Disney Cruise Brides!!! Part Deux!!

[pixarprincess7]

Hello ladies! I've been so excited as I read your beautiful stories but I still have so many questions! Lol. I'm sure they're answered somewhere but the post has gotten so long that I've decided to ask directly instead! My boyfriend proposed to me on the first night of our Disney Fantasy cruise. It was magical and we're so happy!

We thought it would be very "us" to have a Disney Cruise wedding and was wondering how well it has worked out in the past. I have the following concerns but I am hoping you all will give us some peace of mind.

1. How do you get about asking your family and friends to book a cruise in order to come to your wedding? I wasn't sure if we were asking for much by doing that because rates are a little costly. As a add-on to this question, does disney or any travel agent offer group rates? We're Florida residents so we normally book through that rate to begin with but those rates don't come up until AT MOST three months before the sail date.

2. How far in advance should we be working with Disney to make it happen? Currently we're thinking of having the wedding in August 2016.

3. How does having a wedding on the ship compare to Castaway Cay? My DF will like it to be on the island because he's nervous about it being too windy on deck but I was reading that we might be able to have the ceremony in the atrium?

4. Will I be able to get our group to sit with us or near us in the main dining room? It would seem kind of silly if we were all separate.

5. Will we be able to "upgrade" our dinner from Palo to Remy provided we pay for the additional cost? He proposed right after our Remy dinner so it just seems appropriate.

So many questions! I'm so sorry! Please help!

1. agreed that some people wont like it. We have about 19 coming with (7 day alaska for $$$) and had some upset family. We are also doing a small home party after so those unable to attend at least get to celebrate a bit and see me in my dress.

2. ASAP, as soon as you are firm on dates. It gives you the most flexibility as far as options and some sailings do run out of special event times as they only allow so many per sailing.

3. Decide where you want it, and have a 2nd choice and 3rd choice. It all depends on size of group and availability.

4. Yes, you will get a table layout for your group and can place people. (our coordinator told us we would get this 14 days out, were currently at 39 days)

5. No. However you can do Palo another night or for brunch (sea days only) and do Remy if you make your own reservation on your wedding day. This can get a little tricky to book as they can sometimes give you an idea but typically dont tell you what date and time you will be getting married till 45 days out.

Congrats!

 

[orion2185]

Hello ladies! I've been so excited as I read your beautiful stories but I still have so many questions! Lol. I'm sure they're answered somewhere but the post has gotten so long that I've decided to ask directly instead! My boyfriend proposed to me on the first night of our Disney Fantasy cruise. It was magical and we're so happy!

We thought it would be very "us" to have a Disney Cruise wedding and was wondering how well it has worked out in the past. I have the following concerns but I am hoping you all will give us some peace of mind.

1. How do you get about asking your family and friends to book a cruise in order to come to your wedding? I wasn't sure if we were asking for much by doing that because rates are a little costly. As a add-on to this question, does disney or any travel agent offer group rates? We're Florida residents so we normally book through that rate to begin with but those rates don't come up until AT MOST three months before the sail date.

2. How far in advance should we be working with Disney to make it happen? Currently we're thinking of having the wedding in August 2016.

3. How does having a wedding on the ship compare to Castaway Cay? My DF will like it to be on the island because he's nervous about it being too windy on deck but I was reading that we might be able to have the ceremony in the atrium?

4. Will I be able to get our group to sit with us or near us in the main dining room? It would seem kind of silly if we were all separate.

5. Will we be able to "upgrade" our dinner from Palo to Remy provided we pay for the additional cost? He proposed right after our Remy dinner so it just seems appropriate.

So many questions! I'm so sorry! Please help!

1) Disney no longer has a "groups" department. They simply don't need it as they do just fine in getting people to come...so the groups department was folded sometime ago.
no group discounts to be had from anyone. Not like other cruise lines were if you have a party of 10+ those who put the group together get their stateroom for free.

some Travel Agents give onboard credits as a thank you for booking with them. This is about the only incentive we found we booking our cruise wedding.
no matter where you book...you pay the same rates....so why not book with a TA and get that onboard credit.

