RedxPanda's PJ - Estimating Costs - Living Seas Salon Reception?

[RedxPanda]

I've lurked and searched and driven myself crazy.. so it's time for me to emerge from my quiet corner of the DISroom.

The current situation:

I'm in the process of trying to get everyone on board for a Wishes wedding...

DFTW is holding a day for us at them moment, for an escape wedding... but I had this revelation that we should just go for it! Wishes all the way!

We are having a hard time splitting the guest list for 18 guests... It is horrible and I got stomach aches and felt disturbed about the whole thing. DF and his family were saying if "She", aka the Devil aka me, wants a small DFTW then "she" can give up 2 of her guest count. I wouldn't have minded so Smuch, but the two guests they want aren't even family.. they are very close to them but not blood related... and I happen to have lots of family here with us in the central FL area that would love to attend. My mom was agitated at first too, but her and my dad are divorced and she isn't sure of how much money she and he can scrounge up to pay for this thing. So she said lets just give in and if they want to use up all the ceremony slots... we can just invite our other guests to the dinner we have afterward... we were thinking of just booking a group dinner at CA grill, or O'hana or another venue that could accommodate us fairly easily without needing a private room.

If we upgrade to Wishes..
We will most definitely have less than 50 guests... we are secretly hoping for 40 on the dot.. so we don't have to worry about the room block of 50. 85% of people are from Florida, so we aren't sure of who would actually want to stay on property.. which is crazy to me, b/c I love the resorts.. and I think a lot of my family would stay, but only a night or 2 and they could find 4 people to share just about each room if needed, and his family hasn't ever stayed on site. I'm hoping a nice planning packet via me will help coach everyone to stay with us at POR or POFQ. 20% off a mod sounds good enough to me!

The trick here, we want to keep the cost as close to the minimum $10k as possible. But the parents ae concerned that a Monday or Thursday will deter people from coming. I have a hard time believing this. Who doesn't want an excuse for a long weekend???!?!

We are going to cut most of the frills out of this... I don't need a big to do at the ceremony.. so we are going with the Yacht Club Wedding Gazebo.. I like that there is floral there already..

The reception is where I would like to spend most of the $10k, and with 40 ppl that should be easy. @ $100 a head, that's easily $4000 + any set-up and location fees. I like the Living Seas Salon.. but DF doesn't like the bus transport. He's coming around though. After I prodded him a bit he finally said I don't want to transport our family in those cheesy Disney Buses, that I love . I then had to explain that its a chartered motor coach... which is a bus for all intensive purposes, but I assume doesn't have plastic purple seats and advertisements for DVC.

Oki Doki, now to get to the point before you need a new cup

I am determined that we can do this! And I have rough estimates for just about everything. The big unknown to me is the cake.

I like the mad hatter but I fear the price that must be associated.
I also like the gift box and the happily ever after, and the mickey's delight.
We can probably put a bit into the cake, unless I talk them into a DP, which I think would be awesome, but would require another bus fee .

Sorry if I put you all to sleep, but if you're like me, you find comfort that there are plently of other DisBrides that are on a quest just like your own.

My first real question here is:
For 40-50 people... how much will a cake set us back?

 

[orangetiggs]

we are having a 2 tier mad hatter and its 450 plus tax, i dont have my beo to hand so dont know the exact costing

 

[RedxPanda]

we are having a 2 tier mad hatter and its 450 plus tax, i dont have my beo to hand so dont know the exact costing

Thanks, orangetiggs.
That's not too bad! I was afraid of a $1k pricetag on cake alone The parents would flip.

 

[disprincessatheart]

Last year I was planning a wedding for 40. We were going with the Mickey's delight and I belive it's $8.50ppn, but the smallest one feeds 50, so figure about $500 with the fees associated with the cake. Keep in mind though, that cake fee can count in your $100ppn food and beverage min.

 

[orangetiggs]

the cake we had on our first beo was arounf 900!! it was the mickey wave one with castle topper.

Disney are great and will help you stick to your budget.

We are around 12500 for 18 guests but i have a few extras that i can take out if needed but we have a reception after 2pm so that pushes the price up to 125 pp min spend on food for the grand floridian. we also have the pavillion which is the expensive venue.

It depends on your choices you make to how much or little your budget will come out to.

Our first budget from disney was $25000

 

[RedxPanda]

Last year I was planning a wedding for 40. We were going with the Mickey's delight and I belive it's $8.50ppn, but the smallest one feeds 50, so figure about $500 with the fees associated with the cake. Keep in mind though, that cake fee can count in your $100ppn food and beverage min.

Just what I needed to hear, as long as the cake goes towards that minimum, I think we'll be a-ok, being able to spread the cost across 40 guests, makes it seem like its not so expensive.

the cake we had on our first beo was arounf 900!! it was the mickey wave one with castle topper.
...
Disney are great and will help you stick to your budget.

It depends on your choices you make to how much or little your budget will come out to.

Our first budget from disney was $25000

I'll have to make sure I remind everyone of this as we plan.

