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Fairytale Weddings at Walt Disney World!



My fiancé and I recently decided on our wedding venue and wedding date, and no we will not be getting married in Disney World. However, this inspired me to do a little research and write about what your wedding could look like at Disney World. While it may be completely magical and beautiful, it is EXPENSIVE.


CEREMONY VENUES


There are a lot of wedding venues offered in Disney World. They range from ceremonies within the parks themselves to ceremonies at the surrounding resort areas. Where you pick should be dependent on what you and your future spouse have the most connection to.


1. Magic Kingdom Area


My personal dream area to get married would be either in Magic Kingdom or in the area surrounding Magic Kingdom. In my opinion, it is the most magical and would make one's wedding day feel straight out of a fairytale.



The most popular ceremony venue in Disney World is the Wedding Pavilion, which is located on the grounds of the Grand Floridian. Through the window directly behind the alter, you can see Cinderella's Castle and the Victorian theme of the pavilion looks just like a storybook. This site can accommodate up to 250 guests. To host your wedding at the Wedding Pavilion, expect to pay $8,000 for the ceremony fee and an event minimum of $18,000 to $35,000.



The most magical and special place that you can get married in Magic Kingdom is right on Main Street in the park. Wow. If I was a millionaire, I would do this in a heartbeat. This ceremony occurs 3-4 hours after the park has closed, so it would take place late at night. But you would have the park to yourself and exchange vows right in front of the castle. It doesn't get any more magical than that. Anyone can do this for a measly $40,000 ceremony fee and an event minimum of $30,000-$100,000. This venue can accommodate up to 300 guests!


2. Hollywood Studios Area



If you and your future spouse feel connected to Hollywood Studios, the only spot offered for a ceremony is in the Tower of Terror Courtyard. This could be fun for a 30's themed wedding. Like at Magic Kingdom, expect your wedding to be late at night, because it will occur a couple of hours after the park has closed to the public. Hopefully it's not too spooky late at night outside the Tower of Terror. The price is a little more realistic than Magic Kingdom, with a ceremony fee of $9,500 and an event minimum of $20,000-$25,000. This venue can accommodate up to 100 guests.


3. Animal Kingdom Area


Animal Kingdom is my 2nd favorite spot for a wedding ceremony. First, it is the park that my fiancé and I feel the most connected to, and we love the atmosphere of the area. In fact, we are getting our engagement photos taken in Animal Kingdom. Second, I think it would be a cool spot to get married, with lots of beautiful backdrops for photos.


You can get married in front of the Tree of Life, which sounds absolutely beautiful. Like with the other parks, the ceremony will be at night, after the park has closed to the public. However, Animal Kingdom closes earlier than Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, so the ceremony would not have to be as late at night. The sounds of nature around you at night would be breathtaking and magical in its own way. The Tree of Life venue has the same price as the Tower of Terror- a $9,500 ceremony fee with an event minimum of $20,000 to $25,000.


A second neat spot to get married in Animal Kingdom is in Pandora. This area is spectacular at night when it is all lit up and could definitely provide for some nice wedding photos. I am not sure it is the most romantic spot in Disney World, but it is definitely unique. This venue has the same associated costs as the Tree of Life venue.


4. Epcot Area


Epcot has a lot of ceremony venues to offer. You can have an "international" wedding without leaving Florida, which is pretty neat. You also could be married at one of the resorts surrounding Epcot, such as the Beach Club, the Yacht Club, and the Boardwalk Inn, all of which are some of the fanciest and prettiest resorts on Disney property. My fiancé and I do not have as much of a pull to this area as we do to other area of Disney World, but I know some people absolutely love this area.


