Urgent help needed: How long to book Disney wedding?

[Phantasia]

Figured someone on this board might be able to give me a rapid response ...

The BF and I were just talking and think we might want to get married at WDW when we're there from Sep 28-Oct 9. So ... that's about two-three weeks from now. :cloud9:

Does anyone know ... can you book a wedding with Disney on such short notice? I looked up and down the website and couldn't find anything to answer my question. I've contacted them, but haven't heard back yet.

Thanks!!!

[Twinkletoes77705]

Oh good luck and I really hope it works out for you. That is my biggest regret EVER! DO it!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

[Phantasia]

Oh good luck and I really hope it works out for you. That is my biggest regret EVER! DO it!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

Well ... it's looking like it might not be possible. On another board I saw that they need 21 days notice for an Intimate Wedding (and that info was from 2006), and that would put it on our very last day in FLA. And that's if I call and book today!

The BF and I have been together forever, and we just came upon the idea since the whole family will be on this Disney vacation with us, so they'd all be there.

Neither of us wants a big traditional wedding, so it seemed perfect. :)

[offwego]

Well ... it's looking like it might not be possible. On another board I saw that they need 21 days notice for an Intimate Wedding (and that info was from 2006), and that would put it on our very last day in FLA. And that's if I call and book today!

The BF and I have been together forever, and we just came upon the idea since the whole family will be on this Disney vacation with us, so they'd all be there.

Neither of us wants a big traditional wedding, so it seemed perfect. :)
A not as perfect but close to perfect might be to do one "yourself" by contacting WDW Dine and arranging a private room (say at Cali Grill or Jiko's off the top of my head) and arranging a private officiant to join your party to perform the ceremony.

I'm pretty sure that's allowed (albeit less formal perhaps than what you wanted but I'm not sure what scale of event you were thinking)

[DizneyRox]

Well ... it's looking like it might not be possible. On another board I saw that they need 21 days notice for an Intimate Wedding (and that info was from 2006), and that would put it on our very last day in FLA. And that's if I call and book today!

The BF and I have been together forever, and we just came upon the idea since the whole family will be on this Disney vacation with us, so they'd all be there.

Neither of us wants a big traditional wedding, so it seemed perfect. :)
If you called, I'm sure you now know the price... Good luck!

[Twinkletoes77705]

I agree with above. I would try to arrange it myself! It might not be AS big...but wow...I wish I would have done that. I now want to renew vows on our 15th anniversary! :cloud9: Just 2 more years to go! Please let us know...I am pulling for ya. You could even do it on the beach at the Poly. :party:

[Suz36]

Can't help with any info, but wow! Congrats and good luck!

[LittleRoosMommy]

Congratulations! Hope it all works out for you!!

[Phantasia]

Thanks for the congrats and the well-wishes, everyone!

It is very exciting, but both BF and I are still figuring out if this is what we want to do. We're leaning toward it because, well, we both really want to be married, and because almost everyone we would possibly want to be at our wedding will be there, vacation in Disney with us. :)

But ... that leaves me with the challenge of planning a wedding from start to finish in two weeks!

Or we'll just chicken out... ;)

[Tick-Tock]

How exciting!

If you decide to go forward with it, don't forget about the marriage license requirements.

[Phantasia]

How exciting!

If you decide to go forward with it, don't forget about the marriage license requirements.

It looks as though, for Canadian residents, there are no requirements. Other than passports to prove you are who you say. :) (And $93.50.)

... And we're inching closer and closer to actually doing this. Would be letting my parents in on the secret tonight!

[momofdisneyprincess]

How exciting! Please keep us posted if you are able to pull this off. Good luck!

[TheVBs]

Congratulations and good luck! :mickey: I have no doubt that someone at Disney can make this happen for you. Please keep us posted!

[mouseketeer mom]

What's the hurry? Why not plan a second trip down and take your time so its not so hectic?

[Phantasia]

What's the hurry? Why not plan a second trip down and take your time so its not so hectic?

The only reason for the hurry is that most of our family will be going down with us ... and it will be the last time for at least a few years that everyone will be able to afford it. And, so, unless I want to wait another 3+ years to get married, if I want a Disney wedding it is now or never.

