Reception Options for Intimate Brides

[WDWbride2007]

I have decided to start a new thread for intimate brides that wish to have a dinner reception after their ceremony and cake-cutting. I have been in contact with various venues, and I will share my information here. Please, feel free to add anything you may have learned as you planned your intimate wedding. When the list of venues is complete, I will post it to the Fairy Tale Wedding Info thread.

So far, I have looked at the Swan and Dolphin, Fulton's Crab House, and Arthur's 27 in the Wyndham hotel (DTD resort). I began with non-Disney operated venues on property because of the issues some intimates have had with wearing their dress for private functions. When I speak with private dining at Disney, I will post what I learn. It is also important to note that there are many other resorts that offer banquet rooms. My DF and I do not want anything resembling a banquet room, so I have limited my search to private rooms at restaurants that offer outdoor space or a nice view.

1. Fulton's Crab House offers two private rooms on the third deck. Each room has an exterior deck and windows on three sides. They look quite nice from the pictures. For a weekday, the food and beverage minimum was $1100, but it may go up $100-200 in the next two years. They offer different set menus that can include both seafood and non-seafood (steak or chicken) options. They can also offer linen upgrades for your event.

2. Arthur's 27 is a banquet space at the top floor of the Wyndham resort. It used to be a restaurant and offers a beautiful view of Disney property (including fireworks). The minimum for weekends is $5000 and for weekdays is $3000. They have very nice multiple course menus. They also offer upgrades on linens and floral centerpieces. The hotel also has a room with a view of their gardens that looks nice from pictures.

3. Swan and Dolphin offer various venues. There are several restaurants that offer private rooms (Shula's steakhouse, Palio, BlueZoo). I don't have the minimums yet, but will pass them along when I get the information. They do have set menus for each restaurant. If you work through the catering dept, they have several hospitality suites with windows and balconies. They look nice from the photos. There are also several outdoor terraces. There is no rental fee, but minimums depend on your menu choice. (Not sure what that means just yet)

I will be visiting these locations in May (a long time away). I will take lots of pics to post online. I hope this helps! If anyone has information on hosting private dining events as an intimate bride at Disney, please add your information here. Thanks!!!!

 

[JessHooper]

I have decided to start a new thread for intimate brides that wish to have a dinner reception after their ceremony and cake-cutting. I have been in contact with various venues, and I will share my information here. Please, feel free to add anything you may have learned as you planned your intimate wedding. When the list of venues is complete, I will post it to the Fairy Tale Wedding Info thread.

So far, I have looked at the Swan and Dolphin, Fulton's Crab House, and Arthur's 27 in the Wyndham hotel (DTD resort). I began with non-Disney operated venues on property because of the issues some intimates have had with wearing their dress for private functions. When I speak with private dining at Disney, I will post what I learn. It is also important to note that there are many other resorts that offer banquet rooms. My DF and I do not want anything resembling a banquet room, so I have limited my search to private rooms at restaurants that offer outdoor space or a nice view.

1. Fulton's Crab House offers two private rooms on the third deck. Each room has an exterior deck and windows on three sides. They look quite nice from the pictures. For a weekday, the food and beverage minimum was $1100, but it may go up $100-200 in the next two years. They offer different set menus that can include both seafood and non-seafood (steak or chicken) options. They can also offer linen upgrades for your event.

2. Arthur's 27 is a banquet space at the top floor of the Wyndham resort. It used to be a restaurant and offers a beautiful view of Disney property (including fireworks). The minimum for weekends is $5000 and for weekdays is $3000. They have very nice multiple course menus. They also offer upgrades on linens and floral centerpieces. The hotel also has a room with a view of their gardens that looks nice from pictures.

3. Swan and Dolphin offer various venues. There are several restaurants that offer private rooms (Shula's steakhouse, Palio, BlueZoo). I don't have the minimums yet, but will pass them along when I get the information. They do have set menus for each restaurant. If you work through the catering dept, they have several hospitality suites with windows and balconies. They look nice from the photos. There are also several outdoor terraces. There is no rental fee, but minimums depend on your menu choice. (Not sure what that means just yet)

I will be visiting these locations in May (a long time away). I will take lots of pics to post online. I hope this helps! If anyone has information on hosting private dining events as an intimate bride at Disney, please add your information here. Thanks!!!!

