Disney Cruise Brides - Let's Chat about our Weddings/VR's!

[Bewitch324]

I was feeling so guilty over the weekend about the changes we made to the cake and flowers as being "too much" and causing DCL to stop do it. Honestly, I was never given the impression that changing the color of the roses or the cake was a big deal..it was always Cathy saying "let me check" and then "ok" or "sorry".....
I feel really bad...

Please, please don't feel bad!!! NONE of this has been your fault!! I have so enjoyed reading your adventures, and I'm sure most would agree that the fact that Disney has changed policies and procedures has more to do with cost cutting measures at DCL than any particular wedding/renewal, or even a group of them.

I am not a Disney bride (although I hope to be one someday) but I totally understand that many of the cruise brides that are in the planning process are frustrated with the changes...but I honestly don't think you are bear any responsibility for what has happened since your renewal.

Disney has a long pattern of charging more and offering less...as the Fairy Tale Wedding program has become more and more popular and they've seen more and more interest, they've had more and more power to cut back...to make things easier for them, cheaper for them, and to increase their profit margins. While I understand the business model, I think they will eventually find brides turning away from this option as everyone wants to be able to have a few small choices to make their day personal and special...and I don't think that's at all unreasonable...but I suspect it may take a minor miracle for Disney to share that view. I love Disney, but sometimes they make bottom line decisions without caring enough about their customers and the magic that makes Disney special...

Bottom line: please don't feel bad. Your information has helped and inspired many many brides, and just because things have changed doesn't mean your advice and experience isn't still extremely valuable. I love reading your comments (and really loved the new hair color in those updated pictures you posted recently).

Hopefully, even with the changes, the future brides will still have beautiful and amazing weddings (and renewals)...

Take care!
Brooke

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Please, please don't feel bad!!! NONE of this has been your fault!! I have so enjoyed reading your adventures, and I'm sure most would agree that the fact that Disney has changed policies and procedures has more to do with cost cutting measures at DCL than any particular wedding/renewal, or even a group of them.

I am not a Disney bride (although I hope to be one someday) but I totally understand that many of the cruise brides that are in the planning process are frustrated with the changes...but I honestly don't think you are bear any responsibility for what has happened since your renewal.

Disney has a long pattern of charging more and offering less...as the Fairy Tale Wedding program has become more and more popular and they've seen more and more interest, they've had more and more power to cut back...to make things easier for them, cheaper for them, and to increase their profit margins. While I understand the business model, I think they will eventually find brides turning away from this option as everyone wants to be able to have a few small choices to make their day personal and special...and I don't think that's at all unreasonable...but I suspect it may take a minor miracle for Disney to share that view. I love Disney, but sometimes they make bottom line decisions without caring enough about their customers and the magic that makes Disney special...

Bottom line: please don't feel bad. Your information has helped and inspired many many brides, and just because things have changed doesn't mean your advice and experience isn't still extremely valuable. I love reading your comments (and really loved the new hair color in those updated pictures you posted recently).

Hopefully, even with the changes, the future brides will still have beautiful and amazing weddings (and renewals)...

Take care!
Brooke

ITA!!

Well said, Brooke. I think the cutbacks are due to the desire to raise profit margins- not at all to do with "extras" that certain brides asked for. I knew going in that it wasn't a DFTW. Communication has broken down at times, and I think that's due to the changeover of personnel in the middle of all our weddings/vr's being planned. While certain things like the cake are disappointing, in the end it won't matter at all. I don't have as large a group as some brides, so the Palo room isn't necessary. (Frankly, I'm looking forward to an evening just the two of us!)

I love looking at everyone's pictures. More! More! It gets me so excited for our day.

Christine

 

[*Nessa*]

Hi All,

It’s so disappointing to see things have not gotten much better

I think I have asked this question before but I was wondering if the other 2 brides/grooms that are sailing on our cruise are on the boards? We are on the 7 night western, sailing on the 28th Nov?

 

[Leanne1977]

I am very new to the wedding forum but I can see how frustrating it must be to have been here a long time and to see how much things have changed.
But I wanted to give you my perspective as a newbie who doesn't know any different.

I have been looking for some time now for a wedding that would suit us. I am not looking for a fancy wedding with all the bells and whistles, I also have no desire to be walking around WDW in my wedding dress with everyone looking, thats just not me.
So when I saw the option of a wedding aboard the DCL I got excited. We have recently returned from our first cruise and loved it and we knew we wanted to do another.
This type of wedding just seems perfect for us.