Dreams Unlimited Travel is who we used and cant recommend them enough...they were a lifesaver with our group.

majority of our guest where traveling from overseas (mostly Australia) so we can understand how you don't want to ask people to spend so much $$$ to attend your wedding.
for Aussie family of 4 it cost just over $12,000 just for their airfare only...then add the cruise etc not a cheap for them to attend.

however, we found everyone took the cruise wedding invite well. Just as long as you know as a couple... it might be out of the reach for some of your guest...and your not expecting the come or face "bridezilla"
we found majority of those we invited came...and were more open to a cruise wedding...vrs our original plan of an Aulani wedding in Hawaii (that was meet with allot of complaints about cost ect)
cruise everyone seamed to justify the cost as it's all inclusive etc
everyone would be together for 7 day long "wedding event" vs people staying at different hotels for different amount of nights and meeting up for dinner etc (depending on peoples plans and budget )

2) book as soon as you know it's what you want to do
but you have to call up and book the wedding part first and then your cruise

3)can't comment for onboard wedding
we had a Castaway Cay wedding and LOVED ever second of it. We were very hesitant because all the videos and info online made it look pretty bad
this was not the case at all and don't go watching any of those online videos of Castaway Cay weddings! was not our experience at all.

4)yes, you can we had 22 and we all sat at one large table in each MDR
everyone was linked to our reservation and that's what made it possible...thanks to our amazing TA for that tip
we had late dining...and would recommend that.
we just asked everyone to move around the table...so we had the chance to sit next to everyone at some point during the cruise.

5) No upgrades
we asked a thousand times

 

[mmfinn72]

Hello! New lurker coming out of the shadows! My name is Marla, fiance is Garrett and we just booked our Disney cruise wedding on the Dream for June 2016. Super excited and ready to get planning. I think I have an evening of reading ahead of me.....lots of info here! Can't wait...eeek!! I have a ton of questions and ideas and things swirling around in my head!

 

[NikkiEla]

Hello! New lurker coming out of the shadows! My name is Marla, fiance is Garrett and we just booked our Disney cruise wedding on the Dream for June 2016. Super excited and ready to get planning. I think I have an evening of reading ahead of me.....lots of info here! Can't wait...eeek!! I have a ton of questions and ideas and things swirling around in my head!

Hi Marla!
Welcome to the boards!
Congrats on booking your wedding cruise!
I definitely can't wait to hear about your ideas!
Cruise weddings can be so unique, especially when you put your own personal touches on them!
You should start a PJ! It's so much fun to share with the other Disney Brides & Grooms!
Everyone is so helpful and supportive!​

 

[Disneyducks12]

QUOTE="mmfinn72, post: 53863316, member: 555790"]Hello! New lurker coming out of the shadows! My name is Marla, fiance is Garrett and we just booked our Disney cruise wedding on the Dream for June 2016. Super excited and ready to get planning. I think I have an evening of reading ahead of me.....lots of info here! Can't wait...eeek!! I have a ton of questions and ideas and things swirling around in my head![ QUOTE]

Welcome Marla

Disney Cruise Weddings are THE BEST! I just was married on the Fantasy a couple of weeks ago and it was such a great experience and the best wedding I could have had! i really recommend reading old PJs they helped me so much plan the whole thing and ask away with questions I will try to answer whatever questions I can! Congrats again and make sure to start a PJ they are so fun!

Happy Planning
Melissa

 

[mmfinn72]

Thanks so much for the welcome! I plan to read, read, read tonight all of the cruise PJ's I did start mine, although not much content just yet! This is going to be so much fun!

