Disney Wedding Podcast

This week, Shelby Kramer shares the story of her Escape Collection wedding ceremony at Sea Breeze Point, reception at House of Blues, and dessert party at Vikings Landing in Epcot’s Norway Pavilion. Shelby discusses how she chose Escape over Wishes, what the planning process was like for both the Disney and House of Blues portions of her day, and how thrilled she was with the oft-derided Vikings Landing location. You’ll also hear about a host of special wedding-day surprises, from an Amphicar ride at Disney Springs’ Boathouse to a Frozen Ever After ride mix-in during Extra Magic Hours!  See all the photos here!

When considering a Wishes Collection wedding at Walt Disney World, one of the top questions couples ask is, “Is it really possible to get married for the minimum expenditure listed on the website?” And for many, that answer is the one thing that will determine whether they have a Disney wedding. On today’s show, Disney bride Jackie Hamilton joins me to discuss how to keep your Wishes wedding or vow renewal from going over Disney’s minimum expenditure requirements. First we look at what those minimums are and which expenses apply toward them. Then, Jackie shares how she kept her wedding budget right at Disney’s minimums and still had room to splurge on the elements that meant the most to her—and how you can do it too! This includes lots of great tips on working with Disney to DIY floral and decor, even if your event is inside a theme park. Finally, we discuss all the major ways to save money on a Wishes event, along with the smaller ways that can really add up! CLICK HERE to download the super-detailed invent

This week, Morgan Glennon shares the story of her Wishes wedding at Walt Disney World—with a surprise appearance by country music stars Dan + Shay that blew up the Internet! First you’ll hear about the planning, including how Morgan chose  her floral and decor, plus all the locations for her wedding weekend: the Grand Floridian Marina & Sago Cay Pointe for a Happily Ever After welcome party, the Wedding Pavilion for the ceremony, the Grand Floridian’s Summerhouse Patio for cocktail hour, the Grand Floridian Ballroom for the reception and Epcot’s Terrace des Fleurs and Eau de France for an IllumiNations dessert party! Then you’ll hear how Morgan’s dad pulled off an epic surprise after 10 months of negotiation and pixie dust from Disney: A private performance by Dan + Shay, including a meet ‘n’ greet, autographed guitars and time on the tour bus. They even signed Morgan’s wedding gown! Click here to see photos and video!

This week, JW Jaeger joins me to discuss how to choose a DJ for your Disney wedding! As an approved vendor for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings in Florida (as well as a protégé of popular Disney DJ Charles Miles), JW has lots of experience with the unique aspects of a Disney wedding. Today, he answers common questions like how to decide between hiring a DJ and using an iPod, what kinds of questions to ask a potential DJ, and whether it’s awkward to have a DJ if your group is very small. He also shares insights on Must Play/Do Not Play lists and how the DJ fits in with an appearance by Disney characters. Click here to see video and photos!

Today, Amanda Weiler shares the story of her ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, dinner at the Grand Floridian Ballroom , and reception at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. Although the reception was originally planned for a ballroom, Amanda found that she was adding so much floral and decor to make the room unique that it made much more sense to switch to a theme park venue. The reception was originally planned for Expedition Everest Base Camp but was moved to Tusker House at the last minute due to weather—and Amanda says she ended up loving the new venue even more than Expedition Everest Base Camp! She also talks about her Fantasmic! dessert party with Tower of Terror ride mix-in, how she saved money by using outside vendors for the Grand Floridian portion of her event, and why her first look with Ben was her favorite part of the whole day! See all the photos here!

This week, Diana Gaydusek shares the story of her Escape ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at Commander’s Terrace, catered event at the Grand Floridian Convention Center,  and fireworks photos at Sago Cay Lawn. Diana and Keith were among the last couples to be able to use Commander’s Terrace before it was absorbed by construction for the Beauty & The Beast-themed lounge coming to the Grand Floridian, and she talks about her search for a non-ballroom venue for the Escape cake & Champagne reception. She also shares the best menu items from her catered reception, along with tips for taking a Happily Ever After fireworks cruise on the Grand 1 Yacht as an alternative to a dessert party.  Click here for photos!

Today, Seana Eason shares the story of her wedding ceremony at Sea Breeze Point and reception at Norway Loft, with IllumiNations fireworks photos at Italy Isola.  Seana discusses how being moved to Norway from Italy due to rain turned out to be a blessing in disguise! She also shares her favorite menu items and cake flavors from the wedding and her welcome party, plus her top tips for anyone planning a Wishes wedding at Walt Disney World. Click here for photos!

This week, Lori Lizarraga shares the story of her Wishes Collection wedding at the Disneyland Resort. Lori and Jorge had their ceremony at the Rose Court Garden, their pre-reception on the Adventure Lawn, their reception on the Magic Kingdom Lawn, and their afterparty at the Sleeping Beauty Pavilion. Lori talks about planning her wedding from Mexico, including how she worked with vendor Flowers By Cina to get the lush, colorful floral and decor she wanted. She also shares her top planning tips for anyone considering a wedding at Disneyland! Click here for photos!

Today, Danielle Ormonde shares the story of her Wishes ceremony at Luau Pointe and reception at Trader Sam's, plus a welcome dessert party at the Grand Floridian's Whitehall Room and Sago Cay. She discusses the logistics of using a unique venue like Trader Sam's, including how she scheduled Mickey & Minnie between the ceremony and the reception due to the prohibition on characters inside the bar. She also shares her favorite menu items, best planning tips and great advice for anyone planning a Wishes event at Walt Disney World. Click here for photos!

