Ashleigh & Ally's 2014 Escape PJ - UPDATED *PIC HEAVY!*

[Summer Daydream]

Yay for getting your date! I'm super jealous of those shoes!!!! Who cares if your feet hurt, the shoes will look awesome!
I think the bouquet is very pretty. I don't like the escape bouquets either. The way I see it is that you are only getting married once. I believe the most it could cost is up to $300 to upgrade the bouquet. In the grand scheme I things, I don't find that to be too bad. I am going to upgrade mine because I want a bouquet that I will love when I look back on all my photos. I don't want to say that I like the pictures but I wish I had gotten my dream flowers. Just my two cents...
Patricia does amazing work and I don't think you could go wrong with her.

 

[AndiSlamberg]

I'm also having an Escape wedding, so I totally understand when you say your not crazy about the cakes and flower choices. That's something we worked in our budget to upgrade. We're having custom flavors from the Wishes choices and changed the fondant colors for 75$, I also just sent off an email to my planner about upgrading our flowers. I would love to do some Garden Roses and Hydrangeas instead of what they offer.

 

[ariel_]

So it turns out I was not cut out for writing a planning journal... clearly! I so enjoyed planning our wedding and I wish I was better at keeping a record of it all on here as I have a terrible memory!

Time flies. Seriously! Everyone said it would, but I didn't believe them. It seems like only a few weeks ago I was still picking out bridesmaid dresses - and now the wedding has happened already! I am having planning withdrawal - the whole thing was perfect and I wish I could go back and relive it!

We were lucky to have had the fantastic Mandy Henry photographing our day, and she gave us a sneak peek with the most amazing blog post - I must have read it about 100 times already!

Having not been any good at writing a planning journal, I am going to share Mandy's blog post, as she has managed to sum up our day better than I ever could have! It's a funny feeling when something you have been looking forward to for so long is over - having these beautiful photos has helped see me through

http://www.mandyhenry.com/blog2/2014/03/18/disney-worlds-sea-breeze-point-wedding-destination-wedding-photographer-ashleighally/

Now I just can't wait to see what other photos she has for us!

 

[MrsTigger]

Wow! Looks like you had an amazing day. There's some really fantastic photos and it looks like lots of fun was had. Congratulations!

 

[andeesings]

Your wedding looks AMAZING!! Your dress is beautiful and it's honestly my dream to marry a Scotsman so he can wear a kilt. Congratulations! I can't WAIT to see more pictures! That photographer is fantastic!

 

[geek+nerd]

Gorgeous pictures! Congratulations!

 

[ariel_]

Wow! Looks like you had an amazing day. There's some really fantastic photos and it looks like lots of fun was had. Congratulations!

Your wedding looks AMAZING!! Your dress is beautiful and it's honestly my dream to marry a Scotsman so he can wear a kilt. Congratulations! I can't WAIT to see more pictures! That photographer is fantastic!

Gorgeous pictures! Congratulations!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am actually delirious with joy at our photos - we have had them all back now and now have the tricky job of deciding which to include in an album! I'm going to post some of my favourites now - but really I love them all!

andeesings - at first DH was going to wear a suit and I was honestly a bit gutted when he decided to go for a kilt - it didn't fit with my vintage UP theme (Bridezilla much?!) but actually his kilt turned out so handsome, I can't imagine it being any other way

We had so much fun on the day - I am full out laughing in so many photos, and I can't keep the smile off my face in the 'serious' pictures! I am so glad we went for a Disney wedding - they are just so special!

 

[ariel_]

Since I was so bad at a planning journal, I am going to attempt to do our wedding justice with a mini report of our day, with a little help from Mandy's fabulous, fantastical photography

Part 1 – Getting Ready

We were so lucky to have spent a week in Disney prior to the wedding, with lots of park days and fun with our nearest and dearest!

The night before the wedding, I headed out to the villa our families were sharing in the beautiful Reunion Resort, 10 minutes from Disney. Seriously, this place was gorgeous – I felt like I was on an episode of the OC! Ally and his best man, Mark, stayed in our room at AKL.

I had been cool as a cucumber in the whole lead up to the wedding, but the night before I started feeling some serious nerves! I shared a room with my mum and sister, and I feel like I was up all night – not enough beauty sleep for a bride to be! I was up way before my alarm and sat chatting with my mum and sister – we were all still in disbelief – and then headed down to get ready for Patricia and her crew coming!

Patricia arrived bang on time and she and her girls got set up in a bright part of the villa. I can’t praise these guys enough; they were so calm and professional. We were all ready ahead of schedule and there was no panic, mess or fuss. I wanted us all to have our hair and makeup done before Mandy arrived (no way I’m going bare-faced in my wedding pics!) so Mandy was off at AKL getting some getting ready pictures of Ally and Mark…

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Right on time Mandy arrived, as well as Tyler from Beyond Videography. Tyler was so lovely, very professional and with the magical ability to just melt into the background when he needed to! I seriously forgot we were being filmed at times! We haven’t had anything back from him yet, but I will be sure to post it when we do! Mandy and Tyler went off to shoot some details with our dresses and accessories while we finished our hair. At some point Ally’s mum, step-dad, and the best man’s wife all headed off to AKL to meet Ally for the limo pick up!

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I love the picture of my engagement ring in the old ring box – it was Ally’s grandma’s wedding ring box that his cousin used at her wedding too! His grandma couldn’t travel for the wedding (she is nearly 90!) but I know she will love that picture – my something old!

Finally, it was time to head upstairs to get into our dresses! My mum helped me get into my dress, which had what felt like a thousand tiny buttons to do! I have to mention my kimono I wore for getting ready – it was my nana’s, who sadly passed away 2 years ago – it felt really special to be wearing something of hers.

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I have to include this picture as it shows off my make-up – I wear make-up every day but not normally eyeshadow – at my trial Patricia really wanted to try purples because she said it would make my blue eyes ‘pop’. Although it is so different from something I would normally have – I loved it, and especially when a couple of Cast Members said I looked like Elsa that day 

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We didn’t want to do a first look – it’s not as common in the UK as in the US – but I did think it would be nice to get the first look of my brother and bridesmaids (my little sister and Ally’s two sisters). Our villa had a beautiful balcony that was perfect for our first look – Mandy sent them all outside to turn their backs and then had me come out. It was such a beautiful, emotional moment.

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I love my sister’s face here – it’s like she can’t believe it is all happening!

Then, the limo was here and it was time to head to the Boardwalk…

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Part 2 coming up next - The Ceremony!

 

[puredisneylife]

Oh my, your ring is gorgeous!! I LOVE your pictures and reading your PJ!

 

[ariel_]

Oh my, your ring is gorgeous!! I LOVE your pictures and reading your PJ!

Thank you! I am still so in love with my ring, even more so now with my wedding band on! I wasn't so good at the whole planning part - I never was good at keeping a diary! I am totally reliving the day now by writing a mini report - it is filling the wedding-planning shaped hole in my life!!!

 

[Aschenputtel]

First of all: Congrats!!! I found your PJ and everything looked really beautiful - especially you in your dress (you really could be Elsa as a bride!) I loved the idea of an UP theme before and you did really a great job on subtle theming! Thanks for sharing your story!!!

 

[ariel_]

Thank you! I would have loved to have done more with the theme - I really wanted more of an UP cake, and I LOVE the mailboxes people have used for their cards - but it was tricky to keep in our budget, and trying to find things in the UK! I am so pleased with how it all turned out though, especially all the colours! It makes me smile to look at them