Dessert party during reception?

[Pandora.becca]

How does a dessert party during your reception work?? Do you pay normal fees for a dessert party? can you substitute a "cocktail hour" for the dessert party? Does your reception get extended?

I would LOVE a dessert party on the day of the wedding for the fireworks pictures but DF does not want a morning wedding.

Any suggestions?

 

[lurkyloo]

There are several ways to do this. People who have their wedding reception at American Adventure Rotunda usually do either a cocktail hour during IllumiNations at Italy Isola or they have everyone take a break from the reception and go out to Italy for a dessert party, then back to AAR. You would need to pay the venue fee and meet the food food and beverage minimum for the cocktail hour/dessert party location you choose.

You could have a reception someplace like Living Seas Salon or Norway Loft or The Odyssey or GM Lounge or Spaceship Earth Lounge and then go straight to a dessert party afterward.

You could also just do your reception outdoors at one of the dessert party locations. You'd need to wait until after the park closed to have have characters and amplified entertainment, though. Or you can do a "dessert" party where you serve savory food and use that instead of a full reception.

Here are some podcast episodes where they did some of these options:

https://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2017/04/19/mini-wishes-wedding-spotlight-marcia-aaron/

https://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2017/12/20/christmas-wishes-wedding-spotlight-nicole-michael/

https://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2015/06/17/wishes-wedding-spotlight-heather-michael/

https://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2017/10/04/wishes-wedding-spotlight-becca-ricky/

https://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2017/09/27/wishes-wedding-vow-renewal-spotlight-sandy-thomas/

 

[Pandora.becca]

Thanks!! Do you know about any of the GF locations? Like if you did a ballroom reception and then either the Sago Cay or Marina?!

 

[lurkyloo]

Yep, it's the same thing. You could just do your reception at Sago Cay or the Marina, as long as you're OK with not having characters or amplified entertainment. The Yacht Club Marina seems to be a little more accommodating of amplified entertainment, and you can see the highest fireworks from Epcot. Or you could have your reception in the GF convention center and move everybody out to the Marina for a dessert party. But you do have to meet much higher food and beverage minimums there for dessert parties, so you'd need a big group to make it worthwhile. Then again, there's no venue fee or transportation needed, so that could help cut costs.

If it becomes a sticking point, I'd find out more from DF about the reasons for this opposition to a morning wedding. Sometimes people who aren't as immersed in the Disney wedding culture think it's odd at first, but when you explain all the advantages, they often come around.