Well this was a planning across the miles event via email etc.
I had kept hearing of private functions and dining as we didn't want a vow renewal but we wanted "something Disney"
We wanted to be with our friends and dress up, eat and drink and watch wishes in some way.
We could have just had a sit down at a signature but I wanted something special. I also wanted to pay for it.
So back in the Winter of 2014 I trawled websites and conference Disney sites and finally managed to email and get a reply through those channels.
You can book a private dining event for what we wanted as long as it WAS NOT A WEDDING!
So then she emailed me types of menus for sit down, bar packages buffet and room choices, minimum spends etc. And so began the emails back and forth and the lady we had, Elizabeth, was astounding, patient and fabulous. We emailed all the queries back and forth over the months until June and then agreed we could go and see the room she had in mind when we were there in the June.
We couldn't get any of the smaller function rooms at the GF so she sad it would have to be the Contemporary. As you now know this is where we managed to book all our gusts into for the one night and helped us decide to do that for them all.
It was not a big room, and internal, when we viewed it but it was going to have nice tables, chair covers, votives on glass and their background music. And it was free with our minimum spend.
We decided on a pick you own buffet menu and we kept it simple. Also we wanted a call bar as we would all be drinking and when we are together, we can drink. TBH I think the US system is fab and with the exchange rate so we got a good deal- so glad I found the emails with the details! Guess which bar service we took?
Build your own Salad: Bowls of Fresh Garden Greens with Baby Lettuces and Romaine, Tomatoes Caesar and Honey Mustard dressing on the side.
Rolls and butter.
NY Strip Loin / Grilled Chicken Breast with Red Wine Sauce on the Side.
Pasta with Marinara Sauce on the Side.
Mashed Potatoes.
Seasonal Vegetables.
Mini Desserts: Key Lime Pie, Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vanilla Ice Cream
Bar Service: $100 bartender fee
Call Wine and Beer for 2 hours: $21 plus tax and service charge per guest over the age of 21 OR
Call Wine, Beer, and Liquor for 2 hours: $25.00 plus tax and service charge per guest over the age of 21
For either package, guests under 21 would receive unlimited soft drinks, bottled water, and juices for $12.50 plus tax and service charge per guest.
While we there the first week I got an email from Elizabeth asking is we would change rooms to one next door and I said I would look at the plan and get back to her. It looked smaller, and was, so I emailed back and said I wasn't very happy to change because of that and it would be even more of a squeeze but as the terms said it could be moved to a similar room, I suppose I couldn't say no.
She emailed back the next morning and said as it was their need to use the room so she was offering an upgrade to the Nutcracker Suite with some additional decor she felt would go with our theme and it had a patio with tables (you can see them in the pre trippie) The pics she sent me looked fabulous so we decided to say yes thank you very much- QUICKLY before she changed her mind!
So here goes- the day of- we drove and parked at the BLT in the morning and dropped off our luggage, got wristbands- so exciting and had a few hours in the MK.
We returned to the BLT and waited for our rooms at 3.30 pm. Well this time the pixie dust was a bit lacking and we, the main couple, got our room last; I think it may have bee alphabetical because of our group booking and because we had two nights not one. We were still waiting at 4.30!
I started to well up a bit after asking three times so the man suddenly seemed to realise this was a big deal when I said did he want to ring Elizabeth and explain why we were late were our private dining event on our Silver Wedding Anniversary!
He even got the bell hop to take the luggage up for us.
We had a great room overlooking the lake the Contemporary and the monorail- standard view DVC studio.
Well I managed to get my hair done and run over to the new Party room with all the other bits and bobs; wow and wow but you can see what it looked like later. We were so pleased with the upgrade and we got to meet the wonderful Elizabeth and our serving team and pop our favors on the table. I got lots of lovely compliments about my dress (with black fit flops at this point) and then I put on my sparkly shoes (got some more compliments
) and we went over to meet the others. Pixie dust was returning!
It was tight with Randy coming at 6.30. We had arranged to meet in the fountain area in front of the BLT pool and it was a great place for those first shots- all our friends I had told 6.15 so they would be there when we arrived and apparently Randy he had realised they were our group - British accents- and he had been chatting away to them before we came down. Needless to say one family was later than us and she was mortified, especially as they were the second to get their room!
Now I am not a "posey" person, I had found the AOA shots a bit strange to pose for, but Randy got some fabulous natural shots as we came out and the sun shine just hit us, and my dress, and my girlfriends all started to well up!
Randy then got us some fabulous group and couple shots and, as I said, he knows where to go to get the great Disney touches;
With our son-
It was at this oont we realised Randy's skill as he managed to get us in the right place for a sunset shot and kiss- some how this seemed to go for a long time and he kept saying,one more shot,one more--- it it seemed he just couldn't get it right so we were very relieved he said Ok turn around now and this is what greeted us and our reaction!
They had had our wedding day faces printed on masks and it was a classic and Randy loved it!Love our friends so much!
I had never told Randy that my favorite character was Sorcerer Mickey and didn't even know this was here;Peter said to me this was my pixie dust pay back from Walt for not losing my rag with the check in CM earlier on!
So now we were off to the room, knowing it was quite a bit larger but we reckoned the kids could run around if nothing else while we ate and drank
Our friends laughed when they saw it was the Nutcracker Suite and said how at for the two of us!
You can see how big the room was!
The tables;
More to follow... the favours are coming...