Lottery

[Ann117]

Has anyone gotten screwed with this lottery thing? Eight months before the wedding for a destniation wedding does not seem like enough time to not know if you are going to get what you want.

Thanks

 

[dakcp2001]

I also agree that 8 months is going to caus ea lot of unecessary anxiety!

Curious if anyone has had an issue as well...

 

[Skylarr29]

I didn't have a problem with the lottery, no one else wanted the exact time, day, and location as I did.

It could be a problem but I still think 8 months is plenty of time. I don't think most of your guests will make arrangements that early.

 

[dakcp2001]

How far in advance do people normally send out save the dates? Is 8 months enough?

 

[Skylarr29]

How far in advance do people normally send out save the dates? Is 8 months enough?

We sent out ours about a year in advance. You can always let people know you are waiting for the date to be confirmed but you wanted to give them as much time as possible.

 

[Bride-to-be]

I think 8 months is plenty of time - we sent ours out 11 months or so in advance but just because I was trying to be super organzied.

My best advice is to pick out the save the dates ahead of time so you know what you want and can just order them the day your wedding is finalized. It took me 3 months to figure out what I wanted - I am super indecisive though.

If you need help with them and are planning to have them done for you I would highly recommend Shelley from Impressions. I think a lot of the brides on this board have used her. She did the cards for ours which you can see on the first page of my PJ. Ours are a little different - but all of her work is AMAZING.

 

[laura forbes]

I phoned today for my date, location and time. WP, 18th Nov @ 2.30. I phoned an hour after opening time so 09.30 cause I got the time difference wrong and someone else had already called just an hour before us. So be flexible and make sure your the first to call.

 

[PirateBride08]

I didn't get bummed for the lottery but I originally had the ADH reserved and just as the contract was being drawn up, I was bumped our for a convention! I was NOT happy. I ended up in the Boardwalk Ballroom and it was perfect. I don't think my save the dates went out until 10 months out or so but most people had an idea when it was.

 

[MegKate]

I had no problem either. I was more attached to the date than I was the location. So if I hadn't been able to get SBP, I would have gone somewhere else, just on the same day.

 

[DisneyLover1234]

I went through the lottery twice and lost and then we ended up getting our third date, in the end it worked out better, but it was frustrating!

 

[Ann117]

Thanks every one!!!! I am just trying to pick a date. I think I am going to go for a week day. they said they are less busy. So i wont have to worry so much.

 

[twenty3curls]

How did everyone handle outside vendors with the 8-month time period? I won't know until July if I got the date I want, but I fear some vendors (outside photography, for example) will be booked by then. Am I better off tenatively booking my photographer for the date I want? Or just waiting until I know for sure and calling then??

 

[lpizzuro123]

I didn't get bummed for the lottery but I originally had the ADH reserved and just as the contract was being drawn up, I was bumped our for a convention! I was NOT happy. I ended up in the Boardwalk Ballroom and it was perfect. I don't think my save the dates went out until 10 months out or so but most people had an idea when it was.

I was more interested in the locations then the date - I would have been so upset if we would have gotten bumped from our locations. I guess you need to find out what is more important to you.

Linda

 

[tommymomo]

ok I am confused.... How do you all of a sudden wind up in a lottery? Isnt your date locked in when you get your contract?

 

[lpizzuro123]

ok I am confused.... How do you all of a sudden wind up in a lottery? Isnt your date locked in when you get your contract?

I believe you have to go into a lottery before you receive your contract if there are other brides that want the same date, location and time as you do.

Linda

 

[lurkyloo]

ok I am confused.... How do you all of a sudden wind up in a lottery? Isnt your date locked in when you get your contract?

As Linda said, it's only if someone else wants the same date, location and time. Occasionally it can happen to you if two other people on your day want the same location at a different time than yours. Everyone at that location on that day has to be entered into the lottery so they have a timeslot for the one who doesn't get that time s/he wanted.

However, this is only really ever an issue for the Wedding Pavilion and on popular dates, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[MegKate]

As far as the vendors, we arranged for them over a year in advance. But they were all really familiar with the Disney process and assured me that if I had to change the date they would do what they could to accommodate me. I think most vendors are like this.

 

[PalmBeachPrincess]

I think I'm confused as to how the lottery works. So you can call a year in advance and tentatively put your date in? Then you have to call exactly 8 mo. in advance and if no one else wanted the same place/date/time then you get it?

 

[lurkyloo]

Yes - that's how it works!

 

[lpizzuro123]

I think you can book some things a year out. We had a Wishes wedding and our ceremony was in Epcot (Italy) or brunch reception was in ADH and we had a dessert party in Epcot (UK). We booked one year out. We had a Monday so I guess no one else wanted that date and time because we did not have to go into a lottery.

I know there was another bride on the same day as us but she had an afternoon ceremony in the WP and her evening reception was in Epcot (Italy) where our morning ceremony was. Not sure how far in advance she booked.

Linda