A wedding is a major step for a woman and a man, it is the moment when two people choose to spend their lives with one another and vow in front of their friends to live happily ever after. For a newlywed couple, there’s nothing more important than having the perfect wedding with beautiful dress and ring, and when it comes to dream-come-true weddings Disney surely knows how to throw a good party. If you want to throw a Disney wedding but don’t know where to start, here you’ll find some useful info for your wedding planning, perform a successful wedding registry and have the party you’ve always dreamed of.
Where to Have the Perfect Disney Wedding
1. Disneyland Resort at California
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Wedding Spot
There are three outdoor spots for the ceremony, all with unique features for a fairytale wedding. If you have the right wedding budget, you can pick any of them. For instance, roses surround the Rose Court Garden, and the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa has manicured lawns from where the guests watch the ceremony on the patio. In the Disney Animation Building, one of the indoor wedding venues, panels project famous Disney characters around the reception area.
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Cost
The cost of the wedding venues ranges from $2,600 to $10,000, with the Rose Court Garden on the higher end and the Adventure Lawn Gazebo going for between $2,600 and $6,000.
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Additional Services
Services available in the venues in California include flower arrangement, entertainment, and food at the reception.
2. Disney World Resort at Florida
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Wedding Spot
Florida venues include lawns, courtyards, ballrooms, and gazebos. For a cultural wedding, there is Tamu Tamu Courtyard in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, and Japan Courtyard and Morocco in the Epcot Area.
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Cost
The cost of Florida venues ranges from $5,000 to $50,000. On the lower end of this range are Sago Cay and Luau Beach while the Magic Kingdom East Plaza, which overlooks Cinderella’s castle, is one of the pricier venues.
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Additional Services
As with other Disney venues, menu options range from plated to buffet, and a couple can choose the floral arrangement during the wedding planning process. Entertainment options are either a live band or a DJ.
Related: The Basics of Wedding Planning- 10 Tips to Get You Started
3. Aulani Disney Hawaii Resort
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Wedding Spot
The ceremony takes place on a lawn or a patio overlooking the ocean; for instance, the ‘Ama’ Ama Patio has an unforgettable view of the ocean. The Lanikuhonua is private property, not part of the Disney Land venues, but it is available to couples.
For the reception, there are courtyards and ballrooms. Two outstanding reception venues are Wailana Pool and Aulani Beach because Wailana Pool enjoys the shade of mature palm trees and Aulani Beach has magical sunsets.
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Cost
There are two packages in Hawaii according to your wedding budget: Lokahi and Pilialoha packages. For the Lokahi Package, which offers Lanikuhonua, ‘Ama’ Ama Patio, and Hawalai, the wedding ceremony occurs either in the morning or at sunset. The morning ceremony takes place at 10 a.m. while the evening ceremony takes place at 5 p.m. The Pilialoha package offers Aulani Beach, Alohi Point, Kula Wai, and Sunset Alcove.
The cost of the Lokahi package starts from $10,600, and the Pilialoha Package starts from $5,400. Check your wedding budget before you pick the right one for you.
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Additional Services
Floral arrangements are available, but the Lokahi Package offers three stunning venues whose natural beauty does not need décor. However, couples can request additional décor in some of the venues on the Lokahi Package. Other facilities provided are chairs and the renowned Hawaiian lei necklace for a ceremony on Aulani Beach.
4. Cruise Weddings
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Wedding Spot
The Disney cruise has onboard and off-board ceremony venues. Onboard, there is The Atrium, with its exquisite floral detail along the staircase, and the Meridian Patio that hosts about 18 wedding guests. Off-board, there is the Castaway Cay, which flaunts a Bahamian theme. The legal ceremony takes place before the cruise starts.
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Cost
A Disney cruise package caters to 16 guests, and for additional guests you are charged $20 each. The cost of the venues ranges from $3,500 to $4,500.
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Additional Services
Features of a cruise package include a celebratory toast, a wedding cake, floral arrangement, bridal bouquet, and a pianist to play Disney–themed songs. All you have to do is have the wedding dress ready.
Related: What Makes a Disney Cruise Special?
My Dream Space
My Dream Space is a wedding planning platform for couples to engage the professional team at Disney. By creating a bride profile on this platform, the bride provides useful information to start the planning process. For instance, a bride describes her celebration, lists the must-haves on her wedding, and defines her style whether formal, traditional, trendy, or informal, she can even give details on her wedding dress.
There are also pictures of accessories, cakes, flowers, venues, invitation cards, décor, and favors. A heart-shaped button at the top of each photo flips to reveal a “Love It” that automatically adds the picture into the Dream Board. The Dream Board icon also appears on the sidebar of different venues.
Additionally, My Dream Space has videos of weddings happening at Disney World for inspiration before creating a dream board or talking to the Disney Land wedding planner. After watching these videos, a bride can also check upcoming events on the platform’s calendar for wedding shows in California and Florida.
There is also a honeymoon wedding registry to list the perfect honeymoon destinations and hotels. Friends and family can gift the couple a honeymoon in resorts such as the Walt Disney World Resort, Aulani, and the Vero Beach Resort.
The Difference Between a Disney Wedding and a Regular Wedding
One of the main differences between Disney weddings and regular weddings are the type of services provided. Disney offers full-service wedding planning to take care of all the details from photography to food and transport.
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Availability
Unlike other venues, Disney is open almost every day of the year. Nevertheless, some of this theme park’s venues can be booked up to one and a half years in advance for Florida and two years for California.
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Wedding Favors
Further, Disney themed gifts and favors for guests are unique. For the bridal party, gift boxes can contain custom bathrobes, cell phone cases, cosmetics bags, or matching Minnie Mouse slippers to wear in the Cinderella’s Castle Suite.
Disney weddings also allow a couple to invite a Disney figure, such as Mickey Mouse or Goofy, to the reception during the photo session, the first dance with your beautiful wedding dress, or while cutting the cake. Additionally, entertainment at the reception can have a Disney theme such as professional butlers or magicians. That said, a couple can also have specialty photo sessions in the theme parks or the resorts. Make sure to have the proper wedding registry to receive Disney-themed gifts also!
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Customization
With this thorough planning service, it is possible to customize some features such as the aisle runner, the door hangers for the couple’s room, and the dance floor to match the wedding theme. The wine glasses for the reception dinner can also have custom messages such as the date of the event or the couple’s first names.
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Newlyweds’ Suite
Staying in the Disney Suite is another unique feature of a wedding in this theme park. The Cinderella Castle has a royal ambiance that makes Disney Land a magical place on Earth. When staying in this castle, a couple can say “I do” in front of the castle at the East Plaza Garden in Magical Kingdom Park.
Additionally, the bride’s entourage can spend the night before the wedding in the grandeur Cinderella Castle Suite. It has a parlor, the towels come in the shape of a glass slipper, and the entourage can snack on donuts as they party in the pavilion.
Related: 10 Tips to Plan Your Wedding on a Budget
In conclusion, from riding in a horse-driven Cinderella crystal coach to leis for the ceremony in Hawaii and reception in a Disney Cruise, this is a magical place to experience the start of the happy ever after. Don’t hesitate and plan your dream Disney wedding now.
