One of the planners on my team, Karen Gingerich, had the pleasure of working with the couple featured in today’s real wedding blog. Michelle and Russell took great care in hiring their wedding vendors to make sure that their destination wedding turned out exactly as they wanted. Working alongside Karen was the staff at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin and Todd English’s Bluezoo, as well as photographer Jennifer Werneth (www.jenniferwernethphotography.com), videographer Morgan Hopfensperger of GoNorth Films (www.GoNorthFilms.com), and the floral design team at Greenery Productions (www.greeneryproductions.com/). Together, they turned out an event to remember!
Here is what Karen had to say about her experience with the couple: “Michelle and Russel were so much fun to work with! Michelle is like me (a planner by nature), so I was extra impressed by how laid-back she was on the big day. I knew that she and Russell had always envisioned a Disney wedding, and I greatly enjoyed helping them bring that dream to life!”
Susan: How did you and your spouse meet?
Michelle: Russell and I are high school sweethearts. We met at a back-to-school high school dance in 2003. We were friends at first, and for some reason we were both comfortable telling each other our secrets. After a few times of hanging out as friends, we both realized we’d make a great team together as an official couple.
Susan: Tell us about the proposal.
Michelle: Russell found out right away that I’m in love with anything and everything Disney. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he, too, had a love for Disney. My family goes to Walt Disney World every year. As Russell and I became more serious, he was along for the ride, too. On June 8, 2009 he proposed in front of Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom during the “Wishes!” fireworks show! He also managed to get a Disney Photopass photographer in on it – taking pictures of us during the proposal while the fireworks and Cinderella’s Castle were behind us! I was completely blown away because I’ve always dreamed of a magical Disney proposal, but never thought it would be that incredible.
Susan: Why did you choose your particular wedding location?
Michelle: If we got engaged at Disney World, we had to get married there, too! We both had agreed on an outdoor location during the day. The first thing that came to mind was a beach of some sort because we both love the feeling of sand beneath your toes and the overwhelming feeling of peace mixed with bright fun that that it gives you. After meeting with our spectacular wedding planner, Karen (www.justmarry.com), we all decided that the beach at Walt Disney World’s Swan Resort was the best choice!
Susan: What was it like for you on the morning of your wedding?
Michelle: I was extremely calm and comfortable the morning of my wedding. Everything felt completely natural to me. My sister and Maid of Honor did my hair and makeup. Russell’s aunt also helped with the rest of the bridal party’s hair and makeup. My wedding planner, Karen, popped in a few times to check up on me and made sure there wasn’t anything I needed. My photographer and videographer were working their magic while we were all getting ready. They were all so professional, personal, and fun at the same time!
Susan: What were your thoughts as you walked down the aisle?
Michelle: I had my father and mother walk me down the aisle (sand). I was worried at first that we’d all be crying the whole time. But, pleasantly, we were all just so genuinely happy. My parents were so proud of me and had smiles on their faces the whole time. My face hurt from smiling so much! I didn’t get to see the set up on the beach before the ceremony, along with most of my guests, so really everything was a big surprise to me. When I got the first glimpse of it all, it was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I was so thrilled to see all of our closest family and friends. Knowing that I was about to marry my best friend on a beach in Disney World is unexplainable.
Susan: What was the most memorable part of the day for you and your spouse?
Michelle: The most memorable part was making our love official, of course. But besides that major part, it was being able to share the biggest moment of our lives with our closest family and friends. We had such a great gumbo of guests – ranging from our New Orleans family, best friends and coworkers, Florida family that we don’t get to see often, and even family we’ve never met before. It was our wedding day, but at the same time it was like a family reunion.
Susan: What was your biggest fear about the wedding day?
Michelle: We were both very calm and comfortable about our wedding. We truly didn’t have fears about it. We forgot our pirate ring bearer’s treasure chest at home, but quickly found another one to use. So that worked out just fine! Other than that, we trusted our fantastic team and knew that everything was going to work out beautifully.
Susan: What was one delightfully unexpected moment on the wedding day?
Michelle: Being that we live in New Orleans and couldn’t actually see everything until the wedding day – everything was unexpected. We planned everything over the phone and through email, so it was very convenient to basically show up on our wedding day and have everything waiting for us. It was all so much more than we ever expected!
Susan: Were there any particular elements of your wedding day that you considered unique or personal touches?
Michelle: We are far from the traditional couple and wanted our wedding to be greatly remembered and fun for everyone. My grandmother helped make my convertible wedding dress. She sewed on pearls in the shape of Mickey heads all along my dress and we used lace from my sister’s wedding dress to make a strap. Our ring bearer, Brett, dressed as a pirate, and our flower girl, Ella, dressed as classic Cinderella. We agreed from the beginning to write our own vows. We also decided to have a wine box ceremony. I walked up the aisle/sand to “The Ellie Badge” from the UP Soundtrack & we walked down the aisle as husband & wife to “The Married Life” from the UP Soundtrack. We also had personalized Mickey fans made for our guests as favors.
Our cake was crazy (in an awesome way)! It was a mini, edible version of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (teacups) ride in Magic Kingdom. It was extra special because Russell’s mother made it. Russell’s groom’s cake was hidden underneath the tent on cake. When taken off the top layer of the cake, it revealed his mini, personalized TRON cake! It even had each of our faces positioned perfectly on the bodies of the characters from the movie! I made sure to wear my Minnie Bride ears & “Mrs” Minnie pin to Epcot afterwards for the after-party. Russell wore his “Mr” Mickey pin & “Ellie badge.”
Susan: Based off of your experience, would you share some advice for other brides and grooms who may still be planning their weddings?
Michelle: Do your research! Although it’s time consuming, make sure you explore every option out there. After months of looking into everything, we finally decided on exactly what we wanted. Compare prices, venues, photographers, and videographers so you know it’s right for you. Try to meet with your whole team prior to your wedding so you can become comfortable with one another and you can see everything laid out for you. This will definitely alleviate most of the stress that most brides and grooms get before the big day. Develop relationships with your team and they will go out of their way to make your dreams come true!
Many thanks to Michelle and Russell for sharing their story with us — my team greatly working with them on their special day! Do you have a real wedding story you would like to share? If so, please email me 8 or more of your favorite wedding or vow renewal photos along with details about your experience. You might be the next bride featured on our wedding blog!
If you have questions on this or any other wedding related topic, please post for me here on the wedding blog or send me an email to susan(dot)southerland(at)pwg.com. Also become a fan on Facebook (search: Susan Southerland Secret) or follow me on Twitter (@Susansoutherlan).
Your partner in perfect planning,
Susan