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi Marla! Here are all the Disney Wedding Podcast interviews I've done with Cruise brides, too:http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/category/walt-disney-world/disney-cruise-line/

 

[mmfinn72]

Hi Marla! Here are all the Disney Wedding Podcast interviews I've done with Cruise brides, too:http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/category/walt-disney-world/disney-cruise-line/

This is awesome!! Thank you so much for sharing with me!!!

 

[hobopottamus]

Hi Everybody,

My name is Phil, my fiancée Amy and I have been checking this thread out for a while now and figure we should get involved in this awesome community.

A little about us.. We got engaged last June at a beach here in southern california after dating for 5 years. We had talked about a DCL wedding before we were engaged and once it was made official it was all about planning and this board has been a great resource so far. Our wedding date is set for Castaway Cay on the January 11-15 sailing in 2016. Time has gone by so fast already!

 

[CaliMermaid]

Hi Everybody,

My name is Phil, my fiancée Amy and I have been checking this thread out for a while now and figure we should get involved in this awesome community.

A little about us.. We got engaged last June at a beach here in southern california after dating for 5 years. We had talked about a DCL wedding before we were engaged and once it was made official it was all about planning and this board has been a great resource so far. Our wedding date is set for Castaway Cay on the January 11-15 sailing in 2016. Time has gone by so fast already!

Congratulations and welcome, Phil and Amy. I just got married on Castaway Cay in April and it was outstanding.

Happy reading!
Ashley

 

[mmfinn72]

Hi Everybody,

My name is Phil, my fiancée Amy and I have been checking this thread out for a while now and figure we should get involved in this awesome community.

A little about us.. We got engaged last June at a beach here in southern california after dating for 5 years. We had talked about a DCL wedding before we were engaged and once it was made official it was all about planning and this board has been a great resource so far. Our wedding date is set for Castaway Cay on the January 11-15 sailing in 2016. Time has gone by so fast already!

Congrats and welcome!!!

 

[Bridget B]

Hi All,

My name is Bridget, another long-time lurker who is now excitedly planning her day in the sun! My fiance, Miles, and I got engaged last month, and we are already planning a spring 2017 wedding on the Disney Fantasy. Woot! It's a long way out, I know, but I couldn't stop myself from already starting my first-ever PJ ... http://www.disboards.com/threads/br...ruise-planning-journal.3448293/#post-54437476

Thanks to everyone who shares their plans on here. It's been not only entertaining, and heart-warming, but also super informative. I only hope I can be a sliver as helpful.

 

[NikkiEla]

Hi everyone!
I have a quick question for you all.
My coordinator stated that we can request extending our cake and champagne celebration, you know, with additional fees.
But I was wondering what you guys thought. Would it be worth it or just leave it at 1 hour?
Our wedding is on Castaway Cay day so obviously that would take away time at the beach after the celebration.
Let me know what you guys think!

 

[CaliMermaid]

Hi Nikki,

I got married on Castaway Cay and in hindsight, my husband and I wish we had skipped our cake and champagne all together. Many of our guests remarked we should have headed straight to the beach. The lighting in the D-Lounge is awful for pictures unless your family looks good in shades of neon. If you have group shots taken, do it on Castaway Cay even if you're squinting. Instead of enjoying the island, our guests sat around waiting for us, then ate cake that no one wanted at 11 a.m. I would have the champagne toast and cake served at dinner instead. After your ceremony, strip down into your bridal bikini and enjoy the most beautiful water on earth with the people you love.

Good luck!
Ashley

 

[CaliMermaid]

On photography...I did not want to pay to bring a photographer onboard so my talented sister bought a nice camera and I learned photoshop. Here are the results. My aim in posting is to encourage all of you to get your raw photos and make them into the photos of your dreams through the magic of the computer, though of course we would be willing to make you look fabulous in exchange for a free cruise .

