DisneyBride2bDenise
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2005
Any one planning on the Cruise wedding??? My FI and I are planning on getting married on Castaway Cay in September 06. Any advice or details appreiciated. TIA!!!
Disney Cruise Weddings
- Thread starter DisneyBride2bDenise
- Start date
cruisebride2b06
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 3, 2005
My fiance and I are planning a cruise wedding on Castaway Cay for March 06 but as of yet have not received to much info from Disney. If I coome across any info I will let you know. Likewise feel free to share any info you come across as well.
lookinforthesun
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2004
I got married on Disney Cruise Line almost the same day as you last year. I was suppossed to get married on Castaway Cay Island but hurricane Francis came and hit the island so we had to get married at sea. I would never go any other way than the way I got married. Even though we got married at Sea it was so memorable and worth every penny. The wedding coordinators made everything so easy and you feel like such a princess on board. I have posted some of my pictures on here before if you wanted to look them up. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.DisneyBride2bDenise said:
Lisa
Hi! I was married on Castaway Cay on February 12, 2005. I have to agree with the previous poster getting married via the cruise line is just THE BEST!! It was the most romantic stress free way I can ever imagine getting married. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to let me know and I am glad to help. 
It depends on when, where you want to get married and the length of the cruise. When we got married, you booked your cabin and then your wedding is an add on after the fact. So your first cost will be the cruise itself which varies according to when you want to sail and what kind of cabin you want. We choose to get married when we did in part because it was listed as a "special offer" cruise and I knew I wanted to get married in January or February when it wasn't as hot as I wanted a Castaway Cay wedding outside. A wedding onboard ship was I think $1800 with the Castaway Cay another $1000 on top of that. We also choose to add on $200 worth of flowers (flowers for the best man, my dad, his dad, my mom, his mom and my matron of honor) and we choose the Ruby photography package which allows you to keep your negatives (and the pictures came out great!) which was $699. In the end, I think we spent around $5,000 including my dress and his suit. Our wedding party booked early for the most part and paid on average around $500 per person (The ship started booking fast about a month out, I think because of Valentines day). I was sooo glad we were able to get everyone onboard ship for our cruise (we had 14 guests). You also have to pay an extra $10 per person for every guest you have over 8 people. We also purchased a bottle of sparkling apple cider because our best man was my husband's 17 year old brother and I wanted him to have a special drink too. I think this was an extra $25. You can get soda served for no extra charge I think. It was pricey I guess for the size, but inexpensive compared to a lot of weddings. Our guest were really happy with all of the activities and the food was great. My husband that normally doesn't like cake LOVED our wedding cake. Also, FYI, one thing we did was bring some personal touches to add to our reception like engraved toasting flutes, our guest book and a wedding cake topper (I love Mickey and Minnie, but I decided on a sandcastle for the theme and I found a wedding cake topper and they were glad to sub for me.). I was also glad our parents were able to enjoy the wedding and not be running around worrying about food and such. Eva, our wedding coordinator was AWESOME 
. If you do a cruise line wedding I hope you get her. Any more questions, just post and I'll be glad to help if I can.
. If you do a cruise line wedding I hope you get her. Any more questions, just post and I'll be glad to help if I can.
U2FanHfx
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2005
Thank you melidere! We are not engaged yet, but what she doesn't know is that on our trip in August, I'm going to propose. She doesn't have any family so her preference is to get married away and invite close friends. She has even suggested that 'since' we are going on the cruise next September, we could get married on there. Pushy isn't she! 
A few more questions:
- Where do they do the "On-Board" weddings?
- Is there some sort of "Reception"?
- Does the price differ depending on Cabin? (We are thinking Cat. 6)
- Do you need to book the cabin direct with Disney?
- Am I asking too many questions?
Regs,
CJM
A few more questions:
- Where do they do the "On-Board" weddings?
- Is there some sort of "Reception"?
- Does the price differ depending on Cabin? (We are thinking Cat. 6)
- Do you need to book the cabin direct with Disney?
- Am I asking too many questions?
Regs,
CJM
U2FanHfx said:Thank you melidere! We are not engaged yet, but what she doesn't know is that on our trip in August, I'm going to propose. She doesn't have any family so her preference is to get married away and invite close friends. She has even suggested that 'since' we are going on the cruise next September, we could get married on there. Pushy isn't she!
A few more questions:
- Where do they do the "On-Board" weddings?
- Is there some sort of "Reception"?
- Does the price differ depending on Cabin? (We are thinking Cat. 6)
- Do you need to book the cabin direct with Disney?
- Am I asking too many questions?
Regs,
CJM
No you are not asking too many questions...you don't want to ask how often near the wedding I was e-mailing our wedding coordinator
. 1. They do on board weddings on one of the decks or in the Cadillac Lounge. I didn't get the full detail of that since we knew at the out set we wanted to do a Castaway Cay wedding. I do know that you have a limited amount of people that can attend a deck wedding (due to the size of the deck) and I even think we were just over that amount. Also I didn't like the lounge as a wedding venue (just a personal preference, I am sure there are people that loved it, it just wasn't my cup of tea). The when you call Disney Fairytale weddings they will send you pictures of the locations to give you a better idea. We did ours on a three day cruise and were told that they only booked three weddings maxium per cruise. Two onboard ship and one on Castaway Cay. We also choose Castaway Cay because we figured the pictures on the island would be beautiful (and oh boy were they!).
2. Yes! There is a cake and champagne reception after the wedding in Palo the adults only resturant. You will be able to choose cake flavors and we burned a CD and we even had background music and the couple dance and the father/daughter dance. A pianist plays for your ceremony wedding and gives you a variety of songs to choose from (even the traditional ones) I choose music from the movie "The Man From Snowy River" so I purchased sheet music for the pianist and it worked out fine. Also, if you have adults only in your party you can book a room for dinner the night of your wedding in Palo for all of you I think up to 12 people. A dinner at Palo for the two of you is included in your wedding package, any guest it will cost a extra $15 per person (but this the BEST food in the world and totally worth it! The reason we didn't do this is because adults only means no 17 year old thus the best man couldn't be there if we had everyone so we just had dinner there for the two of us.)
3. Yes, the price depends in part on the cabin you choose. Generally, the smaller the number the more expensive the cabin.
4. We did because my husband is a Disney employee, but you may want to check with travel agencies to see if you can get a better deal.
5. An aside, another nice thing is there is a spa and salon onboard ship and they are wonderful with hair (they don't do make up) and it so nice to just take an elevator and arrive at the salon. You can also book massages and steam room there. Basically, once your onboard ship, you give all of your stuff to the event coordinator and your done and that is a WONDERFUL gift to give yourself.
Best of luck to you on your proposal! I wish you both the best.
cruisebride2b06
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- May 3, 2005
My fiance and I are having our wedding on Castaway Cay March of 2006. I was wondering if anyone brought decorations for the area where your actully married on the iasland? How did your reception work out, I'm just curious if the hour was enough time and and since there is no DJ how did you coordinate there being a couples dance, a father daughter dance and the cake cutting? One quick question for brides to be or previous brides how long after your cruise was confirmed did you receive a planning package? We booked in March and still have received nothing and I would like my invitations to go out in August. Should I be worried?
Thanks in advance for ant advice or information!
