After the excitement of the proposal winds down and the celebratory confetti has settled, you and your bride or husband-to-be may be at the point where you’re ready to decide on the best place for your wedding.
You’re a huge WDW fan, and you know you want to memorialize your day with a Disney wedding; however, you just don’t know if you can afford it. Or perhaps finances are not an issue, but you want to have a small and intimate affair. Or maybe you can’t even consider a diminutive event, so you are ready to go all out and get married with a grand boom! No matter the way, WDW has three different wedding packages for you to choose from. They are perfect for all budgets and styles. From an intimate gathering to a gala event, it’s up to you to decide.
The three collections are
– Escape
– Wishes
– Couture
Today I’ll talk about the Escape collection which I have personal experience with.
My best friend decided to get married at WDW a few years ago and wanted to keep it a small, simple affair. She had envisioned a tropical , Hawaiian style wedding but that proved to be a difficult task. I was traveling with her as her maid of honor with my husband and two small children. A 12-hour plus flight was not in the cards for me. The perfect solution was the Polynesian Resort…mini Hawaii! They offered the Escape collection there which is listed as an “Exotic” choice. Ceremonies are seven days a week at Sunset Pointe.
You could also choose between four different ceremony times which made it more convenient. It truly was gorgeous with Cinderella’s castle in the background, Hawaiian music playing and a perfect cropping of palm trees surrounding the bride and groom. Keep in mind that this site will only technically accommodate 8 people, but more are welcome to watch from the beach.
Other exotic locations include an open air elevated veranda in the Canada pavilion at Epcot. It looks out onto the World Showcase in one direction and has the mountains behind you. Maximum guest number is 20, but you can only have your ceremony at 9 a.m. Sunrise Terrace at the Wilderness Lodge also looks like a gorgeous spot. Elevated on the 4th floor with a view of the untouched area surrounding Bay Lake. Maximum guest count here is eight and you can also choose from four different ceremony times here.
If your feeling more magical then head over to the Wedding Pavilion at the Grand Floridian. This site can accommodate 20 guests and has wonderful views of the lagoon and castle. Pictures would be great here surrounded by all the beautiful foliage. Ceremonies are seven days a week.
If your idea of romance includes saying “yes” in a romantic garden setting then choose a garden ceremony location. Head over to sea Breeze Point at Boardwalk Resort. Say your vows In a classic white gazebo on the shores of Crescent lake. Maximum guest count is 18 with four different ceremony times to choose from.
If you’re in a New England state of mind then the Yacht Club Resort wedding gazebo is the perfect choice for you. Surrounded by roses with architecture that will remind you of the beach hotels of classic New England. Again the guest count is 18 with four different times to choose from.
With all of these you also get flowers, a cake and champagne, violinist, limousine, WDW photographer and a personal wedding Web site. Add-ons are always available for a cost. At my friend’s wedding Mickey himself appeared looking quite dapper in a top hat and coat tails. Needless to say he was a huge hit with the kids, but I couldn’t wait to get my picture with him as well. It’s not every day you can dance at a wedding with the head cheese himself!
Contributed by Karen (NDM #224). Karen is our resident Disney Wedding’s expert and co-creator of The Best Friends Guide To . . .
Karen was born in Massachusetts and primarily grew up there with a few pit stops along the way. Her first trip to Walt Disney World did not occur until she was 14 years old when she went with her family to the Polynesian Resort. It was not until years later when she returned with her children and husband (for their first trip) that the real obsession began. Returning to the lobby of the Polynesian brought back all the memories she had forgotten, and ignited a Disney passion in her family’s life.
Karen currently guest blogs for The Disney Driven Life as their wedding expert and is co-founder of her blog, The Best Friends Guide To.