Questions about an Escape wedding package

[poohbear227]

Hi there,

Still a bit too early to plan, but we are just seeking info and I'm having trouble getting prices on the disneyweddings.com website. Thought you guys would have some info!

We are looking to have an Escape wedding (the smaller one)-interested in having a rabbi at the Boardwalk chapel. We will likely have about 18-20 guests.

Our questions:
-Anyone ever done a Boardwalk wedding? How is it?
-Do prices vary depending on time of year? I know they start at $4000.
-What does the $4000 cover? Strictly the ceremony or reception as well? Are flowers, cake, meals music, etc... included in this?
-Does the price include a rabbi and do we need to find one on our own?
-Can we get our pictures taken at the MK castle for extra $$ or is that only available through the large wedding package?
-Can receptions be held at any table service restaurant? Do they have private dining rooms for this?
-Is there a minimum # of guest rooms to book in order to have an Escape package?
-Can you make an appt to meet with their wedding coordinator in person, do cake/wine/food tasting or is this all done over the phone?
*Can a Disney wedding be done with a $6000 budget? This budget does NOT include dresses, hotel, park tickets.

Also, I know we can't afford it, but has anyone gotten the Cinderella's coach ride? How long is the ride and do you have any pictures?

Thanks!

 

[lurkyloo]

Welcome!

Anyone ever done a Boardwalk wedding? How is it?

The BoardWalk location is called Sea Breeze Point, and many many brides on this board have been married there. If you do a search, you'll turn up tons of trip reports. It's beautiful!

Do prices vary depending on time of year? I know they start at $4000.

Not for Escape weddings, the package you're looking at. The $4,000 may have gone up by the time you book - they seem to like to raise the price every year...

What does the $4000 cover? Strictly the ceremony or reception as well? Are flowers, cake, meals music, etc... included in this?

Here's a link to the list on the DFTW site:
http://www.disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/int/cer/pack_elements.jsp

Does the price include a rabbi and do we need to find one on our own?

You will need to arrange your own - the officiant is not included in the package.

Can we get our pictures taken at the MK castle for extra $$ or is that only available through the large wedding package?

Yes - this is open to all DFTW weddings. Prices start at $1,000.

Can receptions be held at any table service restaurant? Do they have private dining rooms for this?

Check out www.mouseweddings.com for an overview of all the restaurants where Escape brides hold their receptions. There are only a few private rooms available.

Is there a minimum # of guest rooms to book in order to have an Escape package?

The only requirement is that you and the groom book 4 nights in a Disney hotel.

Can you make an appt to meet with their wedding coordinator in person, do cake/wine/food tasting or is this all done over the phone?

Escape weddings only get phone consultations.

Can a Disney wedding be done with a $6000 budget? This budget does NOT include dresses, hotel, park tickets.

Yes, if prices don't go up too much between now and your wedding and you stick with just what's in the package!

Also, I know we can't afford it, but has anyone gotten the Cinderella's coach ride? How long is the ride and do you have any pictures?

The ride is about 5 minutes out and 5 minutes back, depending on your location. Some locations can't have the carriage. It costs $2,700. Here are some pix:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1640969

You'll get tons of info by searching old threads - good luck!

 

[poohbear227]

Woops, just replied, but it looks like it messed up somehow

Anyways, thanks for the fast and informative reply!!

I am searching through mouseweddings.com right now.

Location: Found the Sea Breeze Point photos and I think that location is perfect for us!! But wooah, I guess prices are going up-look at this:

"Sea Breeze Point (Disney's BoardWalk Resort) - For 2007, the basic package at this location starts at $2950, including service charge and tax. For 2008, the basic package at this location starts at $4000, including service charge and tax"

Oh well, our big day isnt for almost 2 years from now. We wanted to take the time to save up to make it perfect.

Number of guests: I am still confused as to how many guests the basic Escape Package will accomodate? The website says any additional guests will be an additional fee (18 guests max).
We are planning between 16-18 guests.

MK Castle pics: Is there a link that specifies details of how many pics are included in the basic $1000 package? We would be happy with just a minimum amount.

