Bridget and Miles' 2017 Disney Fantasy Wedding Cruise Planning Journal

[Bridget B]

Table of Contents

Intro (Below)
Proposal
Why Disney?
Cast of Characters (Our Party)
The Ring
"Be my maid?" Boxes and Groom Suit Idea
Cruise and Wedding Booking Process
The Dress
Save the Dates
Wedding Website
Welcome Packet
Onboard Welcome Reception
Dress Alteration
Chicago Celebration Venue
Ceremony Planning Guide
Choosing a Ceremony Time
Vegan Cake Options
Ceremony Script / Vows

--

Update March 13, 2017

Here are a few planning documents I received or made along the way. If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask away.

• Budget and Planning Spreadsheet (Numbers)
• Budget and Planning Spreadsheet (Excel)
• DCL Wedding FAQs
• Updated Wedding Guide
• Updated Wedding Elements Enhancements
• Welcome Reception Menus
• Marriage License Information
• Event Itinerary (Provided by coordinator about a month before sailing)
• Photography Schedule

And here's our Trip Report!

--

Hi there!

My name is Bridget, I'm a 30-year-old Chicagoan, (who just moved out to the suburbs) and I've been an (embarrassingly) long-time lurker on these boards. I've had a great time watching so many of you plan your lovely wedding cruises -- and now the real fun begins for me, as I get to plan one of my own. YAY!

I am a hugely lucky lady, as my fiance, Miles, pulled off a wonderful surprise proposal in August 2015, and we're hoping to book our seven-day wedding cruise extravaganza for February 2017 on the Fantasy. Just waiting for those 2017 itineraries to appear (hurry up, October!).

We have a looooong way to go (15 months, but who's counting?), but I'll try to visit here fairly often and keep you all informed. I fully intend to share our detailed budget spreadsheet as well, because that was what I was always most appreciative of /curious about whilst lurking. )

How We Met

The year was 2010. I was a hot mess who had sworn off men after a horrific breakup and subsequent rebound disaster. It was a Saturday night in June, and I drove out to a venue in the suburbs to see my best friend (and now co-maid of honor), Brynn, sing backup for her boyfriend's band at a restaurant/lounge.

After the set, I went outside to chat with everyone around a fire pit, and that's where Miles first saw me. He says he knew at once that I was "the one." Me? I was busy being a man-hating grumpus.

On the way home, Brynn said Miles had asked her to "put in a good word" with me. I was flattered, but laughed and said, "You should tell him to run for the hills."

Fast forward two years. I had gradually become less of a hot mess. And I had seen Miles a few more times, at more band gigs, (I only found out later, from him, that he was occasionally Facebook stalking me, and pining away). After a good chat at one particular show in June 2012, in the back of my mind I thought, “Huh. I could totally go out with Miles. So, why not?”

Upon me sharing this thought with Brynn, she was delighted, and promptly sent a note to Miles along the lines of, “If you ask Bridget out she probably won’t decline.”

So he did, and we did (we ended up talking for four hours on our first date). And we fell madly in love. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And the rest, as they say, is history.

 

[Bridget B]

The Proposal

One Sunday evening in August, Miles and I got all dressed up to head to an alumni awards banquet in honor of his former boss at Northern Illinois University.

On the drive there, Miles said he needed to stop and use the rest room, and pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant -- coincidentally, I thought, the very same restaurant where we first met for that gig back in 2010.

I sat in the car, totally oblivious, and listened to the radio while I waited for him. Then my phone rang. It was Miles. "Will you come meet me at the spot where we first met?" he asked.

At this point, I knew he was up to something cute. But he's a rather romantic fellow, so I thought perhaps he just wanted to share a quick kiss or something.

So, I walked up to the fire pit outside the restaurant patio. It was surrounded by rose petals, as was the ground. I am oblivious and did not notice this at all until it was pointed out to me later.

Then he took my hands and said, "I've been thinking about this moment for a long time, and how I was going to pull this off and what I was going to say. So I concocted an elaborate ruse of a fake alumni banquet to get you out here to the spot where we first met. And now I want to tell you that when I think about the rest of my life, I can't imagine it without you. Will you marry me?"

And then he pulled a ring out of a little pocket on his tie (a Christmas present from me. The pocket is so I can sneak in love notes). Of course, I said yes.

