Disney Wedding Podcast

Today, Dwayne D'Alesandro shares the story of his ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at the Grand Floridian's St. Augustine Ballroom, and dessert party at EPCOT's Germany Promenade. He and Alec were searching  for a wedding venue when they started watching the Disney's Fairy Tale  Weddings TV show, and when they learned that pricing was comparable to that of the venues they'd been considering, they immediately began planning a Disney wedding! In this episode, Dwayne shares how he and Alec focused on guest experience at their  wedding by adding interactive elements like a live painter, a magic-mirror selfie station, a wish-tree guest book and confetti cannons. He also offers tips for taking informal portraits inside Magic Kingdom while it's open and shares the best menu items at his reception and dessert party. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Susan Acres-McCollum shares the story of her Wedding Pavilion ceremony, Italy Isola West Plaza dinner and Italy Plaza cake-cutting and dance party. She and Jim were able to save 60% on their Disney Floral costs by switching from flowers to greenery and having Disney reuse the same arrangements in different vases for all six of their events: ladies’ lunch, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and finally the farewell breakfast. Today Susan shares tons of great money-saving advice; how she and Jim surprised guests by arriving at the reception on the arms of Mickey, Minnie, and Donald; and why she’s so glad she added Cinderella’s Glass Coach at the last minute. Click here to listen and see ALL the photos!

Did you know that the menus your Disney wedding planner sends aren’t your only food options? Or that you can have savory foods at a dessert party? Or that Disney’s per-person food and beverage minimum is NOT the same as your menu price? Today’s menu planning episode will help you save money and get exactly the food you want at all your Walt Disney World wedding events. Disney bride Abby Rodrigues joins me to share our top tips and advice on choosing food for pre-receptions, receptions, dessert parties and other catered events. We also discuss the free menu-tasting event Disney holds for couples planning full receptions and whether it’s worth an extra trip! Resources All About Disney Wedding Cakes Episode  How to Save a Bundle on the Bar Episode Find tons of sample menus on my Walt Disney World Catered Event Menus page! And Chapter 4 of the Fairytale Weddings Guide includes pricing and details on food and beverage minimums, plated vs. buffet menus, kids meals, vendor meals, and bill-on-consumption (BOC) vs. p

This week, Lindsay and Jess Kern share the story of their wedding ceremony at EPCOT's Place de Remy, reception at The Attic, and dessert party at Rue de Paris and Eau de France. After watching the Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings TV show they switched their plans from a courthouse wedding to one at Pandora: The World of Avatar—and then switched again when they found Place de Remy in the Fairytale Weddings Guide! Today they share how they chose their locations, which food items and cupcake flavors were the best, and where they saved and splurged on their Disney wedding! Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Emily Echevarria shares the story of her ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion and reception at California Grill’s Napa Room and Sonoma Room. She and Miguel worked closely with the culinary team to customize California Grill’s standard menus to accommodate their tastes, as well as guests with vegetarian and restricted diets. On this episode, Emily discusses this customization in depth, shares how she saved money and time, and gives details of the fireworks welcome party they hosted at Epcot’s UK Lochside, complete with a ride mix-in on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure! Click here  to see all the photos!

This week, Vanessa and Tim Charles share the story of their two Disney weddings: a Wedding Pavilion ceremony, reception at The Vue at the Swan Reserve, and dessert party at EPCOT's Germany Promenade, followed by a Disney Cruise wedding at Nightingale's aboard the Disney Wish! After canceling plans for a November Disney wedding due to unavailability of event venues in EPCOT, Vanessa and Tim planned a spring ceremony and reception at the Walt Disney World Swan, with an additional ceremony on their honeymoon cruise so that her stepdad could have the experience of walking her down the aisle. But Vanessa couldn't stop thinking about the Wedding Pavilion, so when she called Disney just three months before their date and learned it was still available, Vanessa and Tim moved their ceremony to the Wedding Pavilion and added a dessert party after their reception! Today you'll hear what it was like to plan events at three different venues, how they focused on guest experience and ensured they got great cruise wedding ph

Today, Jayn Lemming shares the story of planning her Aulani ceremony and celebration at Kula Wai and dinner at Makahiki as part of a two-week Hawaiian vacation for six guests. Jayn shares detailed advice on every aspect of planning an event at Aulani, from the hidden costs you won’t find on Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings website to her numerous tips for saving money, especially on floral and decor. She also shares how she and Drew packed a ton of photo shoots into their Walt Disney World honeymoon, including pre-park opening portraits inside EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, a fireworks cruise, a portrait session at Universal Studios, and photos at the Four Seasons’ character meal. Click here to see ALL the photos!