Accomodations: We aren't required to stay in a HM suite, right? We would probably want to stay at the BWI in just a nice room with a pretty view.

Consultation: Only phone consults?? I'm a bit leary of this....I guess I would trust WDW with cake and flowers through just email/mail photos to review, but I would like to see the venue before the big day and would also be interested in hearing the violinist's work beforehand.
Geez, we were thinking of walking down to the BWI during our next trip to speak with someone about future planning. Will no one sit down with us and give us details if we ask?

-Any one care to share their experience with just having phone/email consults?

Carriage ride: Hmm...the Cinderella coach sure looks magical, but not for our wallet I think I'm starting to get drawn to the horse drawn landau coach. That looks elegant as well. Do you know if that goes to the BW?

Reception: I think we would both like to have a noon ceremony with a mid afternoon lunch reception. Lunch has got to be a bit cheaper than dinner, yes? We'd like to spend the rest of the day at the parks and have an intimate dinner alone that night.

I'm loving an idea of a reception at one of the World Showcase restaurants like Le Cellier. Do they treat this as just a large party and eople order meals separately or will they put together a fixed meal?

Thanks again!! It's still so far away but this is my childhood dream wedding-I am so excited!!

 

[lurkyloo]

Number of guests: I am still confused as to how many guests the basic Escape Package will accomodate? The website says any additional guests will be an additional fee (18 guests max).
We are planning between 16-18 guests.

Hi again! The reason the price of Escape weddings went up so much is they've started including a set of two Annual Passes, so it covers the cost (and then some!).

Escape weddings have a max of 18 guests plus the bride and groom (20 people total). The additional fee they talk about is just the cost of buying extra Fairytale Cuvee for the number of guests beyond 6, since they say the bottle that's included in the package only serves 6. So they'd want to sell you another couple of bottles of Cuvee. There is no per person fee for more than 6 guests though.

MK Castle pics: Is there a link that specifies details of how many pics are included in the basic $1000 package? We would be happy with just a minimum amount.

I believe you get a folio of 10 pictures and then a box of loose photos, one print for each shot taken.

Accomodations: We aren't required to stay in a HM suite, right? We would probably want to stay at the BWI in just a nice room with a pretty view.

Nope - you can stay in a Value resort if you want.

Consultation: Only phone consults?? I'm a bit leary of this....I guess I would trust WDW with cake and flowers through just email/mail photos to review, but I would like to see the venue before the big day and would also be interested in hearing the violinist's work beforehand.

Disney has Escape weddings down pat, so they don't need to do a lot of planning. You can certainly go see the venues for yourself even without a planning session. Also, if you watch the videos of the Escape brides on this board, you can hear some of the violinists that way

 

[Reese]

Hi again! The reason the price of Escape weddings went up so much is they've started including a set of two Annual Passes, so it covers the cost (and then some!).

Escape weddings have a max of 18 guests plus the bride and groom (20 people total). The additional fee they talk about is just the cost of buying extra Fairytale Cuvee for the number of guests beyond 6, since they say the bottle that's included in the package only serves 6. So they'd want to sell you another couple of bottles of Cuvee. There is no per person fee for more than 6 guests though.

Jumping in with a couple of questions. Do you have to activate the AP's right away or can you save them for a later trip?

We are planning on having 11 guests but 7 of them are our children (and one will be only months old) so is there another option instead of buying more cuvee..like apple juice?

 

[JaxTeach]

Jumping in with a couple of questions. Do you have to activate the AP's right away or can you save them for a later trip?

We are planning on having 11 guests but 7 of them are our children (and one will be only months old) so is there another option instead of buying more cuvee..like apple juice?

Yes, you can hold on to your APs and activate them at a later date. You receive a voucher that you exchange for the actual AP.

Yes, you can order some sparkling apple juice instead of additional champagne. We aren't even having our champagne at the ceremony, it's going to our room for me and DF to enjoy later!

 

[soontobebride]

that is right we had what an intimate wedding in November 2007 they have just increased the price and called it an escape wedding, the reason for this is you get 2 annual passes. The only things included in your package is a 4 hour limousine service to pick you and your guests up, one bottle of cuvee, wedding cake, venue your bouquet and husbands buttoniere, everything else is extra.

