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-   -   Team Bricki's Super Secret Magical Wedding and Honeymoon Adventure- Day 3 Mon 6th May 2019 WEDDING (https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=1130497)

princessnicki 27 May 19 03:00 PM

Team Bricki's Super Secret Magical Wedding and Honeymoon Adventure- Day 3 Mon 6th May 2019 WEDDING
 
And so begins the most magical, most important and biggest day of our lives, the reason for this special trip- our wedding day!



I will go through what we booked in case anybody else is thinking of getting married in Orlando. Our ceremony was held at Cypress Grove Estate House and we decided to have a first look at Animal Kingdom Lodge so we could travel together and walk down the aisle together. We went to Yacht and Beach Club and the Boardwalk afterwards for pictures. We booked with Helen at Elegant Weddings of Orlando, it was a basic package that included a limo to take us from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Cypress Grove and then to the Yacht Club after the ceremony, a bouquet for me and boutiniere for Brett, bottle of champagne, one tier wedding cake, bluetooth speaker to play music and an officient. We paid extra to upgrade the officient to Reverend Kevin Knox. It was roughly $2000 for the package.

A few months before the wedding, we decided we werent happy with the plain basic cakes included and paid $75 to upgrade. Brett influenced the cake as he loves skulls and Day of the Dead so we took the colours from the Pixar film Coco and came up with an idea. Our cake was not conventional at all with black icing and skulls but we absolutely loved it. It may seem a waste as there was just the two of us but we dont regret it and we managed to give a big chunk of cake away to the staff at the Yacht Club on the day. The flavour was red velvet cake and buttercream. I got a silver glitter wedding cake topper from Etsy that said "til death do us part"




We booked our own photographer- Carmella Blackwell Photography. The owner Carmen isnt one of the more well known Orlando photographers but she was 100% the right choice. She was amazing, such a lovely lady and captured some absolutely beautiful pictures. She cost roughly $150 per hour.

I booked my own hair and make-up through Beaute Speciale. I had lashes, full makeup and hair updo for $150. My stylist on the day was Shelby and she was amazing, she was just like me with all her tattoos. I had sent loads of pictures and she captured exactly what i wanted. My inspiration was the 1960s, bouffant hair and heavy eyes- very Audrey Hepburn. Shelby said she would have me looking like i had just stepped out of Breakfast at Tiffanys so i knew she got me straight away.



My tiara was Jon Richards at Debenhams and should have been £45 but i got it on ebay brand new in box for £15




We sorted our own wedding license out in advance through Brevard County Court which cost $86 plus £80 for a Notary Public in the UK to seal the document. Once we sent it back to the Courthouse in America, they sent it direct to Rev Kev to save time. This is so worth it as it saves going to the courthouse on holiday and we would have had to Uber it so probably worked out cheaper to do it in advance.

My dress was from Cocomelody in America and with a good exchange rate at the time, it cost me £104. I lost 16lbs so i had it taken in locally which cost £65.



Brett wore a Ralph Lauren white shirt, pink denim River Island shorts, yellow braces and yellow bowtie from Mrs Bowtie



We designed our matching Toms ourselves and they cost £95 each from Etsy. We had Mickey and Minnie as a bride and groom, Donald and Daisy and Simba and Nala on the sides, sugar skulls as fillers, and Team Bricki 06/05/19 on the back.



We had a bag made to carry the cake in and all our other bits from Miss VLM Bags



Our ring box was from Etsy and again influenced by Brett with a Hulk and SheHulk design



In December 2018, we found out that Helen had sold the wedding business to a company called Blush by Brandee. We werent worried as there wasnt really much that could go wrong with our small wedding. Brandee was our planner on the day and she was lovely. However if i am being honest, they did get my flowers completely wrong. This was the inspiration picture i sent, stressing the colours were yellow, orange and hot pink.



And this is what i got- yellow, red and baby pink. I haven't complained as i actually prefer these as they remind me of Mickey and Minnies colours- the only downside is i wanted orange to match my orange shoes and the hot pink to match my nails!



Back to the wedding day, Brett had set his alarm for 4.30am as my hair and make up lady was due at 7.00am and i suspected she would arrive early. I got up not long after for a workout while Brett was at the gym. I had a shower and washed my hair and chilled out in my Disney Bride to Be pyjamas with a bottle of water watching American TV. We exchanged wedding cards, Bretts was beautiful, what he wrote made me cry. Our wedding presents to each other were matching Thomas Sabo bangles with the wedding date on plus we both got a new fragrance- Viktor and Rolf, Spicebomb Night Vision for Brett and Jo Malone, Myrrh and Tonka for me.