Thanks in advance for ant advice or information!
bookworm74
I know the Secret
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2005
Officially, you're able to bring up to 8 guests. However, you are able to bring more than that - there's just an extra charge. On the Disney Weddings website in the cruise weddings section there are pictures of actual weddings. One of them takes place on the cruise and they had 60 guests!
Cruisebride2b06 - My FH and I are getting married on Castaway Cay on January 20th and we just received our planning kit from our wedding coordinator. The prices for 2006 just came out about a week ago. There's an on-board wedding coordinator who will coordinate all of the reception details.
Cruisebride2b06 - My FH and I are getting married on Castaway Cay on January 20th and we just received our planning kit from our wedding coordinator. The prices for 2006 just came out about a week ago. There's an on-board wedding coordinator who will coordinate all of the reception details.
Disney Princess
Member Since Day 1
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2000
Do any previous Castaway Cay brides/grooms have pictures available to share? I am getting married in 05/06 on CC and would LOVE to have a picture in mind of what a wedding looks like and where on the island they take place.
Thanks!
Thanks!
My fiance and I are planning to get married on Castaway Cay in February 2006. I've been PM'ing with several people who had Castaway Cay weddings, and since everyone has been so generous with their answers to my many (and lengthy) questions, I thought I'd post their replies here so everyone can share in the info. It's so hard to find DCL wedding info online, as many of us have said. I'm so thankful for this board and everyone who has been so open with sharing their experiences.
Here is the info that Hebejebe send me:
What was the Justice of the Peace ceremony like in Port Canaveral? How many people can be in the room? Is the room gloomy?
The ceremony was performed in a room in the DCL terminal. You board the ship then do whatever then come to Sessions to be taken off the ship and led to the room in the terminal. The room is behind the coffee/snack bar (that is never open) across from the check in counter and opposite the bathrooms. Everyone in our party (17 + us) was allowed to join us and we had plenty of room. The room is very nice but VERY WHITE! There are white bows on the windows with Captain Mickey and there is a little white table set up with the wedding Mickey & Minnie bobble-heads. I was given a white bouquet of fake flowers to hold. There are couches in the room, then the table then you. We stood against the open windows so the pictures are very washed out. I've included one for you. A cast member performed the ceremony and in my opinion this was the better-worded ceremony.
I have read they only do three weddings per cruise: one at Castaway Cay and two on board. Is that what you were told?
There is only one Castaway Cay wedding. Other weddings can happen (I also heard 2 but swear I've heard of more) on days at sea. I think these people get married by the captain but I really do not know. They also get to choose a cake, etc. Saw one other bride in the salon and saw people with the wedding ears on but could have been honeymooners instead.
Do you have any (in hindsight) advice about dresses that would work best on Castaway Cay? For instance, should I have a floor length dress shortened a bit so it doesn't drag in the sand?
I thankfully had my husband's parents take the dress with them since they drove. I wore a bridesmaid dress as my wedding dress and it was fairly compact since it did not have tulle or an underskirt. It did have a mermaid train. You really aren't on the sand and there is a red carpet down at the ceremony site. So don't worry about sand!
One thing you should think about is the wind. It was very windy. I wore my hair in a bun so it didn't affect me and tucked my tiny veil (my Mom made it from a yard of tulle and a barrette) down the back of my dress for pictures.
Was the keyboardist the only option for music during the ceremony? Did they offer steel drums as an option (to make it even more beachy feeling)?
I think the keyboardist was the only option. You get to pick the songs though.
Did you take the DCL bus to Port Canaveral? How did you keep your dress from getting wrinkled en route? How was your dress handled once you got to the Port? Did you carry it on with you as hand luggage? If so, did it have to go through the safety x-ray scanner thing with the other carry-ons?
We arrived by plane the day before hand and stayed at the Radisson at the port. Again, my in-laws drove my dress down. I did carry it with me on the shuttle bus. Don't worry too much about it because they will steam your dress for you. Mine was steamed the first night and hung in the closet until the wedding day. I carried my dress the entire time once I got to the terminal. I've seen brides carry their dresses on the plane and yes, everything goes through the scanner.
Did you get ready in your stateroom, or do they give you another room? Did you have her hair done professionally on board? If so, did you go to the spa or did they come to your stateroom? Were you pleased with the results?
You get ready in your own room. I ordered room service the night before so I would have something basic to eat like toast. I did my own hair but one of my bridesmaids had her hair done at the spa. She was very pleased with the results especially since her hair was super hairsprayed --didn't move in the wind at all.
Would Disney let us have our guests blow bubbles after the ceremony as we walk out?
I don't see why that would be a problem at all. You can check with your wedding contact if you want.
Was the reception held in the big area of Palo's or in the private room? How long did the reception last? Did it feel like enough time?
The reception was held in the middle of Palo's. We had the whole place to ourselves since it was 11:00 a.m. and they weren't open. I thin the reception was maybe 1.5 hours, no clue. I think we decided to leave on our own since we were starving. Your guests will go there after the ceremony while you get pictures taken around the ship.
How many attendees did you have?
We had 17 guests and paid the extra $10 for the additional guests.
Did you play music during your reception? Did you have a first dance?
We did not have music played nor did we dance. We had a reception back home after the ceremony. My husband was very happy about the not having to dance. We cut the cake, fed each other, had a champagne toast, and then socialized.
Did you have your guests join you for dinner at Palo's that evening? If not, do you wish you had?
We ate by ourselves at Palo's and looked through our wedding pictures. Depending on your package you will need to decide on enlargements. The food at Palo's was to die for! We had the same waiter who was at the reception. Not sure if this was planned or not but it was nice. We liked being by ourselves for the night.
How was the hand off between the DFTW event managers on land and on sea? Did you feel like anything was forgotten or like you had to hold it all together so they didn't miss anything? Did you get to talk to the event manager at sea before your sailing day?
We didn't speak to out planner until we arrived on the ship. He was actually one of the concierges but we didn't feel like he forgot us. You will have a meeting with him the day after you board to go over all details and to pick out the cake, reconfirm details, etc.
Did you get a discount on your staterooms for booking a group and/or wedding? Did you get an upgraded stateroom due to your wedding?
No to both. We booked through Costco and saved a ton. Group rates were not available for our cruise. I think our cruise was pretty packed.
Did you do a land and sea package?
We did our own combination of land and sea. We arrived a day early and spent the day at Port Canaveral lounging around the hotel. We then did the 7-day Western Caribbean cruise followed by a day at Disney and the next morning at Downtown Disney before our flight.
Are you allowed to take your fresh bouquet and leftover cake through US customs and back into Port Canaveral?
Sadly, bouquet must stay on the ship. It is a customs violation. Take plenty of pictures. Plus it was so heavy I wouldn't have wanted to lug it around.
What flavor cake and filling did you choose? Would you recommend that combo?
I think I went with the moose and a yellow cake. It was very good. I might have gone with something fruitier but really, can you go wrong with chocolate?
Did Disney pack the top layer of cake for you to take home and save for your first anniversary?
We received the top layer after dessert at Palo's to finish. Again, the whole customs thing prevents you from bringing food off the ship. Think: Ship = Bahamas. We ate a bite and then asked our waiter to give it to the staff. We could have taken it with us to our room if we wanted.