That's when I heard someone -- Brynn -- singing "We Belong," which is Miles' and my song. I looked over and realized she was sitting on the patio with her boyfriend, who was playing guitar.

I was so caught up in the moment, it wasn't until then that I realized our friend James, a photographer, was walking around us taking pictures the whole time.

Then Miles turned to lead me into the restaurant, and my little sister (who lives several hundred miles away in Nashville), seemingly appeared out of nowhere to give me a hug. That's when I started bawling. And then my mom and Miles' mom also appeared.

When we walked inside, the whole restaurant started applauding. Apparently they'd all been watching through the blinds. I was clueless.

Want to see more photos? Of course you do. Here you go.

I shall be back soon with updates on the wedding party, colors, dress ideas, etc. etc.

 

[Bridget B]

So, I'm trying to get to my first 10 posts real fast so I can change my avatar -- hence the multiple postings in one day. Anyhoo...

Why a Disney Wedding?

I'm sure you can all relate, but already some family/friends have skeptically (and slightly condescendingly) asked, "Why a Disney wedding? Isn't that for kids?" Whatever. Kids at heart, I say.

Choosing a Disney Cruise wedding was a super easy decision. I can't remember a time when I didn't love all things Disney. When the Walt Disney exhibit came to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, Miles laughed at me because I cried during the opening film strip. I've been to Disney World four times, and on three cruises so far (Magic 2002, Magic 2005, and Fantasy 2014).

This is me and my sister Tara in Disney World in 2005. You see, I always knew?...

Miles is, comparatively, a Disney novice. He went to Epcot once when he was little, but didn't remember it, and didn't go back until after he took his first cruise with me on the Fantasy in November 2014. He was immediately smitten with the experience -- the service, the luxury, and the overall magical atmosphere. (Aren't we all?) And I believe it's fair to say he caught the bug...

Plus, neither of us likes to be the center of attention in large crowds, and we weren't too keen on the myriad planning details that come along with a "traditional" wedding.

So, literally the day we got engaged, we knew we'd be married on a Disney Cruise. And now we're in the midst of planning seven awesome days at sea with (almost) all of our favorite people -- followed by three days in Orlando at the parks just for us in a baby Disneymoon.

 

[CaliMermaid]

Congratulations, Bridget! What a cute story and great engagement photos. I am excited to relive all the of planning a DCL wedding through your journey.

Cheers,
Ashley

 

[Bridget B]

Congratulations, Bridget! What a cute story and great engagement photos. I am excited to relive all the of planning a DCL wedding through your journey.

Cheers,
Ashley

Thanks so much, Ashley! I'm pretty excited myself.

 

[Bridget B]

Cast of Characters

We haven't yet asked our party to be our party, but we have plans in the works to do so within the next month-ish. I'm going to mail my girls these hilarious cards I ordered from Etsy along with a small box of goodies. Any ideas on what to include? All but one of these ladies live out of state, and one of these boxes is going all the way to Amsterdam, so they can't be enormous.

Brynn also does not know we want her to officiate, but I think she'll be on board (get it? HA). She loves to remind us that we would never have met if it wasn't for her. Have any of you had friends/family officiate? How did you prepare them?

Miles, meanwhile, wants to re-enact a scene from "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" with his guys: the episode where Boyle asks Peralta to be his best man by hiding a bow tie in a pint of beer.

Two of them live out of state, so that might be difficult, but I hope he can pull it off.

I love and enjoy all of these people, and their various significant others, so I can't wait for the fun to begin!

The Ladies

Co-Maid of Honor and Officiant - Brynn (best friend since high school)
Co-Maid of Honor - Tara (little sister)
Bridesmaid - Maggie (college roommate)
Bridesmaid - Jackie (college roommate)

The Gentlemen

Best Man - Adam (former co-worker and best buddy of Miles)
Groomsman - James (former co-worker of Miles and our photographer extraordinaire)
Groomsman - Andy (Miles' best friend since childhood)
Groomsman - Chris (Miles' good friend since college)

 

[elphie101]

Congrats!! I'm super excited to see more DCL PJs. We sailed the Fantasy on our honeymoon in October 2014 and as I'm sure you know, it's a truly magical ship!

