Disney Wedding Podcast

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!

Today, Charli Bevan-Singh shares the story of her Lilly Pulitzer-themed Wishes ceremony and cocktail hour at Sea Breeze Point, reception at Ariel’s and dessert party at UK Lochside and Imagination Lounge in Epcot. Charli talks about planning her event from the UK, which was extra challenging because Lilly Pulitzer merchandise isn’t sold there! She discusses how she and Mark chose their venues, including meeting an extra food and beverage minimum to guarantee Ariel’s as the rain backup for their original reception location, Shipwreck Beach. She also talks about how they decided to have Mickey and Minnie come to the cocktail hour AND the reception, and how her DJ saved the day when the party started to wind down.  Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Liz Walter steps in as interviewer to ask me questions submitted by Disney Wedding Podcast listeners. You’ll hear how the Disney Wedding Podcast came about; which are my favorite wedding venues, cake flavors, and splurges; how to avoid common planning pitfalls; and the first question couples should ask before they even start planning. You’ll also hear my top tips for anyone getting married and how I got the opportunity to interview Arlene and Dick Van Dyke on the show! Click here to see more!

Today, Alex Struckmeyer shares the story of her Wishes collection ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, pre-reception at Italy Isola and reception at American Adventure Rotunda. She discusses how she and Aaron chose their venues and the ways they personalized their ceremony and reception without spending a lot on floral and decor, including vendors she found via Instagram. She also offers her top tips for anyone planning a wedding or vow renewal at Walt Disney World.   Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Michelle Gaspar shares the story of her Star Wars-themed vow renewal, with a ceremony in Brisa Courtyard, a reception at the Disneyland Hotel’s Sleeping Beauty Pavilion and an after-party in Star Wars Launch Bay inside Disneyland—complete with rides on Star Tours and Space Mountain! Michelle discusses how she and George decided to have a vow renewal just 2 1/2 years after their Disneyland wedding, all the Star Wars details she added to the event, and what it was like to mingle with Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Stormtroopers on their special day!  Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Maureen Casaus shares the story of her Escape wedding at Sea Breeze Point, catered meal at The Attic, and dessert party at UK Lochside. She discusses what it was like to plan remotely from California, why she decided to add a catered meal to the package, and her favorite menu items. Maureen also shares how she saved on floral and decor and her top tip to ensure the ceremony music is played the way you want! Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Courtney McDonnell shares the story of her Wishes wedding ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, cocktail hour at Luau Beach, and reception at Sunset Boulevard inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Courtney discusses the unique aspects of planning at these venues,  her favorite menu items from the wedding and the Fantasmic! rehearsal dinner, and what happened when it started raining right in the middle of her outdoor reception!  Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Karen Lawyer shares the story of her Wishes Collection ceremony and reception at Aulani’s Lanikuhonua Phase II venue. You’ll hear how Karen and Alex chose Aulani for their wedding, which special Hawaiian touches they added to the event, and how they narrowly avoided being moved into a ballroom when an all-day downpour stopped just two minutes before the rain backup call was made! Karen also shares her top tips for menu items, decor and working within the restrictions of this unique venue. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Disney groom Simon Kirk shares the story of his Escape wedding to Vicky Morse, with a ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, cake and Champagne reception at Citricos Rotunda, catered meal at The Attic, and dessert party at UK Pubside in Epcot. Simon talks about the planning process, with special tips for other UK couples on getting your marriage license by mail and working within Disney’s shorter booking timeline when you’re used to planning trips several years in advance. He also details how they customized the Escape collection cake and both their catered meals to be completely vegan. Click here to see all their photos!

Today, Kathy Pratt shares the story of her Wishes ceremony in front of the Magic Kingdom’s East Plaza Garden, reception at the Grand Floridian’s St. Augustine Ballroom, and dessert party at Italy Isola and World Showplace in Epcot. Kathy talks about how she incorporated her Beauty and the Beast theme, including an attraction mix-in at Beauty and the Beast — Live On Stage in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! She also discusses the trickier aspects of planning a Magic Kingdom ceremony, like the rain backup and how her ceremony time was changed just a few weeks before the wedding day. Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Morgan Davidson shares the story of her Escape Collection vow renewal at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. She discusses how she and Mike decided to hold a vow renewal and why they chose the Beachside BoardWalk at Disney’s Vero Beach, how they found outside vendors, and which menu items they recommend from their reception. You’ll also hear a detailed timeline of their day and Morgan’s top tips for planning a wedding or vow renewal at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort! Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Erin McKee shares the story of her Wishes ceremony at the Wedding Pavilion, reception at the Grand Floridian’s St. Augustine Ballroom and Happily Ever After dessert party at the Grand Floridian Marina. She discusses the logistics of planning a large, 160-guest wedding at Disney; how she was able to communicate her vision for the lush floral and decor at her Tangled-themed reception; and her favorite menu items from the reception and dessert party. Erin also shares the magic moment she and Tom were given when Disney let them take bridal portraits aboard the Grand 1 Yacht, where Tom had proposed! Click here to see all the photos!

This week, Sara Russert shares the story of her Adventureland-themed wedding at the Grand Californian’s Brisa Courtyard and Trillium Room, plus a private viewing at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room after the park closed! You’ll hear how she pulled off a highly themed reception on a shoestring budget by sourcing her own antique decor, driving it down to Disneyland from Seattle, and hiring an outside florist to set it up for her. In fact, the theming was so detailed that Disney allowed Sara and Amanda to have a rare appearance by Safari Mickey, complete with a Jungle Cruise boat photo backdrop! You’ll also hear about their rehearsal dinner in the Disneyland Hotel’s over-the-top Adventureland Suite, and Sara shares tons of tips for working with Disney to create a unique all-vegan wedding menu that isn’t just piles of grilled veggies! Click here to see ALL the photos!

Today, Kirsten DeRoche-Whitesell shares the story of her Escape wedding ceremony at Luaue Pointe, meal at Morimoto Asia and dessert party at Vikings Landing in Epcot. Kirsten shares how she and Regan chose the Escape package, what they did to customize it and how they planned their dessert party. She also discusses their Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios bridal portrait sessions. Click here to see all the photos!

Today, Rose & Eric Waples share the story of their Wishes ceremony at Sea Breeze Point, reception at California Grill and dessert party at Epcot’s UK Lochside, plus a Fantasmic! welcome party with Tower of Terror ride mix-in. They discuss how they chose their venues, what it was like working within California Grill’s menu restrictions, how they saved on floral and decor, and the importance of working on DIY projects together. They also talk about what it’s like to do a Magic Kingdom bridal portrait session on the same day as a morning wedding.  View all their photos here!

This week, Kristina Sazama shares the story of her wedding at Paradise Cove and welcome party at UK Lochside in Epcot. Kristina and Joe met on MouseMingle.com, and she talks about how they considered a Disney’s Fairy Tale Wedding but ultimately chose Paradise Cove for both their ceremony and reception. She also discusses the fireworks welcome party she added through Disney Meetings & Events, which ended up being held in Spaceship Earth Lounge due to rain. And Kristina gives her top tips for anyone looking for an alternative to a Disney wedding.  See all the photos here!

Today, Christa and Mickey King share the story of the surprise vow renewal Mickey planned for Christa on the 10th anniversary of their Disney wedding! You’ll hear how Mickey was able to secretly plan an entire Wishes Collection ceremony and reception at Sea Breeze Point with the help of the same Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings planner who planned their wedding, including how he figured out what Christa would want and his top tips for pulling off a surprise of your own. Click here to see all the photos and two videos!