Average cost of todays wedding?

[Keira1387]

Right now our Disney estimate is just above the minimum, at $10,300 ( I was trying to beat Lurkyloo's amazing $60 over, but no dice.) to have an escape wedding...)

Stupid question, but does Disney give you a quote on a ballpark of what its going to cost or did you put this number together yourself?

 

[Janet2k]

I read an official Disney press release last year that mentioned that Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings events averaged around $28,000. They didn't give any breakdowns or any further information, just that the average was around that price.

 

[Janet2k]

Stupid question, but does Disney give you a quote on a ballpark of what its going to cost or did you put this number together yourself?

Keira1387, I was given a few proposals when I was trying to figure out what I was going to do for my vow renewal. Those proposals contained generic pricing information. It helped, but by the time I was done with my planning, those numbers had increased dramatically. This was my own fault since I was adding all sorts of extras.

Edited to Add: I kept an Excel spreadsheet that contained all the various pieces of pricing information: floral, food & beverage, transportation, entertainment, fireworks, etc. This way I had a general idea of what my event was going to cost me. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing.

 

[hope1826]

You and lurkyloo are an inspiration!!!

I patiently await my BEO after my planning session last week! I hope I can be as lucky! I chose peonies too- I didnt realize they were expensive- I figured big=less flowers=less

Thank you, but it isn't official yet!! I'm waiting for my official BEO too. Yeah I had requested a "very large round peony bouquet" and wanted it to be under $275, Rose let me know that luckily they are in season during May ( I think the other month is either April or June) and that it would be $400 just because they are expensive flowers. I think it might be possible to get a cheaper peony bouquet through an outside florist.

it is really good that you gave transportation this much thought...had i done that, i would have saved on over half my transportation cost.

What was your experience with transportation?

I actually feel kind of bad about not picking the Disney resort guests up from their hotels and dropping them back, especially since a few of them are the ones with little children. But after reading about some of the transportation fiascoes on this board and due to the fact that it would really only be about 10 people out of 46 using, it just wasn't worth it.

Stupid question, but does Disney give you a quote on a ballpark of what its going to cost or did you put this number together yourself?

That's not a stupid question... Disney does give quotes as you get closer to your date. I had a phone planning session with Rose (Floral) last week and a phone session with Celeste (my planner) earlier this week. And I am still waiting for an official BEO. However, before my sessions with Rose and Celeste, I emailed Rose 4 pages of pictures and descriptions of what I wanted with my own estimates for every single item. During the session, we went through my list and she told me what the numbers are for each item. I also kept asking if there were any fees/ service charges associated with each item. In most cases, except for my bouquet, she said that the prices I had estimated were high.

When I spoke with Celeste, I asked her the cost of every item and I asked for the associated fees and services charges for each item. So that number is based on a preliminary estimate. During conversations from the very beginning, I told both my coordinator and planner that I cannot go over $10,000, so anything they offer me that takes it over that, has to go. I've also asked a few times how close I was to $10,000... once or twice they said I was actually going to be under ( I kept cutting stuff), so I had to add stuff back (that's why the DP is still there). But I do keep telling Celeste that if things get too high, I have to get rid of the DP and I will add more floral as needed to meet $10,000 exactly. I hope I don't have to do that, but we'll see.

Also, Lurkyloo was kind enough to send me a copy of her BEO and I used it as a point of reference. So Lurkyloo is really the hero! Also, I was very worried about my planner not really sending me stuff, but this week she has been absolutely amazing!! And I feel better!

Other things that are different with my event is that it is only 4.5 hours long, from the beginning of the ceremony to the end of the DP. 5 PM - 9:30 PM. We are doing bill on consumption for the bar for less than 2.5 hours (5:45-8:00 PM). Disney's ratio is 1 drink per person per hour. And 12 of my guests are under 21, so what they can drink is limited. And only 15 of my adult guests actually drink alcohol. The ratio I used in my estimate was 2 drinks per person per hour. And beer and wine will be the only available alcohol. So Celeste confirmed that my beverage estimate is double what will show up in the BEO. And no champagne toast. Also, we picked SBP and the Attic, because we really don't have to decorate them at all. And no limos (not even for me). We have a violinist for 3 hours and we are using a cd player for the rest of the time at the reception. There's a fee for that.

Oh and I had started a thread last week asking about Bridal Suites/rooms at the Boardwalk and I forgot to go back and find it... but I discovered that there is a $500 fee to use a space in the Boardwalk Convention Center, if you do not order food. If you order food, then you just pay for the cost of the food and the rental fee is waived. They give you menus. So that room is going to be about $240 (before fees and taxes), but doing that enabled me to not hire a limo and to keep my photography package to 6 hours (because there is no traveling involved). We have that room to get ready in (hair, makeup, dress) and to store our stuff in for almost the whole day. Yay Celeste!!

