Planning timeline?

[Kwaschitz]

Hi everyone!

My husband and I have considered a vow renewal at WDW basically since we got married. We'd initially thought at 10 years, but my dad was ill (terminal cancer) and we just....didn't. At 15, we were just starting to get back to real life after he passed away. So, here we are, 17 years in a week from this Sunday. We're now thinking we'd like to do this for our 20th.

How soon, in your experience, would we need to start planning in order to get a date we would want, reserve the things that would need to be reserved, etc. We're thinking very small for a ceremony - likely us, our parents, our son - grand total of 6 people including us - but potentially adding in our siblings and their children (upping it by 9). Either way on that we would want some sort of dinner out with the whole crowd - possibly California Grill or even a fireworks dinner cruise?

At any rate, what kind of timeline do we need for that kind of planning?

Thanks

 

[lurkyloo]

I'm so sorry for your loss! But how wonderful that you and your family will be able to celebrate your 17 years of marriage soon.

For what you want, the Memories Collection (up to 6 people total) or Escape collection (up to 20 people total) would work really well, and then you can make a separate reservation for dinner or a fireworks cruise. Both collections now have a 10-month booking window, and you can start working with Disney a month or two before to get basic information and have them "pencil you in" (no date is held, but they note which date, location and time you want).

Here are some episodes of the Disney Wedding Podcast that cover the basics - just know that we mention the older booking timeline for Escape and Memories in these because the 10-month booking window only went into effect last Monday:
http://disneyweddingpodcast.com/2017/01/04/first-steps-for-the-newly-engaged-2017-edition/

• First Steps for the Newly Engaged (or Newly Interested!)
• Memories Collection Overview 2017
• Escape Collection Overview 2017

 

[Kwaschitz]

Thanks so much! I'm checking out all of the options; I think we'll probably end up doing the Memories and then a private reception separately for other family members. It is "just" a vow renewal and honestly, with our families we either have 4 people or 200 (which is what happened with our actual wedding) and the larger it gets, the more corners I have to cut that I just don't want to! And of course I don't want to plan this thing and then have siblings back out because "Florida is so far" (from Indiana and New York where everyone lives and end up with a larger renewal with no attendees. Oh the fun of planning