Monthly Archives: September 2012

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Photo Shoot

Posted in Reviews, The Finer Details, Wedding Planning by

The following post was written by Disneymooner Vanessa.

Many couples choose to add a Bridal Portrait Session at the Magic Kingdom to their wedding plans; however, many do not realize that you can also have photos taken at the other parks.  My husband and I decided to add-on a shoot at Disney Hollywood Studios too.  Since we were married inside Epcot that meant that we would have photos from three of the four parks at Walt Disney World.

One of the best things about adding on an additional park is the flexibility you have in backgrounds for your photos.  The photographers are willing to be creative and work with you to get the types of pictures you want at that park.  The majority of couples only choose a Magic Kingdom Portrait Session, so adding on another park gives the photographers a chance to be more creative with their shots.

We were picked up at our resort hotel at 5:30 a.m. and then headed over to take our photos at the Magic Kingdom.  Since it was March this was well before sunrise allowing us to get some photos in the dark with the lights on the castle.  By the time we left the sun was up and we had some additional pictures taken in the daylight.

Our photographer and his assistant had us climb back in their van and then drove us over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  We arrived long before the park was scheduled to open to the public giving us the flexibility to take pictures throughout the park.  We entered in near the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith making our first stop for photos.   My husband loves this ride, so we were able to get pictures with the large guitar at the park’s entrance behind us.

From that point we walked through most of the park.   We had a lot of great pictures taken with us walking down Sunset Boulevard with shots of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the background.  We were also able to have photos taken with a vintage Hollywood feel in front of several of the shops on Hollywood Boulevard.

The photographer took a number of pictures in front of the Sorcerer Mickey Hat.  We also had photos in front of the Great Movie Ride since we were having a Hollywood theme for our at-home reception just a few months later.

At this point the photographer let us pick where we wanted additional pictures in the park.  Since I collect Wizard of Oz memorabilia I asked for a picture near the block dedicated to Judy Garland with imprints from the Ruby Slippers in front of the ride.

We then asked for some pictures in the courtyard for Muppet Vision 3-D.  I remembered looking at photos from fellow Disneymooner’s Julie wedding reception that was held in the courtyard and I knew that it would provide great pictures.  Plus, we grew up during the era of “Muppet Babies” and Miss Peggy was one of my favorite characters.

As we were leaving the Muppet courtyard the photographer took us over to the Streets of America to have some photos taken with the New York backdrop and near some of the buildings.  These photos are so unique because they look like we were actually in these locations without having to travel thousands of miles.

We were also given the option to have photos taken near the Star Tours ride.  Since neither of us are huge Star Wars fans we opted out of having any done in that section of the park.  However, this is a great thing to know for any Star Wars fans who would like to have wedding pictures there.

The current pricing for a Magic Kingdom Portrait Session is $1,500.  Adding on a second park only costs an additional $200.  While the cost is only $200 more, the prints that you receive do change with the two park package.  Instead of receiving a 12 print album, proof disc and 4×6 keepsake prints you receive thirty 5×7 prints in a Disney-themed album.

If you decide that you only want a portrait session in Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom without any photos in the Magic Kingdom the cost is only $850.  Disney Fine Art Photography also provides options for resort portrait sessions and Trash the Dress sessions at the water parks.

Disney Fine Art Photography gives couples the chance to have photos taken in some of their favorite areas inside the Disney parks.  So, if you are a Star Wars or Muppets fan or you love riding the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror consider adding Disney Hollywood Studios to your portrait session.

For more stories about theme park photo shoots please join our private forums Disneymooners

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Bridal Shower at the Attic

Posted in Featured Venue Fridays, Reviews by

I’d like to say that I chose The Attic for my bridal shower because it “was my vision” but this wouldn’t be true as my shower venue was chosen for me by some very good friends, who decided to spoil me rotten!

For those that don’t know me, I’m from the UK but a large majority of my wedding guests were American and they were keen to throw me a traditional (well sort of) American shower and who was I to stand in their way. However, unlike most bridal showers mine was to be a few days before our actual destination wedding, close to our wedding venues, so that all our wedding guests could attend.

My two close friends wanted to plan and organize and all they wanted from me was the best time to do it, the rest was up to them.  I gave them full access to my Wedding Planner and he was happy to talk and assist them with their plans. This way our wedding surprises weren’t imaging their shower surprises although it killed me that my Wedding Planner knew more than I did about my own wedding week.

