A little help here Ladies!

[Gemshaw]

Hello everyone - long time lurker and I have hardly posted!

Well me and DF went to Disney for the first time last year (we are from the UK) and we made the decision together that it would be the perfect location for our wedding! (we were engaged in 2006 in Disneyland, Paris) We did not want a wedding in the UK at all because all we want is our family and us - 12 people including me and DF

At first we both had our heart set on a full Disney wedding and me and OH loved SBP, a dinner and then a dessert party to finish... great! or so I thought, DF was set on being married there and then he realised that people could actually see us being married.. and that was it - he said no way - and he wasnt being married there and that was that. (I TRIED so hard with him to change his mind, and showed him lots of wedding reports on here and loads of pics - and they were all beautiful pictures but he is still adamant that SBP is a no no )

Second try with Shaun....

Celebration Hotel in Celebration - Fell in love with the website pictures, everyone said great things about the hotel and even better we can get married there and a reception meal afterwards - Second plan was working great and we were looking at invatations and bridesmaid dress for his sister Meghan.

Then... I added the hotel on facebook.. he saw the pictures and said it looked like a old hotel and he did not like it now - I love this hotel and had thought that it was perfect and well I had my heart set on it, I really did. But, I would never push shaun into booking something that he wasnt 100% about... it is his wedding day as much as mine.

Last night I was really one of the wedding trip reports on here (I am deeply sorry cannot remember who it was) and he saw the Pavillion, well he said, "wow where is that" and I explained everything, and how I never saw it as an option because it is very grand and well, we never wanted a church wedding here (shaun is catholic and I am christian - would cause too many family offences! plus we are not very religious at all) so did not expect one in Disney either.

The thing is, he is is now really set on this... and I do like the pavillion, but how can I become excited after the last two attempts to find our location! and I still really like the Celebration hotel

Please everyone, I know you hear this all the time on the boards but I need your help, I just need help in others to help shaun back into Loving the Celebration hotel - or to help me decide to push with pavillion, but where should I look for the meal afterwards (12 people all together) - we all like really good food and like a few drinks! and just a good setting and decoration because we can entertain ourselves! hehe! Our both familes do not get the whole 'Disney' thing - so I do not want to go over board on things that wont be appreciated.

I must say we are not actually getting married until 2012, but.. In the meantime, we are looking for a home to call our own - so I want everything to be thought of first and ideas set so that when we come around to booking the date - we will be ready!!

Thanks for your help in advance Ladies!

Gemma

 

[PartofDisney'sWorld]

If you're worried about the wedding pavilion looking too "religious" or like a church, don't be. The pavilion is a non-denominational chapel, and it looks nothing like a church. Or if you want a religious ceremony, you could find an officiant to perform a non-denominational religious ceremony. My DF and I are getting married there next year and it will be a civil ceremony. The pavilion is breathtaking, especially when you see it in person.

There are tons of other options in Disney besides the pavilion and SBP to get married at. If you like the look of getting married at a hotel, Disney has tons of hotels on property, and there's also a bunch of hotels that are not Disney hotels, like the Swan and Dolphin, and in Downtown Disney.

As for dining, there are tons of restaurants in Disney. You could go to Citrico's or the California Grill, or Narcoossee's. The food at their restaurants is phenomenal (except the fast food). HTH!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I echo the above
I understand that you are not religious but I must point out that Catholics are christians too!!!!

 

[weedee]

I'm a big fan of the pavilion. It doesn't look like a chapel at all to me; I wouldn't have wanted to get married there if it did. It's very grand and pretty but I don't know what the hotel looks like...I say go for the pavilion!

 

[SerpentQueenClaire]

Hi!

I am a fellow UK bride and am currently deciding between a Disney wedding pavilion ceremony or a wedding at the Celebration Hotel!!!

I got engaged in the Magic Kingdom in March and whilst in Orlando we decided to look at a few wedding venue options. We saw a few different places but pretty much narrowed it down to the two mentioned above. We are still finding it almost impossible to decide between the two.

There is a huge amount of information on here about Disney weddings and the pavilion, as well as photos which speak for themselves in terms of how beautiful and special it is so I won't go in to too much detail about it. What I will say is that the pavilion is breathtaking and really gave me a 'wedding' feeling which many of the other venues didn't. Plus, if you marry there you will be part of the Disney magic and undoubtedly will have an amazing day.

In terms of Celebration, it is superb, my DF and I, as well as my parents thought it was beautiful. The staff there went out of their way for us when we popped in unexpectedly to ask about their wedding packages and they all seemed genuinely excited for us and keen to make sure we have the perfect wedding day. The hotel itself is really nicely decorated and had a great feel to it and the ceremony site is right on the lake which is beautiful. The package Celebration offer for small weddings is incredibly good value for money-my Dad couldn't believe how affordable it is!!