If I were to get married in Epcot, the France pavilion would be my pick. I think this area in Epcot is beautiful and would absolutely be a great backdrop for wedding photos. There is nothing more romantic than Paris! If you were to get married in one of the "countries" of Epcot, you could either opt for an early morning wedding before the parks open, or a late-night ceremony after the parks have closed. The cost for a wedding is the same in all of the countries- a $7,500 ceremony fee with an $18,000 to $20,000 event minimum. I won't write about all of the countries individually, but to give you an idea of what you could select, there is the China pavilion, Germany courtyard, Italy waterway, Italy plaza, Japan promenade, Morocco pavilion, France waterway, and England courtyard.



You can also have your ceremony at some of the resorts in the Epcot area- the Beach Club, the Yacht Club, or the Boardwalk Inn. These are all beautiful resorts, and are located in the Boardwalk area, which would absolutely offer a picturesque background for wedding photos. The location that looks most appealing to me, is the beach area at the Yacht & Beach Club. This is stunning and would have the old timey feel of a 50's beach wedding. This is one of the cheapest options for a Disney wedding with a $7,000 ceremony fee and a $15,000 to $19,000 event minimum.


Reception Venues


Not only can you have your reception at the locations mentioned above, but there are a few additional spots offered for receptions, if you want to have it in a different location than your ceremony. A lot of the Deluxe resorts at Disney World offer their ballrooms for the reception, such as the Contemporary, Coronado Springs, Grand Floridian, Boardwalk Inn, and the Yacht & Beach Club. Also, there are specific restaurants at the Deluxe resorts that you could host your reception: Ariel's at Beach Club, California Grill at Contemporary, and Citrico's at Grand Floridian. A few options that stand out to me and seem pretty unique are:


The Living Seas Salon in Epcot. This is an "underwater" restaurant that looks stunning!


The Atlantic Dance Hall at the Boardwalk. This could be fun for a 20's themed reception.


Food & Drink


As you saw above, all of the venues at Disney World have event minimums on what you must pay in order to utilize that venue. Food and Drink are going to make up a big part of that event minimum cost.


Disney seems to structure their food options the same as most wedding venues. They offer plated meals and buffets. If you opt for a brunch reception it will cost you $140 per person, a lunch reception will cost you $175 per person, and a dinner reception will cost you $210 per person. With prices like that, I am sure you will keep your guest list small and intimate.



Desserts offered at Disney receptions range from beautiful wedding cakes, assorted desserts, and even Disney classics like Dole Whip and churros. With an unlimited checkbook, you could really have fun with this part of the reception! I love the normal treats you can get at Main Street Bakery, so I can only imagine how amazing Disney's wedding desserts are!


Drinks offered in a Disney reception package range from cash bar to open bar.


Photography


As you can imagine, a professional Disney wedding photographer is much more expensive than a normal wedding photographer. I am sure they are not any better than outside wedding photographers, and if I were getting married in Disney I would probably just hire an outside photographer. However, to give you an idea of pricing: three hours with one photographer is $1,099 or with two photographers is $1,899. A full day of photography coverage with two photographers would be a whopping $4,799.


There is a bit of a caveat here. Disney normally does not allow formal wedding wear to be worn into the parks. If you wish to have formal photos taken in the parks, you can book one-hour photo sessions, which take place in the morning before the parks open. A one-hour session in Magic Kingdom will cost you $3,000 and in the other parks will cost you $2,000.


Themed Entertainment

It wouldn't be a Disney wedding without some magical extras. If you host your wedding in Disney World, you have the option to add on some fun extras such as confetti cannons and private fireworks (I can only imagine the price tag on this one). You can also add actors to your event, such as the ring bearer from Cinderella, a distinguished English butler, and a herald trumpeter. Finally, you can book characters to appear at your event. Bookings allow up to 2 characters in 30-minute increments. This would be awesome!


Transportation


The coolest mode of transportation offered is Cinderella's Coach. You can actually pull up to your wedding in Cinderella's carriage pulled by ponies. There is also the option of a normal horse drawn coach, or a motorcar.



All in all, a Disney World wedding sounds amazing. I am sure Disney pulls out all the stops and makes it completely unforgettable. If money is not option, or if you have a small wedding guest list, possibly it is doable for you.

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