Carnival Inspiration/Imagination Wedding

If you are on Facebook add me Lori Snelling and look at my wedding pictures. We brought the flowers for the wedding party and everything else was the basic package. My daughter did bring flowers to make my bouquet prettier but that was it.

 

 

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I looked at your pictures before. [emoji5] They are lovely. But are we on Inspiration, is that the same ship you married on?

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Ours was on the Imagination but they are more alike than different and the packages are the same.

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Ours was on the Imagination but they are more alike than different and the packages are the same.

 

 

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I looked again at your photos, even better the second time. I love your dress, mine is also not white and my son and daughter will be our attendants.

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I booked the DJ so I assume my reception will be in the night club. What colors in that room? What did the ceremony options look like?

 

I'm going to try to talk my way into a touring weekend but we'll see.

 

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I was told that since we booked the DJ our reception would be in the night club. It's the only place they have a DJ booth. We toured the Inspiration and it was a lot nicer than I remembered. It does have a rock-and-roll theme which I wasn't anticipating...

Entrance to the Rock & Roll night club on the Inspiration. When you walk in the table to the right they had a guest book station, the tables to the left is the food for the Time to Celebrate package. There are tables guests can sit to eat at when you first walk in

Guest book table and seating behind it

The food for the Time to Celebrate package

After you walk past the tables when you enter this is what you see. The middle is the dance floor, the DJ booth is circular sort of straight back, and then the cake table is to the right with the bar behind that

What was included in the set up as far as decorative items? I've seen photos of pillars and flowers but I have no clue if those couples paid extra for that. My main reason for doing a cruise is because we have a very small budget.

 

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I was told the bride for the wedding we saw didn't do any upgrades, which was nice because we got to see the base package and sneak some pictures

The bouquet and boutonniere

Standard setup for the ceremony (this ceremony was in the Candlelight Lounge)

Close-up of the silk flowers on the columns for the reception

Thanks for the advise. I'll try to work out a weekend we can go. I agree it would be ideal to see the space. In the meantime I've been scouting for photos of the rooms so the colors I use don't clash.

How does everyone feel about bringing decorative items? Did you/ are planning to bring anything with you to personalise the space?

 

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We only toured the Candlelight Lounge (in the back of the ship where the comedy is done every night) and the main theater due to the size of our guest list. I'm not sure if there are other locations if your guest list is more intimate.

Candlelight Lounge had the big red chairs in the middle, they only had 40 of those set up though and then booths on the outside. We were told if we used that space we would probably want to reserve the seats for immediate family and have friends in the surrounding booths. I didn't love this idea for us, but I did take pictures still...

Where you would walk in

Lots of purple, red, gold in the Candlelight lounge.

The other option was the main theater. It's a large space, really big. But you're up on stage and your guests can just gather in the front

Looking up at the stage from the seating area

The big draw for this room to me is the grand entrance you get as a bride down these stairs:

Hopefully I don't trip, fall, and rip my dress... eek!

Thanks for the advise. I'll try to work out a weekend we can go. I agree it would be ideal to see the space. In the meantime I've been scouting for photos of the rooms so the colors I use don't clash.

How does everyone feel about bringing decorative items? Did you/ are planning to bring anything with you to personalise the space?

 

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One last picture for you, the standard cake and champagne flute setup. This is 3 tier so they had 50-75 guests or paid extra for an extra tier, but you get the idea

I do plan on bringing some extras. I'd like to have a couple signs made up and will probably bring our own champagne flutes. I might get one or two centerpiece type flowers for the guest book table and that go with the silk flowers the bridesmaids and I will have. I want to give the place some personalization, but I don't want to go overboard (and my fiancé won't let me either, budget was definitely a factor when we decided to get married on the cruise and he's keeping me in check LOL)

I'm going to have 4 bridesmaids and my fiancé will have 4 groomsmen, plus 2 additional boutonnieres and 2 mothers corsages. We were able to find some good silk arrangements on etsy and have $400 budgeted which I think I will be right around for the package. I'm not much of a DIY person otherwise I would take a floral arrangements class and make our own. If you are good at DIY you could probably wait for a sale on flowers and make something beautiful for a very reasonable price.

Having said that, the wedding we saw didn't do any upgrades and it was still beautiful so I don't think you'll regret it if you don't spend much on extras.

Thank you for the photos, so helpful. I do love a good DIY project but I tend to get carried away and end up spending the same amount I'm trying to save lol. Good to know the basic package looks good without tons of extras. Thanks!