Were the different wedding cake styles they offered you nice, or did they feel generic? Did you use their cake topper or bring your own?
There is a whole book of designs and you can mix and watch all you want. We went with the rope braiding as a border around the cake and had some flowers and other thing. Check out the picture. We used their topper for the cake (which you do get to keep) and actually used it again for the reception back home.
What did you offer as a wedding favor?
We didn't offer anything on board but at the reception back home we had the wind-up Mickey & Minnie wedding figurines. We also had napkins with Mickey & Minnie printed with our names and reception date. Those were fairly inexpensive. We thought about having pictures taken with each person then getting them developed and then putting them in a frame as a gift but it seemed a little complicated so we didn't do it. You could do just frames from the shops onboard.
Can you have photos taken on board as well as on the island? Were they ready before you left the ship, or did they mail them to you later? Did you get to buy the proofs and/or negatives? Can you have the photographer for longer than the two hours they say on the DFTW site? Did you have a video done?
We had photos taken of the ceremony, after the ceremony, around the ship and then at the reception. All the shots will be delivered in 5x6 size to your stateroom that night. We took them with us to dinner at Palo's to look over them and decide on the enlargements. Once we had decided we called our concierge and he picked them up to be enlarged and brought them back down when they were done. We received a blank white album at the same time as the initial photos. We chose to purchase the negatives. There are no proofs -- you get all the shots in 5x6 size. I'm not sure how long we had the photographer for. I think until he runs out of film he is yours. We had friends videotape for us but not a professional. Do they offer that service now?
What time of day is the wedding on Castaway Cay? Did your guests have a chance to enjoy the island after the reception?
The wedding is held at 10:00 a.m. Ours was a held around 11:00 a.m. because they were waiting for the weather to clear up. After the reception (maybe 12:30 p.m.) went changed, ate and then went on the island. We had plenty of time on CC. We only went to CC once on the cruise. Wait until you see the wedding pics with the difference between the morning and the afternoon when it cleared up.
Were there custom options for the bouquet? I've always had my heart set on having a bouquet of peonies, but that's not one of the options they show on the DCL weddings web site. Are the only options the five bouquets on there and that's it?
There were 3 options for the bouquets, are there 5 now? That's it. The garden (the one I went with), roses and something else. Ask your wedding coordinator to forward the pics to you.
Do they hold a rehearsal before you get to Castaway Cay? Or do you just wing it?
You just wing it baby! Pretty much, get off cart, greet Dad, walk down aisle, get handed to husband, follow along and repeat when asked.
Did you order bouquets for your bridesmaids or any additional flowers for your guests (corsages for the moms, etc)? If so, do you recall how much they were?
Flowers are expensive. I think it was $125 for a bridesmaid bouquet. We didn't get any other flowers -- just the ones that came with the package. I can't imagine someone having to hold two of those things. They weigh like 10 pounds!!
Thank you Hebejebe for this great info!!!
Jennifer
Here is the info that Hebejebe send me:
What was the Justice of the Peace ceremony like in Port Canaveral? How many people can be in the room? Is the room gloomy?
The ceremony was performed in a room in the DCL terminal. You board the ship then do whatever then come to Sessions to be taken off the ship and led to the room in the terminal. The room is behind the coffee/snack bar (that is never open) across from the check in counter and opposite the bathrooms. Everyone in our party (17 + us) was allowed to join us and we had plenty of room. The room is very nice but VERY WHITE! There are white bows on the windows with Captain Mickey and there is a little white table set up with the wedding Mickey & Minnie bobble-heads. I was given a white bouquet of fake flowers to hold. There are couches in the room, then the table then you. We stood against the open windows so the pictures are very washed out. I've included one for you. A cast member performed the ceremony and in my opinion this was the better-worded ceremony.
I have read they only do three weddings per cruise: one at Castaway Cay and two on board. Is that what you were told?
There is only one Castaway Cay wedding. Other weddings can happen (I also heard 2 but swear I've heard of more) on days at sea. I think these people get married by the captain but I really do not know. They also get to choose a cake, etc. Saw one other bride in the salon and saw people with the wedding ears on but could have been honeymooners instead.
Do you have any (in hindsight) advice about dresses that would work best on Castaway Cay? For instance, should I have a floor length dress shortened a bit so it doesn't drag in the sand?
I thankfully had my husband's parents take the dress with them since they drove. I wore a bridesmaid dress as my wedding dress and it was fairly compact since it did not have tulle or an underskirt. It did have a mermaid train. You really aren't on the sand and there is a red carpet down at the ceremony site. So don't worry about sand!
One thing you should think about is the wind. It was very windy. I wore my hair in a bun so it didn't affect me and tucked my tiny veil (my Mom made it from a yard of tulle and a barrette) down the back of my dress for pictures.
Was the keyboardist the only option for music during the ceremony? Did they offer steel drums as an option (to make it even more beachy feeling)?
I think the keyboardist was the only option. You get to pick the songs though.
Did you take the DCL bus to Port Canaveral? How did you keep your dress from getting wrinkled en route? How was your dress handled once you got to the Port? Did you carry it on with you as hand luggage? If so, did it have to go through the safety x-ray scanner thing with the other carry-ons?
We arrived by plane the day before hand and stayed at the Radisson at the port. Again, my in-laws drove my dress down. I did carry it with me on the shuttle bus. Don't worry too much about it because they will steam your dress for you. Mine was steamed the first night and hung in the closet until the wedding day. I carried my dress the entire time once I got to the terminal. I've seen brides carry their dresses on the plane and yes, everything goes through the scanner.
Did you get ready in your stateroom, or do they give you another room? Did you have her hair done professionally on board? If so, did you go to the spa or did they come to your stateroom? Were you pleased with the results?
You get ready in your own room. I ordered room service the night before so I would have something basic to eat like toast. I did my own hair but one of my bridesmaids had her hair done at the spa. She was very pleased with the results especially since her hair was super hairsprayed --didn't move in the wind at all.
Would Disney let us have our guests blow bubbles after the ceremony as we walk out?
I don't see why that would be a problem at all. You can check with your wedding contact if you want.
Was the reception held in the big area of Palo's or in the private room? How long did the reception last? Did it feel like enough time?
The reception was held in the middle of Palo's. We had the whole place to ourselves since it was 11:00 a.m. and they weren't open. I thin the reception was maybe 1.5 hours, no clue. I think we decided to leave on our own since we were starving. Your guests will go there after the ceremony while you get pictures taken around the ship.
How many attendees did you have?
We had 17 guests and paid the extra $10 for the additional guests.
Did you play music during your reception? Did you have a first dance?
We did not have music played nor did we dance. We had a reception back home after the ceremony. My husband was very happy about the not having to dance. We cut the cake, fed each other, had a champagne toast, and then socialized.
Did you have your guests join you for dinner at Palo's that evening? If not, do you wish you had?
We ate by ourselves at Palo's and looked through our wedding pictures. Depending on your package you will need to decide on enlargements. The food at Palo's was to die for! We had the same waiter who was at the reception. Not sure if this was planned or not but it was nice. We liked being by ourselves for the night.
How was the hand off between the DFTW event managers on land and on sea? Did you feel like anything was forgotten or like you had to hold it all together so they didn't miss anything? Did you get to talk to the event manager at sea before your sailing day?
