Swan & Dolphin Weddings FAQ

[Dignity]

I been going back and forth between an escape or wishes wedding due to how many people we would like there. Recently with wishes price increase I have started considering SD wedding. I was wondering if any of you know about having ceremony at SD and a small reception (preferable a brunch, in a private room/venue) at a disney venue and epcot dessert party? I want to know how to go about booking and if that would fall under wishes pricing or would be consider a private event?

I could be totally wrong - but from what I've read and have been told (I am considering Escape or SD) - As a Swan & Dolphin bride: You would have to book any Disney dining as a private event. Unless the venue was in a Disney Resort you would NOT be able to wear wedding attire (this would include your DP). I would assume since you'd be booking as a private event it would be private event pricing.

 

[Astephens207]

Hi y'all I'm new here and just started my wedding planning. I've been reading the last few pages and had some questions for the swan brides that have done receptions at garden grove. Are you allowed to wear your dress there and what the price per person? I know some of these prices might change since we're getting married in 2015. For those of you married on the beach, just how public is it? Did it bother you that the playground was close?
My plans so far are
Ceremony at the terrace or the beach (
Cake and champaign
Music from violinist ( I plan on also taking a small iPod set up for our first dance)

I still considering the best option for a reception since we have a group of just 30.

Any ideas would be adored!!! I don't want to miss anything!

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi y'all I'm new here and just started my wedding planning. I've been reading the last few pages and had some questions for the swan brides that have done receptions at garden grove. Are you allowed to wear your dress there and what the price per person? I know some of these prices might change since we're getting married in 2015. For those of you married on the beach, just how public is it? Did it bother you that the playground was close?
My plans so far are
Ceremony at the terrace or the beach (
Cake and champaign
Music from violinist ( I plan on also taking a small iPod set up for our first dance)

I still considering the best option for a reception since we have a group of just 30.

Any ideas would be adored!!! I don't want to miss anything!

I attended a beach wedding (it was 10am on a Friday) and it felt very private. The planners did a good job of keeping the public away and the playground clear. It's a gorgeous location!!

Your plans look good so far! We had our reception at the Garden Grove which I highly recommend. Other girls have done Il Mulino, BlueZoo, Fulton's Crab House, and many other Disney-owned restaurants.

Let us know if we can help at all!

 

[MrsDuck]

I been going back and forth between an escape or wishes wedding due to how many people we would like there. Recently with wishes price increase I have started considering SD wedding. I was wondering if any of you know about having ceremony at SD and a small reception (preferable a brunch, in a private room/venue) at a disney venue and epcot dessert party? I want to know how to go about booking and if that would fall under wishes pricing or would be consider a private event?

Absolutely do-able. You would need to book both independently and it would be considered a private event - not sure how much pricing is for a Disney venue for brunch, however.

 

[aristocatz]

Hello

I am having so much fun reading about all the S/D brides on here! It really does seem like a hidden gem of "Disney weddings" I am actually wondering if anyone has information/ pictures of having a catered reception at the S/D ballrooms/reception rooms etc.

I have reached out to JM and S/D catering, and am unfortunately in that initial stage where I am checking my email every five minutes, even though I know darn well I wont hear anything else until this week sometime. I am a Catering and Private Dining Manager with Ruth's Chris Steak House, so I am probably going to shy away from a reception in one of the restaurant locations, since I spend 50+ hours each week in a restaurant. Though I have already seen some fantastic events in S/D restaurants.

If anyone can point me in the direction of my info/pictures on swan dolphin receptions, that would be fantastic! Oddly, I am hoping to find some pics of buffet set ups that they have had. I guess the catering manager in me is super picky about the food set up.

Thanks in advance for any help!

We had a reception in one of the convention rooms at the Swan. We were in the Pelican Room & it was a beautiful room. We had around 55 guests and a plated lunch wedding, so I cannot help you with buffet set up, but our tables were set up beautifully, as was our dance floor (we had a DJ). Food was amazing-from the appetizers at our cocktail hour to our plated meals (choice of seared chicken or salmon) to our beautiful cake. We were very happy with everything.

Our JM planner was Karen Gingerich & our catering manager was Lindsey Cullen-can't say enough wonderful things about them. They most definitely went above and beyond. Even if money was not a factor in our choices, I still would have gone with a Swan wedding, if I had to do anything over. It was a truly magical day

 

[aristocatz]

I been going back and forth between an escape or wishes wedding due to how many people we would like there. Recently with wishes price increase I have started considering SD wedding. I was wondering if any of you know about having ceremony at SD and a small reception (preferable a brunch, in a private room/venue) at a disney venue and epcot dessert party? I want to know how to go about booking and if that would fall under wishes pricing or would be consider a private event?

