A Few Escape Wedding Questions

[irisbud]

Hi all,

I have been lurking over here for a while, but now I have a few questions that I know some of you knowledgable people can answer concerning escape weddngs.

(1) Did any of your regret having a small wedding at Disney rather than a larger wedding at home, or would your wedding at home have been the same size anyway?

(2) For those that had a Disney wedding, did you have a reception at home following your return or not?

(3) The cost of the escape weddings with all of the amenities that are included seems fairly reasonable to me. Are there hidden charges in there that are going to make the price a lot higher than it is?

(4) I love Disney. Bf really enjoys it a lot but dosen't have the same feelings for it that I do. Did anyone else have this issue, and if so, how did you do a little convincing to make you Disney wedding happen?

(5) Finally, if you had to do it over again would you, or would you have had your wedding at home instead?

Sorry for rambeling, but BF has just told me that we can (finally) get married, but after he loses some weight, which he is trying very hard to do. I am building up to telling him that I am all behind him, but we kindof need to make a plan so that I can plan a wedding! Hopefully, a Disney wedding!

TIA

Amy

 

[lurkyloo]

OK, I'm stil 2 1/2 weeks away, but I love to share my opinions! Here's what I can tell you.

(1) Did any of your regret having a small wedding at Disney rather than a larger wedding at home, or would your wedding at home have been the same size anyway?

I wanted a 10-person wedding, but DF's immediate family is 8 people, so that wasn't going to happen. But having a Disney wedding on the other side of the country makes it OK not to invite his 62 (really!) cousins.

(2) For those that had a Disney wedding, did you have a reception at home following your return or not?

We're having an at-home reception thrown by his parents, but it's going to be REALLY casual. We didn't want to add an expensive reception on top of the cost of a destination wedding.

(3) The cost of the escape weddings with all of the amenities that are included seems fairly reasonable to me. Are there hidden charges in there that are going to make the price a lot higher than it is?

The only thing is that Escape weddings don't include your reception, so any meal you add will cost extra. Plus there are the travel/honeymoon expenses. But otherwise no hidden charges - as long as you don't change any of the elements or add extras!

(4) I love Disney. Bf really enjoys it a lot but dosen't have the same feelings for it that I do. Did anyone else have this issue, and if so, how did you do a little convincing to make you Disney wedding happen?

DF loves the Disney parks, but he was not crazy about the idea of a Disney wedding at first. However, he does love a bargain, and when he found out how much service and how many unique elements (i.e. a dessert party with fireworks) we would get - and for WAY less than the cost of a California wedding - he was sold.

Good luck!

 

[MistressOfAllEvil]

not quite a double post, but something got screwy! LOLOL.

 

[MistressOfAllEvil]

Hi all,

I have been lurking over here for a while, but now I have a few questions that I know some of you knowledgable people can answer concerning escape weddngs.

(1) Did any of your regret having a small wedding at Disney rather than a larger wedding at home, or would your wedding at home have been the same size anyway?

(2) For those that had a Disney wedding, did you have a reception at home following your return or not?

(3) The cost of the escape weddings with all of the amenities that are included seems fairly reasonable to me. Are there hidden charges in there that are going to make the price a lot higher than it is?

(4) I love Disney. Bf really enjoys it a lot but dosen't have the same feelings for it that I do. Did anyone else have this issue, and if so, how did you do a little convincing to make you Disney wedding happen?

(5) Finally, if you had to do it over again would you, or would you have had your wedding at home instead?

Sorry for rambeling, but BF has just told me that we can (finally) get married, but after he loses some weight, which he is trying very hard to do. I am building up to telling him that I am all behind him, but we kindof need to make a plan so that I can plan a wedding! Hopefully, a Disney wedding!

TIA

Amy

Hey Amy! I hope I can help you out some. I'm having my escape wedding on 2-4-08. So, very soon here.

1. I can't tell you if I regret it since I haven't done it yet. I can tell you that I've wanted a small wedding forever. I knew I didn't want a big production. So, I feel like I'm getting exactly what I want in that respect.

2. We are having an at home reception. Details are sketchy right now. We're actually waiting quite awhile until mid-summer.