Well... I am trying to stay within the budget my Dad gave me, but its so hard. My florals alone are $5500. Then with everything, including my dress and stuff I bought that isn't from disney I am looking at just under 40000. This is for 75ppl, at the Yacht Club Gazebo, and the reception at the Yacht Club Convention center. I have no idea how others are keeping their costs down, but I have cut out just about everything I can. I even cut the champagne toast cause that was 1000.

40,000 for 75 ppl at Disney sounds hard to do. I couldn't imagine having that many people. I can't even imagine having to decorate for the reception. I think that would be really tough.

It must be a Canadian thing to spend too much money. I have a budget my dad gave me too and I'm all ready over it by at least $1000

LOL, Right now, I am just about $2000 over the budget my dad gave me. So you're definitely not alone in being over budget!

 

[hope1826]

Well, I live in Buffalo (which is very close to canada) and I have the same problem. I thought I'd have enough room in my budget for everything I wanted but I guess not... 150 guests at ADH does not come cheap

That is a huge number!! We're inviting 250 guests to our at home reception, and hoping only 150 show up. But I'm probably going to be running away from people all day. I really don't like being the center of attention and I think I would die if I had my ceremony in front of so many people.

 

[Keira1387]

Thank you Janet and Hope! That was great info! Fingers crossed that I can keep it close!!

 

[hope1826]

Good luck Keira1387!! I will post again when I get the BEO.

 

[lurkyloo]

I emailed Rose 4 pages of pictures and descriptions of what I wanted with my own estimates for every single item. During the session, we went through my list and she told me what the numbers are for each item. I also kept asking if there were any fees/ service charges associated with each item. In most cases, except for my bouquet, she said that the prices I had estimated were high.

When I spoke with Celeste, I asked her the cost of every item and I asked for the associated fees and services charges for each item. So that number is based on a preliminary estimate. During conversations from the very beginning, I told both my coordinator and planner that I cannot go over $10,000, so anything they offer me that takes it over that, has to go. I've also asked a few times how close I was to $10,000... once or twice they said I was actually going to be under ( I kept cutting stuff), so I had to add stuff back (that's why the DP is still there). But I do keep telling Celeste that if things get too high, I have to get rid of the DP and I will add more floral as needed to meet $10,000 exactly. I hope I don't have to do that, but we'll see. =....

This is amazing - you really figured out some great ways to cut costs, and I love your persistence with the minimums. I think we are kindred bargain hunters!

 

[cseca]

Other things that are different with my event is that it is only 4.5 hours long, from the beginning of the ceremony to the end of the DP. 5 PM - 9:30 PM.

Phew... I'm so glad someone is doing a similar thing as ours
Ours is from 5pm to 10:30pm

 

[hope1826]

This is amazing - you really figured out some great ways to cut costs, and I love your persistence with the minimums. I think we are kindred bargain hunters!

lol... we are! I definitely love bargains, but my profession is really helping me cut stuff... I value engineer the heck out of projects every day. I think I'm driving Celeste crazy though! I am having a lot of fun cutting EVERYTHING!! Like you had said at some point, the challenge is a lot of fun.

When do you leave for your wedding? I hope you have a great trip and a very magical wedding. I'm glad you will get your planner's cell phone # at your rehearsal! And I can't wait to read your TR and see pics!!

I think we are all going to be sitting on the edges of our seats waiting for the bird cage/fascinator Wendy/Carrie double wedding TR's.

 

[hope1826]

Phew... I'm so glad someone is doing a similar thing as ours
Ours is from 5pm to 10:30pm

Yep and I think your wedding is just a week before mine. Did you have to pay extra to stay until 10:30? Celeste extended ours to 10 PM, but if I ask for more, the cost of the round trip bus may go up.

 

[cseca]

Yep and I think your wedding is just a week before mine. Did you have to pay extra to stay until 10:30? Celeste extended ours to 10 PM, but if I ask for more, the cost of the round trip bus may go up.

Yep, my coordinator said the same thing.
There's no charge to extend the hours of the DP (well I guess the drink cost might go up but we're doing BOC, so that might not be so bad) however, the bus is another story. Ugh... I hate that transportation cost...
I'm wondering if they'll let us walk back to the hotel as to taking the bus...

 

[tink8jr]

Hi Ive been engaged for a year and plan of getting married after I graduate college (about 2 1/2 years). Does anyone know about the average price of a wedding. I want to start saving up now. I'm not sure if our parents will help us out yet or not, but I would rather save up all the money to be self sufficient. I just want some sort of ball park number to use as a goal.

I would love to get married at disneyland/world, but I have the feeling they are ridiculously expensive. And I might be disneyed out after a honeymoon in WDW

I got married at WDW WP and total cost was around 15,000 I did upgrades Cindys coach, floral etc...

