A UK wedding with a hint of Disney!

[bel]

Hello, welcome to my wedding journal!

SECTIONS:
This Page - Proposal, Planning, Venue and Ceremony!
Page 2 - After the Ceremony and Breakfast
Page 3 - Evening and Decor!
Page 5 - More Decor, Flowers, Fun and Outfits!
Page 6 - The Stationary, the Cake and the Honeymoon!
Page 8 - Other Details!

UPDATES:
Page 53 - The Honeymoon is Booked!
Page 54 - The Dress!

Page 66 - Juicy Gossip, Props, Transport and Hair/Makeup
Page 67 - Disney Quotes, Cake, Head Pieces and Save the Dates
Page 68 - Save the Dates Cont and Random Bits'n'Bobs
Page 69 - The Minimoon and the NEW DRESS!
Page 101 - Disney Purchases
Page 102 - Castle Kerfuffles & Other Disney Plans
Page 103 - More Disney Plans
Page 104 - Gifts & Bridesmaids
Page 110 - Me, The Transport, Hen Vs Stag
Page 111 - Food & Other Details
Page 112 - Even more Details & Other Weddings
Page 114 - Invitations & The Dilemma!
Page 116 - The Minimoon, Sean's Wedding Gift & Things Still to Do
Page 136 - Sean's wedding gift, the mini-mini moon and the REAL honeymoon is now booked (take two)
Page 137 - More honeymoon details
Page 138 - Bridesmaids, Gifts, Peep Board, sweets, Suits and Signs
Page 139 - Signs and Disney Details
Page 141 - More Details and My dress/accessories
Page 143 - Friend's wedding and MY HEN DOO
Page 144 - More from my hen and what's coming up in next update
Page 162 - Sean's stag and final details
Page 163 - More final details!




THE WEDDING DAY & BEYOND
Part One Pre Ceremony (Bridal Preps, venue set up etc)
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4
Post 5

Part Two Ceremony
Post 6
Post 7

Part Three Drink Reception and Details
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4
Post 5
Post 6

Part Four Breakfast
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3

Part Five Evening Doo
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3

Part Six Immedietly After & our highlights video
Post 1
Post 2 including wedding highlights video

Part Seven Cornwall post-wedding break
Post 1
Post 2

Part Eight Minimoon to DLP/Switzerland
Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4
Post 5
Post 6
Post 7
Post 8
Post 9


Part Nine Disneymoon Plans & the future (babies, vow renewals, future trips etc)
Post 1

Part Ten What Id do/not do again, highs & lows, overall thoughts & feelings
Post 1
Post 2

******************************************
I am a bit of a forum crasher as I am not actually having a wedding at Disney… I may not in fact even be honeymooning there!

BUT I am obsessed with both weddings and Disney so there is going to be a lot of Disney at my wedding and I hope this is enough for any of you who want to read this journal. If any of you are like me and just love weddings as much as you love Disney then this thread may be kinda interesting. If not then it’ll probably be really boring so look away now!

So I hope you bear with me and my thread! I am so excited about my wedding that I want to share it with others and there is nowhere better than the dibb! My two loves can become linked!

So, here goes the journal….

Meet Sean and I (Bel):




Together for almost five years now!


THE PROPOSAL:
Any of you who read my trippy report of 2011 will see that he asked me whilst on holiday in Florida. The day can be found here.
But a quick summary is that he got down on one knee in a tiny cramped basket during a beautiful sunrise hot air balloon trip over Disney and the surrounding area. It was the most amazing moment of my life.

Here we are moments before he popped the question…



Not a very nice picture but it is the only one I have of us together during the flight so it is a special one!


THE PLANNING BEGINS!
I started planning way before I got engaged…. In fact I started planning my wedding well before I met Sean and I did indeed have a ‘planning folder’ already! Luckily, it didn’t scare him off and I made it clear that it didn’t mean I wanted to rush off and get married…. I am just obsessed with weddings and always have been, always will be. Much like how I (and probably many of you) feel about Disney World!

I will admit I have a subscription with a wedding magazine and have had one for over a year now…… way before I was engaged. I knew me and Sean would one day get married as we had both discussed it and so why wait until I was engaged?! I will admit though, I was beginning to wonder if he would ever ask me…..

Anyway, I digress, so I already had an idea of what I wanted (ha, an idea!) and as soon as we returned home from Florida we started discussing budgets, priorities and ideas.

Luckily, Sean isn’t that interested in the wedding details so I have been able to have pretty much whatever I desire so long as it is within budget. Sean has had an input on the bigger things like venue, photographer, band etc. whereas I have sole control of all the little details like décor, table plan etc.