A member of staff which kind enough to show us the bedroom you would stay in as part of the package and we loved it-it was one of the nicest hotel rooms I have seen.

We are going back out in November to do a bit more research and to hopefully make a final decision so I can totally appreciate how hard it is to decide but in my opinion you can't go wrong with either. If my parents weren't bale to contribute financially then we would definitely be getting married at Celebration and I would not be at all disappointed.

Hope this helps you a bit x

 

[BecBennett]

I love the pavilion! When we decided we were getting married at WDW, there was no other option.

Just a thought, if you were to go with the Celebration hotel, I think that means you wouldn't get your dessert party

 

[rachy]

We are getting married at Celebration Hotel and they have been fantastic to deal with. I personally think the package is better than Disney and you get a lot more for your money. It suited us better having our ceremony and meal there.

Good luck in deciding

Rachel
x

 

[SerpentQueenClaire]

Rachy, do you have a planning journal as I would be very interested in seeing the details of your wedding, before and after? As we are considering a Celebration wedding it would be wonderful to see photos of one x

 

[minniebride]

I love the pavilion! When we decided we were getting married at WDW, there was no other option.

Just a thought, if you were to go with the Celebration hotel, I think that means you wouldn't get your dessert party

That is actually not true. We are getting married off-property and we are definitely still having a dessert party. You just book it through a different Disney phone number, but it's the same DP you would get if you booked through DFTW. The only major restriction is if you are not getting married at Disney, you cannot wear your wedding dress at your DP IF you have your DP at a park (i.e. Epcot-Illuminations). I believe you can wear your wedding dress at a Sago Cay DP. For us, that is a non-issue. We are having our DP the night before the wedding and I'm fine with wearing a different dress.

 

[BravaCentauri]

I love the Wedding Pavilion. The Pavilion doesn't look overly religious (any type) to me. It is modeled after a Victorian Summer House and I think it is a great location. IT is hard if you have your heart set on the Celebration Hotel but remember it is your fiance's day too. You'll have to talk about it together. Maybe compromise? Is Celebration Hotel affiliated with DFTW or would you have to go your own way? Maybe decide that first and go in that direction. Good luck and congratulations!

 

[rachy]

Rachy, do you have a planning journal as I would be very interested in seeing the details of your wedding, before and after? As we are considering a Celebration wedding it would be wonderful to see photos of one x

I started writing one but gave up as not many were interested with it not being a Disney wedding.

If you want any info pm me, and i would be happy to answer any questions x

 

[tinkerbell 766]

That is actually not true. We are getting married off-property and we are definitely still having a dessert party. You just book it through a different Disney phone number, but it's the same DP you would get if you booked through DFTW. The only major restriction is if you are not getting married at Disney, you cannot wear your wedding dress at your DP IF you have your DP at a park (i.e. Epcot-Illuminations). I believe you can wear your wedding dress at a Sago Cay DP. For us, that is a non-issue. We are having our DP the night before the wedding and I'm fine with wearing a different dress.

MinnieBride
Can I ask how you went about booking your DP? Do you have a phone number or e-mail address to contact?
I know your ceremony is at the Swan like mine and I am starting to think I would like a Sago Cay DP on the evening of my VR, but I am unsure how to go about this. Did you mention when you booked your Dp that you were a bride but not a DFTW bride or keep it quiet!!!
Thanks for your help

 

[minniebride]

MinnieBride
Can I ask how you went about booking your DP? Do you have a phone number or e-mail address to contact?
I know your ceremony is at the Swan like mine and I am starting to think I would like a Sago Cay DP on the evening of my VR, but I am unsure how to go about this. Did you mention when you booked your Dp that you were a bride but not a DFTW bride or keep it quiet!!!
Thanks for your help

Joanne,
I wrote the info in your PJ!!

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Thanks sweetie!!!

 

[gemmybear83]

Personally the wedding pavillion does seem Chapel/Church like to me, I think its the pews and the alter that makes me think this way!

I think the celebration hotel looks beautiful and is something we considered.

I will say I am so glad we booked a DFTW with a reception and dessert party. We were going to have a seperate reception but this way has been so much easier to organise, our planner is excellent and I like the way everything is organised through one person and we have saved money by having decor transferred between venues? Were having our ceremony on the boardwalk and reception at Ariels with a dessert party. We are all staying in the boardwalk area so it is very easy to for us and our guests to get around, I didnt want to be hiring vans etc and having to move guests all over the place, just something to think about?

Hope this helps!