 

[WDBRDWLK]

tink8jr- WOW! You photos are absolutly amazing...I am on my lunch break at work catching up on all these TR and when I saw your photos I had tears running down my face! You looked beautiful. I had inquired about the DFTW a few years ago for our VR, which we did on the Disney Wonder. I would love to give my daughter, who is 22 now, a DFTW when the time is right... I think yours was reasonable. I loved the coach and horses and what looked like a glass slipper on the pillow is priceless! Your colors were perfect for the WP. Everything just flowed together. May you and your new husband live magically ever after!

 

[tink8jr]

tink8jr- WOW! You photos are absolutly amazing...I am on my lunch break at work catching up on all these TR and when I saw your photos I had tears running down my face! You looked beautiful. I had inquired about the DFTW a few years ago for our VR, which we did on the Disney Wonder. I would love to give my daughter, who is 22 now, a DFTW when the time is right... I think yours was reasonable. I loved the coach and horses and what looked like a glass slipper on the pillow is priceless! Your colors were perfect for the WP. Everything just flowed together. May you and your new husband live magically ever after!

Thanks I thought it was a good price for everything. Before my wedding I had not seen many pics of WP decorated at all, so I just went to disneyweddings.com and went to the escape wishbook and picked what I wanted then I went to the custom and wrote down what I wanted to add came up with a round about price and told my planner and Rosie the Disney Florist

 

[PrincessBride07]

this may be OT but how do you tell your family that you want to have your wedding across the country and how have they reacted?

When we were deciding where to get married, our families were gonna have to travel either way. We decided to have fun and pick a place that everyone would have to travel. It seemed fair. We just told them that we were getting married at Disney. My family kinda figured that this might be a place, so they really didn't have a big reaction either way. His dad was the one that didn't like it. He didn't like the idea of traveling, and wanted us to get married in his hometown. We only had 1 person decline (we actually had a few others, but we knew they couldn't make it no matter what), and 1 person missed it (tried to fly in the day of the wedding and flight was delayed due to weather).

 

[Sleeping_Princess]

Well, I live in Buffalo (which is very close to canada) and I have the same problem. I thought I'd have enough room in my budget for everything I wanted but I guess not... 150 guests at ADH does not come cheap

That is scary to know --- cause I am looking at 100 to 150 guests at the Grand Floridian.....

We orginally wanted 75 to 80 but when we told people about Disney they all have said yes... Only have had 2 say no thus far....

Oh well.... I will have to wait till June/July for my planning session.

 

[Sleeping_Princess]

this may be OT but how do you tell your family that you want to have your wedding across the country and how have they reacted?

Orginally my FMIL said that no one would want to come because it is Disney and the cost was going to be too much!!! but every day I am getting someone else that said yes they are coming... And we do have people coming from everywhere..

Most of us are in Tampa, but I also have Vermont, Chicago, Richmond, New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota and even one person from London... and we only have 2 people that have said no so far.. "We sent out our own Save the Dates last month!"

 

[CelticBelle]

So I think that we have decided to have our wedding at disneyland because it is close to home...well closer. Most people will have to travel still, but not many and not too far. My only problem now is that most of the information on these boards is for wdw. Does anyone know where I could find more infor about disneyland? Their website is pretty scarce.

 

[FIREFLY01]

ok my disney total was $15,400,
plus 1000 for dress, 1500 for picts and about abother1000 for misc: invites(didourselves),minister,hair/makeup,tux,etc

so in total about 19000, out the door, we had video,floral,photo,dj ,wedding pavillion,italy isola, illuminations,cake,food, open bar,1 motorcoach,2limo, 1 town car.

its easy to stick to minimums and easy to go crazy over budget, just think reasonable, you can do alot of things yourself to save money and really isn't that hard, remember its about you and your husband don't worry about impressing other people. do what makes you 2 happy! YOU ARE MARRYING EACH OTHER NOT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!! THE ONLY PERSON TO IMPRESS IS EACH OTHER AND THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY AT THE FIRST LOOK AT EACH OTHER!
WHEN ITS ALL SAID AND DONE PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA REMEMBER WHAT COLOR YOUR TABLECLOTH WAS OR IF YOU HAD CHAIR COVERS OR WHAT TYPE OF CHAIRS. OR HOW MANY FLOWERS YOU HAD .KEEP IT SIMPLE AND FOCUS ON THE 2 OF YOU!!!!
OH as for transportation my whole family in florida his was from northeast massachusetts ,nj, alot couldn't fly down but we are gonna go up there this summer to his parents and have a bbq for everyone who couldn't make it down we are gonna bring the video, and all of our picts so everyone can see them even bringing my guest book so they can sign it!!!