Since the site visit...a primer on DFTW timelines and a lament on a lengthy engagement

Source

So since we met with DFTW and toured our venues in way back in November 2010, I bet you're thinking: "You're so ahead of the game! You probably already have your venues booked and contracts signed!" Not exactly. As a matter of fact, other than my monthly emails to check in with Joe to make sure that no one else requested our venues on our date, there was zero progress with DFTW from November 2010 until July 2011. The DFTW booking timeline for Wishes weddings goes something like this:

"Improved" Disney Honeymoon Registry?

I just got an email from the Disney Honeymoon Registry letting me know that they had some "exciting news" about some "enhancements." Now, I know what you're thinking...why all the quotes? Well, in the year that I've been a future Disney bride and in the several years that I've been in tune with the Disney bride community, I've seen several "enhancements" come through.

The one that comes to mind first is the switch from Disney wedding websites to the Facebook app. From what I've gathered, the app is difficult to use, not easy to access, and most brides end up making their own websites and having their guests call to make reservations through their room block. There was also a switch from printed and mailed Save the Dates, to email Save the Dates. Save the Date etiquette is not as strict as the "rules" for invitations, but I'm partial to my guests receiving good, old-fashioned snail mail.

Our Site Visit - Part 2

Even though we were still about 2 years out when I went for my site visit with DFTW, I never for a second felt like our consultant, Joe, was bothered by it. I know there are some people who plan a wedding in a year or less, and the average engagement length seems to fall around 15 to 18 months, but this just wasn't going to work for us.

We arrived at Franck's early in the morning and took a look around the inside. It was empty except for another couple who came in shortly after us, however the lady behind the front counter told us we couldn't sit anywhere because all of the spaces were booked for meetings (meetings consisting of invisible people at that point I guess). The poor couple in there made the mistake of trying to sit down, and were promptly told that they couldn't.

Our Site Visit - Part 1

Did I mention that all that hemming and hawing over venue selection was done from thousands of miles away and based entirely off pictures I found on the internet? Sure, I had seen Sea Breeze Point in person before, but had never actually stepped foot inside of it or our newly chosen reception venue. The last time we were in Disney, I also wasn't scoping out the in-park locations as potential rehearsal dinner or welcome party event spaces.

To my amazement, shortly after getting engaged and choosing Disney as our wedding site, my parents proposed taking a trip there to meet with the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings (referred to as DFTW from here on out) team and to do a site visit of our venues! Well sign me up! I'll take any excuse to go to Disney. The fact that this trip would fall during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival made it an even sweeter deal.

Worst Wedding Blogger EVER

Wow! So what am I averaging here, a post every three months? I need to get my behind in gear over here! Considering how much time I spend thinking about my wedding, you'd think that I could take a few minutes to write a blog post once a week. So that is my new goal - one post a week. If I ever get any readers maybe there will be someone to hold me to it!

Now where did we leave off...

Disney Wedding Myths - Debunked!

Well I know it's been awhile...leave it to me to start a wedding blog and then get slammed with work and illnesses. But I'm back and ready for another installment! I know I promised to take you on a tour of our sites and how we decided upon them, but first, I want to clear up a few things about a Disney wedding.

I spend a lot of my free time on wedding websites and boards. All in all, I read 3 Disney Wedding boards and 2 non-Disney Wedding boards. Occasionally, someone interested in a Disney wedding asks a question on a non-Disney Wedding board and the responses are...varied. I've found that a lot of people seem to think they know a lot about having a Disney wedding, but mostly their opinions are slightly off base. Here are some of the top Disney Wedding Myths - debunked!

But first, a little background. Disney World has four wedding "categories." Couture, Wishes, Escape, and Memories. Couture weddings are the most expensive as they require you to buy a very pricey decor package. Wishes weddings are kind of a custom built package - you choose your venues and all the other elements of your day. They are completely custom. Escape and Memories weddings are set packages - with only a handful of venue options, several included elements (floral, transportation, music, photography, etc), and strict guest limits (18 for Escape, 4 for Memories). You can add a reception or catered event to an Escape/Memories package - but it may trigger a higher minimum expenditure.

