Disney Wedding Podcast

This week, Kaitlyn Divelbiss shares the story of her ceremony at Bonsai Promenade in the Japan Pavilion and reception at GM Lounge. She discusses how she and Christian chose these two venues, what the planning process was like, and her tips on decorating GM Lounge. She also offers great advice on the transportation required for in-park events and a unique tip to guarantee you have a memorable wedding day. Click here to see all the photos + a video!

Today, Shikha Saxena and Anupam Kumar share the story of their ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion and reception at the Grand Floridian Ballroom. You’ll hear how they were able to combine traditional elements of an Indian wedding with Disney touches—including Anupam’s ride to the Wedding Pavilion on Rapunzel’s horse for the Baraat procession! They also discuss using outside vendors for food and decor at their “Whole New World”-themed reception. And they share how they hosted a Sangeet welcome party at Italy Isola and American Adventure Rotunda, complete with traditional dances performed by family, friends and the bride and groom. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Tania Castellanos shares the story of her wedding at the Grand Californian at Disneyland, including a ceremony in Brisa Courtyard and a reception in the Wisteria Room. Tania talks about how her plans for a large in-park wedding changed when Sleeping Beauty Castle went under refurbishment at the same time that she and Art decided they wanted to have a second, Catholic ceremony. They ended up using the (now-discontinued) Escape Collection package for a small Disney wedding followed by a large fairy tale-themed wedding at home in Baja California, complete with a giant castle cake suspended from the ceiling! Tania and Art also flew to Florida for bridal portrait sessions in Epcot and Magic Kingdom in order to incorporate a Disney castle into their celebration. Click here to see all the photos! 

Today’s guest is Christen Cunningham, who gave up a deposit on an at-home wedding venue to have a UK Courtyard wedding in Epcot after seeing the one on Season 1 of the Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings TV show. In this episode we discuss some of the differences between what is presented on the show and what is actually available, including the swaps Christen made that ultimately lead to her dream ceremony in Epcot’s UK Courtyard and reception at Ariel’s. She also shares her top menu items and planning advice for anyone interested in a wedding or vow renewal at Walt Disney World. Click here to see all the photos!

It's not déjà vu! Because Disney radically changed the way they price Walt Disney World weddings just days after the release of this year’s “How to Start Planning Your Disney World Wedding ” episode, this week, Disney bride Carissa Redden and I have recorded an all-new episode incorporating the new pricing structure. Whether you’ve been planning your Disney wedding in your head for years or you just discovered that Disney does weddings, today’s show has the steps and tips that will set you on the path to your dream Disney’s Fairy Tale Wedding or vow renewal. Today we will help you with the first four crucial steps: Understand how Disney prices weddings now, pick a date, estimate the number of guests, and prepare for your first call to Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings. Click here to see all of Carissa's photos! And click these links to hear the other episodes mentioned on today's show: Complete Details on the New Pricing for Disney Weddings How to Have a Small Wedding for the Minimum Expenditure How To Have A Lar

Today, BrieAnn West shares the story of her ceremony at Epcot’s Canada Terrace, pre-reception at Abracadabar and reception at The Attic, with a dessert party at UK Lochside in Epcot. You’ll hear how she incorporated non-traditional choices into their French vintage-themed wedding, including parasols instead of bridesmaids bouquets and a magician instead of a DJ. BrieAnn also shares details of her paleo autoimmune protocol-friendly brunch menu and the distinctly themed margaritas she added to each of her events—including one that changed colors!   Click here to see all the photos!

With the recent elimination of Disney’s Memories package for elopements and vow renewals, you may be wondering if it is possible to have a small wedding at Walt Disney World for the lowest of the new Event Minimum Expenditures. Today, Memories bride Mariela Betancourt joins me to show you exactly how to pull off a small wedding or vow renewal at the lowest possible price, including tips for customizing and enhancing your event while staying within the minimum. Mari shares what she learned during her own planning, what she’d do differently now, and whether she thinks a Disney wedding under the new pricing structure is still worth it. Click here for resources and to see Mari's photos!

Today, Shelby Baird shares the story of her ceremony at Port Orleans Riverside's Oak Manor Lawn and reception at the Grand Floridian's St. Augustine Ballroom. You'll hear how she and Daniel chose this unique ceremony venue and get answers to frequently asked questions about using it. Shelby also shares her top planning tips, best menu items and favorite cake flavors. And you'll learn how she worked with Disney on her elaborate floral and decor.  Click here to see all the photos!

The Disney Wedding Podcast will return with a new episode next week! In the meantime, please enjoy this classic episode full of timeless tips. Wading through Disney’s beverage options and bar packages can be overwhelming and confusing. And if price is a factor, it can be especially difficult trying to estimate how much your guests will drink. On today’s show, I’m joined by Beth Landry, who shares her experience coordinating bars for six private events. Together we break down the three different ways to pay for the bar, compare package vs. bill-on-consumption bars, explain how to BYOB, and offer lots of tips for saving big on beverages.