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Thank you for the photos, so helpful. I do love a good DIY project but I tend to get carried away and end up spending the same amount I'm trying to save lol. Good to know the basic package looks good without tons of extras. Thanks!

 

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Ugh, TELL ME ABOUT IT! [emoji23] I decided to do a little DIY to fancy up the envelopes for our Save the Dates rather than buy nice envelopes that were already done. I spent just as much money, and soooooooo much time and was so stressed out. Then, to top it off, for some reason at least 5 people didn't even get theirs! 1 returned to us, but the others are just MIA...

My writing isn't great, but I tried really hard and it was totally legible. The 1 that returned was 100% readable and had the correct address. I'm now terrified to send out our actual invitations. I'll be having those professionally done given this experience...

I did my save the date via email and made our invites myself. I am really proud of them because I saved a ton of my budget by recreating a Pinterest design and printing them myself. They are very simple but I love them. Ended up costing about $65 total, including postage. Sometimes it works out but I'm not so sure I'm up for flowers.

And I agree, it is so frustrating getting returned invites! I got 3 back, all addresses provided by the groom btw, and I had to remail them. Ugh

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I did my save the date via email and made our invites myself. I am really proud of them because I saved a ton of my budget by recreating a Pinterest design and printing them myself. They are very simple but I love them. Ended up costing about $65 total, including postage. Sometimes it works out but I'm not so sure I'm up for flowers.

 

And I agree, it is so frustrating getting returned invites! I got 3 back, all addresses provided by the groom btw, and I had to remail them. Ugh

 

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Wow, that's amazing about your invites! I'm not that brave. Also, we don't have a printer so the cost of buying one is my excuse for not trying. [emoji23] [emoji23] but I love when people make their own invites. Something about it feels so personal and special.

I love my fiancé, but guest book stuff and addresses is not his strongest talent. I'm glad he's not the only one!

Did you say when your wedding is? Have you cruised before?

We cruise in early April, just 5 short months away. We got engaged on our first cruise and we will marry on our second cruise.

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We cruise in early April, just 5 short months away. We got engaged on our first cruise and we will marry on our second cruise.

 

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That's so soon, I'm so jealous! So special that you're getting engaged and married on cruises [emoji180] [emoji180] . My birthday is in April and we do the 3 day cruise almost every year for it. You're going to have BEAUTIFUL weather!!

I'd love to stay in touch while you plan your wedding so please post updates if you don't mind and I will too. It's really exciting to have found someone getting married on the same ship [emoji1]

Oh, and I saw someone else post on here about special cocktails that are wedding themed. I haven't wanted to bother my wedding planner with it yet since we're so far out, but that could be an easy way for you to add a personal touch to your wedding for free [emoji6]

I would love to stay in touch. I was just telling my guy last night that I found a friend to plan with, and it's very cool we are in the same ship.

I saw the signature drink idea too, great idea.

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That's so soon, I'm so jealous! So special that you're getting engaged and married on cruises [emoji180] [emoji180] . My birthday is in April and we do the 3 day cruise almost every year for it. You're going to have BEAUTIFUL weather!

In your experience do you think it will be windy in April? I'm wondering and worrying about sea hair and if I'll need some kind of wrap for my shoulders.

[emoji100] [emoji134]

Are you planning to wear your dress all day around the ship or change after the reception? [emoji141]

How goes your planning? Hope you're doing well!

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In your experience do you think it will be windy in April? I'm wondering and worrying about sea hair and if I'll need some kind of wrap for my shoulders.

[emoji100] [emoji134]

 

Are you planning to wear your dress all day around the ship or change after the reception? [emoji141]

 

How goes your planning? Hope you're doing well!

 

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Being up on deck is always a windy, mostly depending on where you are because wind tunnels definitely firm. But April itself is not a particularly windy month down here. If you want to be out on deck at night you will probably want to bring a wrap or light sweater, but during the day you should be fine. I would check the weather forecast a week or two before the wedding, it is chilly in April once in a while. Last year for my birthday it was warm enough to lay out during the day but we only spent about 5 minutes in the pool because the water was way too cold. The year before, same weekend of the month, it was so hot out and the pool water was so nice that the pool was packed and we spent much of the sea day in the water with buckets of beer.

I'm planning on wearing my dress through dinner service and then I will probably change before we go out for the evening (still a white dress, but maybe something a cocktail length and not quite so formal). We're planning on skipping toasts during the reception to save time and instead doing them at the Alchemy bar before dinner, so I want to be in my wedding dress for that.