We didn't speak to out planner until we arrived on the ship. He was actually one of the concierges but we didn't feel like he forgot us. You will have a meeting with him the day after you board to go over all details and to pick out the cake, reconfirm details, etc.
Did you get a discount on your staterooms for booking a group and/or wedding? Did you get an upgraded stateroom due to your wedding?
No to both. We booked through Costco and saved a ton. Group rates were not available for our cruise. I think our cruise was pretty packed.
Did you do a land and sea package?
We did our own combination of land and sea. We arrived a day early and spent the day at Port Canaveral lounging around the hotel. We then did the 7-day Western Caribbean cruise followed by a day at Disney and the next morning at Downtown Disney before our flight.
Are you allowed to take your fresh bouquet and leftover cake through US customs and back into Port Canaveral?
Sadly, bouquet must stay on the ship. It is a customs violation. Take plenty of pictures. Plus it was so heavy I wouldn't have wanted to lug it around.
What flavor cake and filling did you choose? Would you recommend that combo?
I think I went with the moose and a yellow cake. It was very good. I might have gone with something fruitier but really, can you go wrong with chocolate?
Did Disney pack the top layer of cake for you to take home and save for your first anniversary?
We received the top layer after dessert at Palo's to finish. Again, the whole customs thing prevents you from bringing food off the ship. Think: Ship = Bahamas. We ate a bite and then asked our waiter to give it to the staff. We could have taken it with us to our room if we wanted.
Were the different wedding cake styles they offered you nice, or did they feel generic? Did you use their cake topper or bring your own?
There is a whole book of designs and you can mix and watch all you want. We went with the rope braiding as a border around the cake and had some flowers and other thing. Check out the picture. We used their topper for the cake (which you do get to keep) and actually used it again for the reception back home.
What did you offer as a wedding favor?
We didn't offer anything on board but at the reception back home we had the wind-up Mickey & Minnie wedding figurines. We also had napkins with Mickey & Minnie printed with our names and reception date. Those were fairly inexpensive. We thought about having pictures taken with each person then getting them developed and then putting them in a frame as a gift but it seemed a little complicated so we didn't do it. You could do just frames from the shops onboard.
Can you have photos taken on board as well as on the island? Were they ready before you left the ship, or did they mail them to you later? Did you get to buy the proofs and/or negatives? Can you have the photographer for longer than the two hours they say on the DFTW site? Did you have a video done?
We had photos taken of the ceremony, after the ceremony, around the ship and then at the reception. All the shots will be delivered in 5x6 size to your stateroom that night. We took them with us to dinner at Palo's to look over them and decide on the enlargements. Once we had decided we called our concierge and he picked them up to be enlarged and brought them back down when they were done. We received a blank white album at the same time as the initial photos. We chose to purchase the negatives. There are no proofs -- you get all the shots in 5x6 size. I'm not sure how long we had the photographer for. I think until he runs out of film he is yours. We had friends videotape for us but not a professional. Do they offer that service now?
What time of day is the wedding on Castaway Cay? Did your guests have a chance to enjoy the island after the reception?
The wedding is held at 10:00 a.m. Ours was a held around 11:00 a.m. because they were waiting for the weather to clear up. After the reception (maybe 12:30 p.m.) went changed, ate and then went on the island. We had plenty of time on CC. We only went to CC once on the cruise. Wait until you see the wedding pics with the difference between the morning and the afternoon when it cleared up.
Were there custom options for the bouquet? I've always had my heart set on having a bouquet of peonies, but that's not one of the options they show on the DCL weddings web site. Are the only options the five bouquets on there and that's it?
There were 3 options for the bouquets, are there 5 now? That's it. The garden (the one I went with), roses and something else. Ask your wedding coordinator to forward the pics to you.
Do they hold a rehearsal before you get to Castaway Cay? Or do you just wing it?
You just wing it baby! Pretty much, get off cart, greet Dad, walk down aisle, get handed to husband, follow along and repeat when asked.
Did you order bouquets for your bridesmaids or any additional flowers for your guests (corsages for the moms, etc)? If so, do you recall how much they were?
Flowers are expensive. I think it was $125 for a bridesmaid bouquet. We didn't get any other flowers -- just the ones that came with the package. I can't imagine someone having to hold two of those things. They weigh like 10 pounds!!
Thank you Hebejebe for this great info!!!
Jennifer
For your guests..did you pay for all their cabins..or did they pay for their own cruises and then just attend the wedding and cake ceremonies.
We have seen brides being driven by golf cart to their weddings on castaway cay..I believe they are at heads up bar/deck because it is a more private area. Do the guests just walk to that area?
We have seen brides being driven by golf cart to their weddings on castaway cay..I believe they are at heads up bar/deck because it is a more private area. Do the guests just walk to that area?
Justmestace's daughter had a Castaway Cay wedding. Stacey has been kind enough to share all sorts of info about DCL weddings with me via PM. She has agreed to let me post the info here since it is so hard to find cruise wedding info. (Warning: This is really long. I can't figure out how to make a new post. If I could, I would just put a link to it here on this stream. Sigh... I'll figure this out the more I'm on here. Bear with me please!)
From Justmestace:
Megan's wedding was wonderful. We did ask our contact at Fairytale Weddings to please have some of the tables that are at the Head's Up bar (which, by the way, they will have it all shuttered closed, and you really won't know it IS a bar) set up with the umbrellas open, in case some of our older guests got too warm. Her wedding was in September, and it turned out that no one got too hot. It was a perfect day. We had a group of 20 people, all adults except for 3...ages 9, 13 and 15.
She had a maid of honor, and 2 bridesmaids. Pete had a best man, a groomsman, and a groomswoman....a best friend since the age of 3.
The ceremony was totally traditional. If they had wanted to add their own words, they could have, but they didn't. It was a Christian ceremony....100%...and the pastor wouldn't let them kiss until they stepped over and signed their Bahamian marriage license. It was really cute!
We had a friend there that was a female minister, just in case we felt we needed a blessing, but it wasn't necessary. It was the entire "Dearly Beloved".....
The photographer took pics throughout the ceremony, and we had one of the onboard wedding consultants use my video camera to film it, and she did a great job. After the ceremony, they took more posed photos, and then took Megan and Pete off in the golf cart for pictures with Island Mickey and Goofy....and then took some getting on the ship, and around the ship. We were taken on a special tram back to the ship and went up to Palo to wait for them. We had water while we waited. Some people changed clothes first.
There were more photos taken at the reception also. I had taken a box with decorations...I made pomander balls to hang on the rail at the ceremony, and a ring of flowers for the top of the cake. She used a glass Cinderella slipper (that we brought) for a topper, and had DCL put her Mickey and Minnie topper on the cake table as a decoration. We also made all of the wedding flowers because she wanted lavender roses and DCL wouldn't do lavender. They said that the color lavender varies and they have had too many disappointed brides. So we had them make a white rose bouquet that we laid in front of the cake also. There is only one style of cake that they make....and it is the same with the vow renewals also. They change the top and the color of the icing trim for a vow renewal cake, but it is otherwise the same cake all the time, just different flavors. But it was very, very pretty....and we couldn't eat it all.