Yesterday, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings replaced their Wishes, Escape and Memories collections with a new pricing structure that makes every wedding and vow renewal a completely customizable event, with no guest limits or weekday restrictions. Today, Disney bride Shantel Kinzler joins me to discuss everything you need to know about the new way weddings are planned and priced at Walt Disney World. We cover the new flat Event Minimum Expenditure, including what counts toward it and how it is calculated based on the ceremony venue, day and time you choose. We also talk about changes to dessert parties, how to add cake and Champagne to your ceremony-only event, and what happens if you’ve already signed a contract but want to take advantage of the new pricing. Additionally, this episode covers the planning process from start to finish, including a timeline of the major financial milestones: paying the deposit, paying the minimum expenditure, paying the balance, and settling up after the event. And we answer freque

Today, Nonica Tran shares the story of her Christmas Eve wedding at Walt Disney World. Nonica and Jeremy opted for a morning ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion and a short brunch at California Grill to give friends and family time to celebrate the holiday that evening. You'll hear how they incorporated Christmas accents into their floral and decor, how they chose their venues, and what their favorite memory is from the day. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Sophie Hewkin shares the story of her Escape Collection ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, cake reception at the Whitehall Room & Patio, meal in the private Moonlight Room at Coronado Springs’ Toledo, and dessert party at Epcot’s Eau de France. Sophie talks about what it was like planning from the UK, how she and Joe chose their locations and package options, and the logistics of planning a group reservation at Toledo when paying with the Disney Dining Plan. Click here to see all the photos!

One of the best-kept secrets of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is that you may use non-Disney vendors for many aspects of your event. Whether you’re allowed to hire outside vendors depends on your venue and the type of service, but it can be a great way to save money or get more bang for your buck! On today’s show, Disney bride Robin Galry joins me to discuss the types of outside vendors you may hire, where you are allowed to use outside vendors, how much money you can save, and whether Disney charges an outside vendor fee for each type of service. You’ll hear how to save as much as 50% by using outside vendors for chairs, linens, place settings, floral, decor, pipe-and-drape and even a light-up dance floor. We’ll also discuss where you can incorporate DIY projects and dispel the myth that using outside vendors is more complicated than using Disney. Click here to see Robin's photos!

Today, Liz Walter returns to the show to share the story of her Wishes Collection 20th anniversary vow renewal, with ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at GM Conference Center and dessert party at UK Lochside! Liz shares how she and Nick decided to have a vow renewal, how they chose the venues and extensive advice on selecting their "Around the World at Epcot" menu. She also offers tips for planning an event with lots of kids and her best advice for anyone considering a vow renewal at Walt Disney World.  Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Heather Lammardo shares the story of her Memories wedding at Luau Pointe. She discusses how she and Ron decided to switch from the Escape Collection to the Memories Collection, how they chose the venue, and what she did to customize the Memories package—including ordering a cake from Grand Floridian Private Dining and adding a bouquet by outside vendor Lee Forrest. Heather also talks about adding a Magic Kingdom bridal portrait session and gives her top tips for anyone looking to customize a Memories event. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Peta-Gaye Daniel shares the story of her 10th-anniversary vow renewal aboard the Disney Fantasy. She discusses how she and Allan decided to have a vow renewal and why they chose the Disney Fantasy, why she decided to bring along a photographer and videographer, and what she did about hair and makeup aboard the ship. You’ll also hear about the Magic Kingdom portrait session they added to the land portion of their vow renewal celebration and how they were able to get a discontinued cake style by special request! Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Jordan Saras shares the story of her Wishes wedding celebration at Walt Disney World. Because she and Josh had already done a courthouse wedding when the military moved them to Hawaii, they chose to skip the ceremony in favor of a family first look and then a reception at Italy Isola in Epcot. They also added a welcome party at the Spirit of Aloha luau (complete with leis they flew in from Hawaii!) and a dessert party at UK Lochside. Jordan offers lots of tips, from saving money on floral and decor by holding their reception during Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival to frank advice for those considering an outdoor daytime reception in Florida in May! See all the photos here!

Today, Adam Starkey and Ted Scutti share the story of their Wishes wedding at the Disneyland resort, including a rehearsal dinner at Rainforest Cafe, ceremony at the Rose Court Garden and reception at the Grand Californian’s Sequoia Ballroom. You’ll hear how they chose their locations and the individual themes for each event. They also discuss the many custom touches they added, from the logos and stationery to custom step-and-repeat photo backgrounds, and how they worked with outside vendors on every element of the wedding except venues and food. And, because they are wedding professionals themselves, Adam and Ted offer tons of great tips for planning your own Disney wedding, including the importance of hiring a wedding coordinator in addition to the event planner provided by Disneyland. See all the photos here!

Today, Jessica Aguilar Saeteurn shares the story of her wedding at Walt Disney World’s Four Seasons Resort, with a ceremony on Sabal Terrace, reception in the Queen Ballroom and Epcot dessert party at Italy Isola West Plaza and Living Seas Salon. Jessica and Cern originally chose the Four Seasons’ Intimate Package wedding as an alternative to Disney’s Escape Collection, but they ended up adding on a catered meal for 80 when the guest list grew. Jessica compares the two options and talks about how she decided between them. She also discusses making her own centerpieces, customizing the package elements and her favorite memory of the day. Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Charli Bevan-Singh shares the story of her Lilly Pulitzer-themed Wishes ceremony and cocktail hour at Sea Breeze Point, reception at Ariel’s and dessert party at UK Lochside and Imagination Lounge in Epcot. Charli talks about planning her event from the UK, which was extra challenging because Lilly Pulitzer merchandise isn’t sold there! She discusses how she and Mark chose their venues, including meeting an extra food and beverage minimum to guarantee Ariel’s as the rain backup for their original reception location, Shipwreck Beach. She also talks about how they decided to have Mickey and Minnie come to the cocktail hour AND the reception, and how her DJ saved the day when the party started to wind down.  Click here to see all the photos!