Now...on to the myths...

"You have to spend at least $20,000/$30,000 dollars to have a Disney wedding."
 Disney's pricing structure is a little different than other wedding venues - so there is understandably some confusion. For a Wishes wedding, each day of the week (and time of day) has a certain minimum expenditure. A minimum expenditure simply means that everything that you buy for your day (from Disney) must add up to at least that amount, exclusive of tax and service fees. For Wishes weddings, minimum expenditures range from $10,000 (a weekday, morning wedding) to $20,000 (a Saturday evening wedding). Escape weddings are inclusive and range from $4,750 to $6,200. A reception is not included in the pricing. If you decide to add on a custom catered event, your minimum is bumped to $7,500 (which basically means you have to spend the price different on venue rental fees, food, beverage and decor). Memories weddings are $1,991.

"You can only book your event 8 months in advance."
Disney changed its booking requirements in 2010. Wishes events can be tentatively confirmed 16 months in advance (no other brides can take your date or location). You can sign a contract and send in a deposit at 12 months. Escape weddings can be tentatively confirmed at 12 months and a contract can be signed at 8 months. Memories weddings can be booked at 6 months. I cringed when I read a response telling someone interested in a Wishes wedding that they couldn't book until 8 months - they would have been 8 months late! Now I will admit that I wish this process could start earlier. Many wedding venues outside of Disney take bookings 2 years in advance and it is very nerve-wracking to have to "wait and see" what happens.

"There is no flexibility...you will get a cookie cutter wedding."
Disney has a floral department, several bakeries, and a myriad of venue options. They can do anything you want - although they do have pictures of past work for those of us who need some inspiration. By no means do you have to stick with the samples - they love to do custom work! 

Regarding a Magic Kingdom bridal session: "They must be rich!"
 While a theme park bridal session isn't necessarily cheap - it certainly is quite affordable for most brides. In 2011, a Magic Kingdom bridal portrait session (only available to Disney brides), is $1,100.

"They only let you use a few of the ballrooms for your reception."
Disney's reception venues don't include just convention center ballrooms. They have dozens of in-park and "specialty" venues. You can also have your reception in some of Disney's finest restaurants, including the California Grill, Jiko, Narcoossees, and the Brown Derby.

Q: You're Engaged! What are you going to do next?

A: I'm going to Disney World!

 (Personal photo)

We didn't actually go to Disney World after we got engaged. We didn't become engaged there either (I'll post our engagement story in another post). But no one was surprised to find out that we were going to be getting married in Disney World. I'm a Disney World fanatic after all. And Mr. Disney Groom (bless his heart) plays into my obsession/hobby because he knows it makes me happy.

To be honest, we didn't really sit down and discuss our wedding destination options after we became engaged.  We didn't even attempt to research any venues or costs up here in New Jersey. My hubby-to-be knew going into this engagement that a Disney wedding was in the cards. Ever since I found out you could get married in Disney - I knew I had to do it. I'm ashamed that as a lifelong Disney fan I hadn't done research into a Disney wedding until a year into my relationship with Mr. DG (Disney Groom). I like to think that I just couldn't ever imagine myself marrying anyone until we met (aww). Disney wedding research became kind of a closet hobby of mine for a year and half or so, until we got engaged and I came out of the Disney Wedding planning closet.

The When and Where
Since we knew it would be in Disney - now it was time to figure out when and where exactly this shindig would go down. We got engaged in July 2010, and I initially was hoping for a November 2011 wedding. November is a great time in Disney - the Epcot Food and Wine Festival is wrapping up, the Christmas decorations are going up, the crowds are low in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, and the weather is divine (not too hot and hurricane season is over). Unfortunately, reality caught up with us, and we knew we needed more time to save for the wedding we really wanted. Go big or go home! That brought us to 2012.

(Source)

February was another option, that is until Mr. DG's Dad (who is a self-employed accountant) said he could not travel during tax season. January through April were out.  I don't fare well in the heat - so June through September were out. That left May, October, November, or December. Since I had my heart set on November, I figured waiting a few more months into 2012 wouldn't be a big deal, right? Famous last words.


Coming up next: Venue selection and site visit!