 

[minniebride]

Personally the wedding pavillion does seem Chapel/Church like to me, I think its the pews and the alter that makes me think this way!

I agree with you about the "church/chapel" feel of the Wedding Pavilion. I am Jewish and I have visited the inside of the WP & as gorgeous as I think it is, it did not jive with me for a Jewish wedding....not sure why I felt that, but my parents felt the same way.

You guys should sit down and decide what are the priorities for you. I would contact DFTW and also contact the Celebration Hotel & speak with both representatives. After you gather info from both places, sit down with your DF and go over the pros and cons of each.

Just remember to ask DFTW about all of the ceremony locations they offer-there are a ton more than just SBP & the WP & also a ton more locations that many people don't even know about!

We chose the Swan/Dolphin. Our main priorities were low costs, more flexibility, and as close to the Disney magic as possible. The S/D fit that mold perfectly for us. You guys will find something that is right for you as well!!!

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

I personally love the WP, but one of the things I do like about it is that it does have a chapel feel to it. I wanted a Disney wedding, but still want it to be somewhat traditional and religious so it works well for us. In you case, my first question would be: Do you want a Disney Fairytale wedding? What made you decide to look into Disney in the first place? If you really like the idea of having a wedding at Disney, then you should. I haven't seen the celebration hotel so I can't comment on that, but it seems to me if you wanted to get married at a hotel, you could find one a lot closer to home that was similar. Have you considered other options in Disney, like an Epcot ceremony? It is outside but you and your guests would be the only ones there so that seems like it would be a good compromise. Either way, I think you both need to be happy with your decision, and it doesn't sound like the WP or the hotel will make you both happy, so I would suggest for you to keep looking into other options.

 

[Gemshaw]

I echo the above
I understand that you are not religious but I must point out that Catholics are christians too!!!!

I do understand what you are saying, but its not me and DF that has a problem with this, its the parents - DF's side would want a full catholic ceromony - and on the other hand my parents would not want this at all - this is why me and DF are just doing the basics and adding our own vows - that way everyone is happy!

 

[Gemshaw]

Hi!

I am a fellow UK bride and am currently deciding between a Disney wedding pavilion ceremony or a wedding at the Celebration Hotel!!!

I got engaged in the Magic Kingdom in March and whilst in Orlando we decided to look at a few wedding venue options. We saw a few different places but pretty much narrowed it down to the two mentioned above. We are still finding it almost impossible to decide between the two.

There is a huge amount of information on here about Disney weddings and the pavilion, as well as photos which speak for themselves in terms of how beautiful and special it is so I won't go in to too much detail about it. What I will say is that the pavilion is breathtaking and really gave me a 'wedding' feeling which many of the other venues didn't. Plus, if you marry there you will be part of the Disney magic and undoubtedly will have an amazing day.

In terms of Celebration, it is superb, my DF and I, as well as my parents thought it was beautiful. The staff there went out of their way for us when we popped in unexpectedly to ask about their wedding packages and they all seemed genuinely excited for us and keen to make sure we have the perfect wedding day. The hotel itself is really nicely decorated and had a great feel to it and the ceremony site is right on the lake which is beautiful. The package Celebration offer for small weddings is incredibly good value for money-my Dad couldn't believe how affordable it is!!

A member of staff which kind enough to show us the bedroom you would stay in as part of the package and we loved it-it was one of the nicest hotel rooms I have seen.

We are going back out in November to do a bit more research and to hopefully make a final decision so I can totally appreciate how hard it is to decide but in my opinion you can't go wrong with either. If my parents weren't bale to contribute financially then we would definitely be getting married at Celebration and I would not be at all disappointed.

Hope this helps you a bit x

We are getting married at Celebration Hotel and they have been fantastic to deal with. I personally think the package is better than Disney and you get a lot more for your money. It suited us better having our ceremony and meal there.

Good luck in deciding

Rachel
x

Well Ladies - I would absolutely love to see some pictures when you do get married - cannot believe you dont have a trip report! I would have loved to read them, cannot find hardly anything about on the net - I think me and Shaun wouldnt mind both and I think it is the lack of loads of pics and peoples opinions about the hotel that is making me anxious.

Rachel are you on the Dibb aswell?

Gem xx

 

[Gemshaw]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply - it has made me think about what we want for our wedding, and also I am now looking at other venues and me and shaun are going through them on the weekend - thank you to whoever suggested the swan and dolphin aswell, to be honest I thought it would cost alot more than it actually does. Me and shaun and 100% for a wedding in Florida, we never wanted to get married in the UK at all, and we fell in love with the place the moment we arrived there and new it would be perfect

Gem

xx