Thank you very much for this info. Its a great help for all of us doing intimate weddings.

 

[MEME]

I was recently married at Disney's Wedding Pavillion in October 2005. We had close to 20 family members traveling with us for our intimate wedding.

My DH and I decided to 'treat' all of our guests to a nice dinner after our cake-cutting reception.

After much consideration, we choose to dine at O'hana's restaurant inside of the Polynesian Resort. It was the best choice for our group and our budget!

Once we arrived to the Poly, applause came from everywhere….everyone was extremely loving to us. We waited a few moments before our reservations were called. We had a long center table for about (20) square in the middle of the room and near the pit. The food began and it was FAB-U-LOUS! Ohana’s is an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT buffet style dinner and not only did everyone eat until they couldn’t move, they also raved about the food which included:

• Shrimp and Vegetable Wontons
• Honey and Coriander Chicken Wings
• Salad with Honey Lime Dressing,
• Stir Fried Vegetables
• Cheesy potatoes
• Marinated Sirloin Steak
• Mesquite Seasoned Turkey Breast
• Bar-B-Que Pork Loin
• Grilled Tiger Shrimp
• Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean ice cream

The focus of the room is the 18 foot open fire pit. Skewers of delicious all you care to eat shrimp, beef, poultry and pork are prepared here and delivered to your table. I knew this was the spot for our dinner reception because:

1) The men in my family love to eat!
2) Ohana’s includes fun stuff for the kids (coconut races and hula hoop contests)
3) Lastly, they entertain your "Ohana" (family) by a singer accompanied by his ukulele.

This restaurant definitely included something for everyone. We were acknowledged by the singer and everyone clapped for us!

If I remember correctly, it was $24.99 for adults, $10.99 for children. With our tip, our final bill was less than $500.00.

 

[groomtb]

good thread!

Anyone have suggestions for a Lunch pre-reception or reception itself for Swan wedding? we're having a 1pm wedding so we don't know what to do about lunch... it'll be nice if we can have sit down lunch at the swan and have pictures taken there in our formal wear. but at same time we don't want a big meal to stuff us... we're only a group of less than 20people.

 

[Jenny77]

I was recently married at Disney's Wedding Pavillion in October 2005. We had close to 20 family members traveling with us for our intimate wedding.

My DH and I decided to 'treat' all of our guests to a nice dinner after our cake-cutting reception.

After much consideration, we choose to dine at O'hana's restaurant inside of the Polynesian Resort. It was the best choice for our group and our budget!

I am new to the board (Hello, hello!) and in the very early stages of planning my 2006 Intimate Wedding. Actually, I'm in the playing-phone-tag-with-the-planner stage right now!

Thanks for this thread-- the info is exactly what I've been looking for. I'd love to do a fun, casual dinner after the ceremony and my boyfriend and I ADORED Ohana last time we visited WDW.

We are also anticipating a party of about 20 people, so would you mind telling me how far in advance you booked your table? Also, did you call the restaurant directly?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...just reading this board has been very helpful so far.

Thanks!

 

[Tinkerbelle14]

We just booked Palio's at the Swan and Dolphin for our dinner reception (10 people). They were great on the phone and had no problem with us bringing in our cake. We just have to pay a $5-10 "cake cutting fee". No big deal. They describe it as "casually elegant", which is exactly what our wedding will be. Besides, it's Italian food, which is my favourite!