So, it appears that 30 days notice IS the minimum for Escape Weddings, but there are lots of places that will do weddings on this short notice. Some just off Disney property, others that are independent companies on Disney Property, like the Buena Vista Palace, Regal Sun, Swan/Dolphin, Fulton's Crab House, etc. And, of course, there is Celebration. :)

I have to be honest, we're losing steam on the idea a bit. I have absolutely no doubt that we'd be able to get it all organized, but there is the question of should we rush it. That is ... how much do we really want to be married in Florida? Or take the time to get properly engaged, and spend time enjoying planning the wedding. (Of course, giving me a timeline is always a good idea ... I can't imagine stressing over details for a year!!)

As one earlier poster mentioned, the idea of doing the ceremony at a Downtown Disney hotel, and then having the wedding dinner somewhere at a Disney resort sounded really appealing. When I look at people's photos from off-property, compared to those ON property ... well, it reminds me that Disney-run properties are really beautiful, beautiful things.

Seriously, any advice appreciated. I'm super torn right now. :(

[thumperbug]

When my hubby and I were thinking about how, when etc to get married, we looked into a Disney wedding. We already had a vacation planned and figured we would get married while we are there. The price for just the two of us was nuts...we were planning to elope anyway so we went to a justice of the peace on the morning we were leaving for our trip and then made the Disney vacation a honeymoon. When we got back from vacation everyone asked how the vacation was and we told them "we made it a honeymoon". Since your family is going to be at Disney with you to celebrate, why not consider a justice of the peace at home before you go then everyone can share in the celebrating at Disney.

[TheVBs]

I know it must be really difficult to figure out what to do right now. I can imagine being in your position and I would be torn too!

I think what you need to do is sit down with your fiance and talk about what's important to you on your wedding day. How do you want it to go? Talk about how it would play out if you did it on this trip and if you're happy with that - go for it! If you want it to go a particular way and it just won't happen that way unless you wait, then wait. It's your wedding day, make sure it goes the way you want it to go. Rushing it is fine as long as you're happy with it.

[teambricker04]

I can't help with the WDW aspect of this... but, I got married in FL (and in a jiffy as well!) and you can get married in FL by a notary which is different than in a lot of states. My aunt was a notry in FL so we did it on St. Pete Beach and then honeymooned at WDW. It was super easy and perfect. I agree... if WDW can't do it, then book a room and find someone to marry you! A DIY WDW Wedding!:mickey:

[passholderryan]

My wife and I got married at the Swan/Dolphin in April 2008. It was incredible. Because they have a huge convention center there, they should be capable of handling a wedding on short notice. A great location, which we had, was outside the swan just to the right of the bridge that takes you to the Boardwalk. It was outdoors and easily sat 100. We then had an indoor/outdoor cocktail hour followed by a reception inside the Swan. They took care of everything. We did most of the other booking from my home computer....Photographer/Music/Flowers/. But they can handle that as well. There is a link on swandolphin.com that has a link for their weddings.
PM me if you want to see some photos. We had the Swan/Dolphin/Boardwalk in all the photos.

[Twinkletoes77705]

It is so hard to tell others anything. I am not one that "dreamed" of getting married. I did not "plan" what my dress would be...etc. My husband and I rented costumes and had a renissance (sp) wedding. It was awesome. I am not this traditional type of girl. I am more an emotional type...flower and white gowns dont make me happy...DISNEY WORLD does...hehehe. If I had gone there b4 I got married...my wedding would have been there. However if your the type of person that dreamed of how your wedding would be and all that stuff...you might wanna wait so it can be just what YOU want. Let us know what you decide. Good luck...either way...you will have a wonderful trip!

[Phantasia]

So, today we made our decision ... WE'RE GOING TO BE MARRIED IN UNDER TWO WEEKS!!:D

The clincher was opening up to my mom and asking her what she thought ... if she thought we were absolutely out of our trees, or if she thought we could get it together. Her response? Great! Perfect! Sounds like fun! And, with that encouragement, I suddenly found myself officially engaged and planning a destination wedding. :cloud9:


Since your family is going to be at Disney with you to celebrate, why not consider a justice of the peace at home before you go then everyone can share in the celebrating at Disney.

That's a great idea, but my brother-in-law is actually the one who is going to be performing the ceremony!