So here goes…


THE VENUE:
Possibly the hardest decision we have had to make. We spent hours searching the web for something that ticked all the boxes. In the end, we came across a venue that ticked hardly any of the boxes but we just fell in love with the place!

It is a barn which has two parts; the ‘cow shed’ (at least that’s what I call it! Officially it is called the Dutch barn) which is so unique and is where we eat. Then there is the stone barn which is more typically seen and is where we will say “I do” and where the disco will be later on. When you pull up, the place looks awful but there is something so magical and breath-taking when you walk inside.






The Cow Shed:






Stone Barn is home to the UK’s largest BBQ and it is indoors so no worries if the rain decides to come down on the big day!




I have a looong aisle to walk down until I reach the stone barn



It now has thousands of fairy lines along its roof which will look stunning when the sun goes down. This photo does not do it justice;




The Stone Barn:







So, we go ahead and book for 27th July 2013 and we are all set to go!


THE THEME:
A vintage wedding with a focus on informal festival fun and a touch of Disney magic! As well as lots of other personalised details.

(Our main focus is for this wedding to be personal which means it has to be very laid back and fun, with a lot of Disney and Glastonbury festival detailing!)


THE CEREMONY:
We looked into a humanist ceremony as I really wanted something totally personal and also to say ‘I do’ outdoors but neither of us liked the idea of having to officially marry a few days before… it just seemed to take the magic out of the actual day knowing we would already be husband and wife!

So we booked a registrar who seems quite willing for us to add our own personal touch. Sean doesn’t want to say his own vows (too shy) so we are doing this:




It is basically hammering a box shut which contains a love letter to each other and a bottle of our favourite wine…. The box will then be opened on our first year anniversary!

In true American style, my 4 page boys will walk in first and I want them to have a sign like this:




Then will come my 5 maids and 1 flowergirl.

Then me and my dad will make that scary walk!

Oh and me and my dad will be turning up in a ‘car’ I have always wanted. His name is Serbie and he is gorgeous!



I want to walk in to Twilight’s ‘Bella’s Lullaby’ or Amelie’s ‘Comptine d’un autre ete’ but haven’t decided yet. During the signing of the registrar we will play Elbow’s ‘One day like this’ and a Disney song. We will leave to Barry Louis Polisar’s ‘All I want is You’.

COMING UP... AFTER CEREMONY DRINKS AND THE WEDDING BREAKFAST

[bel]

AFTER THE CEREMONY:
Me and Sean will pop off in Serbie for time alone and some photos just down the road in a lovely little village by this river and pub;




Meanwhile our guests will be enjoying the adult bouncy castle, space hoppers, giant garden games and magician called Darren Campbell!










We will return to enjoy the toys too and have some more photos before our breakfast!

Oh, and our first bit of Disney magic….. A seaside peep board like this one below which my sister is going to paint. The image will be of Minnie and Mickey as bride and groom with the Disney castle and wishes behind and maybe a hole for kids which will be Pluto!




THE BREAKFAST:
The table plan will be a lot of vintage frames on a piece of painted MDF much like this;




And the table names will be our favourite Disney attractions. Each table will have a mini poster attraction of that table’s name;




Place names will be on swallow luggage tags for men and plantable seeded paper for women (in the shape of swallows not hearts);






We will be having a very informal meal of BBQ meat (haven’t made our decision yet on which meat to have) and fries! The dessert will be either brownies or churros?!

We will also have a dessert table with vintage jars of sweets as well as puddings (inspired by the wishes dessert party at Magic Kingdom!)






The desserts will be named after Disney characters such as ‘Minnie’s mini mince pies’ and ‘Simba’s succulent cupcakes’

I want these cupcakes which my mum is up for making;




She has already been practicing the mini mince pies/apple pies/jam tarts!




There will be lots of mini Disney figurines as décor on the table!

I would also like a little soda bar on the table as we are obsessed with cola;




And I have already bought this from ebay;




Each table will have a ‘Fun Box’ which will have lots of fun items mixed in a box with straw (it is a cow shed after all). The items will include play dough, Disney stick on tattoos, silly string, Disney trivia, crayons and lots of silly items for people to generally have a laugh with! It will also include essential info about our photo booth, wish tree and evening events (sparkler ‘send off’/glow stick rave).

The guests will also receive favours in the form of S’mores kits which they can later use on the fire pits we will have around the venue;




I will also be giving all of the women an animal aid bracelet which is a charity very close to my heart and means we would have donated some money. Sean wants to give all the men scratch cards as he has a mini obsession with scratch cards and the lotto!




