Planning for a Wedding in Disney

[allanahx]

We have just started to plan for our Disney wedding and we are super excited but also super overwhelmed and confused. We have decided on the Pavilion and that we want to do it in 2018.

But there are so many questions I need answers to.

If we have a disney wedding can we still have things organised by outside companies, ie. Photography, DJ, any decorations that we may want, flowers?

What is the best time of year and the time of day to get married?

In Wishes it says there is discount available to guests for the wedding in terms of room rates and ticket prices, but how much roughly is taken off the room total? ie. 5%?

Has anyone ever had the a disney dress by Alfred Alfrado? If so, rough cost of dresses? Bridesmaid dresses?

Who do people use for Photography? We want to do the Magic Kingdom package but we are thinking of using another photographer for the actual ceremony.

Any good ideas for Bridesmaids/Pageboys gifts. Ours will be aged 4-12 years as we are having all the nieces and nephews.

Which place is good to have the reception including private viewing for fireworks.

We are working out our budget and saving at the moment so we ideally want to know a cost for the moment and then we will add a couple of grand on top to be realistic for inflation of prices.

Is there a wedding brochure you can get from Disney in the UK? if so where?

Has anyone rented the Grand One Yacht? How much does it cost? Where does it go from? Would it be a good idea to board this while our guests are watching from their private viewing? Can your photographer go on too?

Sorry there is so many questions... there are actually a lot more too!

 

[lurkyloo]

Welcome! Let's see if I can help with any of these...

If we have a disney wedding can we still have things organised by outside companies, ie. Photography, DJ, any decorations that we may want, flowers?

It depends on the location and what type of vendor. You can hire outside photography for any location, but if it's inside the park you pay an escort fee for each photographer. For the other things you mentioned, you must use Disney unless the event is held indoors at a convention center. The exception is "personal" floral like bouquets and boutonnieres - those you can get from an outside vendor no matter where your events are held.

What is the best time of year and the time of day to get married?

Time of year depends on your preferences. Do you like cooler weather and low crowds? Do you want to be there during the holidays or Food & Wine? We like cooler weather, low hotel rates and low crowds, so we picked the first week in February. If we'd held our event just 2 weeks later, the prices for airfare and lodging would have shot way up due to President's Day, and the crowds too.

Similarly, the best time of day for us was the cheapest: a weekday morning.

In Wishes it says there is discount available to guests for the wedding in terms of room rates and ticket prices, but how much roughly is taken off the room total? ie. 5%?

Tickets are a flat $20 discount on any length of park hopper. The hotel room rates vary by resort and time of year. On average, it's about 30% off at convention center hotels, 15% off at other Deluxes, 10%-15% off at Moderates, and less than 10% off at Values.

Who do people use for Photography? We want to do the Magic Kingdom package but we are thinking of using another photographer for the actual ceremony.

There are several favored photographers used by the people on these boards, and you'll see their names come up again and again if you do a search. But there are plenty of other local photographers not mentioned here, so it can be worth it to do some research on Orlando-area photographers. We used Root Weddings.

Which place is good to have the reception including private viewing for fireworks.

Any of Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon viewing areas, the Grand Floridian Marina or Contemporary Porte Cochere, California Grill's Napa Room, the Whitehall Room at GF Convention Center (obstructed view), and Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios. I have photos of all these locations HERE.

Is there a wedding brochure you can get from Disney in the UK? if so where?

You can click the Request Information link in the upper right-hand corner of this page, but it takes a while and what you get is pretty generic: https://www.disneyweddings.com/who-we-are/

Has anyone rented the Grand One Yacht? How much does it cost? Where does it go from? Would it be a good idea to board this while our guests are watching from their private viewing? Can your photographer go on too?

The Grand 1 costs $744.44/hour (including tax) and departs from any resort on Seven Seas Lagoon. You can bring up to 18 people, including photographers. I'm not sure I'd want to leave my guests during the reception or DP, but you may feel differently.

 

[allanahx]

Welcome! Let's see if I can help with any of these...