This week, Carla Joules-Spencer joins me to discuss what happens when circumstances change and you need to switch your Disney wedding from the Wishes Collection to the Escape Collection. Carla talks about the steps she took to turn her Wishes wedding into an Escape ceremony at Harbor Club Breezeway, reception at Spaceship Earth Lounge and fireworks photos at Eau de France—including which Escape package options she picked, how she upgraded her cake, and what she did for her dinner menu. She also shares details on making the most of venue changes due to weather conditions and her best tips for anyone thinking of switching from Wishes to Escape.

Today, Samantha Lietz shares the story of her Wishes ceremony at Clementine Lawn and reception at the Fort Wilderness Pavilion, with dessert party at Epcot's UK Lochside. Samantha talks about the unique entertainment options she added, including a photo op with Merida's horse and the logistics of coordinating  separate appearances by Donald Duck, Stitch and Jiminy Cricket. She also shares details of her welcome party at Dinosaur Lounge in Animal Kingdom, complete with a Red-tailed Hawk animal encounter and two ride mix-ins, plus a rehearsal dinner at Hoop Dee Doo Revue.

This week, Disney bride Katrina Rice shares the story of her Cruise Collection wedding ceremony in the Atrium of the Disney Dream and reception in Evolution, plus fireworks photos during Pirate Night! Katrina talks about how she modified the standard cruise package to be more like a traditional land wedding by adding a full reception with drinks and appetizers, a Dole Whip unity ceremony, a DJ and appearances by Mickey, Minnie, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. She also brought her own photographers, videographers and cosmetology team and shares tips for couples interested in exploring this option. And you'll hear her best advice for anyone interested in planning a wedding aboard the Disney Cruise Line!

Today, Abral Wilson-Thrasher shares the story of her Magic Kingdom ceremony, Tomorrowland Terrace brunch, Grand Floridian Ballroom reception and Marina dessert party, including a first look at Cinderella Castle, appearances by Lumiere and her favorite rock band, Velcro Pygmies; the projection-mapping wedding cake; and not one but FOUR different gowns—two of which lit up! You'll hear how Abral chose her locations, what her favorite menu items were, how she managed all the dress switches, and which moment—in a wedding filled with spectacular moments—was her favorite!

This week, Disney bride Jenifer Shoener joins me for an in-depth look at Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings' March 2 Bridal Showcase at Walt Disney World. We cover all the cake, menu items, floral, decor, vendors, and entertainment, plus the new mobile site for attendees, the IllumiNations dessert party and the self-guided venue tour. We also look at what was new and different this year, what was most valuable, what we wish we'd seen and whether a future bridal showcase would be worth the trip for couples planning Memories, Escape and Wishes events in Florida.

Although Catholic couples have been taking advantage of this option for years, most people aren't aware that you can have a Wishes Collection Disney wedding reception even if your ceremony is held off-site or at one of the non-Disney venues on property. As long as you meet the Wishes Food & Beverage and Enhancement minimums, you may plan your ceremony at another venue and still use Disney for such ceremony elements as floral, decor, transportation and photography. On today's episode, Disney bride Nicole Wymyczak shares how she combined a ceremony at Disney Springs' Paddlefish with a reception at the Grand Floridian's Whitehall Room & Patio, plus a dessert party at Living Seas Salon and UK Lochside. Nicole offers pricing and planning info for Paddlefish, covers the logistics of integrating an off-site ceremony, and reveals how she kept the budget low via a savvy combination of DIY and outside vendors. She also speaks frankly about the problems with her dessert party and offers advice to help future Dis

This week, Rachael Callison-Rabatin shares the story of her rainy-day Escape ceremony at BoardWalk Inn’s Harbor Club Breezeway, meal at The Attic and dessert party at Living Seas Salon with fireworks viewing at UK Lochside! Rachael discusses her strategies for weathering the storm, planning from a distance and plussing the Escape Collection package. Plus you’ll hear her tips on the best reception menu items, dessert party treats and cake flavors!

Today, Whitney Carroll shares the story of her Fourth of July ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at the Grand Floridian’s St. Augustine Ballroom, and dessert party at Sago Cay (with bridal portraits taken around the corner at Sago Cay Lawn)! She discusses how they chose their venues, what happened when rain delayed the fireworks for their Happily Ever After dessert party, and how she was able to bring her wedding in under budget using Carrie Hayward’s Fairytale Weddings Guide. Whitney also shares tips for planning an at-home reception in order to include friends and relatives in the celebration when they aren’t able to make the trip to Disney.

This week, Ashela Bean shares the story of her wedding ceremony at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin's Crescent Terrace and her reception in the resort's Osprey Ballroom. Ashela discusses how choosing the Swan & Dolphin for her 100-guest wedding cost less than half the price of a Wishes Disney Wedding and still fit her Disney theme, including an appearance by Mickey & Minnie. She also shares her favorite menu items and advice for anyone planning a wedding at the Swan & Dolphin.

On today's show, Shannon Mais shares the story of the first-ever wedding ceremony held at Animal Kingdom's Caravan Stage, plus her reception in Harambe near Festival of the Lion King. Shannon talks about how she almost abandoned her dream of an Animal Kingdom wedding until Andrew had the idea to request the Caravan Stage. She also shares her process for finding a DJ, her best menu items and cake flavors, and her top tips for anyone planning a wedding at Walt Disney World.

This week, Disney bride Barbara Schuster joins me to discuss everything you need to know about Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings' Memories Collection of weddings and vow renewals at Walt Disney World. This show is designed to introduce you to the basics of the package—what is and isn't included, what it costs in 2019, which locations are available, what the requirements are—and give you a timeline for a typical Memories event. We also answer frequently asked questions about swapping package elements, upgrading, finding an officiant, adding a cake or a catered event, and more!