There won’t be speeches as my dad is terrified of public speaking and at my sister’s wedding he was too nervous to eat all day and couldn’t relax until well after the speech was made. I don’t want him to feel like this on my day and Sean is almost as bad as him so we may be doing a ‘How well do you know the couple quiz’ hosted by Sean’s confident best man and the winning table will win an extra bottle or two of wine! Just an idea!?

I would like my dad and Sean to get up and just quickly thank whoever wedding etiquette suggests. The best man wants to do a speech for Sean so all good there!

My niece (who is currently studying music at the brit school) will do a set for us between courses. She is an amazingly talented young girl and I am sure will have me in tears

COMING UP... THE EVENING AND THE DECOR

[bel]

THE EVENING:
We have booked an AMAZING band called the Indie Killers;




They have a brilliant set list which is right up mine and Sean’s street in terms of music style but they do something for everyone which is good. They even play my first dance song: Green Day’s ‘Time of Your Life’.

We will have a ‘rave’ hour where everyone will be given glow sticks and encouraged to get on that dance floor!




Then during a lull we will get everyone outside for photos with sparklers! Sean was desperate for fireworks (think a mini wishes) and I was desperate for sky lanterns (as in Tangled) but the venue allows neither so this was our compromise!




The venue does not have any accommodation but it does have a camping field which fits perfectly with our festival theme! Me and Sean will be getting a taxi to a local hotel though, as much as I love camping I don’t see it being much fun trying to get out of my wedding dress in a little tent!

My dad is making something like this for the camping field;




We will also be having a ‘summer santa’ whereby each tent will wake up to a mini xmas stocking outside their ‘doors’ containing a thank you note and some morning essentials such as paracetamol, water, chocolate, gum and a balloon (who says balloons are not essential?!) This idea comes from glasto festival where we awoke on our last day to find a mini stocking with fun toys inside! It was a really brilliant surprise and my family still talk about it!


THE DÉCOR:
Outside we want ribbons in the trees;




And my dad will be making a sign like this;




Which will include directions to ‘tent town’, ‘photo booth’ and ‘happily ever after’!

We will have this birdcage frame hanging photos of our parents/close family on their wedding days;




We will have three types of table centres which will include birdcages with teacups of flowers inside, a collection of vintage bottles and a collection of vintage tins;








On tree slabs like this;




I already have a big collection of tins and bottles which I have bought. The rest are being hired!

The barns won’t need much décor but we will be having bunting;




And a proposal table with photos and a story of ‘that day’ and then some bubble balloons on it;




We will also have photo bunting of me and Sean between hanging carnation heads that will look like this;




And there will be ‘Our Adventure Book’ just like that of the elderly couple in ‘Up’ with photos of us at Disney!




We will have a wish tree instead of a guest book where guests will hang their good wishes on luggage tags;






And we will have this poster somewhere too;




We have some big letters that we will decorate ourselves;




COMING UP... THE FLOWERS, THE FUN, THE OUTFITS!

[loves_disney]

WAHHHH BEL this is fabulous!
i love EVERYTHING about this so far! some of your ideas are amazing! [imay be stealing if my day ever comes ]
fabulous, your wedding will be super fun and also really personal, i cannot wait to read more!

[bel]

DECOR CONT:
And a vintage suitcase for guests to put their cards in;




In the evening, candle bags will light up outside alongside the fire pits;




THE FLOWERS:
I am having a dusky pink, antique gold bouquet of roses with a hint of gypsophila and the maids will be having all white roses with gyp. Inspirational pictures include;








Our vintage bottle tablecentres I am hoping will look a little like this;





A pair of wellies containing flowers will be at the entrance along with a Mickey statue (if we can source one)




Other décor will include flowers in teapots and jam jars!

The ceremony will have two birdcages on stands filled with flowers and there may be lavender bunches so the barn smells lovely;




THE FUN:
So you already know about a lot of it (fun box, outdoor games, glow sticks) but we have a few other little touches…

The bathroom doors will have photos of us as toddlers instead of ‘men’ and ‘ladies’ kinda like this;




And on the inside of the doors we will have a photo collage of the stag and hen doos!

The other thing I haven’t yet mentioned is we will be making our own photo booth in the little side room of the barn using our camera on a tripod and a trunk full of props! We already have all the props including giant glasses, seashell bras, blue afro wigs and feather boas!




THE OUTFITS:
So, I have not yet decided if I will let the maids choose their own dresses within my colour scheme or I will get them all the same dress?

My flower girl will have a wicker wand rather than a bouquet;




And my pageboys will be in converse!




I will also have a pair of converse to change into after the ceremony as I am not good in heels but I do love my heels I have bought anyway!






I have tried on some dresses at the national wedding show and my first dress shop appointments are in a few weeks. I like the big princess dresses and this is the one I am most in love with and I have luckily found a shop that stocks it and so I will be trying it on!