It depends on the location and what type of vendor. You can hire outside photography for any location, but if it's inside the park you pay an escort fee for each photographer. For the other things you mentioned, you must use Disney unless the event is held indoors at a convention center. The exception is "personal" floral like bouquets and boutonnieres - those you can get from an outside vendor no matter where your events are held.



Time of year depends on your preferences. Do you like cooler weather and low crowds? Do you want to be there during the holidays or Food & Wine? We like cooler weather, low hotel rates and low crowds, so we picked the first week in February. If we'd held our event just 2 weeks later, the prices for airfare and lodging would have shot way up due to President's Day, and the crowds too.

Similarly, the best time of day for us was the cheapest: a weekday morning.



Tickets are a flat $20 discount on any length of park hopper. The hotel room rates vary by resort and time of year. On average, it's about 30% off at convention center hotels, 15% off at other Deluxes, 10%-15% off at Moderates, and less than 10% off at Values.



There are several favored photographers used by the people on these boards, and you'll see their names come up again and again if you do a search. But there are plenty of other local photographers not mentioned here, so it can be worth it to do some research on Orlando-area photographers. We used Root Weddings.



Any of Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon viewing areas, the Grand Floridian Marina or Contemporary Porte Cochere, California Grill's Napa Room, the Whitehall Room at GF Convention Center (obstructed view), and Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios. I have photos of all these locations



The Grand 1 costs $744.44/hour (including tax) and departs from any resort on Seven Seas Lagoon. You can bring up to 18 people, including photographers. I'm not sure I'd want to leave my guests during the reception or DP, but you may feel differently.

Wow! Can't believe you gave me so much info.

Which hotels are considered convention centres?

We looked at Californian Grill for the reception because of the viewing platform and we had been told that it was amazing for food.

We was thinking of doing an afternoon wedding (5pm) but do not know if this will be a bit late for the children attending. However if we did this, We currently have ten nieces and nephews who will be included in our wedding party (don't have any of our own yet, but we spoil these lot rotten and treat them like our own) and we was going to treat them to Chef Mickey's for a breakfast treat before the wedding. We also looked at having Mickey and Minnie at the wedding reception but other than the main disney pals we don't really know who else you could have as characters. We mainly have girls in our niece/nephew collection so we also debated cinderella's royal table but as it will be birthdays over there also if we went in November, it could be another treat for the kids either way

We are completely spoiled for choice so we are trying to decide what to do exactly. Our only issue is the whole, Husband can't see the bride before the wedding which both our families seem to think is a must... But if we took them to Chef Mickey's it would be a must because we would love to see the kids. We know we would need to book in advance for this but we are prepared for it.

Also has anyone ever booked the convention room to get ready in? If we did contemporary and they have one it would be a nice flow, the whole Chef Mickey, then to the convention centre to get ready then all the kids can ride in limos to the Pavilion before the wedding. We was thinking of getting a coach for the wedding guests from the pavilion to the reception but don't know how long the coach would be available etc.

 

[Chilly]

I suggest you buy Carries fabulous book which will help you loads. Also her podcasts and website Travel Babble.

 

[lirija]

Yes, just buy Passporter's Disney Weddings & Honeymoons by Carrie Hayward - it explains all the options you have mentioned plus much, much more. No other source comes anywhere close.

 

[lurkyloo]

Which hotels are considered convention centres?

BoardWalk
Yacht & Beach Club
Contemporary
Grand Floridian
Coronado Springs has one but isn't a Deluxe resort so it doesn't get the big discount.

Also has anyone ever booked the convention room to get ready in? If we did contemporary and they have one it would be a nice flow, the whole Chef Mickey, then to the convention centre to get ready then all the kids can ride in limos to the Pavilion before the wedding. We was thinking of getting a coach for the wedding guests from the pavilion to the reception but don't know how long the coach would be available etc.

You can hire transportation for as long as you need. Depending on the number of guests, multiple vans may be cheaper than one big motor coach. Booking a convention center room to get ready in requires you to meet a $500 food and beverage minimum.

 

[Chilly]

Here's the link to all of Carries fab info:

http://disneytravelbabble.com/disney-weddings/

 

[aristocatz]

I agree to buy Carrie's book-all of your questions and more will be easily answered

http://www.passporter.com/disney-weddings-honeymoons.php