Escape Wedding Bare Minimums/Budget Breakdown

[beatlesblonde]

I've been trying to make a budget for our Escape wedding and after reading and researching I'm still a bit lost on what all we have to pay for. I know what is included as it states on the Disney Weddings website. My best friend is getting married here back home so I know in the long run a Disney wedding will probably be cheaper (and easier on my nerves since I don't have to plan it all ) but we would like some idea of what exactly everything will cost. So I guess here are my questions:

-Besides the floral that's included, do we have to buy anything else? Is buying floral/decor required for the ceremony location?

-I've read some of the people's not-so-nice experiences with Disney photography. Would the cost of buying the CD with our photos and/or buying prints really make hiring an outside photographer a better deal? My FMIL is a professional photographer and does weddings and will probably be taking a lot of pics, but not likely through the actual ceremony (I'm sure she'd rather want to watch and not being snapping photos). Same thing goes for my mom. But since it's an Escape and the whole thing will only last a couple of hours is it really a concern?

-Would Disney have a problem if we set up our own video camera? FDH wants to set up a couple of cameras out of the way to get footage of the ceremony. He has some top secret video project he wants to put together for our at home reception (that's what I get for marrying a computer nerd ). Once they're set up, they'd just record so no one would have to worry about working them, they'd just run.

-I'm really into doing a lot of DIY projects to help cut costs. Here's what I'd like to do myself: my own bouquet, plus any BM's flowers (I'm not sure at this point if I'll even have any BM's ), boutonniere for FDH, our save-the-dates and invites. Are those things I can do or do I have to go through Disney?

I think that's all my questions for now. Sorry if I'm repeating something someone has already asked, but I've been home sick all day with a massive cold and these things keep popping in my head.

Thank you in advance!

 

[lurkyloo]

You don't have to buy anything beyond the price of the Escape package except more champagne/cider if you have more than 6 guests.

Hiring an outside photographer is not necessarily a better deal for Escape weddings, it just allows you to have the digital rights to all your photos and gives you a choice of photography style. Disney just introduced an option for you to buy all your wedding photos on disc for an additional $395 if you give up the album, the proof book and the website. That's prolly cheaper than any outside photographer's package, so if you're looking at it purely from a cost perspective, it's cheaper to stick with Disney.

Disney does not have a problem with you doing your own videography. You'd just need to get someone from your group to do it.

You can do any and all of those DIY projects - Disney only cares about floral arrangements that aren't bouquets/boutonnieres. Those you would have to get from Disney if you wanted to add them.

Hope this helps!

 

[beatlesblonde]

That's great to hear! I'm not really concerned about the proofs and album, so I'd rather have all the pics on a CD so we can print them at our discretion. We'd probably spend way more than the cost of the CD if we ordered prints from Disney and then we still wouldn't have all of our photos. Making sure our day is documented in photo and video is my biggest concern and about the only thing I won't budge on since they are the things that last. Do you know if we do an Epcot portrait session if those photos can be put on the CD too?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[ITmickey]

Hi, and congratulations on your event!!!
I'll try to answer some questions:

I've been trying to make a budget for our
-Besides the floral that's included, do we have to buy anything else? Is buying floral/decor required for the ceremony location?

You don't have to buy anything else of what is included. It is a personal choice if you want floral or not in the location. In our case, we're not buying additional floral except for rose petals to be thrown at the end of the ceremony. Around $3 per guest for a handfull of petals. We also ordered mickey head confetti for our cake & champaigne celebration. Also very inexpensive. Actually, we were told we could bring some decor from home, as long as we setup/take care of it, Disney won't setup that.

-Would Disney have a problem if we set up our own video camera? FDH wants to set up a couple of cameras out of the way to get footage of the ceremony. He has some top secret video project he wants to put together for our at home reception (that's what I get for marrying a computer nerd ). Once they're set up, they'd just record so no one would have to worry about working them, they'd just run.

Anyone can record the ceremony. I even asked if we could set up a laptop with a wireless 'air' card and a webcam, to transmit live coverage of our wedding to people that couldn't make it. (I'm also a computer nerd) They said they didn't have a problem with that, as long as we setup the laptop/webcam.

-I'm really into doing a lot of DIY projects to help cut costs. Here's what I'd like to do myself: my own bouquet, plus any BM's flowers (I'm not sure at this point if I'll even have any BM's ), boutonniere for FDH, our save-the-dates and invites. Are those things I can do or do I have to go through Disney?

Your bouquete and your DH boutonniere are included in the package. Save the dates and invites we did ourselves. Other floral for guests/reception I think you can hire outside vendors, not very sure about it.

Regards and HTH!

 

[lurkyloo]

Do you know if we do an Epcot portrait session if those photos can be put on the CD too?

Yes - you just have to give up the 10-picture folio that comes with the Epcot session.