Escape Weddings - What to do after?

[MeeshKapeesh]

Hi folks, Its been a while since I last posted - but I still see familiar faces =)

I know I'm long due to update my journal

We've finally decided to to an escape wedding then an Church wedding at home the next year.

My problem - I know that escape weddings dont include reception, so What choices do I have left?

I've NEVER been to WDW (I know shame on me) and I dont think I will be able to until the wedding.

I'm supposing reserving a restaurant for 20ish people - but would I be able to pretty up the tables before?

Am I allowed to book a Dessert Party as well?

Help follow disbrides and dislurkers!

 

[hiwaygal]

The only "reception" included in the Escape package (as you probably know) is the cake and champagne reception. There's enough time to enjoy that and have a first dance (and maybe dance with parents) immediately after your ceremony.

You can definitely just get a reservation for you and your guests at a restaurant but I don't think you'd be able to really decorate the tables (you'd have to coordinate that with the restaurant itself).

You can try to do a dessert party or even book a private room at one of the resorts for a small private dinner (I'm not sure if you can coordinate this with help from your planner/coordinator to find out about minimum expenditures, you might have to contact the resort itself).

When DH and I were married three years ago neither of us had ever been to Disney before either. We ended up having an earlier ceremony, going to DHS/MGM for a little while after our wedding, then we had dinner at California Grill later that evening (timed to be able to watch Wishes from the restaurant).

I'm sure the other brides will have other ideas for you too!!

 

[Lorelei528]

Hi! I'm an Escape too and the dinner/party question was one of my earlier ones as well...I mean, you have all these people come in to celebrate with you, you gotta offer them something else besides some cake and champagne!!

Anyway, you can check out www.Mouseweddings.com which has some info (not 100% accurate, but still VERY useful especially for Escape brides I think)...here are some restaurant ideas I found on there. And because of everyone here and info I found on the site as well, I knew it was possible to book a Dessert Party for Escape Brides-which I just did!! (though selection of location is limited). I'm sure everyone here will have more info as well or PM me if you have any specific questions.

I think it's ok that you won't be able to make a trip to "The World" before you big day! There are plenty of pictures and YouTube videos on-line so that you can get a pretty good idea of any location or restaurant or whatnot. And believe me, everything at WDW is better/nicer/prettier in person anyway! So, no worries!


California Grill

Citricos

Fulton's Crab House

Gardenview Tea Room

Jiko

Narcoossees

Portobello Yacht Club

Victoria & Albert's

 

[dawrobin]

We booked Victoria and Albert's. We have a 2:30 weddign at SBP, and a 5:30 dinner at V&A. We booked the private room. I have eaten there once before and it is WONDERFUL, but pricey.

The linens are beautiful and elagant (a litlle old fashioned, but stunnign nothelss) so the room needs no extra decorating, and there is a fireplace. We have exactly 20 people. 18 guests and DF and I.

I don't know what your budget is. If you can swing it I would recc it, otherwise there are lots of other lovely places to eat.

Our welcome dinner is at Citricos and I hear it is awesome. And more affordable!

 

[Lorelei528]

Hi again! We are planning on having our dinner reception in The Wine Room at Jiko (well, 1/2 the Wine Room anyway!)
I've also heard really good things about Narcoossee's (I've never eaten there before but we'll be eating there this trip-2 weeks to go!!!)
And of course Cali Grill....(also haven't eaten there yet, but might do on our disneymoon...) I have eaten at Fulton's and I really liked it, but it's at DTD...

I guess it also depends on what kind of food your family likes, obviously you wouldn't choose Fulton's if absolutely no one in your family were seafood eaters...

As of now, I'm planning on doing our meet and greet dinner using Grand Gatherings and doing the Safari Dinner. It's suppossed to be a lot of fun, which I think will also help break the ice between family members who have never met....

 

[torsie24]

Thank you for asking this question!! Have been wondering the same thing myself for a while!!

 

[A whole new world]

I am an Escapes bride too. There is just 9 of us. After the photo's and cermony were going to get changed (although you can wear your dress to our restaurant) and got to Downtown Disney to the Portobello Yacht club. I'm going to buy mickey confetti and the get the restaurant to lay it on the table, but i could have got flower arrangements or balloons delivered from Disney floral but these where expensive.

After this we are all going to Epcot to watch the fireworks to finish the evening off.

 

[torsie24]

I am an Escapes bride too. There is just 9 of us. After the photo's and cermony were going to get changed (although you can wear your dress to our restaurant) and got to Downtown Disney to the Portobello Yacht club. I'm going to buy mickey confetti and the get the restaurant to lay it on the table, but i could have got flower arrangements or balloons delivered from Disney floral but these where expensive.

