Intimate or Custom Wedding help - reception!

[Cinderella2006]

Here we go again ... more questions. I am being to wonder why I have booked an intimate wedding; I can’t help thinking that I would have been better off having a custom wedding. I am so confused and I though what better place to let off steam!
I decided to have an intimate wedding as unfortunately my step dad has cancer and wouldn’t be able to make the wedding as he is having treatment in august and the wedding is in October; therefore my mum couldn’t really leave him. I didn’t want to splash out on an expensive wedding when my mum couldn’t be there to see it all. We decided to have an intimate and a when we get home to the UK we will have a formal wedding reception.
Here is where i am getting a bit stuck - I would love to have a private room for our reception in Disney so we can have a dance and some nice food and basically chill out and enjoy the day; is this possible with an intimate wedding? I am not getting much help from my wedding co-ordinator. There are 17 of us altogether - 9 adults and 8 children; I know a lot of rooms wont hold this many for an intimate.
I really fancy having a reception in the Grand Floridian or Epcot - I would appreciate any information, thanks.
One last thing – as I am only planning on getting married once, I am thinking about hiring Cinderella’s coach or the horse draw carriage which is a lot cheaper and still beautiful – i am a bit worried as it’s a lot of money but I don’t want to be full of regrets wondering ‘what if’. If you take this option, do you still get the limo or is the price an ‘upgrade’? Thanks again.

Aimee x

 

[Janet2k]

Here is where i am getting a bit stuck - I would love to have a private room for our reception in Disney so we can have a dance and some nice food and basically chill out and enjoy the day; is this possible with an intimate wedding? I am not getting much help from my wedding co-ordinator.

Cinderella2006, I am sorry your stepfather has cancer. I will say a prayer for him.

A lot of intimate brides have pointed out over the past several months that Disney’s policy is that no private function may be planned for an intimate couple on their wedding day. If a couple wants a private function, they need to move into the custom category. If that policy is still holding true, it might explain why you are having a difficult time getting the answers that you are seeking.

Since you have mentioned hiring Cinderella’s carriage or the landau carriage for your wedding, how close are you to moving into the custom category? If you are planning on paying for your guests’ meals and having a dance party, you might be closer to reaching the minimums than you think.

 

[Cinderella2006]

Thanks, I think the minimum is $10,000 unless this has changed and i have reached $8000 but of course I could spend more! I have no problem reaching the number of nights at Disney as there are 11 of us staying 14 nights; the rest are staying outside Disney in a villa. If my mum was coming and my fiancés parents then I wouldn’t think twice but it just seems a lot of money if the most important people in our life’s wont be there to see it. Thanks for your help, looks like it might have to be intimate after all. I will email Disney to see if I can get any solutions.
Thanks again x

 

[hiwaygal]

You are correct that the minimum is $10k...but if you are already at $8k, I think you could easily cover the other $2k with a nice reception for you and your guests (especially since you feel the room nights are covered).

I would certainly encourage you to talk to your coordinator...tell them you are considering moving to the custom category...and just because it's considered "custom" doesn't mean it has to be HUGE!

You might look into other options...like perhaps the Swan and Dolphin for a private room for dinner and dancing. Or consider some of the restaurants in Downtown Disney (maybe Fultons?) and see if there is something they can do.

My guess is, though, that even going "outside" of Disney (Swan/Dolphin, or another restaurant) you're still going to get close to that $10k minimum and at that point, I would just stick with Disney.

 

[Janet2k]

I posted the following in another thread but you might want to take a look at it, too.

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There are various options for private meals at some of Disney’s signature restaurants. I will mention the Grand Floridian's restaurants here.

The Grand Floridian Resort has two restaurants with private offerings: Victoria & Albert’s and Citrico’s.

Victoria & Albert’s actually has two secluded rooms – the Chef’s Table (basically inside the restaurant’s kitchen) and the Fireplace Room (I’m not sure what this room is called officially but it has a fireplace in it):

• The Chef’s Table has one seating per night and it seats 10 guests maximum
• The Fireplace Room may sometimes be reserved before normal restaurant hours (I can’t remember the maximum number of guests that it will accommodate)

Citrico’s has the Chef’s Domaine. This room has two seatings per night and it seats 12 people maximum.

Please note that there are usually minimum food and beverage fees that must be met in order to reserve these private rooms.

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Another option for a private meal can be found at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Its signature restaurant, Jiko - The Cooking Place, has a private dining room that is named the Cape Town Wine Room. This private room seats up to 40 people.

Please note that there is usually a minimum food and beverage fee that must be met in order to reserve this private room.
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I hope that helps. And I also hope these private rooms are an option for an Intimate wedding party. The way that Disney has been cracking down recently on the Intimate wedding couples, it makes me leery of even sharing this information. If anyone discovers that these restaurants are not an option, please let me know and I will alter this post.
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In the past, I know of a few brides who held their small receptions at Victoria & Albert's before the restaurant opened up for regular business hours. There were minimum fees that had to be met, but none of the brides had trouble reaching them. Their events were held in the Fireplace Room (I don't know what the room is officially called but it has a fireplace in it).

In the past, there also was an option to rent out the entire restaurant for either of the two evening seatings (or for both of them). As you can imagine, it was quite pricey. I don't know if that option still exists today but it might.

The same goes for Citrico's. I know of two brides who rented the restaurant for their wedding receptions. One of the brides held her reception in the evening, and the other bride held her reception in the late afternoon. Renting out the restaurant in the evening was quite pricey; I can't remember if there was a break in price for the afternoon affair.

Since you have a nice-sized crowd, the only options mentioned above (that is, if they still exist) would be either Victoria & Albert's Fireplace Room at the Grand Floridian or the Cape Town Wine Room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I no longer remember what the minimum food & beverage fees were, but my ~uneducated~ guess is that a party of 17 might easily meet them. A simple phone call to Disney should answer that question for you.

I hope this helped.