completely confused - help needed!

[luvpooh]

OK, I just got engaged about 3 weeks ago (yay!) I started planning a wedding here in NJ for about 150 people, and I'm ready to throw myself out of a window. Plus, the fights! OMG the fights! Someone needs to tell my mother she's already gotten married!
So, I'm considering an intimate wedding at WDW w/about 15 guests max. Can anyone give me the very basics? Specifically, the site says that an intimate wedding starts as about $4K, with x-amount of stuff included, but when I go on the wish book site it says there's a 10K minimum. What's the catch? Also, does everyone that comes to the wedding need to commit to x-amount of nights onsite?
Ultimately, I'd like to have a ceremony and then plan a dinner afterwards at a restaurant. I don't think I want a reception, etc, but would want a cake.
If anyone can start giving me basic details, I'd appreciate it. Not sure if we're going to go this route at this point, but it's something to consider right now.
Thank you!

 

[hiwaygal]

Congrats on your engagement! I'm sure there are lots of brides here who can sympathize with you about the "fighting" and the planning! I was lucky, my mother really did not say anything about my choices (of course, I was 38 years old and live over 500 miles away! )

First thing...the wishbook. It's a great resource to look at lots of options, but it is primarily geared for custom weddings. That's where the $10k minimum comes in.

If you are considering the intimate, only you and your groom need to stay a minimum of 4 nights at any Disney owned and operated resort. Your guests can stay anywhere (on or off site). If you are having a custom wedding, you will have a minimum requirement for room bookings.

For an intimate ceremony, a cake and champagne "reception" is included. It's pretty quick and allows for some dancing and celebrating immediately after your ceremony. DFTW will schedule a dinner for you and your guests at any restaurant (but you can only wear your wedding attire at resort restaurants). Some brides opt to have their cake delivered to the dinner location...if that's something you think you want, ask your EM/WP about that option.

I think that covers your first few questions...we'll be happy to answer others!!!

 

[luvpooh]

thanks! that was my understanding of the way intimate weddings worked, but I wasn't sure if they had changed it or something!
I would love to have the dinner at V&A's but my nephew is going to be there, and I don't think it would work out bringing him there, so I was thinking CA Grill or possibly booking on my own at a Swolphin restaurant...wonder what their rules are about wearing a wedding dress? Look at me already planning the dinner, when I have no idea of if I'm even going to get married there! LOL...

 

[hiwaygal]

thanks! that was my understanding of the way intimate weddings worked, but I wasn't sure if they had changed it or something!
I would love to have the dinner at V&A's but my nephew is going to be there, and I don't think it would work out bringing him there, so I was thinking CA Grill or possibly booking on my own at a Swolphin restaurant...wonder what their rules are about wearing a wedding dress? Look at me already planning the dinner, when I have no idea of if I'm even going to get married there! LOL...

You can wear a wedding gown to any resort restaurant (including V&A's and the Cali Grill). Is your nephew very young? You might ask over at the Restaurants board about whether or not it could work out for him. I would guess that if he's 8 or less, it probably won't...IMO kids just don't have the palette for that kind of food. Poor kid might end up really hungry!

As for the Swolphin...I'm not sure...my guess is they wouldn't really mind but you would have to ask them.