I don't want to have loads of decisions to make, if I get a choice of 3 or 4 flowers and a few choices of cake filling then thats great! We could do an escape wedding but to me, more decisions equals more stress. Whilst the cake and the flowers are nice, they are details that to me aren't really that important in the grand scheme of things. What is truly important to me is the whole reason why I am standing on deck 7 aft in a wedding dress with my fiance and my wonderful boys, to seal our love. So if the cake isn't perfect and the flowers aren't the exact colour I want will it really matter to me? No it won't because its not about that. But of course that is my personal view, to others these things are highly important and thats totally fine too.

I want something simple, fairly private(just us and the kids) that doesn't take hours and hours of planning and preparation.
I think thats what the DCL weddings were designed for, to be simple and intimate. I'm guessing that if you are the sort of bride that does want loads of choices and enjoys planning everything down to the finest detail, then this type of wedding may not suit.

Thats just my thoughts.

 

[BELLE16127]

It was not my intention to place blame on ANYONE!!! I just posted here what DD was told by Briannas Supervisor!! And I thought that this was the place that we were suppose to post things that were being planned and so on. I would read here how others planned their Weddings or VR's and pass some of that info on to her.

I believe it is Disney who is making the changes, like others have said. DD HAS NOT ASKED for anything that others have not done, and that is the frustrating part, as I am sure that is why others are feeling the same. But as I have also posted she is OVER it, she is NOT asking for anything out of the ordinary rather she found ways to have what she wants to have ON HER OWN. Color on the cake not an issue she will have the white cake that is now offered. She actually found an amazing floral and she is thrilled because she will have them forever (the website in in her blog on Weddingbee) not silk but clay and they look amazing. I had posted the link before. She is making things to use as decorations hoping she will be allowed and if not so be it.

She is going to ask her coordinator when she gets on the ship about anything else. I do believe that someone else spoke to Briannas Supervisor as well and kind of got the same responce if I am not mistaken.

If you have been reading other threads and posssibly this one (I can't remember) there is a certain person who is in the planning stages who WAS most Deffinatly asking for the MOON and STARS on a DCL Wedding and if you were here you remember who that is. That is most deffiantly not the majority here.

Noone need feel bad and noone should be blamed for anything they have had or simple requests to have the same. That is not what this is intended to be it is to share ideas, and so we can all get the joy of sharing a very important day in either our lives or in my case my Daughters.

 

[*Nessa*]

If you have been reading other threads and posssibly this one (I can't remember) there is a certain person who is in the planning stages who WAS most Deffinatly asking for the MOON and STARS on a DCL Wedding and if you were here you remember who that is. That is most deffiantly not the majority here.

gosh Belle I hope this wasn't me

We moved past any disappointment and as one of the girls said will try and change things when we get onboard.

But the one thing that I feel really does need to be addressed by DFTW (and soon) is not necessary the offering (provided you know about it upfront but that’s another story) but it’s the delivery & communication of their promise, that is what I find so disappointing.

I understand that the DCL wedding is a simple stress free intimate wedding etc and that is completely fine, in fact it’s the main reasons we wanted a cruise wedding. BUT we could have selected from hundreds of cruise wedding packages that offer very similar things to our DCL wedding package (& may have if we had know everything upfront) BUT we chose DCL because we wanted a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, we scrimped & saved for 3 years so we could fly our family ½ way around the world on our dream adventure and IMO it’s the Disney Difference that is missing.

Don’t get me wrong I realise that a wedding is just a wedding and it's not a marriage, but to me something big is missing if a P&O cruise to New Zealand (costing less than ½ of our DCL) would have kept to it’s promise & been more accommodating than a DCL (no disrespect intended to P&O or our Kiwi neighbours )

 

[29apr00]

I agree with you 100% Nessa....if I wanted a standard cookie cutter cruise wedding...i could have done that with Carnival or RCCL for less than 1/2 the price of the wedding on DCL....AND it would have been exactly what i wanted it to be! Instead...i feel like i'm settling for the Disney name instead of the VR of my dreams.

i've got my own cake flowers....i'm providing my own photographer....i've written my own ceremony....i'm providing my own music......if the captain won't read what i want, then i'm provideing my own officiant too! What exactly am i getting for $1500? A deck? lovely.