At 6.50am, Shelby arrived to do my hair and make up, Brett was not ready but i knew that was going to happen. I said he didnt have long as i needed to do his braces and bowtie before my hair took shape for the day. 20 minutes later he asked if he was allowed to come in and Shelby said it was ok as she hadnt done anything major yet. I fixed his outfit and sent him out for breakfast, reminding him that Carmen would be contacting him at 9.30am to get him in position for the first look. He looked so handsome, i loved his choice of wedding outfit and (he didnt know this yet) it complimented my dress and wedding look perfectly. Shelby commented how sweet he was and it was obvious how much he loved me. We chatted away and before i knew it i was ready. I loved what she had done and she really had captured the vision i had in my head. She helped me into my dress which was lovely of her. I tipped her $30.

I waited for Carmen to arrive for photography and she was right on time. She took a few snaps in the room and gave me the instructions for the first look. She went to set Brett up and came back for me to take me to the bridge in the AKL lobby. I could see Brett patiently waiting at the end of the bridge, a little American boy came running upto me and said "mummy mummy look its a princess!" His mum said "i think its her wedding day hunny" and he said "wheres the prince wheres the prince" so i pointed to Brett and the little boy was mesmorised. He said he wanted to watch and his mum moved him onto the corridor so he could see. Carmen was in tears bless her it was super sweet. I hid round the corner until Carmen was in position by Brett. I walked upto him and tapped him on the shoulder. He had a big smile on his face and told me "princess you look beautiful" and i said "so do you princess". I love the pictures, Carmen captured it perfectly.




We had some more pictures around the lobby and then Carmen headed off to Cypress Grove while we waited for the limo to arrive. We had so much attention, it was really lovely. The limo arrived and it was time to go. The weather was warm but cloudy- Carmen said this was perfect as sunny is hard to shoot as people squint too much and the lighting is difficult. I cant remember what we talked about in the limo other than Brett complimenting my dress and hair and makeup. It took around 30 minutes to arrive at the venue. Brett got out first and helped me out of the limo.




Brandee was waiting outside for us and gave us a hug. Cypress Grove smelt amazing inside and was a beautiful venue. I was so glad it wasnt raining so we could get married outside overlooking the lake. She showed us our cake and we were so happy, it was exactly what we pictured. She gave me my bouquet and Brett his boutinniere. As mentioned these were the wrong colours but i really didnt care.

Rev Kev arrived next and he was exactly as i imagined, warm friendly and super happy. He briefly went through what we needed to do and gave us both a really strong breath mint for the important bit, which was funny. His wife Teresa deals with all the admin side of things and she helped put together the wording of our ceremony. Although he is a Reverend, he is happy to do non-religious ceremonies- we had a mixture but we chose for him to wear a suit rather than robes. They really are the most lovely team and i would highly recommend them for any wedding in Orlando.

We had a few minutes to wait while Kev and Carmen got into position. Brett was wondering about the pictures as he has the same routine where he always likes to be on my left as thats his good side apparently. I laughed and said that i think we would just have to do whatever Carmen said today.

Brandee said it was time to start and we moved outside. Brett said this was the happiest moment of his life and he was finally marrying his princess. I felt exactly the same. Our wedding song started (Lukas Graham- Love Someone) and we linked arms and tried to walk nice and slowly down the aisle. It was a lovely ceremony i was really pleased with the wording Kev used, we were supposed to read our own vows but i had left mine in the hotel room so we exchanged these later in the day.



I had asked Kev if he could read a poem for us and this was the one we chose

"When the one whose hand you’re holding
Is the one one who holds your heart
When the one whose eyes you gaze into
Gives your hopes and dreams their start,
When the one you think of first and last
Is the one who holds you tight,
And the things you plan together
Make the whole world seem just right,
When the one whom you believe in
puts their faith and trust in you,
You’ve found the one and only love
You’ll share your whole life through."

We exchanged rings, i have two black diamond full eternity rings to sit either side of my engagement ring and Brett has a white diamond and black diamond ring to rival David Beckham! The rings were the part we wanted to spend our money on as they last forever. Brett had said from the start he would rather spend money on a nice ring than dinner for people he doesnt ever see and i 100% agreed.



The ceremony was short but perfect and we were soon pronounced husband and wife. Our song to walk back up the aisle started playing (The Temptations- My Girl) and Kev said it was a great choice of song. We were really happy and Brett even did a little dance and twirled me round in the aisle.



Brandee asked if we wanted a glass of champagne and the answer was of course yes. We had a little toast and cut the cake (to Love Is An Open Door from Frozen- i love this song as we often say the same thing at the same time, jinx jinx again). We enjoyed a piece of cake and a couple of glasses of champagne and then it was time for our first dance. Our song was James Arthur- Say You Won't Let Go, which came out around the time we got together and has always been "our song", i love it and the lyrics are perfect.



Carmen asked if we wanted to take some pictures around the grounds of Cypress Grove so we ventured outside. Love bug season was in full swing so Carmen and Brett were constantly having to carefully pat them off my dress. We took a few pictures then Carmen asked if we wanted to leave earlier so we had more time at Disney and we said yes.



Brandee packed up our cake and the rest of the bottle of champagne and we got back into the limo.

The drive seemed much quicker on the way back so we had to drink the rest of our champagne quite fast. We arrived at Disney's Yacht Club and had a quick restroom break while Carmen set up. We had pictures in the lobby, on the stairs and by the globe (Africa section obviously).