3. The escape wedding is very reasonable. My final bill for just the ceremony ended up being $4531 and change. $314 is extra floral. $156 is two extra bottles of champagne. The rest is the extra beverages I wanted at the cake and champagne reception (soda and bottled water) and it's just an estimate of what people will drink. But you don't *need* to add these extra things on. I was very frugal with my extras. Also remember you need an officiant and that's not included in the price. Beyone that, my receptioin dinner for 20 in a private room at Jiko is budgeted right now at $3035. But you can do so many things that are way less expensive. I just had a vision of a very small, intimate wedding with a very lavish dinner at an very nice resturant. So, that's what I'm doing.

4. Chuck doesn't love Disney quite as much as me, but he grew up going every year and his parents still go and they're snow birds who travel down every year and stay at fort wilderness for a few months. He's not a wedding guy, so it was pretty easy to sway him. At least for me.

5. There is no way I would plan a full blown wedding at home. Heck, I'm dreading planning the at home reception. I don't think I will regret this destination wedding one bit in comparison with having an at home wedding. Now, there are other things that I may regret (not having a better vision/theme, not better handling FMIL, not not turning into a bridezilla) but having a Disney/Destination wedding will NEVER be one of them!!!

If you have any other Escape wedding questions, just ask!

 

[irisbud]

Thanks to both of you for your answeres. Your dates are coming up so soon! Good luck and best wishes!

Amy

 

[JandJ]

(1) Did any of your regret having a small wedding at Disney rather than a larger wedding at home, or would your wedding at home have been the same size anyway?
No regrets. DH wanted a small wedding and I wanted a Disney wedding so it worked out perfectly. I really did not want cousins or aunts that I see once a decade at my wedding. It was special and I wanted only the people who mattered most to both DH and me to be there to witness it. If we'd had a traditional at-home wedding I would have been obligated to invite those people, so this way I was able to just "blame" Disney for their guest restrictions. Worked out perfect!

(2) For those that had a Disney wedding, did you have a reception at home following your return or not?
We had originally planned an at-home reception for one month after the wedding, but the cost kept going up and up. It was really stressing me out big time! My mom had 132 people on our side alone! Then, mom unexpectedly passed away 4 months before the wedding, so we canceled the at-home reception. I would have liked it only because the hall we had was gorgeous, the caterer was excellent, and I wanted to share another special day with my new hubby, but it was causing me way too much stress to stay under budget.

(3) The cost of the escape weddings with all of the amenities that are included seems fairly reasonable to me. Are there hidden charges in there that are going to make the price a lot higher than it is?
The only charge we had, and it was not "hidden," was an extra person charge, and then that person didn't even show up, but it was only $100 so no big deal. Everything for us was spelled out - extra floral, bottle of sparkling cider, upgraded cake, favors, etc. were all extra but we knew exactly what we were looking at in terms of cost. From start to finish, including my gown, DH's suit, MOH's dress and shoes, tips, souvenirs, meals, hotel nights for us and my dad, invitations, photography, honeymoon cruise, etc. etc. it was under $7500.

(4) I love Disney. Bf really enjoys it a lot but dosen't have the same feelings for it that I do. Did anyone else have this issue, and if so, how did you do a little convincing to make you Disney wedding happen?
DH didn't care, he just wanted to marry me and wanted a small wedding. I wanted a Disney wedding and he said so long as it would be less than $10k and it was small he wanted me to be happy. My family loves Disney and his parents were happy if we were happy. The only people who weren't happy were grandparents and aunts and uncles who weren't invited. But it was our wedding, not theirs, so we were the ones who needed to be happy!

(5) Finally, if you had to do it over again would you, or would you have had your wedding at home instead?
I would do it again tomorrow! Our wedding day was the most perfect day I could have ever hoped for!

 

[hiwaygal]

My responses are in blue below

Hi all,

I have been lurking over here for a while, but now I have a few questions that I know some of you knowledgable people can answer concerning escape weddngs.

(1) Did any of your regret having a small wedding at Disney rather than a larger wedding at home, or would your wedding at home have been the same size anyway?

No regrets at all! All of our families would have had to travel regardless so that wasn't really a factor for us. My parents and brother and SIL traveled to our city for a quick JOP ceremony before DH and I went to Disney for our "private" wedding.