Talk about how it would play out if you did it on this trip and if you're happy with that - go for it! If you want it to go a particular way and it just won't happen that way unless you wait, then wait.

Thanks to your great advice, that's exactly how we approached it, and we realized that the ability to have our wedding in a place we love surrounded by people we love just was too rare an opportunity to pass up, so we decided to grab it! :D


I got married in FL (and in a jiffy as well!) and you can get married in FL by a notary which is different than in a lot of states ... I agree... if WDW can't do it, then book a room and find someone to marry you! A DIY WDW Wedding!:mickey:

That's basically what we're doing. We're in the process right now of trying to find a notary ... not to perform the ceremony, because, as I mentioned above, my brother-in-law will be performing it (and he was SO HAPPY to be asked.) We just need them there for the official paperwork bits... And then we're going to do it on Disney property through either the Swan/Dolphin or one of the DTD resorts.


We did most of the other booking from my home computer....Photographer/Music/Flowers/. But they can handle that as well.


I'll definitely be PMing you re: photos and any vendor recommendations you care to make. I'm likely going through Just Marry!, but if there are things I can take care of for less on my own, I definitely will. Thanks for the great first-hand account, and the offer of sharing your photos.


Let us know what you decide. Good luck...either way...you will have a wonderful trip!

Thank you so much! We're thrilled with our decision. Like you, we're not really "traditional" wedding folks, so we're quite happy to do a quiet, small ceremony where we can focus on each other and our nearest and dearest, rather than the hoopla that goes into the poofy dress and a huge, blown out reception. ... and it'll all be at Disney!!! :mickey:

Thanks everyone! I'll definitely keep you posted on here. :D

[Dsnygirl]

:cloud9: Congratulations on your decision... I was reading through this thread earlier tonight, and wondered what your final decision was going to be. Honestly, I was hoping you'd decide to go for it -- you sounded so excited about the whole thing every time you talked about it, and sad when you mentioned putting it off. So, I'm so glad you guys decided to make it happen -- I'm looking forward to following this thread through your magical day!! :mickey:

[Twinkletoes77705]

Oh Joy! :cloud9: Yall are going to have a wonderful time. I am very happy for yall. Congrats and have fun planning. Dont get too stressed out...just enjoy yourselves and remember...the wedding is the smallest part of your new beginning! :thumbsup:

[barbiegirl314]

Congratulations!!! I'm glad things are working out for you.

Make sure you keep us up to date and don't forget to post pictures for us.

[TheVBs]

How wonderful!! I'm so excited for you! Can't wait to hear how it goes, and please show us pictures when you get back. I know it will be magical! :mickey:

[anneo]

Another thing you might want to do is call and have it notated on your reservation that you're on your honeymoon or tell them when you check in to your room. We were treated like royalty when we had our honeymoon at Disney. They gave us little perks, and we even got a room upgrade. Probably one of the best memories we have from our honeymoon was on POTC. We were wearing our Just Married buttons, and one of the cast members gave us a boat all to ourselves. He said we were on our honeymoon cruise, but to remember to keep things G rated because there are video cameras all throughout the ride. :mickey:

[Phantasia]

Okay, so things are starting to come together.

Ceremony:
We're just awaiting confirmation, but we're hopeful that we'll get 2pm at the Crescent Terrace at the Swan. We're thinking a simple brass arch w/ flowers. (Haven't picked a color yet - suggestions welcome! I'm thinking in the yellow-y, orange-y, fuschia-y vein...). My DEAR brother-in-law is performing the ceremony (he's a Lutheran minister). We've got our readings and vows picked out, but they're dull, so I won't bother sharing. :P Solo violinist for music.

Oh, and I just got my dress yesterday at David's Bridal! I live near Toronto, so the nearest David's Bridal was ~2.5hrs away. Immediately after work, I drove down there, picked up my mom and my sister on the way, and made it by 8pm. Tried on 8 dresses and came away with one I LOVE, all in under an hour. :party:

With only 10 guests (well, 9, really ... one is my minister brother-in-law, and he won't need a chair), we're not having any wedding party - just us up there as bride and groom.

Champagne Reception:
Immediately after the ceremony, we're going to have a little cake and champagne (and sparkling cider for the kids) at the Crescent Terrace.