This week, Tracy Brobyn and Michael Kiernan share the story of their 30th anniversary vow renewal ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at Ariel’s, and welcome party at EPCOT’s UK Lochside. You’ll hear how they decided to have a vow renewal,  what their top priorities and favorite memories were, and all the best food and cake flavors they chose for their events. And for anyone who wants a vow renewal but worries that it might seem silly or self-serving, Tracy and Michael discuss how vow renewals actually function as a celebration of and commitment to family, creating lasting memories for future generations to view in photos and video. Click here to see ALL the photos! 

Today, Dana Manthey shares the story of her Magic Kingdom After Hours ceremony, with a reception the following day at California Grill's Napa and Sonoma rooms. As a lifelong Disney fan, Dana's top priority was having characters, and she ended up with 14—including The Cheshire Cat, The White Rabbit, and three hyenas from The Lion King, who Dana pushed for because she'd never seen them do a meet 'n' greet anywhere at the parks. In this episode, you'll hear how she negotiated for unusual characters, modified the menus at California Grill, and tailored her ceremony and reception to make them unique. She also shares her favorite menu items and a detailed timeline of how the two-day event ran. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Brie and Tyler Kelly share a behind-the-scenes look at their Alice In Wonderland-themed wedding from Season 2, Episode 7 of the Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings TV show on Disney+! You’ll hear how they prepared for their day in just two months, which elements they were allowed to customize, their favorite menu items and cake flavors, and what the best and worst surprises were that day. You’ll also hear their favorite memories of the experience, including a hilariously memorable moment that didn’t make it into the episode! Click here to see ALL the photos!

This week, Kaitlyn Bokowski shares the story of her Animal Kingdom ceremony at the Caravan Stage and reception at Tamu Tamu Courtyard, complete with ride mix-ins on Expedition Everest and Flight of Passage. She and Ryan fell in love with these locations on the Fairytale Weddings Guide Wedding Venues page, and today she discusses how she communicated the floral and décor vision for her “Vintage Bohemian Safari”-themed wedding to Disney Floral via a 74-page PowerPoint presentation. Plus, Kaitlyn shares the most (and least!) popular menu items at her reception and the EPCOT welcome party she and Ryan hosted at Germany Promenade A-C.  Click here to see ALL the photos! 

Today, Malorie and Tim Elrod share the story of their 15th anniversary vow renewal ceremony at the Grand Floridian's St. Augustine Ballroom and reception and dessert party at the Whitehall Room and Patio. They discuss how they decided to have a Disney vow renewal and what their top priorities were, including the ways they incorporated their "Four Parks, One Night" theme via food and decor. Malorie and Tim also talk about how important it is to tailor a wedding or vow renewal to the couple's own tastes and personalities—from customizing the menu to choosing the entertainment—rather than just taking Disney's off-the-shelf options.  Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Britni Sizemore shares the story of her Magic Kingdom After Hours ceremony and celebration in The Hub, Fantasmic! cocktail hour, Grand Floridian reception at St. Augustine A–C, and welcome party at EPCOT's UK Lochside. Britni and Tim were originally told that Magic Kingdom had no availability for After Hours weddings in 2023. But Britni checked back with Disney every two weeks until she learned that a cancellation would allow them to have their wedding in front of the castle if they moved it three months earlier. Today she talks about the logistics of planning events in three parks over three days in just three months, including how she handled last-minute venue changes and the threat of being moved out of Magic Kingdom due to weather, plus the ways she and Tim were able to show guests everything they love about Disney—from private fireworks on the castle and a custom-written first dance song to a cake pop dispenser and appearances by Cinderella, Prince Charming, Donald and Daisy! Click here to lis