One really cute thing I've seen in bridesmaid boxes is Ring Pops, kind of a play on the ring you've received (speaking of.....picture?! )

We had my younger brother officiate and it was one of the best decisions we made about our day. He was a theater and political science student in college, so he was a natural choice - I would say you definitely want to make sure your friend is comfortable speaking to crowds! I'm not sure how other people go about it, but for us, DH and I wrote the bulk of the ceremony ourselves from bits and pieces of ceremonies we liked online (our wedding was the first wedding in about 10 years on my side, so myself/my brother didn't have much memory to go off of) with the exception of the opening bit. I compiled some passages that were in the mood I was looking for but encouraged my brother to write it himself, and to make it about a few paragraphs long. He gave it back to us for a final read through and we went from there!

I posted the whole script as well as our wedding video in my PJ if you need any ideas! We also used the Universal Life Church to ordain my brother, which took all of about 2 minutes and is shockingly legal for the state of Florida (seriously, you would think it would take more to legally be able to marry someone!) If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

 

[majix]

Your story seems so cute!!!

I also did Bridesmaid boxes...I put in kleenex, in case they cried...chocolate, because it is a big love of mine...I also did the ring pop...I can't remember the rest! But I think the most important thing for me was the card asking them, because you could make it personal and explain exactly why you were asking them.

I love that Miles is reenacting Brooklyn Nine Nine, I've only seen a few episodes, but it's hilarious! I'm sure his friends will love it!!

We too have asked a friend to officiate. Sean and I actually just finalized the ceremony this week. We did the same as @elphie101. We found some things that we really liked online and mixed them together to create the perfect ceremony for us. We have given Brett some areas to change and make his own, but we'd ultimately like him to follow our guide.

This is so exciting!! I'm going to have fun reading all of your plans!

 

[Bridget B]

Congrats!! I'm super excited to see more DCL PJs. We sailed the Fantasy on our honeymoon in October 2014 and as I'm sure you know, it's a truly magical ship!

One really cute thing I've seen in bridesmaid boxes is Ring Pops, kind of a play on the ring you've received (speaking of.....picture?! )

We had my younger brother officiate and it was one of the best decisions we made about our day. He was a theater and political science student in college, so he was a natural choice - I would say you definitely want to make sure your friend is comfortable speaking to crowds! I'm not sure how other people go about it, but for us, DH and I wrote the bulk of the ceremony ourselves from bits and pieces of ceremonies we liked online (our wedding was the first wedding in about 10 years on my side, so myself/my brother didn't have much memory to go off of) with the exception of the opening bit. I compiled some passages that were in the mood I was looking for but encouraged my brother to write it himself, and to make it about a few paragraphs long. He gave it back to us for a final read through and we went from there!

I posted the whole script as well as our wedding video in my PJ if you need any ideas! We also used the Universal Life Church to ordain my brother, which took all of about 2 minutes and is shockingly legal for the state of Florida (seriously, you would think it would take more to legally be able to marry someone!) If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

Your story seems so cute!!!

I also did Bridesmaid boxes...I put in kleenex, in case they cried...chocolate, because it is a big love of mine...I also did the ring pop...I can't remember the rest! But I think the most important thing for me was the card asking them, because you could make it personal and explain exactly why you were asking them.

I love that Miles is reenacting Brooklyn Nine Nine, I've only seen a few episodes, but it's hilarious! I'm sure his friends will love it!!

We too have asked a friend to officiate. Sean and I actually just finalized the ceremony this week. We did the same as @elphie101. We found some things that we really liked online and mixed them together to create the perfect ceremony for us. We have given Brett some areas to change and make his own, but we'd ultimately like him to follow our guide.

This is so exciting!! I'm going to have fun reading all of your plans!

Thanks so much for the ideas, ladies! I love the ring pop and Kleenex . I'm definitely going to steal those.

Brynn is a performer by trade, so she's really used to being up in front of crowds. I think her biggest concern will be not bursting into tears. Haha. I'm definitely going to use the Universal Life Church (great tip), and I love the idea of piecing together our own special ceremony. Can't wait to read through both of yours.

Here's the ring:

It's simple and understated -- exactly what I wanted, as I don't wear a lot of jewelry, usually. It's a conflict-free Canadian diamond (also something I wanted) and the white gold is made from recycled materials. I'm a bit of a green geek.

And now I'm off to read through your PJs.

 

[NikkiEla]

Gah, I'm so excited about your PJ!
I also live in the suburbs and am having a Disney Cruise wedding!
I'm definitely looking forward to following along on your planning journey!