The wedding was at 10:00 a.m. on the island, and it was still only about 12:30 when we finished with the reception, so we had lunch and then went on to enjoy plenty of time on Castaway Cay. In fact, Megan and Pete went parasailing!
I did have to go up to Palo in the morning, to show them where we wanted things....they set up a small table with a guest book (that we brought) and some candle favors ....with the promise that no one would light a candle...against all cruise ship rules. We had a c.d. playing, but couldn't really hear it well. We didn't ask them to turn it up...we were enjoying ourselves without it. So, Megan and Pete never did get their "first dance"...although they could have, if we had wanted to turn up the music.
They took pictures of her all over the ship in her dress....and Pete, too...oops! And if she had wanted to, she could have stayed in her dress for dinner. But she got a little wet parasailing, so her hair was down, and she didn't want to get all dressed again. A friend of mine who had her vow renewal on the ship not only wore her white wedding dress to dinner (so did I at my vow renewal) but she had the Head Server escort her into the dining room (maybe he offered) and she carried her bouquet also (I didn't take my bouquet to dinner). Everyone did clap and cheer for us, though. It was very nice.
The assistant wedding coordinator on the ship took our decorations to Head's Up and hung them for us, and they also put out the aisle runner. I believe that DCL only has a red aisle runner, but you can bring your own.
We had dinner at Palo that night, all of us adults....Megan & Pete's was included in their package, but they wanted us to all be together, so we got the "private room" for the night. Something else that must be pre-arranged with Fairytale Weddings. The private rooms only seats 14 though....but the two youngest couples volunteered to eat at a table for four that is just outside the room. They brought some of the wedding cake after dinner, along with our desserts. We also had them bring the last of it to dinner the next night. But we had a little different schedule than usual. Because of Hurricane Isabel, we went to Castaway Cay first, instead of last. So yes, it moved her wedding day, but that was okay. It was still wonderful.
Here are Stacey's answers to my (many) questions about DCL weddings:
What was the Justice of the Peace ceremony like in Port Canaveral? How many people can be in the room? Is the room gloomy? Did Megan hold the silk bouquet you had made her? Do Megan and Pete feel like that is their wedding day, or the day they were on Castaway Cay?
They had a crew member who is a JP do it, she had a beautiful accent. They read a kind of fairy tale reading (think Cinderella) that actually was nice, and then do the civil thing and sign the certificate. It is in a room at the terminal (not on the ship) that is fairly small, but it did have windows that looked into the bay where the other ship...Carnival? Princess? was docked. Our pictures turned out dark in there due to the light from the windows, so make sure your camera is set to compensate. DCL suggested that only the bride and groom and perhaps their attendants be there (to witness)....but they picked the moms and my parents. Not the dads, though. There were nine of us in the room, with crew and my parents....that was about all the room would hold. They handed Megan an ugly bouquet to hold (silk) and put a hat on Pete and veil on Megan. They only wore them when we forced them to. If you have a small silk bouquet, definitely take it! They count the Castaway Cay day as their wedding. That is the one that was the "real" wedding, no doubt about it!
I have read they only do three weddings per cruise: one at Castaway Cay and two on board. Is that what you were told?
Per cruise, they can do two weddings on Castaway Cay, and two vow renewals onboard. It's at the Captain's discretion. If they do two weddings that day, have yours be the first one. It will be cooler outside, and will leave you time to enjoy the island. There was supposed to be another wedding, basically right after Megan's and we were worried about being rushed out of Palo...but they didn't have the other wedding. So we were allowed a little more time at Palo....but not a lot. I was glad that I had gone up to Palo in the morning and made friends with the guy who was in charge at Palo. His name was Dragan. It helped a lot that I was friendly with him.....he let us stay longer.
Was there music during the ceremony? If so, what type (CD, live, if live what instrument)? Did you make a request beforehand, or was it the typical "Here comes the bride"?
DCL had a keyboardist for the wedding. You will be given a long list of choices (sent in the mail in advance) for the processional, recessional, etc. Some of it is Disney music, some is traditional. Megan chose to not have the wedding March. She chose Canon something or another....and we also asked them (by writing it on the form ourselves) to play a song when Pete kissed Megan. They didn't have a space for that on the form, so we wrote it in, and he did play it!
For Intimate Weddings at WDW, four hours of limo service is included. Is that true for DCL weddings? If not, did Megan and Pete take the DCL bus to Port Canaveral? How did you keep her dress from getting wrinkled en route? How was her dress handled once you got to the Port? Did she carry it on with her as hand luggage? If so, did it have to go through the safety x-ray scanner thing with the other carry ons?
We weren't offered limo service. We used FLTours and had two private vans that held all of us and our luggage. If there had been less of us, we could have done limos, but the vans were more cost effective. Megan carried her dress all the way from Arizona to Florida. We were afraid that the airlines would make her stuff it in the overhead bin, but when she told them it was her wedding dress, they found space to hang it. Same with myself and my vow renewal dress. She did not have to send it through x-ray at the port, but she did at the airports. The ship took it after we got in the rooms and steamed it for her....mine also. They then delivered it back to the room, and hung it on the curtain rod to the verandah, so it wouldn't drag in the closet. If you have a lot of beading they tell you that they can't steam it, but mine did and so did Megan's and they still did it for us and did a great job!
Did Megan get ready in her stateroom, or do they give you another room? Did she have her hair done professionally? If so, did she go to the spa or did they come to her stateroom?
You have to get ready in your own room. Megan was lucky, because we had a Cat 2, two bedroom suite, so she got ready in our room. We had taken her to our beauty salon a few weeks before the wedding to practice hair styles. When she decided on an up-do, we took step by step pictures to take to the salon on the ship. She had her hair done on the ship, as did some of the bride's maids. They did her hair just as beautifully as our stylist at home did. They were very excited to "do" a bride....the girls went to the salon. Make sure that Cathy knows ahead of time that you want to reserve time for it, and get the phone number of concierge to set this up ahead of time, also. Always "back up" everything you want DFTW to do for you, with a call or fax to concierge.
Would Disney let us have our guests blow bubbles after the ceremony as we walk out?
Yes. We had wedding bubbles that they took down to the ceremony site for us....but we forgot all about them in the excitement! So have one of your guests take them down to the site (they will all go on a private tram ahead of you) and make sure that the guest puts them somewhere so that you don't forget them! Also, make a list of any special type photos you want...family groups, down on the beach, etc.....don't leave it up to the photographer to think of these things. Trust me. I have no picture of just our immediate family with Megan and Pete because none of us thought of it till later. He took shots (at Palo) of the couple with Grandparents, parents, wedding party, siblings....but not one with my husband, myself, the couple and our other kids!!
Was the reception held in the big area of Palo's or in the private room? How long did the reception last? Could you see the island through the windows of Palo's?
We were in the larger area of Palo...in the very center of the room where they have (usually) a large buffet table set up, so we had plenty of room for everyone to mingle. And places to sit. Yes, you can see the island from the windows....if the ship BACKS in....which it usually does. But sometimes it does pull in forward. If it does, you'll have a beautiful view of ocean! They generally hold you to no more than 45 minutes at Palo, I'd say we were there an hour at least.
During the dinner, what was the table arrangement for the 14 of you in the private room at Palo's? One big table, several smaller tables? If smaller, how many per table? Did you make up placecards beforehand? Did you give your event manager the table seating chart beforehand?