Once the date was picked I really didn’t know anything more. Cinderfella (my husband to be) and I wanted to arrange something for the men whilst us ladies were “showering” so he invited them all to what we referred to as a Groom’s Bath – they went and did a manly thing… had ribs at Tony Romas LOL

I did make one stipulation for my shower and that was that alcohol was served, I refuse to drink tea (remember I have little knowledge of American showers) at a party that was being thrown in my honor.

Just before Noon I got the call from those planning this fab shower that it was to be at The Attic at The Boardwalk…..oooo I was very excited, I had always wanted to see what was in that room above Jellyrolls.

To get to The Attic you have to go through the Lobby at The Boardwalk and then walk through the corridors all the way to The Attic. It’s a long way but you know when you get there because this sign greets you.

You can’t miss the sign!

Once we arrived at The Attic I walked in to see that we had our own hosted bar where the bartender was able to mix any cocktail we wanted I decided to hit the Margaritas for the afternoon but lots of the girls were drinking Daiquiris and Pina Coladas.

The fun part about having a shower this close to our wedding and in Disney was that I got really interact with the girls and hang with them all something I knew I wouldn’t really get the chance to do on our wedding day!

The Attic furnishings are what I would call very “cottage like” wicker chairs, flowery garden patterns in pastels on the furnishings with knickknacks all over the place. The Attic easily fits 50 guests in when using the indoor and outdoor spaces, however you can only use the existing seating.

Inside seating

Tables and chairs are also set up outside so guests can choose to eat inside or outside.

The outdoor space is perfect for Group Photos

We had a buffet laid on for lunch and it was really good, items included an array of salads, cheese plate, crudités and dips as well as hot pasta, chicken and salmon. Topped off with a few desserts. It was over 8 years ago and I don’t recall all the desserts we had but I do know we had plenty of food and it was good quality and tasted good.

I decided that American showers are fun… I enjoyed the games… until that day I didn’t really realize that shower gifts were different to wedding gifts so I was totally overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity, I just felt it was too much given that all our guests had paid lots of $$ to travel to our wedding destination.

The men were allowed to join us for the last half hour of my shower so that the Food and Beverage minimum had been met so we were all tasked by my lovely shower planners to drink more alcohol… well it would have been rude not to!

Our 3 hours were finally up, the bar tender made us all take drinks to go…. LOL it felt like Vegas and we headed back to one of our guest’s 2-bed villas at the Boardwalk to finish the party.

I personally would hold another event at The Attic it’s the sort of space that you can use for an Escape Wedding Party or perhaps a more intimate Wedding Rehearsal brunch or dinner?

To get more ideas on using Disney’s Attic for any part of your Disney Fairytale Wedding be sure to check out the Disneymooner Forums.

A Disney Bride’s Favorite Moment: Geneva

Posted in Favorite Moments by

I remember practicing our first dance in the ballrooms over & over again every day until the wedding.

I remember enjoying that special walk with my dad.

I remember locking eyes on Stephen as I walked towards him on our wedding day.

I remember getting bombed smack dab between the eyes with a wad of petals from the pretty little petal bags I had so painstakingly stuffed by hand.

(I think my mom did it…just sayin’)

I remember waiting outside the ballroom to be “announced” at the reception.

I remember wondering where everyone went around 4pm…lol…seriously, I looked up & the party was over. We had a 10am wedding, so it was time, but it was still kind of a shocker.

I remember walking to Epcot from the Yacht Club en masse then though the park to our DP.

I remember being lucky enough to steal away on the way out for those coveted “bonus” shots and hearing people say we must be models shooting material for a Disney FTW commercial…my photographer was (& is) a total hottie, so it’s no wonder why people thought that…

How could I possibly pick one favorite moment?? LOL

To read more favorite moments please join our private forums Disneymooners

Entertainment: Major Domo

Posted in Entertainment by

Disney World  and Disneyland offer a world of entertainment options for both your wedding ceremony or reception.  While entertainment is not necessary for your event, many couples decide to add a special touch to their event.  One of the fun entertainment options for the bride and groom is Major Domo.

Disney Fairytale Weddings website describes Major Domo as:

A Renaissance-costumed Major Domo will act as your ring bearer and carry your rings down the aisle in a glass slipper.

