Wedding in 2014 - we need help please :)

[Twan111111]

Hi there. I proposed to my girlfriend on her birthday in the Magic Kingdom a few weeks ago. She said yes. The following week we went to the Grand Floridian Resort to look at the Wedding Pavillion. As we looked out through the chapel window, and Louisa asked me if this was the place, the fireworks went off over Cinderellas Castle. That was our sign. It's the place. We found this forum and just need some help from some experienced peeps about how we get started. We're looking at a very basic package - very minimal, with just our closest family with us - between 10 and 15 people. We want to stay at the Grand Floridian, get married at the Pavillion and spend two weeks in just Disney parks. Where do we start, what sort of price are we looking at?

 

[lurkyloo]

Congratulations!

Disney offers two package weddings and two a la carte-style events that have minimum expenditures of $10,000 and up but are completely customizable. It sounds like you are the perfect candidate for the larger of the two package weddings, called the Escape Collection.

For the Wedding Pavilion, the package costs $5,925 in 2014, and you get...

• Bride’s bouquet and groom’s boutonniere
• Wedding cake with topper
• Two bottles of Fairy Tale Cuvee or sparkling cider (supposedly these only serve 4 people each, but double that if you have them pour half glasses)
• Violinist for ceremony and cake cutting, plus an organist at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion
• Limousine service for four consecutive hours
• Disney Photography for two hours, a proof book of all images, and an album of 20 4x6 prints you select
• Telephone consultations with a Disney Wedding Services Coordinator
• Two Walt Disney World annual passes

If you choose a Saturday or a Sunday, you will be required to meet a minimum expenditure of $8,000. The package price counts toward that. You can meet the rest by adding floral, transportation, photography, etc. or by adding a private event.

You can see the cake style choices here: http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/escape-cakes/

The bouquet style options are here: http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/escape-bouquets/

The location of the cake and Champagne reception for Wedding Pavilion events (Commander's Terrace at the Grand Floridian) can be seen here: http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/wdw-venue-photos/commanders-terrace/


No meal is included with the package, so people usually make a reservation at a Disney restaurant. Sometimes they plan a private catered event through their wedding planner. These last 2 hours and are a meal only—no DJ, dancing, etc. Some people opt for a dessert party in front of the fireworks or book a fireworks cruise instead.

To get started, call Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings at 321-939-4610. They will take your contact info and all the details you know now about the Escape wedding you want: date, time, locations, guest count. Then someone will get back to you, and eventually you will be assigned a planner, send in your $1,000 deposit and sign your contract. You will be required to book a 4-night stay at a Disney resort, and the event cannot be held the first day of your stay.

Hope this helps! Congratulations!

 

[TabZ]

Congratulations!!

Carrie has given you all the info you need to get started, just wanted to say we're planning the same package for October 2014 so your not alone planning for next year!

 

[Twan111111]

Thanks lurkyloo, that was a really great place to start. We live in the uk. Is there a uk number we can call, or at least what is the international dialling code for the us?

 

[ncp17]

Thanks lurkyloo, that was a really great place to start. We live in the uk. Is there a uk number we can call, or at least what is the international dialling code for the us?

Congrats! I used to live in the UK but have since transferred back to the states- the dialing code for anything in the US is + 00 1 (area code) -number.

 

[Twan111111]

Hi guys. We booked our honeymoon stay through virgin holidays! We're so excited. Our details have been passed onto their wedding department. From all information we can see Disney won't book the wedding or start dealing with us until 8 months before our date. Is this correct? If so how likely is it that we'll get our date? We have given virgin holidays our preferred date and a backup date.

 

[786boxer]

Damn its expensive

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi guys. We booked our honeymoon stay through virgin holidays! We're so excited. Our details have been passed onto their wedding department. From all information we can see Disney won't book the wedding or start dealing with us until 8 months before our date. Is this correct? If so how likely is it that we'll get our date? We have given virgin holidays our preferred date and a backup date.

If you haven't paid any money for the wedding to Virgin yet, I suggest booking the wedding directly through Disney and just using Virgin for the holiday portion of your trip. Having a travel agent as a middleman when trying to plan a wedding has been frustrating for some of the brides on this board. When you work directly with Disney on an Escape wedding, you can get "penciled in" for your date 9 months out and then book at 8 months. It's not a guarantee, but it does let you know whether someone already wants your date, time and venue, and then Disney knows ahead of time what you want.

However, as long as you are flexible on at least one of those three criteria, you should have no trouble booking your Escape wedding either way.

 

[Twan111111]

Thanks. Sorry for all the questions. Anyone know if we can get into Magic Kingdom afterwards in our tuxedo and bridal dress after our wedding pavilion ceremony.

 

[Summer Daydream]

Thanks. Sorry for all the questions. Anyone know if we can get into Magic Kingdom afterwards in our tuxedo and bridal dress after our wedding pavilion ceremony.

Unfortunately, you are not allowed to go in to MK in your wedding attire.

 

[DisneyBride03]

My husband and I got married at the Wedding Pavilion back in 2003. You will not regret it! It was a magical day and one that is still remembered by our family and friends! Good luck planning and congratulations!

 

[TabZ]

Please don't book your wedding through Virgin Holidays - we book everything from them but I will not be booking my wedding through them. All correspondence you have with Disney will have to go through VH and that would be a nightmare! Book direct!

 

[Twan111111]

Hi guys. We're thinking of having Belle and Best with us either for cake cutting or for character dining. Obviously it's cheaper with the character dining but is there anywhere that these characters actually appear?

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I may be wrong, but I think these characters only appear at character dining locations in parks. I do not know of any locations at resorts where these characters would definitely appear. Of course, at the in park venues, you would not be allowed to be in your wedding attire.
If you are having a DFTW or S/D wedding you can pay for characters to attend your cake cutting, but it isn't cheap (to say the least!!!!).

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Congratulations! I got married at WDW in 2001 and loved every minute of it. Living in California (originally from NJ), all my planning was done via internet/computer and with the WDW wedding planners. I would first contact WDW wedding planners/fairy tale weddings. Make contact and they will plan with you the whole way thru. I had a small wedding, 20 people. Married at the wedding pavilion and stayed at the Grand Floridian. It helped being at the GF for wedding planning/appointments since it's on the same grounds. Pick your date as much in advance as possible. My first choice, second choice and third choice dates were taken. Availability can be very limiting, especially weekend dates. If you have just a sit down dinner for a reception at a restaurant, you're stuck with that restaurants menu. We opted for a buffet and had all the food we liked....king crab legs, steamers, prime rib, chicken dish, soups, salads, sides. etc. After reception and wedding cake, went to Epcot for dessert party during fireworks show. They had a roped off area for us. So cool. We walked into Epcot behind the parade, again, so cool. Had Disney charter bus pick up all our guests at their designated hotel(s) and the bus took us to dessert party and then all back to our hotels. It's a lot of fun. You'll never regret it.