The table in the private room is one long (banquet) table. We didn't seat people....everyone just sat down as they arrived. The ships' photographer is at Palo every night....so he did come in and take pictures of us. As couples, and then as a group. I thought that was great. So, if you don't see him, make a note to ask the server to send him in. We did make up our seating arrangement for the main dining rooms. We wanted to make sure that we had the younger kids together, etc. I think this was something that I did plan ahead with Cathy. But we've also done it with groups on other sailings, and there is a different gal that usually handles dining requests....so I may have spoken with her. Her name is Debbie Wargo.
Were you allowed to decorate the tables for the private dinner at Palo's? Did you feel the need to?
I can't remember what is on the tables regularly -- candles, flowers, other? Was that enough decoration and did it feel wedding-y?We didn't...but we could have. There was so much food on the table, though.....and I don't remember if they have a decoration on the table or not. And I've been in there a couple of times! I would almost say with certainty that they don't have the table decorated. You won't see any candles on a ship, I do know that for certain. I think a nice centerpiece would make it more wedding-ish.
Was the private dinner at Palo's just like regular dinner at Palo's... meaning did the guests choose their own dinners? Were you able to make up special keepsake menus for your guests? Do you feel like this is even possible or nice to do in that setting?
Everyone ordered off the regular menu. You can easily get the items that are on the menu and make your own personalized ones and take them, but it isn't an option with DCL. You can also take home a menu if you ask. From personal experience....one wedding, one vow renewal, and a Christmas onboard....I would take as LITTLE as possible with you. Just use the menus that you are given onboard. Everything is done very elegantly at Palo....it is perfect the way it is.
What did y'all do after the dinner at Palo's? What about when you went to Palo's after your vow renewal? Did you go to the Cadillac Bar or to Wavebands for dancing (almost like a traveling reception, if you will)? Did you keep your wedding dress on? If so, did you feel out of place in the lounge or bar in it?
We went to one of the lounges after dinner at Palo with Megan's group. And they did dance then....but she didn't have her wedding on the same day, so she wasn't wearing her wedding dress. My renewal wasn't a DCL one. We found a planner in Key West and did it ourselves on the beach. Much nicer than the renewals that Disney does....and cheaper...even with flowers, pics, video, music, cake, champagne and hors d'oeuvres. But I DID wear my dress on the ship and to dinner and I only felt special. Not silly at all. My friend who did a DCL renewal also wore hers. You will LOVE all the attention from people and the crew. You can wear it all night if you want to....it would be wonderful!! You would definitely NOT feel out of place. By then, half the ship will know there was a wedding at Castaway Cay anyway, and people love to see the bride and groom. It's a "magical" place, and you will be Princess for a day.
How was the hand off between the DFTW event managers on land and on sea? Did you feel like anything was forgotten or like you had to hold it all together so they didn't miss anything? Did you get to talk to the event manager at sea before your sailing day?
The onboard planner found us before we even got on board. His name was Brent, and he was sooooooooo wonderful. He thought of things we hadn't. He called us during the day to check in and see if everything was going well. He was more attentive than any concierge we have ever had. He came and got me to go to Palo that morning to show them where to put the decorations, he came and got the outside (site) decorations and drew a diagram, he came and got us to go get on the special golf cart to go to the wedding and arrived with a box of Kleenex! I hadn't thought of that. He made sure her train was all laid out before she walked down the aisle. It was so stunningly perfect! And he was amazing! MORE so than DFTW.
The entire party & guests went to the site about a half hour before we did. Megan and I, and my Dad (who walked her down the aisle, because her dad & I are divorced and he doesn't see her) went down separately and rode over to the wedding site in their special cart. People that we passed were so thrilled to see a bride! We all waved at everyone!
Did you get a discount on your staterooms for booking a group and/or wedding? Did Megan and Pete get an upgraded stateroom due to their wedding? Did DCL put all your guests' staterooms near each other? Would you recommend this?
We each got an onboard credit of $50 per stateroom for booking as a group, but no discount. Megan and Pete were booked in a Cat 5, Navigator Verandah, and got moved to a Cat 4...but I don't think an upgrade is a "given". Although, since they had concierge service with the wedding package, I think DCL put them in the Cat 4 on deck 8 to make it easier for concierge. Our rooms were not near each other. Since we had family, friends and in laws, I think it was maybe a bit better to NOT have everyone near each other. We didn't bump into each other every time we turned around. It was just the right mix of being together and being apart.
Was your group all at the same dinner seating time (on the non-wedding days), on the same rotation schedule and at the same table(s)?
We had three tables all right next to each other, in the same station with the same servers...for all of our meals. We did want to all eat together so we could talk about our plans and the different shore excursions we had done.
Are you allowed to take your fresh bouquet and leftover cake through US customs and back into Port Canaveral?
You can take the bouquet because they are cut flowers and not an actual "plant".....but you can't take the cake, I don't think. We didn't want to, so you may want to ask Cathy about this.
Did Disney pack the top layer of cake for Megan and Pete to take home and save for their anniversary?
They didn't want to take it. Megan thought it would be freezer burned and gross, so they didn't.....and they didn't miss it when their anniversary rolled around.
Can you have photos taken on board as well as on the island? Were the photos digital or regular? Did you get to buy the negatives? Can you have the photographer for longer than the two hours they say on the DFTW site? How did the video you had the events manager take turn out?
They will take you all around the ship for photos. The kids had pics on the main stair case, in the hallway by the shops (one that I sent you), in one of the port-hole windows that are really nice...and out on deck if you want to. They were 4x6 prints that we were given to look through and choose from. We ended up buying a lot more than we had planned. And we had paid for the largest package. And then we did buy the proofs. They don't sell the negatives, only the proofs. You can pay for more time with the photographer. We've even hired him for another group session last Christmas....but, not if they have another wedding that day. I would advise that if you have a friend or relative who is willing to do the video, ask them to do it. We were lucky that there was a 2nd coordinator down there to do it for us, and for being a novice, she did really well....but don't count on that for certain.
Many, many thanks to Stacey for her open, warm and detailed answers to all my questions.
Hope this helps some of the other DCL brides out there!!
Jennifer
From Justmestace:
Megan's wedding was wonderful. We did ask our contact at Fairytale Weddings to please have some of the tables that are at the Head's Up bar (which, by the way, they will have it all shuttered closed, and you really won't know it IS a bar) set up with the umbrellas open, in case some of our older guests got too warm. Her wedding was in September, and it turned out that no one got too hot. It was a perfect day. We had a group of 20 people, all adults except for 3...ages 9, 13 and 15.
She had a maid of honor, and 2 bridesmaids. Pete had a best man, a groomsman, and a groomswoman....a best friend since the age of 3.
The ceremony was totally traditional. If they had wanted to add their own words, they could have, but they didn't. It was a Christian ceremony....100%...and the pastor wouldn't let them kiss until they stepped over and signed their Bahamian marriage license. It was really cute!
We had a friend there that was a female minister, just in case we felt we needed a blessing, but it wasn't necessary. It was the entire "Dearly Beloved".....