Please consult your wedding planner for current pricing. The last pricing we had started at $675 for a WDW wedding appearance. Major Domo is classified as a themed entertainer and is offered at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland events.

Major Domo can be used for a number of duties at your wedding.  He can serve as ring bearer during your ceremony and carry the rings in on a pillow and glass slipper.  Major Domo can announce you as Mr and Mrs for the first time at both your ceremony and reception.  Some couples use him as master of ceremonies at their receptions and have Major Domo announce the bridal party with paper scroll and all. He can add a formal flair to your event.

However, Major Domo is not all formal elegance, and may couples have him serve as a jokester at their event.  Couples have played a prank on their guests and made them think the rings were lost.  We have had brides at both parks use Major Domo at their event.

I used Major Domo at my 2006 wedding and it’s an addition that was well worth the money.  Our guests still talk about this moment to this day and it really added a funny spin on our wedding ceremony.  My husband and I, love playing jokes on people…all in good fun.  When we were planning and heard we could add a special prank on our family and friends, we had to.  Our lips were sealed for months on this and no one knew the secret.  During the ceremony, the officiant turned to our best man and asked for the rings……he looked concerned….I don’t have the rings!.  The look on our family and friends faces was absolutely priceless. we heard gasps, awkward giggles, and even had several offers from married couples to just use their rings. After a moment of panic the trumpets blasted on the Wedding Pavilion and opened the doors.  Major Domo came in in full regala….pillow in hand, glass slipper on top and rings in place.  Our guests smiled, clapped and stood for the moment.  They couldn’t believe what we had done.  Looking back, we just couldn’t be happier.  Major Domo also announced us outside the Wedding Pavilion and into our reception. I loved when he announced our first dance at our reception, as it really set the stage for the event.

– Sarah, 2006 bride

He is great for the “flow” of things…and a special Disney touch.  Things I liked-the surprised look on people’s faces when he came in at the ceremony. That he orchestrated things into the “first dance.”  Things I didn’t like-since Narcoossee’s doesn’t have that “you are now entering the reception” thing, we came into Narcoossee’s and then later were announced. Which was fine. But, I was bummed he didn’t also announce our wedding party. I should have worked that out with Michelle, but I just assumed she would have them all come to the front of the restaurant and be announced.

– Heidi

The following pictures are from the Major Domo from Disneyland and the experience of Disneymooner Debbie.

We didn’t have a ring bearer in our wedding party so we thought it would be fun to add a little bit of whimsy to our ceremony by having the Major Domo bring us our rings. As our guests arrived at the Rose Court Garden he stood at the entrance and greeted them. He was in character the entire time. When the time in the ceremony came for the ring exchange, he burst onto the scene! We had asked for a regal “serious” Major Domo, but apparently the message didn’t get passed along to him because we got the “comical” Major Domo in all his glory. He was sort of weaving down the aisle trying to ensure the glass slipper (with the rings in it) stayed on his pillow and was making all kinds of funny exclamations. My husband and I looked at each other and he muttered “what is he doing?” We both kinda laughed and shrugged it off. After delivering the rings to the best man with a flourish, the Major Domo walked back down the aisle. He fake cried the whole way and said something about “I can’t believe those crazy kids are all grown up and getting married.” Our guests thought the whole thing was great and no-one but the wedding party knew he was supposed to be serious and not funny. It was kind of a nice break in the ceremony and it got everyone laughing. We didn’t want the Major Domo to seem hokey, but if this was on the one major glitch of the day, it was no big deal!

Before we were announced into our reception, the Major Domo talked with our wedding party to learn how to pronounce their last names. He stood inside the doors of the Sequoia Ballroom and in a nice clear “royal” voice announced the members of our wedding party and then us. Our DJ could have done this but we thought it would be a nice touch to carry on our fairy tale theme. (It didn’t cost extra.)

We were pleasantly surprised when we received our wedding video and found that he had recorded a very cute (and funny) message for us. Including the Major Domo in our wedding day was definitely a bit of a splurge but it was fun and added to the ambiance we were trying to achieve.