 

[MApigletfan]

We just had our intimate wedding and we had a late lunch reception since our wedding was at 10am. We asked our wedding co-ordinator for help and she suggested The Portebello Yacht Club at DTD. I was very nice, we had 18 people and they sat us in teh back on two long tables next to each other. We had two waiters just for us and they were great. The food was awesome and when it was time for dessert (we brought our cake) they asked if we wanted to cut it (they would bring it out to us together with the cutting supplies) or if we wanted them to. We had them do it and we asked that everyone get a piece of both layers, both were different flavors. They were extremely nice, the inside of the place was lovely, and the food (Italian) was great. My wedding co-ordinator set up the reservations and she also had me work with the Disney Florists who provided centerpieces for the two tables. We had to hire town cars to bring everyone back to their resort after the meal since the 4 hour limo service was up by the end of the meal and 4 town cars where cheaper than extending the limo. I would recommend this place for any intimate bride, and it is one of the few nice restraurants that serve lunch!

 

[MEME]

Congrats Jenny77,

We booked 'group' reservations at the 90 day out point by calling the Priority Seating number @ # 1-407-939-3463. I did this myself so that there would not be any confusion. I rec'vd our confirmation at the time of the call and periodically called back to confirm a month out and again the week of.

 

[Jenny77]

Thank you MEME!

I've been entertaining so many reception ideas, but they all seem to be a little out of my budget. Ohana should be perfect: casual, good food (and lots of it), and a fun theme (I'm obsessed with anything tropical/tiki).

I think that this is the answer, since I'm having an intimate wedding and definitely want to have lunch or dinner afterward...and venturing into custom wedding territory is a scary, scary thought!

Thanks again for your help!

 

[WDWbride2007]

Here is the information for renting private rooms in the restaurants of the Swan and Dolphin:

1. Palios - semi-private room that seats 32. There is no minimum or rental fee. You just choose a fixed menu and pay for the number of guests that will be going you.

2. BlueZoo- The minimum is $2000 for 2 sections and holds a max of 30.

3. Shula's Steakhouse -
Hall of Fame rooms (12-15 guests) - $1200 minimum
Ribeye room (20-28 guests) - $2200 minimum
Porterhouse room (30-42 guests) - $3200 minimum
No-Name Lounge: Entire Lounge (30-60 guests) - $2500 minimum
Partial Lounge (10-30 guests) - $1500 minimum

These minimums are for food and beverage and do not include tax and gratuity. For pictures, menus, and more information, visit www.swandolphin.com/privatedining.

 

[WDWINJUNE!]

Hi everyone~
I really need some advice on a reception dinner. Our ceremony is at 2 PM at Sunset Pointe. There's going to be about 8 of us and I cant decide on anywhere for dinner. Have a couple picky eaters in our group and I think that's what makes it hard to decide. I know that I want to wear my dress so it has to be outside the parks...but that's the only thing I'm sure of .Thanks for any advice. I really need to make a decision soon!

 

[groomtb]

can try one of the Swan/dolphin restaurants.

 

[Laurafoster]

in the swan/dolphin, Shula's has several private rooms (think the maximum amount of people is 40) Blue Zoo has 2 private area's (minimum is $2000) and palio's has a private area!

 

[groomtb]

some semi-private dining doesn't have a high minimum guest/spending, just fixed menu..forgot which ones.

**lol this was where i read about semi-private at swan/dolphin, Thanks wdwbride2007

 

[WDWbride2007]

All the info on swan/dolphin restaurants is on this thread..just scroll up =)

 

[evedein]

DD (melmel) was married at Sunset Pointe 12/6/05 at 3PM. We had the wedding dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse at 5:30PM. I can't say enough about how wonderful the restaurant & staff were. The manager, Paul e-mailed us the currant menu & we simply deleted the items we didn't want. Then he made up personallized menus with DD & new DH's name & date, no prices on menu & laid out as we requested ( Starters, salads,entrees & desert). People could then choose what they wanted. Of course, they all chose filet mignon. We paid for soft drinks & coffe/tea. Cash bar. Desert was wedding cake. The whole bill for 12 people including tip was $600 using Disney Dining Experience card. They gave us a semi-private room off to the side (more than 12 people wouldn't have worked). The whole experience was wonderful & Yachtsman is our new favorite restaurant. Everyone is still raving about it.
HTH
Eve

 

[WDWbride2007]

Quick question concerning Cali Grill....I have the dinner and reception menus (provided by UnderTheMistletoe), but are there any fees for setting up the private rooms? What type of seating arrangements do they offer? What type of beverage packages? Thanks!