It makes sense that they be flexible with what your wedding budget is.. after all the more you save on the wedding, all the more EVERYONE will spend just staying at the resorts and going to parks.

 

[RedxPanda]

I'd like some info on the Living Seas Salon...

How much set-up costs are involved. I know there is a site fee of $500, and that food & drinks, are $100 a head.

Is the table set-up included in the site fee? The wishbook notates that you have to use their tables and such.

If you had your reception at LSS, what did you have as entertainment? DF and I aren't BIG dancers, and we don't really like loud, annoying DJs. There is a Piano on site right? Would a pianist be enough? Or will people be expecting more?

Anything else I should be thinking of that will add cost to this location??

 

[lurkyloo]

Hi! LOVE your avatar - those red pandas are my all-time favorite animal!

The 3-tier Mad Hatter cake costs more than $900, so make sure they know you only want a two-tier one.

You can totally stick to the minimum for a Wishes wedding, especially if you have 40 or fewer guests. We only went $70 over it! And yes, that fact will be carved on my headstone...

I was hellbent on keeping to the minimum because we were originally going to do an Escape, but they kept saying it would make more sense to go to a Wishes and get more flexibility - which turned out to be true. However, I didn't like the way they were constantly telling me I didn't need to keep asking what counted toward the minimum because I would have no trouble meeting it (implying that everyone always goes way over).

Just keep asking questions around here - I learned TONS of tips that way!

 

[orangetiggs]

you need transport as you will be backstage at epcot.

We looked at LSS but decided againts it as we would ahve to have to change the table cloths as our colours wouldnt have gone.

We are just using an ipod for our reception as we are not big dancers

 

[lurkyloo]

I'd like some info on the Living Seas Salon...

How much set-up costs are involved. I know there is a site fee of $500, and that food & drinks, are $100 a head.

Is the table set-up included in the site fee? The wishbook notates that you have to use their tables and such.

If you had your reception at LSS, what did you have as entertainment? DF and I aren't BIG dancers, and we don't really like loud, annoying DJs. There is a Piano on site right? Would a pianist be enough? Or will people be expecting more?

Anything else I should be thinking of that will add cost to this location??

The food and beverage minimum is $2,450 for events before 4 pm and $3,500 for events after 4 pm. Although the tables can't be removed or rearranged, you can bring in up to three 72-inch banquet rounds of 10 at an additional charge. The table linens are navy, and you have to pay for additional linens if you want a different color.

Many people have just had a pianist and thought it was plenty of entertainment. Also, you can do alternative entertainment like a caricature artist or a magician (if you're into that).

The other costs are transportation - you're required to charter one or more buses for your guests (with 40 you'd only need one) at something like $95 an hour for a 3-hour minimum and $98/hour for a 5-hour minimum.

HTH!

 

[RedxPanda]

The food and beverage minimum is $2,450 for events before 4 pm and $3,500 for events after 4 pm. Although the tables can't be removed or rearranged, you can bring in up to three 72-inch banquet rounds of 10 at an additional charge. The table linens are navy, and you have to pay for additional linens if you want a different color.

The other costs are transportation - you're required to charter one or more buses for your guests (with 40 you'd only need one) at something like $95 an hour for a 3-hour minimum and $98/hour for a 5-hour minimum.

HTH!

It does!

We were aware of the transportation part, and I figure being a guest to other weddings before.. it would have been nice to have transport supplied... especially if you don't know where you're going! I think we will probably use it reguardless of where are locations are.

We looked at LSS but decided againts it as we would ahve to have to change the table cloths as our colours wouldnt have gone.

We are just using an ipod for our reception as we are not big dancers

Very cool, I assume there is a cost to set up a sound system for the IPOD thing? I was thinking of doing that at the ceremony.. if it would save against having a live violinist or the like.

Hi! LOVE your avatar - those red pandas are my all-time favorite animal!

You can totally stick to the minimum for a Wishes wedding, especially if you have 40 or fewer guests. We only went $70 over it! And yes, that fact will be carved on my headstone...

I was hellbent on keeping to the minimum because we were originally going to do an Escape, but they kept saying it would make more sense to go to a Wishes and get more flexibility - which turned out to be true. However, I didn't like the way they were constantly telling me I didn't need to keep asking what counted toward the minimum because I would have no trouble meeting it (implying that everyone always go way over).

Just keep asking questions around here - I learned TONS of tips that way!

red pandas, they look like a cuddley stuffed animal.

Good to know we're not the only crazy ones trying to keep it to a minimum... With all the other costs involved... the dress, invites, etc.. it adds up quick on top of the Disney costs... but I gotta do it! I want to earn my Bride Ears.

We looked at the swan and dolphin in addition to Disney, but the magic wasn't there for me.

 

[orangetiggs]

we are bringing our own speaker thingy from the uk over, its quite load and as we dont really want it for dancing just background music we thought it would do.

Disney charge around $250 for their ipod set up.

We are having the organist at the pavillion as its in with the price