The photographer took pics throughout the ceremony, and we had one of the onboard wedding consultants use my video camera to film it, and she did a great job. After the ceremony, they took more posed photos, and then took Megan and Pete off in the golf cart for pictures with Island Mickey and Goofy....and then took some getting on the ship, and around the ship. We were taken on a special tram back to the ship and went up to Palo to wait for them. We had water while we waited. Some people changed clothes first.
There were more photos taken at the reception also. I had taken a box with decorations...I made pomander balls to hang on the rail at the ceremony, and a ring of flowers for the top of the cake. She used a glass Cinderella slipper (that we brought) for a topper, and had DCL put her Mickey and Minnie topper on the cake table as a decoration. We also made all of the wedding flowers because she wanted lavender roses and DCL wouldn't do lavender. They said that the color lavender varies and they have had too many disappointed brides. So we had them make a white rose bouquet that we laid in front of the cake also. There is only one style of cake that they make....and it is the same with the vow renewals also. They change the top and the color of the icing trim for a vow renewal cake, but it is otherwise the same cake all the time, just different flavors. But it was very, very pretty....and we couldn't eat it all.
The wedding was at 10:00 a.m. on the island, and it was still only about 12:30 when we finished with the reception, so we had lunch and then went on to enjoy plenty of time on Castaway Cay. In fact, Megan and Pete went parasailing!
I did have to go up to Palo in the morning, to show them where we wanted things....they set up a small table with a guest book (that we brought) and some candle favors ....with the promise that no one would light a candle...against all cruise ship rules. We had a c.d. playing, but couldn't really hear it well. We didn't ask them to turn it up...we were enjoying ourselves without it. So, Megan and Pete never did get their "first dance"...although they could have, if we had wanted to turn up the music.
They took pictures of her all over the ship in her dress....and Pete, too...oops! And if she had wanted to, she could have stayed in her dress for dinner. But she got a little wet parasailing, so her hair was down, and she didn't want to get all dressed again. A friend of mine who had her vow renewal on the ship not only wore her white wedding dress to dinner (so did I at my vow renewal) but she had the Head Server escort her into the dining room (maybe he offered) and she carried her bouquet also (I didn't take my bouquet to dinner). Everyone did clap and cheer for us, though. It was very nice.
The assistant wedding coordinator on the ship took our decorations to Head's Up and hung them for us, and they also put out the aisle runner. I believe that DCL only has a red aisle runner, but you can bring your own.
We had dinner at Palo that night, all of us adults....Megan & Pete's was included in their package, but they wanted us to all be together, so we got the "private room" for the night. Something else that must be pre-arranged with Fairytale Weddings. The private rooms only seats 14 though....but the two youngest couples volunteered to eat at a table for four that is just outside the room. They brought some of the wedding cake after dinner, along with our desserts. We also had them bring the last of it to dinner the next night. But we had a little different schedule than usual. Because of Hurricane Isabel, we went to Castaway Cay first, instead of last. So yes, it moved her wedding day, but that was okay. It was still wonderful.
Here are Stacey's answers to my (many) questions about DCL weddings:
What was the Justice of the Peace ceremony like in Port Canaveral? How many people can be in the room? Is the room gloomy? Did Megan hold the silk bouquet you had made her? Do Megan and Pete feel like that is their wedding day, or the day they were on Castaway Cay?
They had a crew member who is a JP do it, she had a beautiful accent. They read a kind of fairy tale reading (think Cinderella) that actually was nice, and then do the civil thing and sign the certificate. It is in a room at the terminal (not on the ship) that is fairly small, but it did have windows that looked into the bay where the other ship...Carnival? Princess? was docked. Our pictures turned out dark in there due to the light from the windows, so make sure your camera is set to compensate. DCL suggested that only the bride and groom and perhaps their attendants be there (to witness)....but they picked the moms and my parents. Not the dads, though. There were nine of us in the room, with crew and my parents....that was about all the room would hold. They handed Megan an ugly bouquet to hold (silk) and put a hat on Pete and veil on Megan. They only wore them when we forced them to. If you have a small silk bouquet, definitely take it! They count the Castaway Cay day as their wedding. That is the one that was the "real" wedding, no doubt about it!
I have read they only do three weddings per cruise: one at Castaway Cay and two on board. Is that what you were told?
Per cruise, they can do two weddings on Castaway Cay, and two vow renewals onboard. It's at the Captain's discretion. If they do two weddings that day, have yours be the first one. It will be cooler outside, and will leave you time to enjoy the island. There was supposed to be another wedding, basically right after Megan's and we were worried about being rushed out of Palo...but they didn't have the other wedding. So we were allowed a little more time at Palo....but not a lot. I was glad that I had gone up to Palo in the morning and made friends with the guy who was in charge at Palo. His name was Dragan. It helped a lot that I was friendly with him.....he let us stay longer.
Was there music during the ceremony? If so, what type (CD, live, if live what instrument)? Did you make a request beforehand, or was it the typical "Here comes the bride"?
DCL had a keyboardist for the wedding. You will be given a long list of choices (sent in the mail in advance) for the processional, recessional, etc. Some of it is Disney music, some is traditional. Megan chose to not have the wedding March. She chose Canon something or another....and we also asked them (by writing it on the form ourselves) to play a song when Pete kissed Megan. They didn't have a space for that on the form, so we wrote it in, and he did play it!
For Intimate Weddings at WDW, four hours of limo service is included. Is that true for DCL weddings? If not, did Megan and Pete take the DCL bus to Port Canaveral? How did you keep her dress from getting wrinkled en route? How was her dress handled once you got to the Port? Did she carry it on with her as hand luggage? If so, did it have to go through the safety x-ray scanner thing with the other carry ons?
We weren't offered limo service. We used FLTours and had two private vans that held all of us and our luggage. If there had been less of us, we could have done limos, but the vans were more cost effective. Megan carried her dress all the way from Arizona to Florida. We were afraid that the airlines would make her stuff it in the overhead bin, but when she told them it was her wedding dress, they found space to hang it. Same with myself and my vow renewal dress. She did not have to send it through x-ray at the port, but she did at the airports. The ship took it after we got in the rooms and steamed it for her....mine also. They then delivered it back to the room, and hung it on the curtain rod to the verandah, so it wouldn't drag in the closet. If you have a lot of beading they tell you that they can't steam it, but mine did and so did Megan's and they still did it for us and did a great job!
Did Megan get ready in her stateroom, or do they give you another room? Did she have her hair done professionally? If so, did she go to the spa or did they come to her stateroom?
You have to get ready in your own room. Megan was lucky, because we had a Cat 2, two bedroom suite, so she got ready in our room. We had taken her to our beauty salon a few weeks before the wedding to practice hair styles. When she decided on an up-do, we took step by step pictures to take to the salon on the ship. She had her hair done on the ship, as did some of the bride's maids. They did her hair just as beautifully as our stylist at home did. They were very excited to "do" a bride....the girls went to the salon. Make sure that Cathy knows ahead of time that you want to reserve time for it, and get the phone number of concierge to set this up ahead of time, also. Always "back up" everything you want DFTW to do for you, with a call or fax to concierge.
Would Disney let us have our guests blow bubbles after the ceremony as we walk out?