I love your story and your engagement pictures are beautiful!
And I also did bridesmaids boxes when I asked my girls.
I included a ring pop, chocolate, nail polish and a nail file, a little mermaid bracelet, a picture frame and a glitter initial.
I have pictures of the box I made and all of it's content in my PJ.

Also, I love your ring!
Ironically, super similar to mine
Solitaire engagement rings are so simple but stunning!

 

[TXMNie]

Joining in! My mom just moved to the burbs of Chicago. I love all of your plans and your ring! It is classic.

 

[Bridget B]

Joining in! My mom just moved to the burbs of Chicago. I love all of your plans and your ring! It is classic.

Yay! Thanks for following along.

 

[Bridget B]

Hello all,

While Miles and I are (not so patiently) awaiting the 2017 itineraries announcement, our planning continues.

We had our first budget meeting (WOO -- budgets, am I right?! Haha.) I'll share more on that later, but so far, the biggest expense we're looking to pare down is our at-home reception, which we'd like to have back here in Chicago a few weeks after we get home from the cruise. Any tips or tricks on that? Looks like we'll be trying to feed and water (with booze) about 90 people. I'd love to spend less than $3,000, but that's seeming impossible at this point.

Next on the list: I've completed my bridesmaid and maid of honor boxes. They're going in the mail tomorrow.

I got plain wood boxes from Michaels (only $4.36 a pop!), then painted them and sealed them with ModPodge.

Thanks to some great ideas from you all, I included Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses, Kleenex and a Ring Pop, along with a hand-written card. I hope they like them!

In other news, we decided on our color scheme: gray and purples. When Miles and I first started dating, he had this gray suit and purple tie that I loved loved loved on him. I always imagined him dressed in something similar on our wedding day -- and he's on board.

Here's a suit we both like, but it's not the definite win yet:

As far as dress shopping goes, I know I have a long time before I have to make a decision, but I'm excited to take my first shopping trip in a couple weeks. My little sister (and co-maid of honor), will be in town for a couple days, so her, my mom, my other co-maid of honor and I have an appointment at David's Bridal to see what we can find.

Wish me luck. I don't have a really clear vision of what I want, at this point. I know I like lace, but I really just need to try some different styles on and see what looks good on my short, curvy frame.

Finally, I think we're about done with our registry. We used Honeyfund.com, so we could include some of our honeymoon experiences if guests want to help us out with those. Check it out, if you like.

Up next, we'll be launching our website and sending out save the dates. Miles' is a web developer and designer by trade, so he's going to put both of those together. Stay tuned!

 

[Bridget B]

Gah, I'm so excited about your PJ!
I also live in the suburbs and am having a Disney Cruise wedding!
I'm definitely looking forward to following along on your planning journey!

I love your story and your engagement pictures are beautiful!
And I also did bridesmaids boxes when I asked my girls.
I included a ring pop, chocolate, nail polish and a nail file, a little mermaid bracelet, a picture frame and a glitter initial.
I have pictures of the box I made and all of it's content in my PJ.

Also, I love your ring!
Ironically, super similar to mine
Solitaire engagement rings are so simple but stunning!

Hi, Nikki. 'Burbs represent! Haha!

Oooh, I like the nail polish and file idea. I might have to take a shopping trip today and add a few more trinkets to my boxes before they hit the mail.

I love my ring too -- thank you very much!

 

[Bridget B]

The dates are in and we are booked! Miles and I will be married aboard the Disney Fantasy during the seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruise, embarking on Feb. 25, 2017, to Tortola, St. Thomas and, of course, Castaway Cay. Hooray!

I have to say, however, that the booking process was a little stressful for me.

I worked with Casey at Pirate and Pixie Dust Destinations (who is lovely), but the flow was a bit of a surprise. From what I'd read on here, I was expecting to need to call Disney Fairytale Weddings myself after booking the cruise, to book the ceremony. But Casey actually handled that herself, which resulted in her informing me that the only available spots on the Fantasy for weddings are Outlook and Meridian, and if we have more than 28 guests, not all of them would be able to attend the ceremony.

Now, I know I've seen brides on here married in the atrium and D-Lounge of the Fantasy with more than 28 guests, so I was a little aghast (given our guest list was at 44 people). There's no way I'm asking people to pay thousands of dollars to take this trip and then not even attend the wedding. I pushed back with this information, and was told "Those spots are not 'options' to choose from…but wedding coordinators can speak with you, and CAN sometimes make exceptions."