We had an Illuminations Dessert Party at Epcot (France Lower Terrace-great venue, in my experience). You do book through Disney Catered Events. They were wonderful to work with and we had the same menu and decor options as DFTW brides. We had our event the night before our wedding, so no wedding dress, but I think they told me wearing a wedding dress was an option, but we would have needed to book additional transportation to enter the parks from backstage. We were very happy with having our event the night before our wedding-it was the best event of our wedding (besides the ceremony of course!)

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Even if money was not a factor in our choices, I still would have gone with a Swan wedding, if I had to do anything over. It was a truly magical day

I so agree with this. I know that there's an assumption that people choose the Swan for its lower price, but that really wasn't a factor for us at all. Our wedding could have easily been an Escape event, and pricing only would have been about $200 more for the comparable services we booked. The reason we went with the Swan was because we received such stellar customer service from the Swan and Just Marry before booking (which wasn't our experience with DFTW or Disney Catered Events), and because things were so much more customizable in terms of options and vendor selection. We were so pleased with all of the events we booked at the Swan and Dolphin, and if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't do it any differently.

 

[MrsDuck]

I so agree with this. I know that there's an assumption that people choose the Swan for its lower price, but that really wasn't a factor for us at all. Our wedding could have easily been an Escape event, and pricing only would have been about $200 more for the comparable services we booked. The reason we went with the Swan was because we received such stellar customer service from the Swan and Just Marry before booking (which wasn't our experience with DFTW or Disney Catered Events), and because things were so much more customizable in terms of options and vendor selection. We were so pleased with all of the events we booked at the Swan and Dolphin, and if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't do it any differently.

This this this this!

 

[aristocatz]

I so agree with this. I know that there's an assumption that people choose the Swan for its lower price, but that really wasn't a factor for us at all. Our wedding could have easily been an Escape event, and pricing only would have been about $200 more for the comparable services we booked. The reason we went with the Swan was because we received such stellar customer service from the Swan and Just Marry before booking (which wasn't our experience with DFTW or Disney Catered Events), and because things were so much more customizable in terms of options and vendor selection. We were so pleased with all of the events we booked at the Swan and Dolphin, and if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't do it any differently.

For me, it was the customization and the constant communication I received from our planner and our catering manager. I was really turned off by the DFTW policy of only allowing one brief phone call with your planner for Escape weddings or one in-person meeting for Wishes brides. I know that most of them ended up very satisfied with how everything turned out, but for me, that would have been very stressful-especially with us living so far away from WDW. Every member of our wedding team was willing to communicate with us as many times as we needed-in person, on the phone, email, site visits, tasting session, etc... they really made sure we were up to date and comfortable with every detail. My planner would get back to me in a matter of hours, even on her day off sometimes! That communication was really important to me.

I do want to add that our experience with Disney Events was also very positive. We used them to book Minnie and Mickey and we also used them to book our DP. Our DP planner, Sylvester, was awesome. Very nice and helpful. He even showed up on the night of our event to make sure everything was going well & wish us congratulations

 

[Maria Pope]

Hello everyone!!
So, I've been so set on doing a DFTW... but reading everything about the SD weddings, I'm torn! I want the disney magic, but I am NOT willing to paying so much money for it. We were looking at the Escape package, and we had our guests chosen, which was hard because a few very very VERY close people would be left out. (Including my best friend of 13 years!) And I REFUSE to paying for a wishes package that includes pretty much nothing! Now I have Passporters book (the new one that just came out last month) for the weddings and honeymoons, and I saw the different packages that they have for the SD. They are so reasonable and I can have my 25 guests! Now I have a few questions for those who have done the SD wedding!

1. Can I bring my own officiant? (I want my cousin to marry us, like he married my sister)

2. How was your experience? Was it magical? Any regrets, or advice?

3. Can I have just a sit down dinner instead of a whole reception? (I'm not one for big parties, I try to avoid them if I can.)

4. Would anyone like to share their budget and how much they spent on theirs?! That would be awesome!!

~Maria

 

[lurkyloo]

Not a Swan & Dolphin bride, but after interviewing several of them for my podcast, I can say that no one I've spoken to has ever felt their S&D wedding was anything less than magical, and they all rave about Just Marry's services.

You can absolutely bring your own officiant, and you can make a large-group reservation in a restaurant or hire a private room in one if you want.

 

[Maria Pope]

Not a Swan & Dolphin bride, but after interviewing several of them for my podcast, I can say that no one I've spoken to has ever felt their S&D wedding was anything less than magical, and they all rave about Just Marry's services. You can absolutely bring your own officiant, and you can make a large-group reservation in a restaurant or hire a private room in one if you want.