Yes. We had wedding bubbles that they took down to the ceremony site for us....but we forgot all about them in the excitement! So have one of your guests take them down to the site (they will all go on a private tram ahead of you) and make sure that the guest puts them somewhere so that you don't forget them! Also, make a list of any special type photos you want...family groups, down on the beach, etc.....don't leave it up to the photographer to think of these things. Trust me. I have no picture of just our immediate family with Megan and Pete because none of us thought of it till later. He took shots (at Palo) of the couple with Grandparents, parents, wedding party, siblings....but not one with my husband, myself, the couple and our other kids!!
Was the reception held in the big area of Palo's or in the private room? How long did the reception last? Could you see the island through the windows of Palo's?
We were in the larger area of Palo...in the very center of the room where they have (usually) a large buffet table set up, so we had plenty of room for everyone to mingle. And places to sit. Yes, you can see the island from the windows....if the ship BACKS in....which it usually does. But sometimes it does pull in forward. If it does, you'll have a beautiful view of ocean! They generally hold you to no more than 45 minutes at Palo, I'd say we were there an hour at least.
During the dinner, what was the table arrangement for the 14 of you in the private room at Palo's? One big table, several smaller tables? If smaller, how many per table? Did you make up placecards beforehand? Did you give your event manager the table seating chart beforehand?
The table in the private room is one long (banquet) table. We didn't seat people....everyone just sat down as they arrived. The ships' photographer is at Palo every night....so he did come in and take pictures of us. As couples, and then as a group. I thought that was great. So, if you don't see him, make a note to ask the server to send him in. We did make up our seating arrangement for the main dining rooms. We wanted to make sure that we had the younger kids together, etc. I think this was something that I did plan ahead with Cathy. But we've also done it with groups on other sailings, and there is a different gal that usually handles dining requests....so I may have spoken with her. Her name is Debbie Wargo.
Were you allowed to decorate the tables for the private dinner at Palo's? Did you feel the need to?
I can't remember what is on the tables regularly -- candles, flowers, other? Was that enough decoration and did it feel wedding-y?We didn't...but we could have. There was so much food on the table, though.....and I don't remember if they have a decoration on the table or not. And I've been in there a couple of times! I would almost say with certainty that they don't have the table decorated. You won't see any candles on a ship, I do know that for certain. I think a nice centerpiece would make it more wedding-ish.
Was the private dinner at Palo's just like regular dinner at Palo's... meaning did the guests choose their own dinners? Were you able to make up special keepsake menus for your guests? Do you feel like this is even possible or nice to do in that setting?
Everyone ordered off the regular menu. You can easily get the items that are on the menu and make your own personalized ones and take them, but it isn't an option with DCL. You can also take home a menu if you ask. From personal experience....one wedding, one vow renewal, and a Christmas onboard....I would take as LITTLE as possible with you. Just use the menus that you are given onboard. Everything is done very elegantly at Palo....it is perfect the way it is.
What did y'all do after the dinner at Palo's? What about when you went to Palo's after your vow renewal? Did you go to the Cadillac Bar or to Wavebands for dancing (almost like a traveling reception, if you will)? Did you keep your wedding dress on? If so, did you feel out of place in the lounge or bar in it?
We went to one of the lounges after dinner at Palo with Megan's group. And they did dance then....but she didn't have her wedding on the same day, so she wasn't wearing her wedding dress. My renewal wasn't a DCL one. We found a planner in Key West and did it ourselves on the beach. Much nicer than the renewals that Disney does....and cheaper...even with flowers, pics, video, music, cake, champagne and hors d'oeuvres. But I DID wear my dress on the ship and to dinner and I only felt special. Not silly at all. My friend who did a DCL renewal also wore hers. You will LOVE all the attention from people and the crew. You can wear it all night if you want to....it would be wonderful!! You would definitely NOT feel out of place. By then, half the ship will know there was a wedding at Castaway Cay anyway, and people love to see the bride and groom. It's a "magical" place, and you will be Princess for a day.
How was the hand off between the DFTW event managers on land and on sea? Did you feel like anything was forgotten or like you had to hold it all together so they didn't miss anything? Did you get to talk to the event manager at sea before your sailing day?
The onboard planner found us before we even got on board. His name was Brent, and he was sooooooooo wonderful. He thought of things we hadn't. He called us during the day to check in and see if everything was going well. He was more attentive than any concierge we have ever had. He came and got me to go to Palo that morning to show them where to put the decorations, he came and got the outside (site) decorations and drew a diagram, he came and got us to go get on the special golf cart to go to the wedding and arrived with a box of Kleenex! I hadn't thought of that. He made sure her train was all laid out before she walked down the aisle. It was so stunningly perfect! And he was amazing! MORE so than DFTW.
The entire party & guests went to the site about a half hour before we did. Megan and I, and my Dad (who walked her down the aisle, because her dad & I are divorced and he doesn't see her) went down separately and rode over to the wedding site in their special cart. People that we passed were so thrilled to see a bride! We all waved at everyone!
Did you get a discount on your staterooms for booking a group and/or wedding? Did Megan and Pete get an upgraded stateroom due to their wedding? Did DCL put all your guests' staterooms near each other? Would you recommend this?
We each got an onboard credit of $50 per stateroom for booking as a group, but no discount. Megan and Pete were booked in a Cat 5, Navigator Verandah, and got moved to a Cat 4...but I don't think an upgrade is a "given". Although, since they had concierge service with the wedding package, I think DCL put them in the Cat 4 on deck 8 to make it easier for concierge. Our rooms were not near each other. Since we had family, friends and in laws, I think it was maybe a bit better to NOT have everyone near each other. We didn't bump into each other every time we turned around. It was just the right mix of being together and being apart.
Was your group all at the same dinner seating time (on the non-wedding days), on the same rotation schedule and at the same table(s)?
We had three tables all right next to each other, in the same station with the same servers...for all of our meals. We did want to all eat together so we could talk about our plans and the different shore excursions we had done.
Are you allowed to take your fresh bouquet and leftover cake through US customs and back into Port Canaveral?
You can take the bouquet because they are cut flowers and not an actual "plant".....but you can't take the cake, I don't think. We didn't want to, so you may want to ask Cathy about this.
Did Disney pack the top layer of cake for Megan and Pete to take home and save for their anniversary?
They didn't want to take it. Megan thought it would be freezer burned and gross, so they didn't.....and they didn't miss it when their anniversary rolled around.
Can you have photos taken on board as well as on the island? Were the photos digital or regular? Did you get to buy the negatives? Can you have the photographer for longer than the two hours they say on the DFTW site? How did the video you had the events manager take turn out?
They will take you all around the ship for photos. The kids had pics on the main stair case, in the hallway by the shops (one that I sent you), in one of the port-hole windows that are really nice...and out on deck if you want to. They were 4x6 prints that we were given to look through and choose from. We ended up buying a lot more than we had planned. And we had paid for the largest package. And then we did buy the proofs. They don't sell the negatives, only the proofs. You can pay for more time with the photographer. We've even hired him for another group session last Christmas....but, not if they have another wedding that day. I would advise that if you have a friend or relative who is willing to do the video, ask them to do it. We were lucky that there was a 2nd coordinator down there to do it for us, and for being a novice, she did really well....but don't count on that for certain.
Many, many thanks to Stacey for her open, warm and detailed answers to all my questions.
Hope this helps some of the other DCL brides out there!!
Jennifer
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Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.
Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!
