Disney Wedding Podcast

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are the most popular holidays for proposals, and if you recently became engaged, congratulations! For the first episode of the New Year, we’re looking at the first steps you need to take in 2020 to plan your Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings’ Memories, Escape or Wishes collection wedding at Walt Disney World. 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. Disney bride Carissa Redden and I will help you with the first four crucial steps: figure out which of Disney’s collections works for you, pick a date, estimate the number of guests, and prepare for your first call to Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.

Click here for tons of photos and to find links to the helpful episodes mentioned on this week’s show!

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!