Planning is kind of at a standstill for me. It's too soon to finalize a lot of decisions, I'll probably just change my mind. But I've put a deposit down with a wonderful woman who is going to do silk/paper/wood flower bouquets and have a million things saved for bags and decorations once I have a final guest count [emoji1]

How is your planning coming along?

Hi! Congrats!! I actually just recently booked my wedding for this year too!! I was wondering how I may go about going on to get a tour?

Hi! Congrats!! I actually just recently booked my wedding for this year too!! I was wondering how I may go about going on to get a tour?

Just call or email the wedding department. I gave them the time frame I was looking for (I need to conserve vacation time this year for wedding planning and a week long cruise we booked for my 30thbirthday, so it was important to me that I do the tour last year when I had excess vacation days) and they gave me 4 dates to choose from initially. They schedule the tour for days that there is a wedding on board so you can experience the wedding embarkation process and also see the rooms set up for the ceremony and reception. Once you select a date you will give them the full names and ID numbers for yourself and up to 3 guests (I went with my fiancé and my mom, we could have brought one more person though) and they will send you a letter to print and take with you.

On the day of the tour you show the letter to the people right before you go in to the cruise terminal. When it's time to board they will let you know and the officiant for the weddings will invite you to walk on with the wedding party.

It's a great experience and it gave me so much peace of mind. We decided were going to pay the $50 to do the second tour so we can take our best man and maid of honor closer to the wedding. Both have cruised before and we think it would be very helpful to have them knowing what to expect as well. (Plus it will be fun to hang out and relax on board for a few hours and have a couple drinks!).

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Thank you for suggesting the tour. I happen to be sailing on the exact same ship next month that my wedding is booked on. I emailed my coordinator as soon as I read that there are tours available and am now confirmed to take my tour the same day I leave on my birthday cruise! Please send me any must ask questions.... I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

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Thank you for suggesting the tour. I happen to be sailing on the exact same ship next month that my wedding is booked on. I emailed my coordinator as soon as I read that there are tours available and am now confirmed to take my tour the same day I leave on my birthday cruise! Please send me any must ask questions.... I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

 

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Congratulations! That's great timing to be on the same ship. For me, I had a couple questions planned that I totally forgot to ask. I got way more out of it just by letting them talk to me and tell me information they thought was important.

Oh and TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES. During the tour I was totally set on which ceremony location I wanted. We called and told the wedding department that afternoon. The more I looked at pictures the more I realized how perfect the other space would be that would fit my size wedding. Initially we were taken in by the grand staircase entrance of the main theater, but the more I looked at the stage in pictures the more I realized it was a little bland. The other lounge has this beautiful gold curtain and our colors are navy and gold. I wanted a much smaller wedding and that lounge has only 40 chairs right in front, and then many booths around the perimeter. So I think it will give me that small wedding feel but allows my fiance to have alllllll his friends and family.

Don't be afraid to change your mind. I was nervous I was being a pain when I called back a few months later, but I was assured I wasn't the only bride to change her mind and even if I changed it a few more times before the wedding they would be happy to take care of me.

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Thank you so much for the advice. I will definitely take lots of pictures! I'm very excited and appreciate all the good advice.

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I'm back from my cruise and it was great. I'm really happy that I got a chance to witness the wedding guests boarding process as well as the ceremony and reception set ups. I will definitely have more decorations for my wedding but what I did see though simple, was very beautiful. I'm happy I took the tour. It has reaffirmed that we made the right choice for us. I took pictures a will try to post them soon.

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Lot's of great info! My daughter just announced her engagement and wants to be wed on June 8th, 2018. On a boat/ship/water. So we thought about doing the one on the Inspiration.

My questions is: Your getting married on a ship...on water... yet I have yet to see ANY one get married on deck! Do they even allow that? Or do they only offer one of the rooms mentioned?? I know it's in port (Oh So Picturesque Long Beach;) but she wants to be be out in the sea breeze and all. Anyone know? Thanks!

Lot's of great info! My daughter just announced her engagement and wants to be wed on June 8th, 2018. On a boat/ship/water. So we thought about doing the one on the Inspiration.

 

My questions is: Your getting married on a ship...on water... yet I have yet to see ANY one get married on deck! Do they even allow that? Or do they only offer one of the rooms mentioned?? I know it's in port (Oh So Picturesque Long Beach;) but she wants to be be out in the sea breeze and all. Anyone know? Thanks!

My understanding is that Carnival does not do weddings on deck, but other lines may

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