You have done it again! You're awesome! Thank you so much!

 

[MrsDuck]

Hello everyone!!
So, I've been so set on doing a DFTW... but reading everything about the SD weddings, I'm torn! I want the disney magic, but I am NOT willing to paying so much money for it. We were looking at the Escape package, and we had our guests chosen, which was hard because a few very very VERY close people would be left out. (Including my best friend of 13 years!) And I REFUSE to paying for a wishes package that includes pretty much nothing! Now I have Passporters book (the new one that just came out last month) for the weddings and honeymoons, and I saw the different packages that they have for the SD. They are so reasonable and I can have my 25 guests! Now I have a few questions for those who have done the SD wedding!

1. Can I bring my own officiant? (I want my cousin to marry us, like he married my sister)

2. How was your experience? Was it magical? Any regrets, or advice?

3. Can I have just a sit down dinner instead of a whole reception? (I'm not one for big parties, I try to avoid them if I can.)

4. Would anyone like to share their budget and how much they spent on theirs?! That would be awesome!!

~Maria

Hi Maria!
1. Yes, you can bring your own officiant. You can provide your own vendors for everything!

2. I had a perfect day. Seriously. It was magical and everything I dreamed it would be. Nothing but A's for all of my vendors - there are reviews in my planning journal (link in my signature) to get there and the posts are sorted by topic so you can easily read what you're interested in.

3. Yes, you can! I had my reception at a regular restaurant during normal operating hours. It was perfect.

4. Budget breakdown in planning journal as well. We had 53 guests and our budget was $10k. We went over but that was because I kept adding unnecessary extras. A Swan and Dolphin wedding can be done beautifully on almost any budget.

We were in the same boat as you - we didn't want to pay for a DFTW and at the time there were sketchy reviews about their service. No way I was shelling out $20k based on what I was reading.

S/D was a fantastic option. You can do everything a DFTW bride can except an MK photo shoot and Cindy's carriage.

I will admit - I was worried my wedding wouldn't feel magical or "Disney" enough but honestly, it was perfect. None of my guests knew that it wasn't a "real" Disney wedding - we even had Goofy and Pluto at our reception!

Let us know if we can help at all; we have a Facebook group. PM me if you'd like to be added.

Not a Swan & Dolphin bride, but after interviewing several of them for my podcast, I can say that no one I've spoken to has ever felt their S&D wedding was anything less than magical, and they all rave about Just Marry's services.

You can absolutely bring your own officiant, and you can make a large-group reservation in a restaurant or hire a private room in one if you want.

 

[Maria Pope]

Hi Maria! 1. Yes, you can bring your own officiant. You can provide your own vendors for everything! 2. I had a perfect day. Seriously. It was magical and everything I dreamed it would be. Nothing but A's for all of my vendors - there are reviews in my planning journal (link in my signature) to get there and the posts are sorted by topic so you can easily read what you're interested in. 3. Yes, you can! I had my reception at a regular restaurant during normal operating hours. It was perfect. 4. Budget breakdown in planning journal as well. We had 53 guests and our budget was $10k. We went over but that was because I kept adding unnecessary extras. A Swan and Dolphin wedding can be done beautifully on almost any budget. We were in the same boat as you - we didn't want to pay for a DFTW and at the time there were sketchy reviews about their service. No way I was shelling out $20k based on what I was reading. S/D was a fantastic option. You can do everything a DFTW bride can except an MK photo shoot and Cindy's carriage. I will admit - I was worried my wedding wouldn't feel magical or "Disney" enough but honestly, it was perfect. None of my guests knew that it wasn't a "real" Disney wedding - we even had Goofy and Pluto at our reception! Let us know if we can help at all; we have a Facebook group. PM me if you'd like to be added.

Oh wow! Thank you! Made me feel better about the SD wedding! I will definitely look at your link as soon as I can get to a computer! I'm not at all upset that we can't do a photoshoot in MK or not have the carriage, I wasn't willing to pay almost 3K for it anyways! We will be taking plenty of photos for sure, even if we're in front of the castle with a bunch of people around us, it doesn't matter to me. I'm not difficult when it comes to that.

We will probably be having 24-30 guests, not a lot at all, and there's a lot of things I don't care to have (certain extras) so I know we won't be spending much. I'd rather have a lot of spending cash for our honeymoon. I would like to keep our budget from $7,000-10. I do not want to go over that. I can't wait to start actually planning! We are looking at 2016, but I would like to push it back to 2017. Gives us and our family more time to save up for this destination wedding (We are from the Jersey Shore).