Today, Candace Montgomery shares the story of her Sea Breeze Point ceremony and Mexico Vista celebration. She talks about how she and Jeremiah chose these locations, their favorite food items from the celebration, and how she saved money on bouquets by creating crystal-encrusted Mickey Mouse lunchboxes for her bridesmaids to carry down the aisle! Candace also discusses the logistics of doing pre-park-opening portrait sessions at all four parks, from strategies for multiple hair and makeup looks to spending an hour scrubbing the wet-walkway stains out of her gowns between each day’s shoot! Click here to see ALL the photos!

This week, Prince and Nick Stychnicki-Saquian of Merrily Married share the story of their ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at The Attic, and dessert party at EPCOT's UK Lochside—including their best tips and advice gleaned from attending numerous Walt Disney World weddings as professional videographers. You'll hear how they customized their entertainment, from having music played under their vows to timing Mickey and Minnie's arrival to take advantage of the photo angles allowed when liquor has not yet been served. They also share how they devised an elaborate treasure hunt for guests using props and décor already present at the Attic. And you'll hear their unique method for determining whether pricey extras like Cinderella's Glass Coach and in-park portrait sessions are worth the cost based on criteria like who will get to enjoy them, how long they will enjoy them, and how much Nick and Prince would regret not having them. Click here to see ALL the photos!

Today, Summer Jane Just shares the story of her Rose Court Garden ceremony and Sleeping Beauty Pavilion reception at the Disneyland Hotel. You'll hear how she and Jayson saved big on floral and décor via strategic venue choices and DIY projects, why they decided to use Disneyland Fire Department Engine No. 1 instead of Cinderella's Crystal Coach for their themed transportation, and how they got a surprise magical moment with Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy thanks to their reception's proximity to Goofy's Kitchen. Plus, Summer Jane talks about how they added a pre-park-opening bridal portrait session inside Magic Kingdom during their Walt Disney World honeymoon! Click here to see ALL the photos!

This week, Noelle Crooks shares the story of her Coronado Springs resort wedding. The reception was held at Lantana Hall, but rain bumped the ceremony from Gran Destino Plaza. So Noelle asked Adam to take photos of the carpet in all the rain backup venues Disney offered and used them to choose the Durango Room! Cake was another important element, and today Noelle shares how she communicated her very specific vision to the Wedding Cakes team via detailed PowerPoint—and was so thrilled with the result that, she says, the way Adam looked at her during their first look is the way she was looking at the cake when she first spotted it! Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Veronica Lopez-Karam shares the story of her Wedding Pavilion ceremony, Whitehall Room pre-reception, Napa & Sonoma Room reception, and Mexico Vista afterparty. Having to postpone twice gave Veronica time to realize she'd rather show guests a uniquely Disney venue like California Grill than a ballroom, and today she talks about the logistics of using both private rooms there to accommodate her larger guest count. Part of the solution was to move to EPCOT's Mexico Vista for fireworks and a Soarin' ride mix-in, then return to Mexico for dancing, a late-night buffet, and an appearance by Mickey and Minnie! Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Christine Gallant shares the story of her Disney Wish wedding. When a hurricane rerouted their cruise, she and Dan had their 10 am Castaway Cay ceremony switched to a 2 pm Grand Hall event, but they got to keep their celebration at The Bayou. Today she talks about how Disney handled the changes, why she and Dan decided to use the ship's photography instead of bringing along their own photographer, and which elements of the cruise wedding package they chose. She also shares details of their post-wedding portrait session inside EPCOT! Click here to see the photos!

Today, Aiko Palmieri shares the story of her ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at American Adventure Rotunda, and welcome party at Living Seas Salon and Italy Isola. You'll hear how she and Sal made smart budget tradeoffs to afford guest-pleasing extras like characters, silhouette artists, and a Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride mix-in. These include pairing American Adventure's standard navy chairs with blue uplighting and adding end-of-the-night confetti cannons instead of a fireworks cocktail hour. And Aiko shares the menu items and cake flavors that were the biggest hits with her guests! Click here to see all the photos!