If you had to choose

[Pezalicious]

Would you splurge more on the wedding or on better and longer honeymoon?

 

[mla1977]

I think honeymoon. But if the Disney wedding works out, then, I would consider that part of the honeymoon.

 

[Swmhc]

It depends on which is most important to you. We chose an intimate/escape wedding because the most important people would be there. We didn't see the point in having a big ceremony with a bunch of people that we were moderately close to. But, the MK shoot was a must for us. It screams "I got married at WDW !" But some people can't justify that cost. The carriage would have been cool, but again, that was a cost we couldn't justify. It is all about a personal choice. I would go for more on the honeymoon and enjoy yourselves. Just my personal opinion.

 

[Pezalicious]

I was mostly curious about what everyone said and how others think.


For me, I only want those closest to me to come (it's so hard for me to be center of attention, so big crowds would be a no-no!), but I really like the idea of having a really fun and memorable reception - GMR Dinner or something at the Adventurer's Club. But since it will be mostly my boyfriend's family there, I know they won't enjoy it as much as me or my mom (the only person I really want to be there, other than my boyfriend, of course!). So it's made me start thinking about doing less for our reception (nice dinner, no special Disney stuff) and more for our honeymoon. But, if I don't do a custom, it sounds like I can't even do a dessert party. I'm wondering if I can rent the Grand 1 and stay in my wedding dress without doing a custom. I guess I'll find out those answers when I start planning. My last idea for a fun reception would be something involving Animal Kingdom and some animal encounters (everyone we'd invite likes that stuff), if they can even put something together for me. I have a feeling it would be too hard, though. If we have too many people for an escape wedding and I can't put together my custom the way I want it, then I'm actually going to consider a Swan Wedding and give up the MK Photo Shoot (I really don't want to do this!!). I've got lots of time to plan, but this is all much harder than I thought. My boyfriend keeps telling me to plan what I want, all he cares about is me showing up, but I can't help considering everyone's likes and dislikes, even if it is My/Our day.

 

[lurkyloo]

Escape brides can rent the Grand 1 and stay in their wedding dress for the cruise - there are several brides on this board who have done it, and it sounds fantastic!

 

[Pezalicious]

That's great to know!!! Then I could have my MK photo shoot, please the In-Laws and my guests, and still save money compared to the custom I was planning. Maybe I can have the fun reception for a vow renewal sometime, with more Disney-loving guests.

 

[Skylarr29]

I have thought about this too, at first we were going to have a small custom and 6 week honeymoon to New Zealand, Australia, Bali, and Thailand. Then I wanted the huge wedding (not huge in guest count as we would only have about 50 - 60) but huge as in I want it to be amazing. My theory is that I can go on a vacation any time but I can never have another wedding day, even a vow renewal, to me, is not the same thing. I want to do it up!

 

[Pezalicious]

That was what I was thinking at first, Skylar. But I've been slowly realizing that pretty much all my guests wouldn't enjoy the type of wedding and reception that I'd want, and that would take away from my good time and from my dream. So I've been debating back and forth on what to do - wedding the way I dreamed, knowing I might feel bad that day when guests don't enjoy it as much as they should, or a really nice honeymoon doing everything we want to do and not having to watch costs as much. After researching some of my vacation ideas, I'm leaning towards the honeymoon, but I'm still really torn. If I can get some more fun-loving, not so uptight people to come, I'll go with the custom the way I envision it.

 

[cryssi]

I suppose we are against the norm. We opted for the big wedding with family and friends, and no big honeymoon. We had an in-park reception at DCA. It was amazing. Our guests loved it, and still talk about it. We wanted the "wedding of the century" LOL well, for ordinary people like us, anyway!

While everyone else has taken nice, week or so long honeymoons, we just went to Vegas for a couple days, then spent the rest of the week at home. Just a mini-moon...lol

 

[caryndisneydiva]

i'm having a medium sized wedding, a mini poly-moon and then we are going on a cruise. i'm spoiled. i majored in vacation!!!

 

[Keira1387]

I have thought about this too, at first we were going to have a small custom and 6 week honeymoon to New Zealand, Australia, Bali, and Thailand. Then I wanted the huge wedding (not huge in guest count as we would only have about 50 - 60) but huge as in I want it to be amazing. My theory is that I can go on a vacation any time but I can never have another wedding day, even a vow renewal, to me, is not the same thing. I want to do it up!

I agree. You only get married once. And to be able to get married at Disney and getting a chance to do amazing things(MK photoshoot, Grand I, ect.)is once in a lifetime, so we decided on a smaller honeymoon, and a better wedding. I want to go all out!

 

[DisBride2007]

I agree with Skylarr and Keira. You only get one wedding day.

My parents offered us a certain amount of money to go toward the wedding. They said it was up to us to spend it however we wanted (as long as we didn't elope). We could have done an Intimate and saved up the money. But it was really worth it to us to do the Custom because when it came down to it, we really wanted our in-park wedding (Italy pavilion). It just wouldn't have been as special to do anything else.

In regard to other guests not agreeing with your idea of the perfect wedding, you might be surprised. Lots of people seem skeptical at first at the idea of a Disney wedding but everyone loves it in the end. My aunts and uncles who are in their 60's were loving every second of Mickey and Minnie at our reception. And like Cryssi said, people are still talking about how great it was.

That said, it is a personal decision and I'm sure you will make the right decision for you.

 

[Lisacope]

When Janet2k was planning her VR she was going to do some kind of special safari in the Animal Kingdom - you might want to read her VR Planning session trip report.

 

[Pezalicious]

I read about the animal encounters for the AK Safari through Grand Gatherings - it was a snake or a lizard and a tarantula. Not my kind of animal encounters at all!!!

My mom will be helping with the wedding a bit, but I know her budget, so she won't be able to help much. My boyfriend's mom and dad have a lot of medical bills that aren't covered by insurance, so they won't be able to help at all. This will mostly be on us, so I've gotta decide what's worth my money. I'm still hesitant to do anything more extravagant, like the GMR or Adventurer's Club, because every time I mention something that can be done with those, my boyfriend thinks they'll hate it.

 

[Skylarr29]

I think you would be surprised how many people would really love a Disney wedding. My fiance's father is so against our Disney wedding because we are not getting married in the Catholic church but I am very confident that when the time comes he will love it!

You really need to do what is right for YOU... and if that means GMR wedding then have it, if it means a fantastic honeymoon, then have it. You will know the right decision, you won't want to always look back at your wedding and say "what if". That being said the Grand One is frickin amazing (we took her out for our anniversary 2 weeks ago) and you can still have all the magic of Disney with an intimate for a fraction of the cost!

 

[disprincessatheart]

just so you know, escape brides can do an illuminations DP, they're just smaller in scale. I'm trying to do the Grand 1 for my escape weddign day. Plan is WP at 2:30, Narcoossee's at 5:30 and Grand 1 at 8 or 9, whenever it is that it goes that night. That way I get to be in my dress for almost 12 hours!! Either that or after dinner I'll change into dress #2!!

 

[Janet2k]

Would you splurge more on the wedding or on better and longer honeymoon?

My answer is the VOW RENEWAL!

We had a Justice of the Peace wedding and NO honeymoon, so now I think you can understand why I said what I did.