Thanks again! I'll keep you posted and will ask more questions if I think of anything! haha

~Maria

 

[Maria Pope]

Oh! And I just realized that I saw YOUR video on Pinterest!!! You looked beautiful!

 

[Wonders10]

Hello ladies!im seriously considering having our wedding at the swan/dolphin in March 2015. Still waiting for my ring, but boyfriend has started planning with me. Men . I've dreamed of a disney wedding but even the intimate package is pushing our budget. Is it possible to do everything (ceremony, celebratory dinner, flowers, etc) for around $5000? Guest list will be 20-30, I'm thinking closer to 20 for sure.

Questions...

For those that did your dinner at Garden Grove, did you feel like you had hundreds of strangers at your wedding? Did they put you some place semi-private? Would I be able to have a cake delivered there?

What other restaurants have you all used for reception meals? I'm torn between a morning ceremony and brunch or late afternoon ceremony and dinner.

Is there a price minimum or increase in price if a ceremony is on a weekend (like the dftw)?

I'm sure I'll have a billion questions as I go along! This thread has been very helpful already! Thank you!

 

[MrsDuck]

Hello ladies!im seriously considering having our wedding at the swan/dolphin in March 2015. Still waiting for my ring, but boyfriend has started planning with me. Men . I've dreamed of a disney wedding but even the intimate package is pushing our budget. Is it possible to do everything (ceremony, celebratory dinner, flowers, etc) for around $5000? Guest list will be 20-30, I'm thinking closer to 20 for sure.

Questions...

For those that did your dinner at Garden Grove, did you feel like you had hundreds of strangers at your wedding? Did they put you some place semi-private? Would I be able to have a cake delivered there?

What other restaurants have you all used for reception meals? I'm torn between a morning ceremony and brunch or late afternoon ceremony and dinner.

Is there a price minimum or increase in price if a ceremony is on a weekend (like the dftw)?

I'm sure I'll have a billion questions as I go along! This thread has been very helpful already! Thank you!

Welcome!

The Swan and Dolphin is a wonderful place to have a Disney wedding!

If you're careful, I think $5k could work for your plans. That said, you'll have to be conscious of your extras and choices (ie: no peonies, maybe no Minnie and Mickey).

I had my reception at Garden Grove during the busiest week at Disney (Christmas week) and seriously didn't even notice the other guests dining at Garden Grove. Our reservation was for 53 people at 5:45pm - we asked to be seated on the upper level of the restaurant near the tree. I NOTICED the other guests but they were kind and didn't try to come over or gawk.

Goofy and Pluto of course made their rounds with the other dinner guests but spent loads of time with us - more than I expected!

Other girls have had their reception at Il Mulino, Shula's, BlueZoo, Fulton's Crab House, and other Downtown Disney locations.

Of course, doing lunch or breakfast could be cheaper.

As of 2012 there no were minimums to meet - ever. Which is why S/D is so wonderful!

Please don't hesitate to ask questions, PM us, or join our Facebook group (PM me if you want to join).

Welcome and hope you get that ring soon!

 

[Maria Pope]

Okay ladies, it's official, my mind is SET on a S/D wedding. I do not want a reception, just a nice sit down dinner. Has anyone done the Il Mulino? The food sounds delicious, but how is it with a larger group? There will be about 24 of us, including the DF and I.

I have also decided that we won't be getting married until 2017, a 3 year enagement. (we're still so young, I'm only 20 & he's 21) But I figured it's never too early to start planning and getting prices! I've been planning my wedding since I was 4.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Wonders10]

Okay ladies, it's official, my mind is SET on a S/D wedding. I do not want a reception, just a nice sit down dinner. Has anyone done the Il Mulino? The food sounds delicious, but how is it with a larger group? There will be about 24 of us, including the DF and I.

I have also decided that we won't be getting married until 2017, a 3 year enagement. (we're still so young, I'm only 20 & he's 21) But I figured it's never too early to start planning and getting prices! I've been planning my wedding since I was 4.

Thanks for all the help!

I'm still in the super early planning stages but Il Mulino is in iur too 3 choices right now. Curious to see others responses. Also, if anyone did brunch at Il Mulino, would love to hear that too. What times did you have it?

 

[aristocatz]

For those of you planning a S/D wedding on a budget, you might want to look into having a brunch through Fresh Mediterranean Market, located at the Dolphin.

We almost booked a brunch there for our wedding, but ended up with a lunch in one of the Swan ballrooms, due to an increase in guest size.

Fresh is a really pretty restaurant & they are really nice to work with. I remember the catering menu being pretty reasonably priced as well