priorities

When it comes to the wedding, there is an endless list of enhancements/add-ons/extras that Disney can do for us. I would love to be able to take advantage of all of them but unfortunately, I do not have an endless supply of cash. There are some extras that I can say "no" to right away - like using Cinderella's Coach to bring me to the Wedding Pavilion - totally not worth the $2,700.00 that it costs for a whopping 2 hours. I'm not even that into the idea of confetti canons that can go off during the staged exit after the ceremony. Don't know the price for those - not sure I want to know! There are, however, several things that I DO want. Not all of them fit into the budget so I'm trying to cut where I can to save money.

1. Photography This is a MUST. I am obsessed with pictures. One of my favorite things to do is look though old photo albums at my parents house. I think it is invaluable to be able to look back on special moments and memories that would otherwise be lost in the shuffle of everyday life. I want to be able to show my children the photos from our wedding. I want to be able to relive this day for years to come - you only get one wedding day, right!? I was not familiar with Orlando photographers when we decided to go with the Disney Wedding, so it took a bit of research before I was able to find one that had a good reputation and took amazing photos. I scored my photographer for the entire wedding day (no limit on the # of hours!) for a fabulous $1600.00. This includes a DVD with all of the images and some printed images. I am free to print them however/wherever I like, and I also have the option to have him print my album.

2. Floral I have a hard time justifying dropping loads of cash on flowers/boquets/decor that will die in 48 hours. I've been toying with the idea of making silk boquets - I just have to find a place where I can get nice silk flowers for a reasonable price. I'm also thinking about doing non-floral centerpieces for the reception - something beachy but simple. Something like this:

Non-floral centerpieces through Disney are much cheaper than using live flowers. Bridal boquets run upwards of $200.00 and bridesmaid boquets can be as much as $150.00.

3. Dessert Party This is a no brainer for me. I have to have this. It is something unique to Disney Weddings. It is fairly self-explanatory: it is a VIP dessert party with lots of incredibly yummy treats right in the middle of EPCOT during the Illuminations fireworks show. For those of you who have been to Disney, we are most likely going to hold ours in the Italy Pavilion in World Showcase:

We will be escorted into the park (yes, in my wedding dress!) We will eat dessert (of course) and watch the incredible fireworks show. I think it's going to be fantastic and a perfect way to end our wedding day.

4. Videography At first, I didn't even consider this element of the wedding day. The more I think about it, the more I want to have a video to remember this day by. Everyone says how quickly it goes by and how much you (bride & groom) miss because you are so focused on other things. And I also think about how much I love home videos - I love watching them. I love being able to relive the best moments of my life. The more I think about it, the more important this seems. I found a great videographer who will provide ALL DAY coverage for $1495.00 - including 3 DVDs of the final video (and I asked - it can be as long as we want it to be!). We can upgrade to BluRay for $150.00 more, and we can purchase the raw footage for $100.00. Oh! And we can have our ceremony broadcasted LIVE via webcam! I think that is so neat. I really want to find a way to make this work with our budget.

5. Magic Kingdom Photoshoot Okay. I REALLY want this. It costs $1,100.00. It includes 1 hr in the Magic Kingdom before the park opens in our wedding attire. I gush at the thought of having photos of John & me by ourselves in the Magic Kingdom, on Main St USA, on Cinderella's Carousel, on the Tea Cups...it just seems so exciting! I really want to do this, even if the cost is a little steep for just an hour. It includes a proof book, a 12 print album, and 4x6 prints of all the photos. I need to decide which is more important - this or the videography. Decisions, decisions.

I am sure I will think of other elements as I get further into the planning, but right now, these are the things I am really focusing on. I hate being on a budget!