(2) For those that had a Disney wedding, did you have a reception at home following your return or not?

No, we didn't. One of the reasons I wanted to do Disney was to avoid the costs and planning associated with the receptions.

(3) The cost of the escape weddings with all of the amenities that are included seems fairly reasonable to me. Are there hidden charges in there that are going to make the price a lot higher than it is?

That depends on if you want any of the "extras". Be sure that you fully understand what is included in the package and what would be an "extra". Talk to your coordinator and they will help you. The only "extras" I had were an extra bottle of champagne and I pre-purchased my photo proofs for about $300 extra. I will purchase my CD rights next year (it was much cheaper for me that way). Ask any questions that you are unclear about.

(4) I love Disney. Bf really enjoys it a lot but dosen't have the same feelings for it that I do. Did anyone else have this issue, and if so, how did you do a little convincing to make you Disney wedding happen?

I was lucky and didn't have this situation. My DH was the one to actually suggest a Disney wedding long before we decided to get married.

(5) Finally, if you had to do it over again would you, or would you have had your wedding at home instead?

I would do the Disney wedding again and again and again. And there are a couple of people here who have done just that. I hope to have a vow renewal some day and maybe be able to have a few more of the extras I couldn't afford the first time around.

Sorry for rambeling, but BF has just told me that we can (finally) get married, but after he loses some weight, which he is trying very hard to do. I am building up to telling him that I am all behind him, but we kindof need to make a plan so that I can plan a wedding! Hopefully, a Disney wedding!

TIA

Amy

 

[happymommy]

15 years ago, we had a wedding in my home town. 200 people. My mom planned the whole thing. It was honestly more about my parents than me (I think). I really wanted a small ceremony - just immediate family and close friends - my dad had a fit! The wedding was for them really, not me. I always LOVED WDW - my DH and I went there for a week the year before we got married - it was his first vacation in his life (his parents for some reason didn't believe in vacations, very sad). Even though we stayed in a hotel off site, it was the best week. We went back for our honeymoon (3 nights at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, YUCK, then moved to the GF for 4 nights of pure bliss, as we couldn't stand the other place).

Sorry. Long story. If I could do it over again, I would have said "This is what I want, sorry" and done it at WDW. Without a doubt. I didn't care about the wedding at home - it wasn't me. I do love my DH though!!!!

Now, we're going back for our 15 year anniversary - I am looking into planning some special things (why I'm lurking on this board all of a sudden). Maybe a vow renewal.

Definitely - if you have a heart set on WDW - DO IT!!!!!! I wish I did. But definitely will do a vow renewal there some day, if not this year, then in 5 years.

 

[dmslush]

We just got married on January 3rd at disney!!!


(1) Did any of your regret having a small wedding at Disney rather than a larger wedding at home, or would your wedding at home have been the same size anyway?

We only had three people there, him, our 16 year old dd and me. I wouldn't have changed it for the world. It was low stress, intimate and fabulous!


(2) For those that had a Disney wedding, did you have a reception at home following your return or not?

We are going to. We want to have a cook out style reception, so we have to wait until it warms up. I also want to wait until all of the photos are back and the video is back.

(3) The cost of the escape weddings with all of the amenities that are included seems fairly reasonable to me. Are there hidden charges in there that are going to make the price a lot higher than it is?

The price was $4000 for the basic wedding. We paid $121 to upgrade our cake and for the DFTW cake server set. There were no other costs.

(4) I love Disney. Bf really enjoys it a lot but dosen't have the same feelings for it that I do. Did anyone else have this issue, and if so, how did you do a little convincing to make you Disney wedding happen?

I didn't have this issue, DH loves disney as much as I do.

(5) Finally, if you had to do it over again would you, or would you have had your wedding at home instead?

I wouldn't change anything. It was absolutely the most magical day of my life. We were married at Sunset Point. You could see the castle. It was windy and cold, so there was no one out and about on the beach or on the water. It was fabulous.

 

[irisbud]

Thanks again for the replies, they have been really helpful. Best wishes to all those who have dates coming right up!

happymommy, I think that a vow renewal sounds like a great idea for you! I hope your wish comes true!

Congrats on your recent wedding, dmslush! It sounds magical!