Increasing Escape guest count?

[Katievun]

Does anyone know if this is possible to do if our wedding is outside at a resort, and we have guests who don't mind standing and not having cake?

 

[DisneyDudet]

I'm pretty sure that Disney will not allow this. The only thing I can think of is they cannot stop passer-bys from eyeing your ceremony, but they will not be able to be close enough to hear anything. But that's pushing it. I know how it feels to have to cut the guest list. There's a ton of people I want at my Escape Wedding, but I just cannot afford a Wishes Wedding. My darn fiancé has too many family members

I just don't think Disney would allow this.

 

[Bewitch324]

I suspect they will NOT let you increase your guest count, from everything I've read they are pretty strict about that...they really want you to upgrade to Wishes if you have more guests.

On a related note, here's my question: If you do an escape wedding for your ceremony and then plan a dessert party or something as an addition...can you have more guests at that second event than you had at your escape ceremony?

We are in the very early stages of planning, haven't even 100% decided on a Disney wedding...but my mom is already pushing to have a lot more people than I'd planned or budgeted for. One thing she'd suggested is to tell people the wedding itself is immediate family only but have a dessert party or something and invite the rest of the people. I'm not crazy about this idea but I figured I should find out if it's even an option...

Thanks
Brooke

 

[Katievun]

I suspect they will NOT let you increase your guest count, from everything I've read they are pretty strict about that...they really want you to upgrade to Wishes if you have more guests.

On a related note, here's my question: If you do an escape wedding for your ceremony and then plan a dessert party or something as an addition...can you have more guests at that second event than you had at your escape ceremony?

We are in the very early stages of planning, haven't even 100% decided on a Disney wedding...but my mom is already pushing to have a lot more people than I'd planned or budgeted for. One thing she'd suggested is to tell people the wedding itself is immediate family only but have a dessert party or something and invite the rest of the people. I'm not crazy about this idea but I figured I should find out if it's even an option...

Thanks
Brooke

Yeah actually we were thinking the same thing. I think that you can. The dinner venue they sent me can hold up to 30 people. As for the dessert party, they sent me a quote based on 20 people... But I'm sure you can add more as it is priced per person.

 

[lissies98]

They WILL NOT allow more than 20 for an Escape wedding because of this we are now doing the wishes wedding.

Ok but here's my thoughts.... For an escape wedding you can have 20 ppl for around 55-$5900 then you have to book 4 nights on resort.. Lets just say $1500-$2000 for that. By time you are done taking 18 guests to dinner or have a private function you're right up around $10k so in my opinion go for the Wishes package (1) you can have as many people as you want. (2) you do not have to stay on resort in order to have your wedding their because its the wishes package. (3) you have so many more choices as far as what and where you want it to take place.
When I did the numbers for the escape package I was up to $9800+- and I would have had to tell my guests they couldn't bring their kids because of the guest limit. We would have had to stay on resort for 4 days etc and I was limited to 18 guests :/

NO WAY we are now doing the wishes wedding, 48 people (and kids) wedding at the Pavilion at the Grand Floridian, reception at the Whitehall Ballroom & Patio, having a cocktail hour, full reception, DJ, and viewing the fireworks right from our venue for $10,900 this is absolutely the way to go!!!! Just in my opinion

 

[TabZ]

They WILL NOT allow more than 20 for an Escape wedding because of this we are now doing the wishes wedding.

Ok but here's my thoughts.... For an escape wedding you can have 20 ppl for around 55-$5900 then you have to book 4 nights on resort.. Lets just say $1500-$2000 for that. By time you are done taking 18 guests to dinner or have a private function you're right up around $10k so in my opinion go for the Wishes package (1) you can have as many people as you want. (2) you do not have to stay on resort in order to have your wedding their because its the wishes package. (3) you have so many more choices as far as what and where you want it to take place.
When I did the numbers for the escape package I was up to $9800+- and I would have had to tell my guests they couldn't bring their kids because of the guest limit. We would have had to stay on resort for 4 days etc and I was limited to 18 guests :/

NO WAY we are now doing the wishes wedding, 48 people (and kids) wedding at the Pavilion at the Grand Floridian, reception at the Whitehall Ballroom & Patio, having a cocktail hour, full reception, DJ, and viewing the fireworks right from our venue for $10,900 this is absolutely the way to go!!!! Just in my opinion

Have they changed the rules? You don't have to stay in a WDW resort hotel to have a wishes wedding? I thought you did!

 

[lurkyloo]

Well... Memories and Escape are the only ones that require the bride and groom to book a certain number of nights at a Disney resort. Wishes has the 25-room-night minimum to be met by you and/or your guests, but people are able to have this waived under certain circumstances. So theoretically yes, you could have a Wishes event without actually staying on property. You just have to meet the overall minimum expenditure.

 

[LTinlove]

Filling the room block was a concern for me doing a Wishes wedding, and the coordinator said that I didn't even NEED to do it. I thought the way it's written is all a little confusing, however it turns out that filling the nights is a lot easier than we thought!