We had cinderellas coach it is amazing you certainly feel like a princess, everyone kept saying your coach has arrived and kept waving. you have it from when it picks you up to the moment it takes you back. We were picked up in the GF and taken back there, I would say we had it for about 2 hours, I certainly think it is worth it, you get 6 ponies and the people who assist you as well..........Totally amazing.

Any other questions I would be delighted to help you.

 

[Reese]

Yes, you can hold on to your APs and activate them at a later date. You receive a voucher that you exchange for the actual AP.

Yes, you can order some sparkling apple juice instead of additional champagne. We aren't even having our champagne at the ceremony, it's going to our room for me and DF to enjoy later!

Thanks. I think I like the idea of saving the champagne for later as none of our guests drink and Dh and I rarely do. Last thing I need is to get grandma corked off a glass of champagne .

 

[caryndisneydiva]

Last thing I need is to get grandma corked off a glass of champagne .

that's funny!

to answer your question about the coaches, you are able to have them at the bw, but they enter from a different location, it's actually pretty cool, they come around the lake, pass yacht/beach and arrive in front of espn to drop you off at sea breeze. i'm having the vintage rolls drop me off that way! i like that my guests will see it driving as they are seated!

 

[poohbear227]

Thanks guys!

Regarding the champagne, are we allowed to supply our own for guests and save the one they provide for ourselves later? Seems like it would be cheaper to accomodate everyone that way.

I would LOVE to have the Cinderella coach, but we are barely going to be able to afford everything else!! I do like the idea of the horse drawn landau coach-it looks elegant as well and it bit more in our price range even for a splurge!

Any links to pics of a Sea Breeze Pointe ceremony you might have had?

 

[caryndisneydiva]

my wedding will be in january! there is a thread on here somewhere, i think on page 2, of sbp pics!

 

[poohbear227]

Woops-disregard my request for pics-I forgot that I posted that question separately.

Sea Breeze Pointe looks PERFECT!!! So beautiful and I love the idea of pink rose petals everywhere!!

I read that some people don't like SBP because it's not private and right next to the noisy BW. Looks secluded enough in the photos. I don't need to be completely secluded, but I certainly don't want strangers watching the ceremony or background noise during vows. I dont mind if we run into guests before or after though, just as long as the actual ceremony is hidden from public view. But I'm guessing that WDW is smart enough to accomodate that.

What were your experiences?

 

[caryndisneydiva]

sbp is on the path to epcot from the bw, so there is the chance that guests will see your wedding, but i've heard that dftw is really good at keeping them out, i think they post cast members at the entrances to make sure the ceremony is not bothered...i was advised against having flower petals at my ceremony which is slightly aggravating, i really wanted them, however i was told that there is an extreme chance they could blow away. i saw online somewhere that they make "weighted" rose petals, and if i can find them i'm going to buy them and have them put out...

o, btw- i did a phone planning session and was fine with that. mark and i are very familiar with the boardwalk, we were cast members in 2002 so i didn't feel the need to make a separate trip for the p.s.

 

[JaxTeach]

Thanks guys!

Regarding the champagne, are we allowed to supply our own for guests and save the one they provide for ourselves later? Seems like it would be cheaper to accomodate everyone that way.

I would LOVE to have the Cinderella coach, but we are barely going to be able to afford everything else!! I do like the idea of the horse drawn landau coach-it looks elegant as well and it bit more in our price range even for a splurge!

Any links to pics of a Sea Breeze Pointe ceremony you might have had?

No, you cannot (unfortunately) provide your own champagne. We considered that as well. But, like you, none of our guests are big drinkers so we thought it best just to have it at the end of our day in our room. We have a loooooong day planned with our family, we'll need it then!

I've visited SBP multiple times at different times of day to checkout the guest flow. It really doesn't seem too heavily traveled. I mean, there are definitely people walking there all the time, but not hoardes of people. I've seen people stop to look at a wedding and keep moving. To us, SBP was more private than the YC Gazebo.

One thing about SBP, the Friendship boats from Epcot definitely get a good view of the ceremony! I've been on them when there are weddings and everyone (well, the ladies) get all excited!