 

[NikkiEla]

Hi Nikki,

I got married on Castaway Cay and in hindsight, my husband and I wish we had skipped our cake and champagne all together. Many of our guests remarked we should have headed straight to the beach. The lighting in the D-Lounge is awful for pictures unless your family looks good in shades of neon. If you have group shots taken, do it on Castaway Cay even if you're squinting. Instead of enjoying the island, our guests sat around waiting for us, then ate cake that no one wanted at 11 a.m. I would have the champagne toast and cake served at dinner instead. After your ceremony, strip down into your bridal bikini and enjoy the most beautiful water on earth with the people you love.

Good luck!
Ashley

Thank you so much Ashley!
I didn't think of it like that!
I definitely don't want to waste my guests time to play on the beach if the cake and champagne celebration isn't worth it!

And I absolutely love your pictures!
You both look fantastic and your photos look perfect!

 

[Disneyducks12]

On photography...I did not want to pay to bring a photographer onboard so my talented sister bought a nice camera and I learned photoshop. Here are the results. My aim in posting is to encourage all of you to get your raw photos and make them into the photos of your dreams through the magic of the computer, though of course we would be willing to make you look fabulous in exchange for a free cruise .

I love your photos your sister did such a good job!! I love the first photo with the sky in the background such a pretty day!

 

[Disneyducks12]

Hi All,

My name is Bridget, another long-time lurker who is now excitedly planning her day in the sun! My fiance, Miles, and I got engaged last month, and we are already planning a spring 2017 wedding on the Disney Fantasy. Woot! It's a long way out, I know, but I couldn't stop myself from already starting my first-ever PJ ... http://www.disboards.com/threads/br...ruise-planning-journal.3448293/#post-54437476

Thanks to everyone who shares their plans on here. It's been not only entertaining, and heart-warming, but also super informative. I only hope I can be a sliver as helpful.

Its never to early to start planning! I also was married on the Fantasy this past May its a beautiful ship me and my DH were married in the atrium and loved it! Can't wait to see your plans!
Happy Planning
Melissa

 

[apwagner]

Hi! Ive been lurking around for a while and I have a few questions as I am in the very early stages of planning our DCL wedding. We are looking towards 2018, our ten year anniversary, to finally tie the knot! How far in advance are you able to secure your cruise and then the onboard wedding package. We're WDW veterans so Im familiar with how crazy reservations can get there and Im concerned about not being able to book the wedding after we've paid the deposit for the cruise. Will securing the wedding be as difficult as ADRs?? Thanks in advance, no back to reading PJs!!

 

[orion2185]

Hi! Ive been lurking around for a while and I have a few questions as I am in the very early stages of planning our DCL wedding. We are looking towards 2018, our ten year anniversary, to finally tie the knot! How far in advance are you able to secure your cruise and then the onboard wedding package. We're WDW veterans so Im familiar with how crazy reservations can get there and Im concerned about not being able to book the wedding after we've paid the deposit for the cruise. Will securing the wedding be as difficult as ADRs?? Thanks in advance, no back to reading PJs!!

We had a DCL Castaway Cay wedding this Jan 2015

you have to book the wedding with DFTW BEFORE you book your cruise

will have to look up how far in advance you can book (don't recall exact details atm)


you will call DFTW and make a request for the date/sailing/wedding you would like....they will then tell you if it's available and then you can secure your wedding.
next step is then to book your actual cruise and Disney will link the cruise and wedding

so the sooner you know when and what cruise wedding you want to do...the better your chances are at getting your preference.

we tried one date...but that was already booked.
However, the date/sailing we got actually worked better for our guests...whew


with the Castaway Cay wedding....they only allow one wedding couple per cruise
so it could be difficult if your wedding is at a popular time of the year.

not sure about onboard weddings
as our onboard wedding planner - said she came from the Dream (we were on the Fantasy) and they use to do multiple onboard weddings per cruise.
But want to say they have changed it to only one wedding per cruise no matter if it's onboard or Castaway.
(someone else might be able to jump in and give more accurate information)