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Hello my friends! Today I am bringing you another great Walt Disney World wedding. Melissa and Peter were married in December 2011 at the Wedding Pavilion and they included lots of fun Disney touches in their ceremony and reception!
Photography: Randy Chapman
Disney Bride: Melissa, 24, Eagle Pass, TX
Disney Groom: Peter, 24, Eagle Pass, TX
Wedding date: 12-9-11
Ceremony Venue: Wedding Pavilion
Reception Venue: Whitehall Room
Dessert Party Venue: UK Lochside
Total budget: $20,000
Guest count: 27
Why did you choose a Disney wedding? Peter usually watches “Wedding Sunday” with me (on WeTV) and we saw the David Tutera Disney Wedding special a few years ago, and we both fell in love with the idea of a Disney Wedding. I had never been to Disney World but he had. When we took our first trip together we ate at Cinderella’s Royal Table. I loved it there, and on our next trip that was where he proposed. He loves Disney as much as I do so this wedding was not just everything I wanted, but also everything he wanted.
How did your family/friends react to your Disney wedding? My family was not surprised by us deciding to get married at Disney World. His family could not really understand it. He comes from a traditional Mexican family so they wanted us to have a huge over the top wedding that we could not afford. They questioned why we chose Disney and what it would turn into. I think in the back of their minds they thought it was going to be a ridiculous spectacle. But in the end they had a blast at our wedding.
What was your theme? We didn’t really have a set theme, but we did have a lot of Disney touches.
What was your biggest challenge in planning your Disney wedding? I honestly did not have any challenges with planning a Disney wedding. I never felt stressed out with Disney. The only thing that bothered me was the scrim (wall to hide construction) that they put up near our venue a week before our wedding. I remained calm though because there was really not much that I could do about it.
Tell us about your ceremony. Did you include any Disney touches? I LOVED our ceremony and so did our guests. Everyone made comments about how well Rev. Kevin Knox performed it. We personalized it to fit our needs. It was short and to the point but it also expressed our love for one another. We walked out to different Disney songs. Peter came out to He’s a Pirate and I came out to Beauty and the Beast and our recessional was Married Life. We gave out Mickey Programs before the Ceremony. I wore the Belle gown from the Alfred Angelo Disney Fairy Tale Wedding line, along with a Cinderella Swarovski bracelet. My bouquet consisted of lavender and white roses with crystal Mickeys. Peter wore the Ellie Badge and had a hidden Mickey in his boutonniere.
Describe your reception. Was it completely traditional or did you do anything unique? Our reception was so much fun! We had a morning wedding so we served breakfast food and this was a big hit with our guests. They all had seconds. We had some traditional things like the first dance. I danced with my grandfather, but there was no throwing of the bouquet or garter toss. We did not have a DJ but instead had an iPod set up and just played Disney music. Something that was really fun for everyone was the caricature artist. Every single person at our wedding got one. We wanted to have Disney touches throughout the reception so we had carriage centerpieces, and Mickey Mouse white chocolate place cards. Our cake had Mickeys all over it, and a castle on top. Probably the biggest surprise of the day was when we walked in with Mickey and Minnie. The adults seemed to love this even more than the kids.
What did you splurge on? Where did you save money? We definitely splurged on entertainment for our guests. They all sacrificed so much to be at our wedding, so we wanted to make it a special day that they would never forget. The three most costly things were Mickey and Minnie, the dessert party, and the caricaturist. These were really the things that made our wedding so much fun. We also splurged on our videographer. This was very important to Peter and I am very happy we chose this. Our video is amazing. We definitely saved money by having a morning wedding because this allowed us to serve breakfast food, which is generally less expensive than lunch or dinner. Again we were so happy with this decision because everyone loved the food. We also did not go all out with floral. Our centerpieces were so pretty and kept with our theme but they did not break the bank.
What was your favorite moment of the day? My favorite moment of the day was right after we got married. All of our guests went to the Pre-Reception and Peter and I went off with Randy to take pictures around the Wedding Pavilion. I hate taking pictures but this was just so much fun. I was just so happy and filled with an overwhelming amount of love because I had just married my best friend. Even though we were taking pictures it gave Peter and I a chance to talk, laugh and kiss! I loved all of the kisses we gave each other in these moments.
What would you change if you had to do it all over again? Not one thing, everything turned out as planned.
What advice would you give to couples that have just started planning their Disney wedding? The first thing I would recommend is buying the PassPorters Disney Wedding’s and Honeymoons book. This book really covers everything. Figure out what your budget is and try to get the most for your money. I would also recommend reading the Planning Journals on the Disboards. They give so much info and you make such great friends there. The last think I would recommend is listening to Carrie’s Wedding Podcast. She gives so much valuable information, from dessert parties to transportation. When I had my planning session over the phone I knew exactly how much transportation was going to cost and how many stops I needed, so no money was wasted in this department, which is the boring part of wedding planning.
Budget breakdown
Venue: $3195
Food/Drink: $2278.48
Floral: $987
Other Decor (chairs/linens): $255
Officiant: $250
Marriage License: $100
Ceremony Music: Included with fee
Mickey Programs: $70
Invitations: $60
Reception Music: $379.50
Cake: $740.97
Cake Topper: $106.50
Mickey and Minnie: $1350
Caricature Artist: $683
Favors: $180
Photography: $1040
Videography: $1265.25
Bride’s attire: $1560
Hair/Makeup: $150
Groom’s attire: $220
Transportation: $769.64 (This included a limo, mini-motor coach, and a town car.)
Magic Kingdom Photo Session: $1100
Rings: $1350
Dessert Party
U.K. Fee: $266.25
Food: $1198.44
Photography: $350
Catering and Equipment fee: $90.53
Décor: $100
Vendors
Wedding coordinator: Carol Mikles
Photography: Randy Chapman
Videography: STVS Video
Officiant: Rev. Kevin Knox
Hair/Makeup: Beaute Speciale
Stationary: Ever After Printables
