Advise needed please!

[7777Bride]

Hello,
I have visited this site more that I can count since I found out about it 2 weeks ago and I have learned a lot from it. Now I need help making a major decision. I've always wanted a WDW wedding. I contacted WDW, visited the sites with my mother. I decided on the WP and GF, but now my problem is the number of people vs the cost. I want a formal afternoon wedding.
I live in Orlando, so lots of the guests will be from florida. Now my list is around 200 after cutting it down a lot (from 310). When I look at my wish list for the reception the price is more than what I can afford. I don't know what to do.
I have a budget of 15K. But I do know that I want a WDW more than anything(the cinderella fairy tale wedding). I've looked at other places, but deep inside I am not happy with not having my disney wedding. Everyone is telling me to get over it and have it somewhere else. I really don't know what to do. Is it possible to have a WDW ceremony at the WP and reception at non WDW location? What are my options? By the way the list can't be cut down anymore b/c most of them are family and close friends.
My mother understands what I want but she can't help me financially my MIL doesn't understand why I want WDW instead of a traditional 350 people wedding somewhere cheap like she said. I don't think she understands the meaning of a wedding.
By the way, my fiance and I are paying for the wedding and he wants me to have it the way I want. But are families are sooooooo big and our budget is limitted.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post.
7777Bride

 

[PrincessShanShan]

Would it be possible to have a smaller wedding at WDW and then have a reception at home later? This way everyone gets to celebrate your marriage and you still get the wedding of your dreams. I hope it works out for you.

Shan

 

[Skylarr29]

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. I really don't have any advice for you except to cut your guest list down. 200 people is so much. When you have a group that big I think you really do start to lose the meaning of what a wedding is about. Have you thought of maybe having an intimate ceremony at the WP with a cake and champagne toast?? You could then have Mk bridal portraits and add some things to the basic package. What about just having an Illuminations dessert party that same evening for the 200 guests and then the ceremony would just be with parents, immediate family (you can have 18 guests). Then you would just have to pay around $50.00 or so per person including a viewing few, the child in you menu and busses (unless everyone meets inside the park and uses their own tickets in which case you can drop the viewing fee of 12.50 pp and the bus fees) That equals around 10k (hopefully it could be less) and then the intimate package is about $3,500.00 (that is not an exact number) for the wedding pavilion. That is just my two cents but I hope that helps you or at least gives you some ideas of other possiblities. Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[BrideToBe82]

Aww I'm sorry-you should contact disney and ask them if they have any suggestions. Maybe you could just have an intimate with a few people and then have a reception when you get home or even another ceremony.

 

[ItGirl753]

Not sure if I can help....

If you go custom, keep in mind that M-Th have lower minimums and lunchtime meals have lower prices than dinners. If you do this with 200 people at a custom, it sounds like you will have to cut out the extras, but i think you can still make it wonderful. You will have to sit down with a pencil and paper and figure how much you can spend per person for 200 meals. In my opinion, it might be possible and lunch is the way to go! Cut back on floral -- flowers and also decorations. Especially since you live close, what things can you do yourself??? And also, you'll have to cut out things like a welcome party/rehearsal dinner/farewell party. We're trying to keep ours on the low-end so these are a lot of things I've looked at cutting too.

Or could you do an intimate, like Skylarr said, adding what you want, but have a reception somewhere else in Orlando since you're from the area? I know Disney doesn't let intimates have a big reception anyway, but I'm not sure if this is allowed either. It seems to me if you meet your requirements and if it's not on their property, then it shouldn't matter. You could do an intimate with closest family, and then have a reception after-the-fact.

 

[wendy46001]

We had the same issue with guest numbers, being local our friends and family tipped the 300+ side....this number soon became impossible to afford....I had to make the hard choice to cut the list....UGH...MIL was not thrilled....but we got it down to 100
Its a tough choice but if you cant trim the number (and i so understand that) it might be possible to cut the food...would it be possible to do a dessert wedding without serving a full meal? If you held it either before lunch or just after you might still be able to have your guest and your fairytale

 

[ead79]

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this! I think the other brides have given you some great suggestions. If you run the numbers, there is just no way that you can have 200 guests and spend $15,000. To meet the food & beverage requirements alone, you would be spending $20,000 plus tax and gratuity (200 guests @ $100 each for food/beverage). I think you'll either have to cut your guest list or change your strategy to an Intimate wedding at WDW, then a reception elsewhere off property. One other option to consider would be a wedding at the Swan/Dolphin. I'm not sure about their pricing, but I've heard that they are less expensive than Disney. If the Disney wedding is what's most important to you, then I think you're going to have to do the tough task of majorly cutting the guest list. Trust us, all of us destination brides have been there!

 

[JonetteA]

Have you thought about an alternate reception location other than the Grand? That may help cut it by $20.00 a person. We had brunch and that was less expensive than lunch or dinner. If you have your custom ceremony at WDW, you must have your reception there. The contract states your F&B min. I like the idea of having an immediate only family member wedding and a reception somewhere else where you can invite everyone. It could be all in one day. Also, if you do have your ceremony during the week, it will be harder for people to get off therefore you may cut your costs there. It Girl that was a GREAT idea!

 

[Cinderella]

How close are you to your whole family? At my first wedding I had my whole family there, and half of them were people I never see. Do you really have to have them all to your wedding? If I were you, I'd try to cut your list down more - if you have the big wedding somewhere else, when you'd rather have had it at Disney, you might end up regretting it.

Why not try limiting your list to immediate family, aunts, uncles and close friends or something?