After this we are all going to Epcot to watch the fireworks to finish the evening off.

So are there rules of places you can't go in your dress? A whole new world. As a UK bride how many ppl did u invite that pulled out? And are you going to do anything at home for ppl that dont make it?

 

[A whole new world]

You can wear your dress in any of the Disney restaurants outside the parks. Your not allowed to wear it inside the park.

We wanted just close family because we have such large families it would have been hard to just invite 20, so we just invited mums, dads, brothers and sisters. We invited 11 including us and weve got 9 going. Were having a reception at home. Its going to me more of a party as were not having cakes or speeches but i get to wear my dress again. There will be 100 coming to that. With the wedding, holiday and reception in the Uk it came to less than what the whole wedding would have cost in England plus you get a holiday.

 

[Goofyz3girls]

You can wear your dress in any of the Disney restaurants outside the parks. Your not allowed to wear it inside the park.

I think you may be mistaken.On another thread I read the future bride saying she received an email from her wedding coordinator that she can where her dress to the dessert party which is in Epcot.That does fall into the park catergory......right?

See us guys pay attention.....sometimes.

 

[hiwaygal]

You can wear your dress to certain in park events that you have paid for (i.e. dessert parties) but you must use a "backstage" entrance. You are not allowed to walk through a park in your wedding attire.

 

[torsie24]

You can wear your dress in any of the Disney restaurants outside the parks. Your not allowed to wear it inside the park.

I think you may be mistaken.On another thread I read the future bride saying she received an email from her wedding coordinator that she can where her dress to the dessert party which is in Epcot.That does fall into the park catergory......right?

See us guys pay attention.....sometimes.

Cool, I've looked at the epcot locations...but as I've not been to WDW since I was 7 none of them really mean much to me...and the site hardly gives in depth photos etc.

 

[torsie24]

You can wear your dress to certain in park events that you have paid for (i.e. dessert parties) but you must use a "backstage" entrance. You are not allowed to walk through a park in your wedding attire.

In case they think you're a princess?

I could never be as flattered in my whole life!!!

 

[hiwaygal]

In case they think you're a princess?

I could never be as flattered in my whole life!!!

I think that's one of the reasons!

It is cute and you can usually still get that feeling from folks in the resorts and resort restaurants!

 

[jodeeluvsdisney]

We had 18 people total at our wedding, and in addition to a wonderful luncheon at the Garden Grove in the Swan and Dolphin resort, where I wore my dress and we did decorate the tables, following our 10am ceremony, we chartered the Grand 1 yacht to watch Wishes that night. We had a nice break between lunch and the Grand 1 cruise and it was the perfect ending to our day!! Our guests LOVED it and still talk about it.

We couldn't afford a dessert party, but it is a great idea if you can!!

 

[rumrunnergirl]

Our Escape wedding is at 10 a.m., and we want a lunch buffet so guests can have a choice of what/how much they eat. Since there aren't many places out of the parks (and I don't want to force my guests to buy tickets), we are going with Whispering Canyon Cafe. The other choices were Chef Mickeys and Cape May Buffet, but we like "down home" type food and BBQ, LOL.

For Thursday night, I wanted a DP at Sago Cay Pointe but with the $500 minimum I don't think we'll have enough guests. So, if only a few people come we will either do something in our room (beer/wine, cheese tray, etc.) or book 'Ohanas or Bomas because I have a DDE card and get 20% off.

 

[disprincessatheart]

We did dinner at Narcoossee's and a Wishes fireworks cruise after. My TR link is in my signature

 

[MeeshKapeesh]

Thank you everyone!

Everyone here is so informative! Thanks so much for sharing and I'll be doing my research.

At this point, we have about 15 guests (both adult and kids). Budget (rightnow) isnt' much of a concern, but I also dont want to blow away our whole life savings on it.

I'll call around and yelp all these places and try to book asap. Wedding is in 11 month! ayayayay!

More suggestions wouldn't hurt either =)

 

[torsie24]

How exciting!!

11 months is going to fly by!!!

Wish mine was that close, although its all so confusing to me that i need a few years to get my head around it all!!

 

[AbbyPan]

Hey there!

Just wanted to add that on my last visit to Narcoosee's (WHICH WE LOOOOOVED) we saw a bride & groom with guests who had just arrived from the wedding pavilion (they were about 15 total) and they were seated for dinner.

After dinner they all went out to the beach area to watch Wishes afterwards. I'm pretty sure that the couple was staying at the Grand Floridian that night becuase they were saying goodnight to some of the guests afterwards.

Pretty awesome that they barely had to travel for the entire wedding-sweet!