Complications with Epcot October planning

[Skip3key]

Trying to plan on what day of the week to plan our October 2014 (was November - now we have decided it must be October) wedding... Our ideal was a ceremony in Germany (9am of course) followed by brunch reception, and then dessert party on the Isola west in Italy . We have come to find that it isn't as easy to do this in October, and as I couldn't find this info when I was researching our dates on the Internet- thought I would share.

As it turns out, the Isola West is not available at all during food and wine, (and it is only open briefly in November between F&W and Christmas). The Isola is open, but the minimum number of people to use it for dessert party is 100 ( our party will be 40-50) . To complicate things further, none of the pavilions are available for a dessert party on Fridays or Saturdays during F&W either.

We are considering one of the following

1. Dessert/welcome party in UK on a Thursday night, ceremony the following Friday morning and brunch reception afterwards. I kind of like this as guests arrive Thursday, and likely leave Sunday or Monday... But we can be care free and enjoy the parks with them without a schedule after the brunch and the weekend. Won't be able to wear wedding attire in the parks though, and the dessert party won't count towards the minimum required expenditures since its not the same day as the ceremony.

2. All events on a Sunday... Guests likely arrive Friday- leave Monday... No chance to play around after the ceremony with them... But all on the same day...

Anyone done the first option? Did it go ok to split up the events?

 

[Minniesminime]

I would go with option 2 having everything on Sunday so that it counts toward your minimums. There is nothing that says you can't hang out in the parks with your guests prior to the wedding and then it is more like a traditional wedding when everyone leaves to go home the day after the wedding or so and you can enjoy your honeymoon!

 

[mb187143]

We got married on nov 2, 2012 which was a friday during F&W. we had a dessert party on Thursday as a welcome event for our guests. Our wedding was at 5pm on Friday followed by our reception at the WP/Grand Floridian. Our guests mostly arrived Wednesday and Thursday and they LOVED the dessert party. They also had most of the day Friday, all day Saturday and all day Sunday to play in the parks and I would say maybe 2-3 of our 60 guests didn't go to the parks but everyone else did.

I was really happy with the flow of events and our guests were too. I, personally could not have done a morning ceremony and a desert party on the same night, but that's just me.

 

[lurkyloo]

Another vote for option #2.

1) It will all count toward your minimums.

2) Guests can arrive on Friday and leave on Monday or (even better, since flights will be cheaper) arrive on Saturday and leave on Tuesday.

3) We loved having a break in the day between our wedding and the dessert party. It gave us and our guests time to relax, plus something to look forward to later that night after the wedding.

4) For many guests, nothing can top the surprise and uniqueness of a Disney dessert party—even a Disney wedding reception. Why not save the best for last?

 

[carolwoodpacific]

Another vote for option 2. This is exactly what my fiance and I are doing for our wedding in October this year. Due to the DP restrictions, we moved our ceremony and reception to a Sunday so everything is in one day. None of our guests have complained about the break. About half the guests are going to change and go back into Epcot and the rest are going to relax at their hotels in the afternoon. In fact, as far as the DP, they all seem pretty excited to come back for more (exactly to Lurky's fourth point).

Additionally, we haven't heard any complaints about having it on a Sunday. One guest is flying in Saturday and out Monday morning, but many are making it a long weekend - Thursday or Friday through Tuesday.

 

[Skip3key]

Thanks for all the great advice... I feel like I have been contacted by a celebrity seeing Lurkyloo responded! I think I have voraciously read everything you have posted on the internet and the wedding book as well! I feel so well prepared for the coming months and challenges of this wedding prep stuff!

I am leaning torwards the Sunday as well- next hurdle will be deciding between the California Grill and the Living Seas for the reception... We will be at the Food and Wine in October this year, so I guess we will just have to wait and see which strikes us...

I am excited as we got up at 6 am today and managed to get reservation for the California Grill for Monday Oct 21 for 7:45 which should put us there during Wishes!!!

 

[lurkyloo]

I'm glad to be able to help. If you're into it, you might want to start a planning journal in the "Planning Our Happily Ever After" sub-forum of this forum so we can all follow along with your plans!

 

[Skip3key]

Planning thread going!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=49397676#post49397676