Hi All!
My wedding is booked aboard the Disney Dream, departing July 28th, 2013!
I'm a long-time disney fan, I've done many disney cruises, and our family/friends are pumped about the whole thing.
However - I AM VERY CONCERNED!!! Please, can anyone tell me how their evening went? I see many posts about the ceremony, but is it possible to have any sort of reception at all??!
Our wedding is adults only (ages 21-50ish) and we can't imagine a wedding without a dance/drinks/speeches afterwards. Is it impossible to have one of the lounges/bars for a short private party before/after dinner? I've been on enough cruises to know that usually one of them isn't even in use at that time.
Any suggestions/help on how to go about this?!
Much appreciated
-Amy
Hi Amy
Congratulations on your engagement and booking a
DCL wedding!
I was in a similar position to you when I started planning in that the majority of my guests are adults, and I really wanted a reception type event for the wedding.
As Aimee already mentioned, your wedding package includes a Cake & Champagne Reception afterwards. This event is private, usually in Outlook Lounge, and is scheduled for about an hour. During this time, you are able to do dance (first and parents), cut your cake, and champagne toasts. Some of the brides that have already been married may be able to give you more specific info on what they did at their receptions.
After that brief reception, your options really depend on how many guests you are planning to have attend your event. Typically, you would just go to the Main Dining Room with the rest of your guests for dinner. That's what I'm having to do due to the size of my wedding party.
Another option along these lines that would be a bit more private (that I've just learned about) is the Private Dining Room in Royal Palace. Apparently you can request this space, but I'm not sure of guests numbers of anything. Maybe one of the other brides can tell you more about it, or try asking Meredith?
If you have a small party (about 14 guests), a great option for you would be to request the Private Room in Palo. It would have a more intimate and formal atmosphere for the wedding.
Lastly, a final option is to hold an event prior to or after the cruise. I'm having a Wishes dessert party at the Grand Floridian the night before embarkation. Even though it's before the wedding (we're calling it a Welcome Party), DF and I are treating it as a mini-reception. Everyone's going to dress up, and we're having desserts, a BOC bar, music, decorations, and maybe even some speeches. If you're interested in doing something like this, feel free to look at my PJ for how I went about this, and contact Meredith to put you in touch with the right people at DFTW.
Hope this helps, and looking forward to hearing about your plans!