Photos: Then we'll start the running around for the pro shots - arch, beach, etc. at the Swan/Dolphin. Then all 12 of us will walk over to the Boardwalk for a few more pro photos (as long as we have him/her), and when their time with us is up, I've hired my lovely niece to start snapping away. I think the Boardwalk and Yacht/Beach are just stunning. After playing on the Boardwalk for a bit, we're going to head to the Magic Kingdom resort area and snap a quick few pics at the Poly (my mom's DREAM resort) and then head over to the GF for some photos before our dinner reservation. :)

Wedding Dinner:
We're currently booked at Citricos in the main room, but I'm starting to wonder if Narcoossee's might be better. We're thinking an 8 or 8:30 seating. Anyone have a preference between the two?

I think that's about it! See? Totally manageable in two weeks. :cloud9:

Thanks again, everyone, for the advice and well wishes. I'll share more info and updates as I have 'em!

Oh, and we leave for our vacation on Friday evening! We're driving down, and it's a 2.25 day drive. We arrive at FW Sunday night.


Another thing you might want to do is call and have it notated on your reservation that you're on your honeymoon or tell them when you check in to your room... one of the cast members gave us a boat all to ourselves. He said we were on our honeymoon cruise ...

That's a great idea -- and what a wonderful story! I got shivers reading it. We get to spend a week in the parks with "Engaged" buttons, and then a week in the parks with "Just Married" buttons. :P

[LittleRoosMommy]

Your plans sound great!!! And you were worried in your first post that you wouldn't be able to pull it together in 2 weeks!! It sounds like you've got everything under control!!!

I think either Citricos or Narcoosee's will be great for your dinner. Definitely get in noted on your ressie about this being your honeymoon! What a great place to start your new life together!!

Congrats!! Hope you have a wonderful trip and wedding!!:mickey:

[Twinkletoes77705]

:cloud9: :cloud9: :cloud9: Sounds great...thanks for sharing with us. When you return please do a trip report. Can not wait to hear how it went. Sounds like you did great and got all the stress out in a few days...while other ppl spend up to a year stressing out! Good for you! May God bless you all! :thumbsup:

[Patricia]

Sounds wonderful!

I've been following your progress in this thread. You went from "I don't know" to a complete wedding plan in 5 days!

Fantastic! I'm so happy for you.


:tink: Congratulations!!

[Dsnygirl]

Wow -- your plans sound great!! And to think you've pulled it all together so quickly... good for you! It sounds absolutely magical, and I can't wait to see pics and hear how everything goes!! :cloud9:

[TheVBs]

See, it was just meant to be! :pixie: Your plans sound wonderful. :mickey:

[Aggie97]

Wow -- this is so exciting to read about! Your plan sounds just wonderful. Congratulations and very best wishes to you! :mickey:

[another tink]

We ate at Narcoossee's last time we were there and loved it. Its right by the water looking toward MK> Food was great also. I have never been to Citricos, so can't comment on it. Congrats and good luck.:thumbsup:

[ozmom]

Congratulations - looking forward to trip report and pictures. :mickey:

[momofdisneyprincess]

I'm so incredibly thrilled for you. Please post a trip report complete with pics when you get back. I can't wait to hear all about it. Actually, what is the date of the "big day"? I might actually be down there then and maybe I'll be lucky enough to catch a sneak peak of the photo ops.

[Iluvpooh]

glad you came up with a plan. I was going to suggest this.
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/park/cruises.asp

[betteratmk]

:congrats: Trip report please, we leave Saturday as well, Have the best day ever :D

[Phantasia]

Almost everything is done now ... from engagement to wedding plans complete in under 5 days. :magic:

Wedding Day Morning:
First thing in the morning, DF and I are going to cab it out to the County Court in order to get our marriage license. If this part doesn't go well, we're really stuck. ;) Then we're going to stop for a cozy breakfast somewhere along the way back to Disney. Maybe mimosas? ;)

Pre-Ceremony
DF and I bid each other adieu until 2pm ... the women in the wedding (my mom, two of my sisters and my two nieces) gather in a suite in the Swan to get our hair & makeup done, and get dressed.

I'm not entirely sure what the men are planning to be up to at this point. (And "the men" are my dad, brother-in-law minister, my two young nephews, my sister's boyfriend and the blushing groom.)

