Well hello there Amanda and welcome to planDisney!
First of all, I want to say Congratulations on wanting to plan a Disney Wedding! It can definitely be a bit of a adventure in and of itself and I was so glad to be able to share a bit of my wedding week during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. As a Disney Groom, I'm happy to share my experience to help you learn how to plan your Disney Wedding:
All Walt Disney World Resort weddings are done through
Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, and their expert team is who you'd want to
contact directly as soon as you have dates in mind. You might be fortunate enough to be able to begin planning in advance like we were, but most couples will begin their process about a year in advance where they will reach out to you about where, when and what's available on your big day.
Your first step is considering the climate here in Florida as well as whether the weather will play a big factor in your wedding. There are so many
beautiful wedding venues available that could be affected by intense heat, seasonal cold spikes or even a sudden downpour so really nailing the time of year and preparing for the weather is the first thing you'll want to decide. (This is also the first thing that you officially confirm with your Wedding Sales Consultant when you make your first deposit!) There's a reason why many couples think that autumn is the best choice for Disney Weddings, and if you choose a more popular time of year there is a chance that this could factor into the overall cost or the availability of your venue - we initially had to enter into a random lottery for the chance to get married inside
Disney's Wedding Pavilion at the time that we wanted!
You'll want to keep in mind going into it that there's an Event Minimum investment that depends on where you want your event to be held and the day of the week, which is subject to change without prior notice. It's a great idea to stick to a budget and to let your team know; everyone from Floral & Decor, the Chef and culinary team to the Planner that you'll be assigned later in the process were all very helpful and creative in finding ways to help the costs stay within a certain amount. Currently, this all tends to happen within a short amount of time within the last 3 - 4 months before the wedding so it's good to have a clear vision of what you want in mind! In our experience there were a lot of useful resources out there like the Ever After Blog, Disney Wedding Podcast episodes, and even current and former couples providing their tips, reviews and their pricing in DisBrides communities that you can search for online. There are a lot of great extra magical experiences that you can add like having Cinderella's Coach, Private Fireworks or having a special Character Appearance knowing that they cost several thousand dollars for a short amount of time, so consider options like a Character Breakfast at Topolino's Terrace or a Fireworks Dessert Party instead to balance it out!
Please come back any time you want to discuss more wedding planning details and learn more about my experience; my husband and I had a truly magical Disney Wedding day!
Here's to your Happily Ever After!
Prince