Is It Possible...

[AKL_Megs]

... To do an Intimate Wedding for under $5000?

I don't want or need any additional flowers. I don't want or need any additional decorations. I don't want or need a bigger cake or more champagne than what is included. I don't need or want a reception of any kind.

Basically, I want to get married at Sunset Point with what is included in the Intimate Wedding package, and call it a day.

I'm expecting about 10 people to actually make it to our wedding, and what we have planned for "refreshments" afterwards is still up in the air.

I haven't met with a coordinator. The most I have done as far as research is gotten the brochure in the mail and had fun on this site!!!

My parents are all about this, but I feel bad that I don't have a rough estimate to tell them, and we aren't meeting with a coordinator until the summer.

Any comments?

 

[tmli]

You will get lots of valuable info at mousesavers as well as here. Mary says an intimate with taxes and service charges in 07 is $2950....only extra you must have is an officiant, which I believe to be under $300. So short answer is yes.

 

[JandJ]

You will have to book a 4-night minimum stay at a Disney resort before you can book your Intimate wedding, but you can stay at a Value resort or a DVC (you can rent points if you are not a DVC member; I've never done this but heard it's pretty easy to do) so that will save money. When we did our Intimate the officiant was included, but I think now it's $150 and you pay the officiant directly. We didn't have a lot of extras. I had a friend make bows for the benches on Sunrise Terrace, I got tablecloths at a discount store to decorate the tables on the Terrace, DH and I made silk bouquets from Michael's in vases from Tuesday Morning for addtional decoration - all of that was way under $50. We used Disney for photography (no video), had a custom cake, extra floral, chocolate favors, and extra cider for the cake cutting, and even with staying at a Deluxe resort we were under $5k so YES it definitely can be done! We had brunch the next day for 13 people, and with the DDE card it was under $200, but dinner for just the 2 of us in EPCOT the next night was close to $100, so choose your post-ceremony meal wisely and you won't have to spend a ton of money.

Our wedding was perfect - it really was - and it didn't cost a fortune. I would not have changed a thing!

Best Wishes and Happy Planning

 

[hiwaygal]

I believe that you can do an intimate for less than $5000.

We had the basic "off the rack" package. The only "extra" I had was pre-purchasing our proofs (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!).

Flowers come with the package (and you don't get a "credit" for anything you don't use) so just enjoy them!

The cake will easily serve 10 people (probably more), although drinks could be an issue.

As previously mentioned, you will need to add the officiant and the minimum 4 night stay...but yes, I agree it can be done.

And just because it's just a "basic" package...it will still be the most magical day of your life!

 

[dancekm01]

I did my intimate for $5000 exactly. Now I got married in July. I didn’t get upgrade anything & got married at sunset Pointe. I got an extra bottle of sparking cider for my stepsister. The officant was $150. I stayed in Disney for 10 day 9 nights. I got the magic your way passes for 10day that never expire and stayed at Coronado Springs. I paid for everything myself. It was awesome and amazing. I wouldn’t have changed a thing. If can be done!!

 

[purplegirl247]

Just a heads up that both Sunrise Terrace and Sunset Pointe are restricted to ten guests INCLUDING the bride and groom. I know this because I *just* got off the phone with our planner to book our date (hooray!) and she confirmed that. So as long as your guest count fits that location, you should be fine!

 

[Skylarr29]

Also, Sunset Pointe is only available seasonally in '07 due to the heat in the summer. It is something like late october to may.

 

[AKL_Megs]

Thanks everyone!

We're planning on 10 people, but it could easily turn into 11, 12... who knows.
I'm starting to think that SP is probably out of the picture, and I am okay with that. Both DF and my mom like Sunrise Terrace at WL, and so do I! We're planning to hire our own photographer and have an IllumiNations Dessert Party in lieu of a dinner, followed by a night of fun at the Adventurers Club at PI (which DF adn I will probably be paying for).

 

[princessdisneybelle]

What are you doing between wedding and dessert party? This is one thing I was thinking about. I don't know if the budget can pay for both.

 

[AKL_Megs]

What are you doing between wedding and dessert party? This is one thing I was thinking about. I don't know if the budget can pay for both.

Well, since SP and ST are perhaps both out of the picture for us, we will probably end up at the Wedding Gazebo... I really don't care where the wedding is.

I figured I would pick the 2:30 pm slot for the wedding at the WG, and that if everyone is already at the Yacht Club, they have PLENTY of options for what to do from there, and they can decide where to go from there. They can go back to the resort they came from, take a nap and change, or grab something to eat for dinner. FH and I will be handling pictures, changing, taking our things to our honeymoon room at AKL, and heading to Epcot to take care of whatever needs to be done for the dessert party.

 

[luvsmickey]

Our wedding will be similar. Except we will be getting married at the WP with a few more people...We are having the Cake & Champagne Reception at the GF and going to hope to keep it there a while! (our hope is that no body changes before Illuminiations...this is the only day I'll be wearing this dress and I don't plan on it being for an hour or two!) Ours starts at 2:30 as well! It was going to be at 5pm but, someone else got our time!!! So, this is what we've come up with so far.

 

[princessdisneybelle]

Do you have to pay to have everyone taken in behind the scenes at Epcot?

 

[ItGirl753]

Do you have to pay to have everyone taken in behind the scenes at Epcot?

For Illuminations Party: I am planning to ask my guests to have admission to Epcot that day. If they get into the park with their own ticket, then you don't have to pay for transportation for them and you don't have to pay the viewing fee. They can walk in through the front gate! I am not planning to wear my dress though, so I don't have to worry about the transportation issues.

 

[princessdisneybelle]

Oh ok, I think we are going to wear our matching Disney shirts and Wedding ears.

 

[luvsmickey]

We plan on wearing our Wedding attire into the parks, so we have to have the transportation, but they said as long as everyone has their parkhopper tickets, we don't have to pay the viewing fee! (so everyone will have their parkhopper tickets!)

 

[AKL_Megs]

What happens if your guests will only have the viewing pass, which is what the majority of mine will have...? Are they escorted into the park and to the dessert party? I read so much that is conflicting on websites... does anyone know for sure?

 

[luvsmickey]

From what I understand, if they are wearing formalwear, the front gate will not let them in, you will need the transportation and go through the back entrance. If they have regular park addmission and are dressed in nice clothes, you shouldn't have a problem going through the front gate. But, as long as they have addmission to the park for the day, you should be ok! Ask your wedding corridinator to be sure!