No/Low cost wedding at WDW

[nhed]

My wife an I renewed our vows at WDW in 1997 in Wilderness Lodge
On the balcony overlooking the lobby.

We had a local friend arrainge for a minister to come.

The CMs did not bother us, We did not interfer with any other guest during the service.
A great service. With the only fee going to the minister.

We then went down and had lunch at Whipering canyon for the wedding party [yes, that did cost money].

If you are on a budget, there are ways to get the job done.

My first approach was to work with a Disney planner, but they wanted to charge for all the things I aready had: AP, rooms, etc. and they would not back those items out of the package. So I took it upon myself to do the planning with a local friend. We're glad we did.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

GREAT JOB!!!!!

I wanted to renew my vows at Disney, but when I saw how much it could cost, I just decided that DH and I should renew our vows here on the beach where we live and just honeymoon once again in Disney. It'll put us at about $1300 for 7 days and 6 nights, but that's waaaaaaaaay under budget for what a renewal might have cost Disney style.

 

[hmp2z]

The CM's really did you a big favor in not interrupting your ceremony. If you have an unauthorized (i.e. not through FTW) ceremony on Disney property, they are allowed and are in fact supposed to halt that immediately. The only time it is allowed is if you do the ceremony in your room, which you have paid for. Outside areas are Disney property, and we were told by our officiant at our wedding that they are usually pretty good about catching people having these renegade ceremonies, and busting them up.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[nhed]

We did nothing that would interfer with any other guest on site.
The CMs were kinda awear that something was going to happen.
We did nothing that would make us stand out, or draw attention.
The balcony area is kinda private.
I can see problems if any of those guidlines were broken.
I would have paid Disney for the same service, had it been an option.

That year we spent 5 weeks in Disney resorts, most of which were WL. So, I think Disney does recop a little of the money

 

[hmp2z]

Just because you think you are discreet doesn't mean you aren't breaking the rules, no matter how discreetly you might do it. You are taking away Disney's right to regulate what happens on their grounds. And, believe me, they do NOT want sneaky ceremonies performed without going through FTW.

You also say:
I would have paid Disney for the same service, had it been an option.

It was definitely an option in 1997. Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings department was around before 1997. So yes, they did offer the option to you to take the legal, legitimate way and go through them. And you still chose to sneak around and break their rules.
This isn't a matter of opinion. Either you follow the rules, or you break them. And if you doubt whether what you did is against Disney policy, why not call FTW and ask them for Disney's stance on weddings held on their property.
I just don't think you should come on here and advocate that others break the rules, too. This isn't a judgement call - Disney has very clear cut rules on this type of thing.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[nhed]

gee I should be handcuffed and put in Jail.

I did say I was working with a wedding planner, didn't I? So in 1997 there were Disney weddings. We did have some difficulties, for example, everyone had APs [we're all nuts], yet Disney would have included park admission in the cost. And there were other little things.

The fact that a CM was our photographer, might go a ways to say I wasn't 'sneeking'.

Against their policy, perhaps. Did Disney get short changed. Nah. They get their 10% of my salary a year, what more could they want

It is against their rules to bring food/drinks into the parks. Can everyone say they've never a bottle of water or an apple with them?
The first few years in the early 70s we couldn't afford to stay on site, nor eat lunches there, so we actually brought sandwiches and put them in the lockers under the train station. One lunch the big bad wolf sat down with us as we ate our lunch there.

I don't advocate cheating Disney. Nor that Disney cheat us. If someone can't fork over the money for that Disney chapel wedding, or one in the parks, there are other ways that can be explored.
I like the idea of the wedding in the room!

 

[hmp2z]

The wedding in the room is the ONLY legitimate way to have a wedding on Disney property, without going through FTW.
Cheers!
Heather W

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Wow, I'm not sure what happened to this thread, but I in no way picked up on anyone cheating Disney out of anything.

 

[Kismetdreams]

Well, for those of us who are paying quite a lot of money to have a legitimate wedding at WDW, it is a little gauling to hear about people who flaunt the rules and just do what they want and then advertise it as appropriate.

 

[suzywindy]

We had an intimate wedding in 1996. I think they had just started planning for 1 or 2 years. Anyhow, for an intimate wedding it was $1,000 which everyone thought was alot but we did not. And they only had 2 options at that time at that price. One place was on sunset point at the Poly which is what we chose and if the weather was bad they said they would put you in some room that was small so ONLY 8 people were allowed to attend for that price. HOwever in addition we got this great cake, a present, champagne toast, a guitar player, the rabbi, I got beautiful flowers, wedding planner that helped us get our license and hooked us up with Tiffany town car and JACK that we still use now for every trip. He is like family to us - we even take his picture. Oh and a cake topper.

We wanted the Contemporary - but they were not doing small weddings over there yet. Now - the sky is the limit and I would have a hard choice I think. Of course we got married before the wedding pavilion and most people never heard of it.

If it was my first wedding - I would have had to get the coach with the horses....

Anyhow, the wedding planner actually helped enchance our experience. Gave us some great ideas that they made no money on. For example - we got married in the morning. 8AM - wearing mickey shirts and jeans. We both LOVE disney alot - so we did not want to waste a day at the parks. After our outside wedding looking at the castle and hearing the steamboat in the distance, we took our families to Ohana's for a buffet breakfast and danced around in our mickey hats that the wedding planner secured for us.

To me it was an entire package and now when you start to think about it - back then that was pretty cheap.

 

[DrKnow77]

nhed,

Congratulations on what seems to have been a wonderful ceremony. I just spent a boat load of money on a Disney Wedding last September, but I say more power to you. Sounds like you put your fair dime into already purchased packages, so good for you!