Stay tuned for more entertainment features to come.  We would love to hear about the special touches you added to your wedding festivities.  Join us on The Disneymooner Forums

Custom Disney Wedding Cake Design

Posted in The Finer Details by

Custom Wedding Cake Design by Disneymooner Vanessa

One of the advantages of having a Disney wedding is that they offer every service needed for your big day including providing your wedding cake.  Disney chefs are known for their unique designs and couples are offered a variety of choices for their cake through Disney Fairy Tale Weddings.  Classic designs topped with the chocolate castle to more unique offerings with the Mad Hatter cakes give most brides a choice that will meet their needs.  However, if you are looking for something a little different do not worry because Disney will work with you to make your cake dreams come true.

During my planning session I chose one of the standard cake designs offered by Disney.  However, a few weeks later I started to have second thoughts about my choice.  My planner had me send over pictures and descriptions of what I wanted to have in a cake and then set up a conference call with one of the pastry chefs at the Grand Floridian.

In advance of our call my planner forwarded the pictures and requests I had made to give the chef to give him an idea of what I was looking for in a design.  We then had a call that included the pastry chef and my planner.  During the call, I described my vision and was given input on a possible design by the pastry chef.   After our call I was sent over a sketch that showed the proposed design for the cake.  Then I had time to review the sketch to provide input for any additional changes.

I purchased a Jim Shore castle to sit at the top tier because I wanted something that was easier to keep compared to the chocolate castles that are often used.  I had pastry chefs duplicate the design of the castles’ walls on the sides of each layer.  I also had the banner of “And They Lived Happily Ever After” copied off of some of Disney’s other cake designs.   They even created custom flowers that matched those in my bridesmaids’ bouquets.

Other unique touches that I requested came into the shape and placement of the tiers for the cake.  I did not want a standard round or square cake, so I requested hexagon shaped layers.  These shapes added to the size of the cake, but provided a unique design that is not typical of most wedding cakes.  In addition, I asked for the layers of the cake to be staggered giving more height to the design and allowing other items such as floral and a small glass Mickey and Minnie bride and groom to be placed on the table.

I was able to incorporate the bouquets from my bridesmaids in the layout of the cake table.  Many brides will choose to have the bouquets adorn the table, but they often end up placed in a circle around the edge of the cake.  Brides do not often know that you can rent clear vases to have the bouquets stand upright adding height and depth to the arrangement on your cake table.  At my reception we used 9” clear cylinder vases to hold the bridesmaids’ bouquets.

Many custom designs that are created might have a minimum size for the cake based on an estimated number of servings.  For many couples this might mean paying for a larger cake than your actual guest count.  At my wedding we had 50 guests, but our cake design was based on pricing for 65 guests.  Therefore we had to pay the additional per person serving costs for 15 people.

Besides the design of the cake another tip is that there are more flavor options for the wedding cakes than what is offered at the standard tasting.  When arranging your tasting make sure to let your planner know any flavors that you would like to sample that might not be typically offered for you to taste.  Having these options added to your platter will let you broaden your selection for your final cake.  The cake flavors include yellow, chocolate, marble, carrot, red velvet, lemon, orange and almond.  The biggest selection for Disney cakes comes with the filling options.  For my wedding we had chocolate cake with peanut butter cup filling, orange cake with orange mousse and carrot cake with cream cheese filling.

The current fillings listed on the Disney Fairy Tale Wedding site include the following options:

  • White Chocolate Mousse
  • Dark Chocolate Mousse
  • Milk Chocolate Mousse
  • Raspberry Mousse
  • Orange Mousse
  • Amaretto Mousse
  • Strawberry Mousse
  • Passion Fruit Mousse
  • German Chocolate
  • Cream Cheese
  • Bavarian Cream
  • Peanut Butter Cup
  • Bailey’s Mousse
  • Blackberry Mousse
  • Mocha Mousse
  • White Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Strawberries or Raspberries
  • Bavarian Cream with Fresh Strawberries
  • Passion Fruit Mousse with Fresh Raspberries
  • Dark Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Raspberries
  • Strawberry Mousse with Fresh Strawberries
  • Raspberry Mousse with Fresh Raspberries

No matter what your dream is for a wedding cake, Disney can help make it a reality.  I am happy that I worked with my planner to create a custom designed cake that followed our theme and that was unique to our wedding.

Thank you to Vanessa for a mouth-watering blog post and if you would like to see more Disney Wedding cake designs please go to the Disneymooner Forums