Wedding Ceremony Date & Time:
We'll be holding the ceremony at the Walt Disney World Swan's Crescent Terrace at 2pm, on Thursday, October 1, 2009.
:groom::bride:
(For those of you following along, yes, we had to bump the wedding up a day in order to get the venue and vendors we wanted.)


Dress is bought (and beautiful) - it's strapless chiffon A-line with an elegantly beaded bodice and airy pleated chiffon skirt. Oh and it has a chapel train. (Not practical for an outdoor wedding, but ... how often do I get to wear a wedding dress??)
Just in the process of finalizing flowers (going with a red-orange-yellow theme) - I just fell in love with mango mini calla lilies and they're driving my costs up. : (
Working out the song list for the solo violinist (thinking a mix of traditional, Disney and film scores) - Recommendations welcome! The only one I'm set on right now is "Two Hornpipes (Tortuga)" from the PotC films as the recessional. :D


After the ceremony we'll be walking over to enjoy cut the beautiful Swan two-tier wedding cake and do our champagne toast (sparkling cider for the kiddies.)

After Ceremony
We have the photographer for almost a full hour after the time at the Terrace, so then we're off to the Boardwalk for photos. :photo: I've only been there once before -- are there particularly beautiful or "don't miss taking a shot HERE" spots? Tips definitely appreciated.

Once the photographer's time is up, we're going to continue snapping shots, a little more informally, but also want to take this time before our dinner to really have some fun.

We're going to use my sister's minivan to shuttle my guests from the Epcot resort area to the Magic Kingdom resort area, where we're going to stop for pics at the Poly before continuing on to the GF.

Wedding Dinner
Our wedding dinner is CONFIRMED! It was touch and go there for a bit, but they were able to get us a spot at Citricos for 12 people at 8:20pm. I've never been to Citricos before, but it looks absolutely gorgeous (and matches my wedding colours) and the reviews I've read have left my mouth watering.

And last, but FAR from least, I want to thank EVERYONE who has been incredibly helpful and supportive on Intercot. I always share all the replies with DF and it helped to keep us both sane this week. A huge hug to all of you! :grouphug:

We're starting on our drive in just a few hours!

[momofdisneyprincess]

Fabuous! So bummed I will miss it but I will anxiously await your trip report. Congrats to you and the DF!!! :cloud9:

[LittleRoosMommy]

Everything sounds wonderful!!! I wish you all the best on your wedding next week! I can't
wait to read all about it after you return home!!

:congrats:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

That sounds so great, keep us posted:cloud9:

[Phantasia]

We made it! We just arrived at Fort Wilderness and settled into our site (after 2 1/4 days on the road driving from Canada.) When we checked in they didn't seem to have seen our note on the reservation that it was our engagement, wedding and honeymoon trip, so we had to mention it to get our buttons. (They also gave "We're celebrating..." buttons to my parents. ;) )

Tomorrow we're planning to drive into Orlando to get our MARRIAGE LICENSE and pick up one more, absolutely VITAL ingredient for the wedding... my shoes.

That's right, every detail has been taken care of, except for my footwear for the big day. My dress is a little long, so I have to get a little bit of height. So, after we do the marriage license thing, we're going to hit the Florida Mall and see if we can't score some fancy sandals. :)

After that, we're meeting up with the rest of the family (who drove separately from Canada) in the Magic Kingdom. :D :D :D

Still can't believe we're here! :cloud9:

[beksy]

Congratulations! I hope you have a fabulous wedding and honeymoon! :congrats: :bride: :groom:

[Phantasia]

I wanted to say "Thank You" again to everyone who was so supportive throughout my brief planning process -- it was wonderful to have so many recommendations and great folks cheering us on!

We're safely back home now ... and married!

In order to make sure everything is in its right place, I'm going to let this thread die and start a trip report thread in Trip Reports. So, if you'd like to follow along and see how everything played out, check there later today!

(I'll give you a hint though ... it may sound cheesy, but the wedding trip at WDW was absolutely MAGICAL. Unbelievably so.)

Monica

[nicster]

I will be watching for your report! :congrats:

[Dsnygirl]

Can't wait to read your report... will you have picture?? (please?? :blush:)