Best Ways to Keep Costs Low While Still Inviting Everyone We Want?

[Alleybell]

I just requested the planning guide from Disney Fairytale weddings, but I'm currently stationed overseas so it may take a while to get here. Hopefully the guide will have more detailed pricing information. In the meantime I'd like to know what the best ways for keeping costs down are. Unfortunately we're working on a budget of 18K and want to invite 40-50 people. Everything we're seeing says a wedding this size will start at around 21,000. Any tips would be much appreciated.

 

[LadyD]

If you have flexibility in your day of the week and time of day, having a mid-week wedding with an early ceremony and brunch reception can help keep costs down. Food and beverage can be one of the largest expenses of a Disney wedding (depending on your guest count size) due to the required per person food and beverage minimums. Brunch receptions have a lower per person minimum ($125 currently) compared to dinner receptions ($175), so you're saving $50 per person. Sticking as close to the minimums for the other expenditure requirements as you can too obviously helps keep costs down, and usually that means being really selective about what enhancements you're choosing.

 

[lurkyloo]

Ooooooh.... I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that planning brochure is a marketing puff piece with nothing but the basic pricing. The most detailed info you can get out of Disney is on this page of their site: https://www.disneyweddings.com/florida/pricing/ and even that's not a lot. This is why I keep the PassPorter updated with pricing on everything from the $13,500 castle facade to $3 chair sashes.

Here's an episode of the Disney Wedding Podcast where I talk about how to have a Wishes wedding for the minimum expenditure: http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2015/07/22/how-to-have-a-wishes-wedding-for-the-minimum-expenditure/

And here's one where I explain the Wishes Catered Event Experience, which is your best bet for containing costs at that guest count: http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2016/06/22/mini-wishes-catered-event-experience/

 

[justme0729]

"Mini Wishes" (3 hour reception) for 50 people on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Brunch Reception and 9:00am or 10:00am wedding:

Food and Beverage at $100/ person: $5000
23% Service Charge: $1,150

Enhancement Minimum: $3,000

Ceremony Location: $3,500 (everything but Wedding Pavilion I think)

TOTAL: $12,500
.065 Tax on everything: 812.50

GRAND TOTAL: $13,312

You could fit photography into your enhancement minimum budget. I am using Disney photography for $2195 for 5 hours. You would have to be ok with not spending much on decor, Cinderella's Carriage, etc. though. I found outisde videography for 5 hours for $600. Other costs are hair and make-up ($200 for bride), manicure/ pedicure, your officiant (mine is $200), and a rehearsal dinner (maybe pizza in villa, dessert party, or full catered meal) in addition to hotel room costs, park tickets, and dining for your trip.

You could even add a dessert party in Epcot to see Illuminations or at the Grand Floridian/ Contemporary to watch Wishes in your dress afterwards at night with just drinks or desserts. The "Mini Wishes" also offers a 7:30pm ceremony time which has a $150 per person food and beverage minimum on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and that is what I am doing because then I don't need to add a dessert party to see fireworks since we will see Wishes during our reception from the Napa Room.

 

[Chilly]

Highly recommend Carrie's book:

http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/passporters-disney-weddings/

 

[Alleybell]

"Mini Wishes" (3 hour reception) for 50 people on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Brunch Reception and 9:00am or 10:00am wedding:

Food and Beverage at $100/ person: $5000
23% Service Charge: $1,150

Enhancement Minimum: $3,000

Ceremony Location: $3,500 (everything but Wedding Pavilion I think)

TOTAL: $12,500
.065 Tax on everything: 812.50

GRAND TOTAL: $13,312

You could fit photography into your enhancement minimum budget. I am using Disney photography for $2195 for 5 hours. You would have to be ok with not spending much on decor, Cinderella's Carriage, etc. though. I found outisde videography for 5 hours for $600. Other costs are hair and make-up ($200 for bride), manicure/ pedicure, your officiant (mine is $200), and a rehearsal dinner (maybe pizza in villa, dessert party, or full catered meal) in addition to hotel room costs, park tickets, and dining for your trip.

You could even add a dessert party in Epcot to see Illuminations or at the Grand Floridian/ Contemporary to watch Wishes in your dress afterwards at night with just drinks or desserts. The "Mini Wishes" also offers a 7:30pm ceremony time which has a $150 per person food and beverage minimum on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and that is what I am doing because then I don't need to add a dessert party to see fireworks since we will see Wishes during our reception from the Napa Room.

Seeing those numbers makes me feel a ton better. Thank you for breaking it down so nicely.

 

[Alleybell]

Ooooooh.... I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that planning brochure is a marketing puff piece with nothing but the basic pricing. The most detailed info you can get out of Disney is on this page of their site: https://www.disneyweddings.com/florida/pricing/ and even that's not a lot. This is why I keep the PassPorter updated with pricing on everything from the $13,500 castle facade to $3 chair sashes.

Here's an episode of the Disney Wedding Podcast where I talk about how to have a Wishes wedding for the minimum expenditure: http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2015/07/22/how-to-have-a-wishes-wedding-for-the-minimum-expenditure/

And here's one where I explain the Wishes Catered Event Experience, which is your best bet for containing costs at that guest count: http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2016/06/22/mini-wishes-catered-event-experience/

I'll have to check those things out. When I first came across passporter I wasn't sure it'd be worth it, but knowing that it's updated regularly is a good sign.

 

[BlondeBelle]

The book is a GREAT source, and so are the podcasts. At first I didn't want to spend time listening, but you get so much information, like the day's timeline, why they chose their locations, where and why they chose to spend money in various places. I'm a little addicted, there are SO many options! Between the books and the podcasts, I'm narrowing it down. And after spending time reviewing both, I'm now ready to contact Disney.

 

[dp911]

"Mini Wishes" (3 hour reception) for 50 people on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday Brunch Reception and 9:00am or 10:00am wedding:

Food and Beverage at $100/ person: $5000
23% Service Charge: $1,150

Enhancement Minimum: $3,000

Ceremony Location: $3,500 (everything but Wedding Pavilion I think)

TOTAL: $12,500
.065 Tax on everything: 812.50

GRAND TOTAL: $13,312

You could fit photography into your enhancement minimum budget. I am using Disney photography for $2195 for 5 hours. You would have to be ok with not spending much on decor, Cinderella's Carriage, etc. though. I found outisde videography for 5 hours for $600. Other costs are hair and make-up ($200 for bride), manicure/ pedicure, your officiant (mine is $200), and a rehearsal dinner (maybe pizza in villa, dessert party, or full catered meal) in addition to hotel room costs, park tickets, and dining for your trip.

You could even add a dessert party in Epcot to see Illuminations or at the Grand Floridian/ Contemporary to watch Wishes in your dress afterwards at night with just drinks or desserts. The "Mini Wishes" also offers a 7:30pm ceremony time which has a $150 per person food and beverage minimum on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday and that is what I am doing because then I don't need to add a dessert party to see fireworks since we will see Wishes during our reception from the Napa Room.

videography for $600 for 5 hours?! Who are you using? that is so much cheaper than all the quotes i got.

 

[Erzengel]

Actually, having a destination wedding in itself is a way of cutting down the cost. We could have easily doubled our wedding list by having it in our home state. A lot of people didn't go because of it.