And even more frustrating that the promises of services offered...then stolen back....is the SERIOUS LACK OF COMMUNICATION!!! And the stupid reasons they are giving for all of these changes! According to the supervisior....Disney will no longer hold the flowers for you because there isn't room on the ship....gee....what exaclty has changed in the past 10 years that they have been doing weddings to make it smaller? Fresh florar on your cake isn't an option because of bugs! How did they get bugs in the flowers now...but not the past 10 years that they have been doing weddings? They won't allow color anymore because the colors weren't matching. Were they matching for the last 10 years? They won't allow changes to the ceremony because the Captain doesn't speak good english (Yeah....got a good laugh about that one on the cruise board!) and feels very comfortable with the same ceremony he says...week after week...for 10 years. Well....statistcs show that most marriages end in Divorce before 2 years so i'd say that ceremony doesn't have a great track record. I'd much prefer something that is relevant to me, my husband, our family, and the triumphs we've endured during our 10 years together.

If i wanted someone else telling me what my wedding/vr would be like...i'd have enjoyed the 1st wedding we had...planned by my mother...and wouldn't have the need for the VR now.

If Disney is going to enfore their new rules for 2010 and beyond....they had better change their "brochure" for DCL weddings to state THIS IS WHAT YOUR WEDDING WILL LOOK LIKE! NO SUBSTITUIONS, CHANGES, OR PERSONALIZATION ALLOWED.

 

[pjstevens]

I cannot believe it, but this day last year was our Vow Renewal!!! How did another year go by already. Nothing special planned as our 'real' anniversary was last week (26 years)! Just had to reminiscence here.

 

[WDBRDWLK]

I cannot believe it, but this day last year was our Vow Renewal!!! How did another year go by already. Nothing special planned as our 'real' anniversary was last week (26 years)! Just had to reminiscence here.

Hey Patty -
Congrats on the anniversary of your vow renewal! I felt the same way a year after mine and am now approaching year 29! Um, what shall I do for the 30th...I am thinking Hawaii...

BTW how is the grand-daughter?? Mine is now 18 months old and just started walking about 2 weeks ago. I just love her to pieces!

 

[chepic]

I cannot believe it, but this day last year was our Vow Renewal!!! How did another year go by already. Nothing special planned as our 'real' anniversary was last week (26 years)! Just had to reminiscence here.

Hello Patty....isn't it wonderful........we kept our 26th low key too....just dinner....and planning....

Hey Patty -
Congrats on the anniversary of your vow renewal! I felt the same way a year after mine and am now approaching year 29! Um, what shall I do for the 30th...I am thinking Hawaii...

BTW how is the grand-daughter?? Mine is now 18 months old and just started walking about 2 weeks ago. I just love her to pieces!

....planning for our 30th to be on the DCL Mediteranian!!!!


have a great day girls.

cheryl

 

[BELLE16127]

Nessa.....NO it is not you absolutly NOT YOU!!!! Above mentioned person I have not seen post in quite a while. 29apr00 I totally agree with you, the ship hasn't gotten smaller just the things they will do for these celebrations.

But like I said we are all just planning on having a WONDERFUL time durring this trip....DD has worked on alot of things to make this the way she wants it and realized at the beginning that she would have less control doing a cruise line wedding. It was the Yes's that turned into NO's that I believe are frustrating the brides here. Communication is bad as 29 said and I think when you are planning and ask a question get an answer it is the answer....and that is not the case here, things have changed midway through and that makes them unhappy. That is why DD finally asked for a signed CONTRACT weeks ago stating EXACTLY what she was getting and what she was paying for.

A perfect example of some things and this is not to make anyone angry IN ANY WAY.....DD was told she couldn't do the private room at Palo for 15 but there is someone doing it with what 19???? Inconsistant to say the least. Will the tables be one big one like she was told or two smaller ones?? Will they even be near eachother....she plans on making a trip to the first dining room and making sure what is what as soon as she gets on the ship.

I know I am just counting the days until we leave Pennsylvania for warm weather and beautiful oceans....and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the on board people are as wonderful as everyone here says they are.....

