Some people have their heart set on a wedding with a few Disney touches, whether that means glass slippers on the ring bearer pillow, pumpkin coaches in the corner, or a magnificent Magic Kingdom ice sculpture.
But for others, the little touches aren't enough. Their heart's set on holding their wedding at Disney itself ... the "Happiest Place on Earth."
The only catch, of course — and for the true Disneyphile this isn't too big a burden — is the expense. A Disney wedding isn't for the faint of budget. If you're planning to have anything but the smallest bash, be prepared to shell out significant bucks.
Still, if you have them, you can often look forward to a flawlessly-managed, white glove affair where your coordinator handles everything, leaving you free to savor every detail.
Large Wedding, Small Budget
You won't have even a small Disney wedding for less than $3500, but that doesn't mean you can't grab some fairy dust anyway.
Hold your reception nearby, then pile into the Magic Kingdom for a mad Hatter tea party brunch or a festive evening taking in the Electrical Parade.
Two for Tea — at Sea
Why not try a romantic "I do" for two aboard the Disney Cruise line? Pricing is attractive, with a 7-night cruise and all-inclusive wedding averaging about $5000. Officiant, pianist, some flowers and a wedding-night dinner is included, and you can bump up the guest list at additional cost. Disney Cruise weddings typically get two big thumbs up from brides.
Goofy can probably grace
your reception — for about $800
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Small Wedding, Middling Budget
Disney also offers a four-night, five-day "Intimate Wedding" package for $3500 and up, a cost that's comparable to a
Sandals 7-day wedding package, and much less than you'd pay for most at-home affairs.
Depending on where you hold it, you can invite from 8 to 20 guests. (Don't be tempted to try and sneak in even one more — you could find your Big Day unceremoniously canceled.)
Ideally, your "Intimate Wedding" will be almost stress-free. The larger packages take time to plan, but you can set up this one as little as 10 weeks in advance. Your planner does almost all the work for you. All you need to do is choose your cake and fillings, your preferred bridal bouquet, your ceremony and reception spots, and decide what you'd like to do with your four-hour limo service.
Amenities like cake, flowers, and music are included. So is a unique marriage certificate signed by The Mouse himself. (The officiant used to be included, but it's something you'll need to book separately now. Expect to pay about $150. Also, Disney has recently updated their package terms, and now requires a four-night stay from bride & groom that is not included in the Intimate Wedding price.)
Also, the photographer and a wedding web site is currently provided, although you'll probably want an add-on package to fill out your photo album.
You can preview Disney's Intimate Wedding locations here:
http://home.att.net/~revtim5/
Bigger Budget, Generous Guest List
For larger weddings, Disney offers a Custom Wedding package that's a whole different animal. This one's more like a typical wedding with lots to plan, and less like a destination wedding.
A custom wedding is the full-service deal, with elegant linens, candlelight, white-gloved service staff, floral arrangements, a decorated head table, cake table and cake-cutting service, placecards, rose petals, centerpieces, programs and favors.
There aren't any size limits to your custom package, but there are minimum spending requirements. For example, you'll need to spend at least $10,000 (not including hotel and park tickets) for a Monday-through-Thursday affair, and if you want a coveted Saturday date, you'll need to set aside at least $20,000. You'll need to start your planning about a year in advance.
"Money's No Object, Dahling"
Having a custom wedding? Here are some popular add-ons, and approximately how many clams they'll cost you:
Dove release: $250
Bagpiper: $500
Horse and coach: $1750
30 minutes of Micky & Minnie: $1200
Cinderella's coach, with six Welsh ponies and two footmen: $2750
7-Piece Orchestra: $6500
Just be sure to check typical weather for the dates you have in mind at your destination. California is temperate almost all year-round, but Florida — where most wedding couples go — can get pretty steamy during the hot season.
And yes, you can have trumpeters announce your arrival and Major Domo (you know — the guy that hands Cinderella that fateful slipper) serve as your personal ring bearer (about $2000). You can serve up a groom's cake fashioned after Mickey's sorcerer's hat, or top your tiered cake with a white chocolate castle. You can hand out customized mouse ears to all your guests, or add the White Rabbit, Donald, Chip & Dale or Mickey and Minnie to your nuptial proceedings ... sometimes in formal attire, no less.
