I am back with another Q&A! I am always getting new questions for y’all regarding my wedding, so I’ll be doing these Q&A posts whenever I think it is necessary. I haven’t done one of these since we first got engaged, needless to say the questions are extremely different!
If there is a question that isn’t covered here, be sure to read through my other Wedding Planning Diaries to get caught up. If you still don’t see your question answered, feel free to DM me on Instagram or leave a comment!
How did you and Grant meet?
I can’t believe I never covered this on the blog! There really isn’t enough substance to the story (in my opinion) to do a whole post, so I’ll just share it here. We met through my sister’s wedding party! My sister and Grant went to college together, as well as my now brother-in-law, Michael. Grant and Michael were in the same fraternity, so they met and bonded through that. Grant was asked to be one of Michael’s groomsmen and I was my sister’s maid of honor. We met for the first time *I think* in August of 2015 but we didn’t start dating until May of 2016. If you know my sister, you know her wedding was very…. “Hands on”… So we all spent a lot of time together making invitations, save the dates, etc. We got to know each other really well and Grant was literally the only guy out of the bunch who didn’t look at me as a *fetus* and treated me like an adult lol. He was always super sweet and willing to help, which is one of the many qualities I love about him.
How is Disney communication wise?
They’re pretty good! I mean at this stage, there is very little communication. But throughout the pandemic any time we had a question or concern there was no delay in email replies. Throughout our experience working with them they’ve typically taken a few days to reply to emails, which is completely normal.
Are you required to use their vendors?
Yes and no! This is a tough question because a lot of it depends on the location of your ceremony or reception. For example, if you are doing a ballroom you are typically allowed to bring in your own decor (however, there is a fee), but if you’re in a park you’re not allowed to do that. As for photographers, you can have outside vendors but there is a fee for a Media Guide (a Disney CM who escorts the photographers/videographers). It all depends on the service and location. While at times using outside vendors can save money, it’s important to remember that there is a fee and I would personally trust Disney’s expertise more. If Disney screws something up, they’ll fix it, the same can’t be said for other florists, decorators, etc.
Do you get to pick your wedding planner?
We did not! I would assume if you would request a specific person, they would try their best to match you. But we originally had a different planner than we have now. But due to the day we requested our tour, we were sent over to someone else. It is also important to note that you have a pre-contract team and post-contract team. So once you sign the contract and actually start planning, you will be transferred to another person/team.
Can you bring in your own makeup/hair specialists?
Yes! But Disney also has hair/makeup artists available. It is important to note that Disney does not provide a space for the wedding party, including the bride and groom, to get ready. So I would recommend staying close to/at the location of your wedding the night before.
Do you think booking 16 months out is the best option rather than waiting until the 1 year mark?
YES! I have zero regrets doing this! We initially emailed Disney Weddings in Nov/Dec knowing we couldn’t start seriously talking until 16 months out (Jan for us). But this made sure we were on their radar, they gladly took our info and contacted us promptly at the beginning of the year. We scheduled our site visit for January once we got in contact with someone and it was great because we got to go & get tons of info, ask questions, then we had a while to think about and process everything. It is A LOT of information, and a big choice, so it’s helpful to have a good amount of time to weigh the pros and cons. If you choose to wait until the one year mark to start the process you will be cut down on your options since venues and times will already be booked. I genuinely believe that us contacting them so early allowed us to get everything we wanted.
Do you give them preferred dates/times, and they give you the one that is available?
Basically, yes. Disney makes you pick your top 6 (or so) options for your wedding. You can do variations of locations, times, dates, etc. We went into expressing that our time and locations were non-negotiable. The time and location were more important to us than the date. We gave them our top 6 dates, but we thankfully got our top choice. However, if your date is more important you can pick different time slots or ceremony/reception venues.
Do Disney Weddings have a guest limit?
Your minimum/maximum guest count will depend on your venues! However, there a lot of venues that can hold 100+ people, though the majority of Disney weddings are smaller. Even the California Grill allows over 100. But other venues, such as Atlantic Dance Hall or The American Adventure, may have minimums around 75-100.
How many guests are you having?
Our invitation list is around 80 (which is extremely small for our families – both of our moms are 1/6 kids – and my sister’s Pittsburgh reception had about 500 people). Obviously everyone won’t come, so we aren’t really sure what to expect for the actual number of guests.
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There were SOOO many other questions asked, and I promise I’ll get to them eventually! Some questions will require their own posts such as pros & cons, cost, etc. There is so much I still have left to learn and discover about this process as well. But I can assure you, over the next year you will have plenty of Disney wedding content coming your way.
Cheers!
xoxo
Jayme
Disclaimer: These questions were answered and based off of my own experience with Disney Weddings. This information is subject to change at any time.
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