 

[Melichar]

I have decided to start a new thread for intimate brides that wish to have a dinner reception after their ceremony and cake-cutting. I have been in contact with various venues, and I will share my information here. Please, feel free to add anything you may have learned as you planned your intimate wedding. When the list of venues is complete, I will post it to the Fairy Tale Wedding Info thread.

So far, I have looked at the Swan and Dolphin, Fulton's Crab House, and Arthur's 27 in the Wyndham hotel (DTD resort). I began with non-Disney operated venues on property because of the issues some intimates have had with wearing their dress for private functions. When I speak with private dining at Disney, I will post what I learn. It is also important to note that there are many other resorts that offer banquet rooms. My DF and I do not want anything resembling a banquet room, so I have limited my search to private rooms at restaurants that offer outdoor space or a nice view.

1. Fulton's Crab House offers two private rooms on the third deck. Each room has an exterior deck and windows on three sides. They look quite nice from the pictures. For a weekday, the food and beverage minimum was $1100, but it may go up $100-200 in the next two years. They offer different set menus that can include both seafood and non-seafood (steak or chicken) options. They can also offer linen upgrades for your event.

2. Arthur's 27 is a banquet space at the top floor of the Wyndham resort. It used to be a restaurant and offers a beautiful view of Disney property (including fireworks). The minimum for weekends is $5000 and for weekdays is $3000. They have very nice multiple course menus. They also offer upgrades on linens and floral centerpieces. The hotel also has a room with a view of their gardens that looks nice from pictures.

3. Swan and Dolphin offer various venues. There are several restaurants that offer private rooms (Shula's steakhouse, Palio, BlueZoo). I don't have the minimums yet, but will pass them along when I get the information. They do have set menus for each restaurant. If you work through the catering dept, they have several hospitality suites with windows and balconies. They look nice from the photos. There are also several outdoor terraces. There is no rental fee, but minimums depend on your menu choice. (Not sure what that means just yet)

I will be visiting these locations in May (a long time away). I will take lots of pics to post online. I hope this helps! If anyone has information on hosting private dining events as an intimate bride at Disney, please add your information here. Thanks!!!!

Hi,

Thanks for gathering this information, it is frustrating trying to figure all this out. We are getting married at the Pavilion on February 6, and we just came back from a short visit at Disney, and wanted to share that we met with Jennfier, our EM, who is very nice, and she confirmed that intimate brides are now allowed to wear their gowns if they have an Illuminations dessert party. The total for 20 people would come out to approx 1,500.00.

We have booked dinner at Narcosse's for 20, - we stopped by our last day there, but it was too early in the day and was not open - but it looks so nice, I hope it all works out well.

Also, regarding photograhers, we have booked Damon Tucci. We met him on this trip and loved him, and his work is amazing, very beautiful, elegant and stylish, and I think his prices are around the same range as Randy Chapman. We tried to book Randy at first, but he wasn't available. I am happy we are going with Damon, he isn't mentioned as much a Randy, but his work is outstanding.

 

[WDWbride2007]

Thanks so much, Melichar! I am so happy to hear that Disney came to their senses concerning intimate brides and the Illuminations dessert parties. This new fact changes my whole plan....for the better, of course! Did you have any problems reserving at Narcoosees for so many people? I have heard that it is a great restaurant. I think you will be very pleased with Damon Tucci. Several brides on the board used him and only have wonderful things to say about his work.

In other news, Janine recently indicated that the private dining department at the Grand Floridian is willing and able to help intimate brides. She is having a private dinner and Wishes dessert party at the GF marina (or close to it). The number to call for this type of event is 407-824-2473.

Keep those comments coming everyone!!!

 

[Boo0105]

Melichar,

Can you book the Illuminations party with your EM or do you have to do it with Epcot Catering?

Thanks