 

[WishingMom]

Just to let you know, I did not read this board (weddings) until after my VR, so I really flew blind, and just did what I could. My cake was white, and my flowers were from Disney. I used their on-board photographer. Everything turned out well. There were some glitches before we sailed...couldn't line everything up with everyone until they all paid, had to change times at Palo to suit the kids club and our seating are just a few.

But to put your mind at ease, once you are on board, go there with a notebook with all your requests in hand. See your coordinator there, she is the one that will see to your every need. I had Florencia, and she was a doll. She smoothed the few issues I had, and made certain everything was great, including getting me flowers for my hair. And as for coloring the cake, just ask once on board; they don't make the cake until the ship sails, so you never know what they can do once you are there. One of my fellow disers' on that cruise had a backstage tour of the kitchen, and took pictures of the cake being made!!

As for your dress, are you shipping it there? I brought mine with me, and once we set sail, Florencia took it to have it steamed, along with the boys suits, and it was perfect.

Hope this helps....don't stress, you will get wrinkles.

cheryl

I have to agree with Cheryl...I too didn't ask for anything outside the standard DFTW package and believe me, our day was absolutly perfect, in every way (especially since our entire vacation got off to a very rocky start..that's a discussion for another day...LOL!) but one you're on-board and you meet with your wedding coordinator you will soon find that things will run so smoothly. Best advice I can offer, take a deep breath, relax and try not to worry too much about all the changes...everything will be great!!!

Cheers
Tanya

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I saw someone say they had 19 in the private room ...but I want to know how they are going to do that? We had 13 and that only left one spot at the table..the room is TIGHT..sorry for all the pictures..but I am trying to show..there isn't much room..5 people on each side and 2 on each end..the wait staff have a hard time getting around, I don't know where they would put 5 other people..I think someone is mistaken or Palo hasn't caught the error.

The corner where our cake was set up was kinda a cove..the glass came around the corner so I don't know how someone would sit there

Here is one from our brunch with a better idea

 

[29apr00]

Maybe it's just 19 in Palo...but not in the private room?

 

[chepic]

Maybe it's just 19 in Palo...but not in the private room?

No,Palo can seat more than 19 people. I don't know if this helps anyone, but we were in the middle of Palo at a large round table. There were 10 of us with plenty of room.

 

[29apr00]

I meant that they are seating their party of 19 IN Palo...but not in their private room. Perhaps they will be seated like your party.

 

[chepic]

I meant that they are seating their party of 19 IN Palo...but not in their private room. Perhaps they will be seated like your party.

silly me!!!!

cheryl

 

[Leanne1977]

Spoke with Brianna yesterday who was very nice, friendly and helpful.

She confirmed for me what is included in the package and also sent me a pdf of flower choices, cake choices and enhancements.

I asked if the champagne and strawberries in the room were still included and she said they were. She said they don't put it on the package list as they like it to be a little surprise.

The flower choice in my pdf is either,

Solid french bouquet and boutonniere in either red, white, ivory, light pink, hot pink, lavender, yellow and orange or any combination of those colours.

Tropical bouquet and boutonniere.

You can upgrade to the Calla lily available in either white, yellow, light pink, mauve, burgundy and eggplant. Extra cost $75.

They also have a romance bouquet which is available all year. Extra cost.
An autumn bouquet available Sept, Oct and Nov at an extra cost.
A holiday bouquet available in Nov and Dec at an extra cost.
No other prices are given so I presume these are an additional $75 too.

There is also a selection of various add on flowers for bridesmaids etc at various costs.

Cake choice is one of three,

Classic round cake,
Elegant square cake,
Contemporary Round cake.

Cake flavours are,
Chocolate,
White,
Yellow,
Marble.

Filling flavours are,
Chocolate mousse,
White chocolate mousse,
Strawberry mousse,
Bavarian cream,
Butter cream.

The rest of the pdf outlines song choices and photo packages. It clearly states that the photo CD is only available as an add on to one of the photo packages.

So we have unofficially gone "on the book". Brianna will be contacting us again on 2nd November to see if we still wish to go ahead.

I have already decided that if we do choose this option I will be having the tropical bouquet and the contemporary cake.

 

[battricia]

Leanne, is there pictures of the cakes in the PDF? I would love to see the three cake options.

 

[Leanne1977]

Leanne, is there pictures of the cakes in the PDF? I would love to see the three cake options.

There are pictures. I will try and copy them here for you.