Miles and I weren't about to take the risk that people wouldn't be able to attend the actual ceremony, so we've resolved to simply cut our list down to 28. Such is life, I guess.

I also already heard from our DFTW coordinator, Valerie, who emailed me the ceremony planning guide this morning (so fast!). Have any of you worked with Valerie? Thoughts? Tips?

Miles and I would really like to host a welcome reception the first night of the cruise in one of the bar/lounge areas (I'd like Ooh La La or Skyline), and I would like to provide some sheet music for my bridal processional ("The Ludlows" from "Legends of the Fall")...but I'm kind of scared to ask and be told "NO!" Again, any suggestions?
In other news, our wedding website is shaping up. Excited to be able to share it with you all! Now that we're all booked, we're aiming to get our formal invites out ASAP, linking to the site, where folks can RSVP.

 

[Bridget B]

I found the dress! My little sister (and co-Maid of Honor), was in town from Nashville for her birthday this week. So, even though we’re pretty far out from the big day (501 days, but who’s counting?) she and my mom joined me for a trip to David’s Bridal on Monday night.

I honestly walked in with extremely low expectations, intending to simply try on a bunch of different silhouettes and fabrics to get an idea of what I liked on my frame. I assumed I’d then shop around for a long while. But, after trying on probably a dozen dresses, I fell in love with a soft-white, lace mermaid gown with three-quarter length sleeves — and pulled the trigger. Here’s a pic of me below (keep in mind, it’s way too long, and still needs to be altered).

To tell you the truth, I had a lot of anxiety about dress shopping (possibly I have watched one too many episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress”), but the experience was really lovely. We had the shop and helper, Kimmy, all to ourselves, which was very nice. I would definitely recommend booking the last appointment time on a weeknight for a super calm atmosphere. And my mom and sister, not surprisingly, were nothing but supportive. My mom cried. And my sister took what felt like a bazillion pictures on her phone. Haha. All in all, the whole thing took just over an hour. I am the fastest dress shopper in the (Mid)west.

I also really loved the headband Kimmy pulled, but they wanted $200 for it, and I think I might be able to do better elsewhere (Etsy, perhaps?).

In other news, Valerie, my DFTW coordinator called me the day after we booked, and was really friendly and eager to help. She told me we can definitely do a welcome reception (hooray!), although we won't know its location for certain until about 40 days out from sailing (not surprising). I'm hoping for either Ooh La La or Skyline, but really anywhere would be fine with us. And she assured me that if I provide sheet music for the pianist in our ceremony planning guide (and bring it along with on the cruise, just in case) he/she would be able to play any song I picked out. This is great news, as I'd like my processional to be "The Ludlows" from the James Horner score for "Legends of the Fall."

She also provided the ceremony planning guide lickity split. Miles and I have plans to go over that this weekend, which I'm looking forward to. I'm a little type A, so I scheduled us monthly planning meetings to go over our progress and my gigantic wedding planning spreadsheet. I realize it's all very Monica Gellar, but think it will be really helpful in the end.

Also, our self-imposed deadline for the wedding website and save-the-date/cruise invites is fast approaching (Oct. 31). Miles is a web developer by trade, so he’s building the site himself. And a friend of ours who is a graphic designer is providing illustrations to go along with a timeline of major events in our “story,” which I wrote (I’m a copywriter, so hopefully it does not suck). I’m very impatient to see how it all comes together.

 

[Sugarbaby1022]

So excited to follow along with your planning!! Your dress is GORGEOUS!

She also provided the ceremony planning guide lickity split. Miles and I have plans to go over that this weekend, which I'm looking forward to. I'm a little type A, so I scheduled us monthly planning meetings to go over our progress and my gigantic wedding planning spreadsheet. I realize it's all very Monica Gellar, but think it will be really helpful in the end.

Hahahahaha Monica Geller. But she was always prepared, and that's what matters.

 

[Bridget B]

So excited to follow along with your planning!! Your dress is GORGEOUS!



Hahahahaha Monica Geller. But she was always prepared, and that's what matters.

Thank you! I love the dress too. I didn't want to take it off. Haha.

And yes, Monica was a little crazy, but it always seemed to work in her favor.

 

[TXMNie]

Love the dress and the headband!

 

[Bridget B]

Love the dress and the headband!

Thanks! I am hoping to find another similar headband. We shall see!