stressful as the whole thing was, look how quickly you are able to laugh about it! :ROFLOL: :wave:

I know, I'm such a tease. But really, you're so right... the "one" needs to be seen in all it's wedding day glory.

 

[barrettismyhero]

I think I remember Brett saying that they were trying to up-sell him on everything. Figures.

Certainly what most did to me.. There were even a few places that no one would even come and assist me.. Needless to say I know where I'm gonna be shopping for a ring.

 

[DisneyRed95]

Holly,

Thanks for posting your wedding dress drama. I completely understand. When I was trying on dresses, everyone kept telling me the first one you try on is always the one. Huh? So when I tried on the first dress and hated it, I almost started to cry. Many dresses later . . . it all worked out in the end and it sounds like it did for you too! I can't wait to see the dress you chose and I'm so excited for your wedding trip report! Yay! :sohappy:

 

[sweetpee_1993]

You are totally NOT crazy, Holly. Not even with the dress thing. :lol: I don't look at the fact that you tried a gazillion dresses and had a hard time commiting as a negative sign in any way. No bridezilla. No picky-petunia. It says that you're attentive to details. It's that simple. We all know you are and it's not at all a bad thing. I think going into the wedding dress search with an idea of what you want can be a disadvantage sometimes because the way things look on hangers, in pictures, on manequins & models doesn't always translate into what it will look like on your body. Additionally, the fact that you were freaked out at the moment of commiting to a dress says to me that: 1. You aren't one to throw money around, especially large amounts, and 2. You place a great deal of importance on what it was you were buying...you know...THE dress you were going to wear for THE moment you were going to marry THE love of your life. Neither of those things shed a negative light on you either. AND, I think the clueless consultants are more problematic and magnify the difficulty of the situation. Seriously. Some of those chicks sounded like they either were totally not listening to you or were obviously doing the pressure-sales thing which is totally wrong. I loved the boutique I bought my dress from a couple years ago because the consultant was super-sweet. She didn't try to b.s. me. We were square with each other from the start which was nice. She let the dress sell itself. The consultant shouldn't even try to influence a bride's decision. Point out the pro's and con's. Give an opinion if it's solicited. Provide information. If the dress is right it'll be right and the bride will purchase. You know?

I love how you shared your thoughts on the experiences you had...not just the dresses. Like the pedestals. I get that. Why? My favorites are the "special" pedestals...you know...the ONE in the shop that's situated in front of a big multi-angle mirror with a spotlight that shines on the person standing on that ONE special spot so the consultants can turn off the lights and cast you in THE spotlight while everyone there eyeballs you. Geez. Not every bride is out for the whole red-carpet experience. I hated those pedestals. Having everyone look at me wasn't what I was going for in a dress and it made me uncomfortable as all heck. :lookaroun Plus, it's a blatant sales tactic to me. "That's the dress that was worthy of the spotlight. Everyone's looking. You can't say no now. Gimme the credit card so we can get this done." Gimme a break. LOL!

I think what I've read about your mom in your cruise/trip reports that involved her you must have captured her personality well because I imagined her to be a super-patient, highly attuned mom. That reflected in her patience while you shopped and her ability to tell where you were with each dress without you saying a word. That plus, I agree, you have no poker-face whatsoever with dresses. :lol: Speaking of, how the heck does a sales consultant who's known you for an hour at the most know what you look like when you're "glowing"??? ((More sales crap. I hate that!)) OH! And the fact that you told me your mom hand-works 100% on her quilts speaks volumes to me. Seriously. I'm impatient. I could never hand-piece and hand-quilt. No way. If she does that entirely by hand then I know exactly where you get your patience and attention to detail.

Soooo, I totally loved reading all about the dress stress. As with all your writing, it felt like we were right there with you going thru the ride with you. It was fun to read all that. Thanks so much for sharing it!

Aaaaand, one could easily get to the end of all that and be like "Devil-Woman! Show us the dress!!!!" But ya know, you spent a lot of time seeking that dress. It was a long, stressful journey for you. It's a super-important detail. I don't blame you one little bit for holding back the reveal so you can put it out there in all it's glory. If you posted anything less than the perfect picture I'd be disappointed. ((Wow. I'm sorta proud that I can set aside my usual overwhelming impatience to grasp that. Is this a step towards patience-maturity for me??? ))

Of course I can't wait for more...and THE report... It's tough but I just KNOW it'll be worth the wait. ((Oh! Look! I just did it again! :sohappy)

 

[Tiggerish]

The consultant shouldn't even try to influence a bride's decision. Point out the pro's and con's. Give an opinion if it's solicited. Provide information. If the dress is right it'll be right and the bride will purchase. You know?

You are so right about that.

 

[polymissy]

Your mini-collage of the gowns is hysterical.

I’ve been enjoying keeping up with your report, and can’t wait to read about the big day. My husband and I honeymooned at The Polynesian in 2002. Sunset Pointe is so beautiful. We make it a point to visit there each time we travel to Disney.

Congratulations, and welcome to Happily Ever After!

 

[lilclerk]

But wait, it gets better. As I’m standing there staring at this dress that literally had everything but the kitchen sink thrown at it, I hear the consultant say with enthusiasm, “Oh my, your face says it all, this is YOUR dress!”

This was my face:

This made me :ROFLOL: I've been reading this thread since the beginning, but I had to pop in because that was great.
I totally understand your hesitation in writing a pre-trip report, but I just want to say the detail you put in here is incredible. You and Brett are going to love reading this 20 years down the road =)

No worries about the 100 dresses..for not being a girlie girl, I did about 100 dresses just for my senior prom.

Ha! Same here.

 

[foreverbelle]

Wow dress drama. LOL. Seriously I feel your pain, I know I got lucky with mine back in the day when I was a bride.

But I think you did the right thing by waiting to find the one you wanted, instead of settling on one you thought was the one. A lot of people don't get it, that this is your day and your one moment that you get to feel like a princess. And the whole drama of the whole thing can be very stressful on anyone so no I don't think you are that crazy.

I will say I have never heard of anyone making you pretty much sign your life away in order to even try on the dresses. And the whole changing in a cubbie thing just blew me away. I mean really.

Good point about the whole stool thing. I never thought of it like that before but you are so right. Because I look a lot better even trying on bridesmaid dresses there than I do at home!

Can't wait to read the report. It sounds like its going to be a great time.