You can even rent out the entire Magic Kingdom ($45,000, venue only) and run custom messages over the park's video screens — all for price, of course.
Learn More About Disney Weddings
Disney has an
official wedding site, but you won't learn much there until you're ready to book. Instead, start by hanging with savvy brides at the
DIS Discussion Forums, and go on a scavenger hunt for savings at
MouseSavers.
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Congratulations to all who are getting married this year or the next. My fiance and I are getting married in Disney too. Isn’t it every fairytale bride’s dream though… to be able to spend JUST ONE NIGHT inside the newly furnished Cinderella Castle Suite? I read it’ll only be open for charity auctions and special children who are physically challenged.
Hi.
I am planning a Disney Wedding at the yacht club in April 2008(just bride and groom) and I would love to hear any stories bad and good. I am soo excited but really worried that when we arrive they are going to add on all these extra costs!?!
Hi Jessica! OK, it is April now, and how did your wedding go? You had mentioned very little contact with your wedding consultant through Disney. Did that all work out OK?
I am planning to be married there at the Yacht Club through a Disney “Escape” package, and will only have around 15 guests. I am curious what other Disney expenses you had besides extra cider. I don’t mean dress, alterations, rings, travel expenses, etc. I mean specifically Disney expenses beyond the 4 night stay and the actual charge for the site.
How did it all end up? Was it smooth? Were you pleased with the results?
Thanks!
It’s the sad truth. Just like someone in here calls it “business”
*winks*
I don’t think it is fair to come down on Disney because they give more service if you pay more money - that’s called business!!! It’s like hiring someone to walk you dog and then getting mad because the neighbor pays more and his dog gets walked and groomed or going to a restaurant and getting mad because you appetizer is smaller then another guys full dinner - he paid more, he gets more. The staff at Disney are there to make money, their time costs money - if you pay $5000 and someone else pays $50,000 - their money is going to cover a lot more hours and “stuff” then yours - and their wedding is going to get more attention because they have paid enough money to have more staff hours put into it. If you want the time, attention and “stuff” that a $50,000 wedding entails - you better have $50,000 to spend.
Before you commit to any kind of wedding package anywhere, you need to make sure you know:
- what is all included
- what THEY are all responsible for
- what YOU will need to do/provide/etc
and then use that information to calculate what your costs really will be over and above what the package itself costs. If you don’t do that research and get hit with costs you weren’t aware of, you are the one responsible, not the company. It is the same with anything you book: flowers, musician, video, photographer, caterer, venues, etc - always make sure you know ahead of time what is and is not covered, what is all required (like a certain number of nights, etc). You will find that the cheapest package, and the most affordable package are not always the same thing.
Sounds like “Leah” may be working for Disney. She sure seems to know an awful lot for someone who’s “friend” had a very expensive Disney wedding. But hey, didn’t you know? People don’t matter unless they have money! Duh! Hello! I mean seriously, “Leah,” I have no money… so I… don’t exsist… or maybe I do… but my feelings don’t… and it only counts as a lie towards me if I pay a lot of money to call it that. Otherwise, I’m just not visible.
Hi Jill. If you want a classy intimate wedding, then I suggest you take the wedding at Disney World. But if you’re kinda adventurous, and love the Caribbean feel, then a cruise wedding would be ideal for you. Just make sure you bring loads of sick pills for guests who might be a little uncomfortable with being on water. The Cruise wedding will take you to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay and there’s a spot there for adults only so it can be very romantic too. And its both a wedding and a honeymoon all at once! Best wishes! ~Leah
My finace and I want a Disney wedding because it’s our favorite place. We are on a tight budget and want something somewhat small. I was looking at the intimate package, married at the Boardwalk. I asked a Disney consultant since it was outside, we will invite more than 18 peolple and they can watch from a distance. They said that was perfectly fine since it is a public place. Any thoughts on this?
I was also considering a Disney Cruise wedding where we could invite anyone who can come. I haven’t heard anything on the cruise, does anyone have any insight on either of these? Thanks!!
JESSICA, in response to the post you made on October 23rd, 2006 at 5:10 am… DISNEY WEDDINGS, like any other CATERER, VENDOR and PLANNER… will NOT pay attention to the finest details and will not call frequently to check in with the Bride if the PAY IS NOT MUCH.
