$$ for Cust. Wedding w/ under 25 people??

[cycyk]

HI everyone!!

I wont be getting marriend until 05 but i am researching now. We are only looking at about 21 people and i havent heard much about pricing and the pros and cons.

Are there any days better than another?

CAn you use money on other things since you are having a smaller amount of people?

Is there any thing out there you guys swear by?

you name it....

ANY insight would be GREATLY appreciated!!!!
thanks, Brooke

 

[Fantasia Sam]

If you have a midweek custom wedding it currently runs at $7500 or $10,000 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday without tax and gratuities.

Now this includes some of the below (I'm not an expert on this yet):

food and beverage which you have to spend a min of $75 per head before 2.00pm and $100 after.

Floral

Cosmetology

The venue

Favours

photography

videography

The coach if you want it

Characters


So believe you me I think I could hit that minimum even if I had 10 guests

 

[ahutton]

We did a Custom Wedding several years ago, our minimum was $9500, we had a 4:00 ceremony on a Friday afternoon, with dinner at Living Seas VIP lounge, DJ and dancing, went to the Candlelight Processional (that was a special treat for a couple reasons) and then an Illuminations party. Since it has been since 1996, there may be changes, but the photography and videography I believe were outside the budget, because you can use outside vendors. The officiant was also outside on a Custom Wedding. What was included on ours (we just recently went through a copy of things cleaning) were the ceremony venue and decor, all flowers, transportation (we had a bus for guests and a limo for us), food and beverage (including a bar if you want one), reception site, all linens and china, more than enough servers to make sure each guest was well attended, entertainment (DJ, live music, characters, etc.) and our dessert party at the end of the evening. You could add all kinds of things to that if you wanted, including cigars, more bar, any food - whatever you wanted. You also have your event planner with you from shortly before the ceremony until the end of the night, and she had some helpers too. We had less than 30 people, and it was wonderful. We actually ran into some of the assistants later in the trip and were treated very well at every turn.

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Just thought you'd like to know i just got my contract from DFTW and it states :

"The Minimum Expenditure includes only those elements of your Wedding booked by Disney (e.g. photographer and/or videographer, flowers, entertainment, food and beverage) and excudes charges for formalwear/ officiant services, rooms in your room block, and Resort theme park tickets."

 

[tinkerbela]

my fiance and i are doing the best we can money wise. we're having less than 30 people at our wedding and it seems like we're gonna spend little over 20 grand! we want to get the cinderella coach, so that already adds up. there are quite a few things that we want but cut corners because it was too much. i would love a character, preferrably tinkerbell, at the wedding but we cut that idea because if you think about it, its 675 for a half hour! we are doing our best with cutting costs to make this wedding affordable for us.

we're looking to stay at the wilderness lodge for a few days, and then go to the ASM for the rest of the trip. we want to get married at the pavilion and have the reception in the napa room at the california grill. those are the basics right there!

we're gonna have the park portraits done. that's the only photography we're going for. we might get a videographer. i'm not sure right now.

umm... i can't think of anything else right now but i'll let you know...

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Brooke

I was re-reading this thread and though I'd be nosey and ask if you've made any decision yet on what you'd go with?

 

[cycyk]

thanks everyone for all your input!!


So far we have decided to have the ceremony at the pavilion, we arent doing any characters, we arent sure about transp. yet..probably just a limo..that isnt a biggie to us. We will prob have the recp. there too unless i can come up w/ a better idea....havent gotten that far yet.

we are still really stuck on where to stay. i have been to disney so many times but dont have a lot of exp. w/ all the resorts and i have heard so many different things.

there are so many details that we have yet to decide on so any input would be well appreciated.

i am though, doing candles, rather than lots of flowers.

what are your thoughts (anyone) on time of wedding? pros and cons!



thats it so far....
brooke

 

[Fantasia Sam]

So are you saying you want a candlelight wedding? They sound so wonderful obviously the timing would have to be twighlight time to get the full affect IMO and then you need to think about eating and what sort of entertainment you want. Or can the WP just dim the lights ?

Why not go for one of the private rooms at California Grill - I love that restaurant and the rooms look good and ideal for a party of your size.

It's hard on the where to stay front are you thinking about for you or for your guests?

You say you've stayed at various resorts don't you have a favourite deluxe or one that you've always dreamed of staying at? If accommodation isn't that important to you then pick a nice moderate like CBR or PO.

 

[cycyk]

I think that we are going to stay at the Grand FL and do the whole spa thing..but as for my guests..can i leave it up to them since they will be paying.

We are paying for my mom, and told her she can stay wherever she wants. We have never been to the boardwalk and i heard that its really awesome. But then again, i heard the the WL is great too!...its so hard to choose.

Normally when we are there we stay at one of the hotels.

we were thinking that we would have the wedding in the early evening so we could get pics in while its still light but have it so that by the time we eat..its getting dark..and the candles will set the atmosphere.

are they any little details that i should know.

does your min. exped. included golf or spa time..etc?

how many days do you think we should be down there BEFORE the wedding?

 

[Fantasia Sam]

think that we are going to stay at the Grand FL and do the whole spa thing..but as for my guests..can i leave it up to them since they will be paying.

I think that would be great to stay at GF especially as your wedding will be at WP and you'll get one free night anyway with the Custom.

You will get to choose 3 resorts that DFTW will get discounted room rates for your guests at but they don't have to stay at those resorts if they don't want to. Any room they book at WDW (except Swan & Dolphin) will count towards your room night minimum as long as they let you know their reservation number

We are paying for my mom, and told her she can stay wherever she wants. We have never been to the boardwalk and i heard that its really awesome. But then again, i heard the the WL is great too!...its so hard to choose.

Both look great - I have seen the rooms at Boardwalk and they're very nice and I just love staying around the whole of the Epcot resort area, we favour the Yacht Club. I am staying at WL in December and cannot wait to try this resort. AKL too is beautiful but that is a bit far out perhaps for your mum. I'd like to stay at the Poly too. It's such a tough choice

does your min. exped. included golf or spa time..etc?

Sorry Brooke no it doesn't but it will include your hair and make-up for the day and practice runs

how many days do you think we should be down there BEFORE the wedding?

It's a personal choice and obviously dependant on your vacation allowance. We're from the UK and so we're used to long holidays so I'm flying in 2 weeks before the wedding but my FH isn't arriving until 5 days before the wedding as we have friends from the UK and US we're having our Shower and Bachelor parties 3 days before the wedding in WDW. But if my time was limited I'd go for at least 3 days.