I do also like this one;




But who knows what I will end up with. At the moment though, it is princess dress all the way!


COMING UP... THE STATIONARY, THE CAKE, THE HONEYMOON

[bel]

THE STATIONARY:
My sister (the artist one) is making my invites. The save the dates will probably be me and Sean in our bridal/groom ears in an invite style like this;




The actual invites I think will be like this;






The envelopes will be stamped with swallow stamps. But I really want to incorporate Disney somehow?!

I may include Disney by making individual invites to all the children (I love kids; my degree is in early childhood and I’m currently a nursery nurse with plans to do a top up to be a teacher) as I want the day to include lots of children/families having fun together and why not invite the children as individual people rather than adding them as extras to their parents invites!
I’m going off on one…

Anyway, so that’s my idea, to make Disney style invites for all of the children who will be invited. Possibly? Maybe? Moving on…


THE CAKE:
Will be a donut tower!




We have these toppers to go next to it;




And then the dessert table will have a main cake and cupcakes too with Disney Jack and Sally toppers, Disney couple figurines, vinylmation bride and groom and a personalised topper which has me in bride ears and Sean with his camera and his PlayStation remote, both wearing wellies in a pool of mud. This topper will take centre stage on the top of a cake stand with the cupcakes.

This lady is making our toppers and she personalises the hair/dress/flowers too;




Our bunting cake will look like this;




Our actual bunting;




Toppers with ears!




THE HONEYMOON:
We may go to Disneyland Paris as a mini moon if we cannot afford to honeymoon until the year after our wedding (possible due to booking this year’s trip to Florida!)



For our main honeymoon we want to do something truly once in a lifetime and our current favourite is Borneo where we will spend a week exploring the rainforests, caves, wildlife, waterfalls and then a week on Borneo’s amazing beaches;






Other places we are considering are South Africa and Seychelles or Thailand.

COMING UP... MORE DETAILS!

[Cinnabon]

Amazing, love it all.

[bel]

OTHER DETAILS:
A photo by our photographer at our venue. Stunning.



We are having a videographer and we may pay for the ‘Marryoke’ – do YouTube it! Looks like such fun!

Hay bales to sit on;




Our surnames history/shield certificates which we got from Epcot;




Our sweet bags;




Vintage items I have collected;












Photo booth masks;




My swallow tattoo is inspiration for a lot of things too;




In our next trip to Disney we are hoping to get a lot of Disney items for our wedding including cake knives, figurines and champagne flutes to name but a few!






Oh and I’m losing weight (or trying to). I started at 12 stone 10 and I am currently 12 stone 2. I have a long way to go if I want to meet my target weight of under 11 stone! I would LOVE to be under 10 stone but I doubt that’ll be possible so I will be pleased with 10 stone 12 or less! That gives me 18 lb. or more to lose in just over a year…….


So, that’s more or less everything (believe it or not there are still a lot of other tiddly details I have decided to spare you!). If anyone shows an interest in this thread I will keep updating with news/pictures etc. but as it isn’t a Disney wedding I’m not too optimistic there will be a response to it so we will have to see!
If you have read through, thanks so much and I really appreciate it and please do comment so I know whether to continue it or not….


Lots of love,

Bel x

[NatsyNoo]

Wow wow wow Bel, your plans are absolutely amazing! This is going to be THE wedding of 2013! Your ideas are so fantastic and how perfect is your venue for your rustic/vintage theme! You're a very lucky girl to be living your wedding fantasy! Fabulous my dear! xx

[bel]

Originally Posted by loves_disney

WAHHHH BEL this is fabulous!
i love EVERYTHING about this so far! some of your ideas are amazing! [imay be stealing if my day ever comes ]
fabulous, your wedding will be super fun and also really personal, i cannot wait to read more!

See more...

Aw thanks Amy, and I would be HONOURED if any of my ideas were used for your wedding! I will admit though there isnt much that my own imagination came up with... most are from hours of searching the internet and the many wedding mags I have purchased!

Originally Posted by Cinnabon

Amazing, love it all.

See more...

Thankyou!

Originally Posted by NatsyNoo

Wow wow wow Bel, your plans are absolutely amazing! This is going to be THE wedding of 2013! Your ideas are so fantastic and how perfect is your venue for your rustic/vintage theme! You're a very lucky girl to be living your wedding fantasy! Fabulous my dear! xx

See more...

Thankyou Nat. My wedding day has always been something I have dreamed about and it is quite important to me that it is the day I have always dreamed of and we have decided to make a few sacrifices to make it that way (I.e. Hold off getting a mortgage for a couple more years) but for us, it is the right decision!