I know someone who hosted a CUSTOM WEDDING AT DISNEY for around $50,000 and had every detail carefully and flawlessly laid out, even her DISNEY WEDDING CONSULTANT was there to fix her gown for her, made sure she didnt get her train dirty.
Its like tipping with slightly a bit more dough than most people do, and expect the bell boy to come running at you even when you dont ask for any form of help
ITS THE SAD TRUTH. People with more money always get their way around.
My fiance and I were looking to do a Disney Wedding - at first the Intimate and then the Custom. As other posters said the 4 night hotel stay for the intimate stay is required.
If you want a custom wedding (more than 20 people) then you’ll have to guarantee 25 nights at a disney resort. If your guests don’t book 25 nights combined you have to pay the difference.
My guy and I decided just to do the disney cruise wedding because it’ll be like 50% less and it’ll be a vacation :D.
Does anyone know if you get discount being a disney vacation club member?
Hi, This is a warning… I’m getting married at Disney World in March of 2007. Just to clarify things for some people who read this: the Intimate Wedding is what my fiance and I chose. It is $3600 for 2007. You’re allowed up to 20 guests. I’m having 20. Infants count as guests. As long as they have a heartbeat, they count! The 4 night hotel stay is for the bride and groom. There’s a catch — you must stay at least two days prior to your wedding date or start on wedding night and 3 days after. They want you on property during your wedding date. The Hotel stay for 4 nights is required in the Intimate Wedding and is not, repeat not, included in the price of $3600! It’s extra — and when you call and make the reservations, you’ll pay one night’s stay up front to hold the 4 nights. And you have to do this before they will book your wedding date. Your reservation number is required before saving your date and location.
The bright side: you can stay in any Disney-owned resort. Which includes Disney’s All Stars Resorts, which are cheaper then the others. We’re staying at an All Star resort. I have nothing added on to my package except for an extra bottle of Sparkling cider which is $24 a bottle and each bottle will only fill 6 glasses. I get two included in the package already. In all it’s costing us around $15,000. Because of hotel, gas, food, tickets, favors, my dress, wedding bands, dress steamers the day of, officiant, flower preservation, dress alterations, ect. The list goes on and on. We live in Feather Sound, FL about and hour and a half away from Disney. I’m not getting my hair or makeup done cause we already are way over budget. And this talk of the Wedding Coordinator helping you and making it oh so easy? No — mine never calls, or returns emails or calls. She isn’t there for you until the day of your wedding, so this stress-free stuff is far from the truth — I’m totally stressed out.
We took out a $5000 loan thinking it would be more than enough. Wrong! No one told me of all this other stuff I have to plan on my own. I called all the people myself. The Cordinator does nothing except take my money and hold the day and arrange stuff the day of, that is all! Hopefully I will help future brides of Disney know that there’s so much more than what it seems! It is stressful, NOT stress-free! I thought I’d sit back and relax … no way! Please take this in mind, future brides — I’d plan 10,000 to 15,000 in total for everything. And this price will only increase with the years. Hope this helps someone, because no one helped me, or us, rather. We’re drowning in debt from this wedding. So be prepared to pay more than the $3600 for the Intimate Package because you will pay more than that; that’s a fact. Good luck.
GREAT NEWS!!! Cinderellas Carriage can now be hired for less than $1750. We don’t have white horses..but we have Big Beautiful Black Percheron Draft horses. You can have up to 4 of these gorgeous horses pulling you to your destiny.
HI BABY HERE’S ANOTHER OPTION;
I LIKE THE GLASS SLIPPER WEDDING FAVOR, IT’S CUTE IT GOES WITH OUR THEME, “HAPPLY EVER AFTER”
AND DRESS CANDLE, ISEN’T IT CUTE?
Yes — policies change all the time, but
lodging for the bride & groom at “a Walt Disney World Resort hotel” is included in the Intimate package pricing. Sorry, terms have changed and it’s no longer included. You can read more here:http://disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/int/wed_guide/com_quest.jsp#1
Wow you actually answered a question that my fiance’ And i had. We want a small wedding and we were wondering if the room for the 4 days on the intimate wedding was included. Are you saying it is for the bride and groom?