Guest Blog Contributor: Frances Sherlock (Disney World bride)

I never thought in a million years of growing up going to Disney every year that I would get married there. It was a running joke that I would get married there. And low and behold, in October of 2023, I had a Disney Fairytale Wedding at Walt Disney World.

This blog will serve as a guide to some of the unique offerings you can get by having your wedding at Walt Disney World. As a caveat, I can only speak to offerings at Walt Disney World since that is where I got married, but Disney offers weddings at Disneyland, Aulani Resort, and even on a Disney Cruise. Also, Disney changes its offerings every year, so some of this information from my 2023 wedding might be outdated. Please contact a Disney wedding specialist for the most up-to-date information!

ENTERTAINMENT

Characters

Want Mickey and Minnie to be guests at your wedding? You are in luck, as this is something that can happen if you have your wedding at Disney. Mickey and Minnie can attend your reception, help you cut your cake, dance on the dance floor, and more! As a note, they can only be at your reception for a limited time, and the price is per character. These are just things to keep in mind when planning!

Are you interested in a character other than Mickey or Minnie? You may be able to have them at your wedding, but due to Disney rules, they will need their own backdrop, and it will act more like a character meet-and-greet than the character attending your reception.

Major Domo

There is another entertainment offering that is not a character per se: a Major Domo. The Major Domo announces you as you enter your reception and can play a little trick during your ceremony if you like the idea. I will not ruin the surprise for anyone, but let’s just say that when my now-husband heard the surprise, he was sold, and the surprise was very memorable for all of our guests!

UNIQUE VENUES

Want to get married in front of Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, or the Tree of Life? You are in luck, as those are all wedding venues at Disney World. The only downside is that those venues come with a price, and your wedding events may not occur at the most convenient time (it may be at 11 pm or 4 am because it needs to be when the park is not open to guests). If you want a more traditional experience, there is even a wedding chapel on the property of the Grand Floridian. We ended up having our ceremony at the gazebo at the Yacht Club, with our reception at Atlantic Dance Hall at the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is special to our relationship, so we knew we wanted to include it on our special day. At Disney, every venue has its charm, so the key is to find one that works best for you and what you want from your wedding!

FIREWORKS DESSERT PARTY

We did not do this, but I have seen friends who have done it. Instead of a cocktail hour or reception, or as an added event to your wedding (like a welcome event), you can do a Fireworks Dessert Party. At this party, you have limited food and drink offerings in a roped-off area in Epcot, and you and your guests can watch the fireworks. A Disney wedding specialist could discuss this more, but it is a cool idea for a welcome event instead of a typical rehearsal dinner!

RIDES

We did not do this so I cannot touch on this too much, but if you have some part of your wedding in a theme park (like your ceremony in front of Tree of Life after the park closes or an Epcot Dessert Party) you can do something called a ride add-on. In this, you can open one attraction to your guests for one ride after your event is over. For example, you could add on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure or Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind after your Epcot Dessert Party. The cost is per guest who rides, which is something to remember when planning. A Disney weddings specialist will have more info if you are interested in this!

PARKS PHOTOSHOOT

If you get married at Disney World, you can take wedding photos in the parks for an additional cost. Each park has its own set of rules. For example, you can take photos in Galaxy's Edge but not in wedding attire. You can only do one park per day/shoot, so if you wanted to take wedding photos in both Magic Kingdom and Epcot, for example, you would pay the park shoot fee twice.

We decided to get photos done in the Magic Kingdom. There are three routes, and you must pick one when booking your wedding (365 days in advance). All three routes include the castle, but some go through Fantasyland or Tomorrowland. We chose the route that included Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rapunzel’s Tower, and Cinderella Castle. Due to time constraints (you have about an hour in the parks right before park opening, roughly 6am-7am), we prioritized photos in front of the Haunted Mansion, Cinderella Castle, and Main Street USA (for the Mickey Pumpkins).

You have one year from your wedding date to do your park shoot, but most people do it a day or two after their weddings since they will most likely still be on Disney property. We are locals but we still decided to do it two days after our wedding as that was the most convenient time for us!

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FOOD MENU

If a food item is made on Disney property, you can most likely have it on your wedding menu. Our cocktail hour included the infamous Magic Kingdom spring rolls, and our buffet included noodles from Ohana and steak in mushroom sauce from the Canada booth at the Food and Wine festival. The bread service from Sanaa made the shortlist but was ultimately cut. This was something unique to Disney, and trying new foods at Disney while we were planning was fun because we could include it on our wedding menu.

CINDERELLA CARRIAGE

It would not be a Disney wedding without the Cinderella Carriage. You have the option of making your grand entrance and exit in the Carriage, complete with the white horses and everything. This was a bit pricey in my opinion, but if it is a priority for you, go for it! It makes for wonderful memories for your guests and is great for photos! As a note, the carriage may only be available at some venues. Check with your Disney specialist to see if your venue can accommodate the carriage.

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I hope you have your dream wedding!