As you can probably tell we love our cocktails so wanted a picture at the Ale and Compass Bar pretending to enjoy a few. The bartenders were so excited to see us as they don't usually get wedding couples in the Yacht Club. They insisted on pouring us a glass of champagne for our pictures, which was a lovely gesture. As we were leaving, they said we had to come back later as the baker wanted to do something for us and we promised we would.



We had a few pictures outside before heading over to the Beach Club. We had pictures in the DVC area in a little reading room and these are some of my favourite of the whole session. We also had pictures on the beach area.



We then walked over to the Boardwalk and had some fun pictures in the area. We had pictures inside Abracadabar as it wasnt open and they even opened Atlantic Dance Hall for us to have some pictures inside.



I have to say i was a little nervous about taking pictures at Disney as (rightly so) their official brides and grooms come first and are given exclusivity of the areas and so unofficial couples are often moved on as they dont like Disney brides to see another bride on their day. But we were treat like absolute royalty the whole afternoon. Even when we passed another bride on the Boardwalk, nothing was said to us.

It was now time for Carmen to leave and for us to have a cocktail so we said goodbye and thanked her and headed over to ESPN. The bar was busy playing English football so we said we were ok to sit at the bar as we just wanted drinks but they insisted on giving us a table. We had a Millie's Mule and Jockey's Julep while briefly messaging family back home to tell them where we were and what we had done



Abracadabar was now due to open so we asked for our cheque but was told there wasnt one as somebody had already paid it. We asked who it was but they had already left. Another amazing little sprinkle of Pixie Dust. Abracadabar was a lot of fun, we sat at the bar chatting to the bartender who was a trained actor and could do all the different English accents including Yorkshire. We had a Seashore Sweets, Magic Mirror, and the bartender did a special off menu rum creation for Brett.



Before we left, the bartender brought us a cupcake and macaroons and wrote "tha happy couple" which was supposed to be said in my Yorkshire accent.


We were really late for dinner now but needed to head back to the Yacht Club to pick up our things. We took some cute pictures on the walk back as the sun was now out.



Bell services rang Jiko to explain we would be late and they were fine about it. We went back to Ale and Compass to collect our present from the baker, which was a large solid white chocolate Mickey that they put on the cakes and a collection of balloons. Another overwhelming gesture. We cut up half of our wedding cake for the staff at Ale and Compass and the guys in Bell Services.



We booked a Minnie van to take us back to Animal Kingdom Lodge, which was another lovely experience. A little expensive at $28 but the perfect wedding day treat.



We arrived at Jiko and they were really excited to be hosting our wedding dinner. They brought us some African peppermint tea and hand towels and some bread. We ordered cocktails, Mo-tea-to for me and Jungle Punch for Brett and decided to treat ourselves to appetisers of the Taste of Africa Bread Service and Wild Boar Tenderloin. Both were absolutely delicious but with all the champagne and cake and bread we were getting full.



For entrees we had Cocoa Crusted Bison and Morrocan Lamb. They were absolutely divine but we had to get most of it boxed up to go. We also declined dessert as we still had so much wedding cake left, which is a shame as Brett wanted to try Malva Pudding and Melktart icecream from back home. We had room for desserts at the end of the honeymoon which explains why i can see a huge weight gain on the pictures haha. Our server insisted on us trying a little something and brought us a mint chocolate off menu plate of desserts. It was delicious.



We debated on having another cocktail in the Victoria Falls Lounge but decided to chill out instead as it had been a long day. The most perfect day of our lives and we couldnt have asked for more. We were so well looked after. I was married to the love of my life in the best country in the world. Life couldnt get any better.


joanna23 27 May 19 03:27 PM

Your photos are out of this world. What a day!

jojo_3596 27 May 19 03:32 PM

What a fantastic wedding day! Sounds absolutely perfect- congratulations to you both x

Dilsy 27 May 19 03:49 PM

What an amazing day. You both look fabulous. Very emotional too. A perfect wedding day 😀👰🏻🤵

marypoppins38 27 May 19 03:57 PM

You both look amazing! I love the styling of your outfits and hair and flowers. Beautiful... congratulations!

Scotty0910 27 May 19 04:09 PM

Congratulations - what an amazing day. Your photos are brilliant ❤

mrsdjh 27 May 19 04:16 PM

Congratulations to you both.

I loved reading about your extra special day - you can tell how happy you were with the day from the way you write about it, and from the looks on your faces in the beautiful photos - you both look fantastic.

I shall be reading along with the rest of your report.

JenD1 27 May 19 04:21 PM

What a wonderful day 🥰

GezzasGem 27 May 19 04:22 PM

Absolutely stunning! Beautiful pictures and a wonderful day, lots of luck to you both and what fabulous memories of the day to have! 😍

mick 27 May 19 04:30 PM

Congratulations what a fantastic wedding day :spin:

Joan :wave:


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