A few questions...

[Soccer Princess]

I am looking into the idea of a WDW Vow Renewal in a few years and am trying to get some kind of budget in my head so I can start saving the $$$.

Can you bring your own decorations (candles and such) and floral or do you have to use Disney for Everything?

Do you get a Rehearsal for the ceremony? Or do you just show up the day of? Is there any extra costs associated with this, if they even do it?

If you do the Escape wedding, is the cake cutting/mini-reception at the same location if you don't have a catered reception? What if we wanted to do a regular dinner at a restaurant after the ceremony -- would they just move the cake there for us or is that not allowed? (I'm just thinking it would make more since to have cake after dinner)

I believe I read there a certain number of rooms your guests have to book for your event -- is this only for Wishes? Is this a certain % of your guests?

Do Escape vs. Wishes get preference on date/time/location?

Any idea how much, on average, the prices for Disney Weddings fo up annually? Do they stay around the same or is there a general % increase?

Thanks so much for any and all help!

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi!

Can you bring your own decorations (candles and such) and floral or do you have to use Disney for Everything?

You can provide your own decor as long as your event is A) not in a theme park or B) not at an outdoor resort location. Now there are certain exceptions, like personal floral (bouquet, boutonniere) and unity candles/sand ceremonies, but the big stuff has to be from Disney if your event is in either kind of venue.

Do you get a Rehearsal for the ceremony? Or do you just show up the day of? Is there any extra costs associated with this, if they even do it?

If you're doing a Wishes event, you get a rehearsal. It is free unless you are being married inside a park and want to rehearse at the ceremony venue (instead of in a convention center somewhere), in which case there is a $90 fee for an event guide to escort you to and from the site.

If you do the Escape wedding, is the cake cutting/mini-reception at the same location if you don't have a catered reception?

Yes, except for Wedding Pavilion events—their cake cuttings are held at Commander's Terrace at the Grand Floridian.

What if we wanted to do a regular dinner at a restaurant after the ceremony -- would they just move the cake there for us or is that not allowed? (I'm just thinking it would make more since to have cake after dinner)

They will box the cake up and put it in the limo for you to take to the restaurant.

I believe I read there a certain number of rooms your guests have to book for your event -- is this only for Wishes? Is this a certain % of your guests?

It is only if you set up a room block, which is mandatory for Wishes and optional for Escape. The requirement is 25 room nights (not 25 rooms), and you can include your own hotel stay.

Do Escape vs. Wishes get preference on date/time/location?

Wishes get preference simply because they can book earlier than Escape. But it's not like Escape brides are constantly losing their dates to Wishes brides—for one thing, there are 2 Escape sites that can't even be booked by most Wishes events because they only hold 10 people.

Any idea how much, on average, the prices for Disney Weddings fo up annually? Do they stay around the same or is there a general % increase?

There is no formula, and it changes depending on demand, the economy, etc. For several years, Escape weddings went up by a couple hundred dollars each year, but in 2011 they are staying at the same rate as 2010. Wishes minimums have actually come down in the last year or so.

 

[Soccer Princess]

Wow! Thanks for all of the great info! I really appreciate it!

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Hi!
It is only if you set up a room block, which is mandatory for Wishes and optional for Escape. The requirement is 25 room nights (not 25 rooms), and you can include your own hotel stay.

Sorry to jump in here, but I read in a thread a few weeks ago that they did away with the room night minimum requirement (still 25 nights for the free night).

I'm just confused now because I've heard conflicting things.

We're not getting married for 2 years yet, but other than us, my parents, and the MOH and MtOH and her hubby (we're looking at a two-room suite) the night before the wedding, no one will be staying on property. We have a very cheap family (a few of them have already scoffed at the flights, even with two years to look and save). I know we won't even come close to the minimum.

Can the lower case-by-case, or will they still require me to have the nights because they *could* be met if I can convince the others to stay? We were also planning to move off-property after the wedding night to save money. I was really excited to hope it was no more.

 

[lurkyloo]

Do not worry about the room-night minimum. The deal is, even when the 25 nights were "mandatory," Disney was making exceptions for people whose circumstances prevented them from meeting the minimum—the only penalty was not getting a free room night.

DFTW's policies change all the time, and a lot can happen in 2 years. If their business improves, they may return to the more stringent rules. But, like I said, even when the rules were more firm, they were still willing to work with people to find a solution that met their needs. And I have never ever heard of anyone having to pay for extra, unused room nights to meet the minimum.

 

[DisneyShamrock]

Do not worry about the room-night minimum. The deal is, even when the 25 nights were "mandatory," Disney was making exceptions for people whose circumstances prevented them from meeting the minimum—the only penalty was not getting a free room night.

DFTW's policies change all the time, and a lot can happen in 2 years. If their business improves, they may return to the more stringent rules. But, like I said, even when the rules were more firm, they were still willing to work with people to find a solution that met their needs. And I have never ever heard of anyone having to pay for extra, unused room nights to meet the minimum.

Thanks Carie. You made my day.

I actually talked to my mom after I posted here, and she said that our side of the guests would probably stay there even if we didn't ask them to. Apparently, when they travel, they go all out (unlike when we do things closer to home).

Oh, and thank you for taking the time to write your book. It's been a huge help with budgeting and planning.

 

[lurkyloo]

Oh good! Glad I could help!