Illuminations Dessert Reception? How?

[wild01ride]

Hi, so I've gone through the preliminary steps of reserving our Wedding for 2009.
We will be doing an "Escape Wedding" (18 guests or fewer), for several reasons including the fact that we'd like to keep the ceremony end of things small and simple.
However, we will be hosting additional friends and family (more than just the 18 people) during the course of the weekend/week for a rehearsal dinner, a wedding night dinner, and we would like to do an Illuminations Dessert Reception.

Unfortunately, I have had a rather crummy experience so far dealing with the "Fairytale Weddings" personnel. Don't get me wrong, they have been reasonably nice, but seem to have a "no-can-do" attitude.
From everything I've heard in the past, people have said that they have had excellent experiences and that you "can do anything" as long as you're willing to pay for it.

Now, I know that we're doing the "cheap" wedding (to oversimplify: $4500 just to get married on the shore near Boardwalk in a place where the seagulls normally just hang out and p00p!), but I still would have expected that they would have been more open and willing to work when we're willing to pay money for additional activities.

For starters, they said that anything they book as part of an Escape Wedding must be for 20 or fewer people.
In the case of group dining arrangements, I can handle going through the group reservation number.

However, my biggest hang-up and my one and only dream and request for our wedding is having a dessert reception at Epcot to enjoy Illuminations for everyone who will be there.

I dealt with "Grand Gatherings" today and they told me that the only option available is the "International Dinner and Dessert Reception". Unfortunately, part of the reason that we selected to have a wedding at WDW was so that we could enjoy the ambiance of all that WDW is, not to eat in a run-down conference room that is largely similar to any random banquet hall. Furthermore, we already have plans to eat elsewhere for dinner on our wedding night.

I know that groups have been able to host an Illuminations Dessert Reception without a Grand Gathering and without a Custom Wedding - heck, I was at the one for Celebration 25!

So...how do I go about reserving a Dessert Reception??
Someone please help - at this point I feel like the ONE element that I've dreamt of for my wedding won't happen.

 

[wdwmagic]

Have you had a look at doing a custom wedding? Depending what you do it doesnt have to cost that much more than an escape BUT you can add on all those little extra things.

We did the Illum party, and it was a great experience, I'd highly recommend it.

I wouldnt try and do things separately, I would try and do everything as a package with the wedding people. If you arent getting results from whoever you spoke to, call again and discuss it with someone else. My dealings with Fairytale Weddings were top notch - they really couldnt have been better.

If you did want to do it separately, it would be with WDW Events.

 

[wild01ride]

Thanks a bunch!

I think that part of the problem is that they don't cater fondly to people like myself who are doing the "Escape Wedding". I imagine they want the thing to take place "assembly-line" style - in, out, and it's done!
Unfortunately for us, we would like to add additional events for the weekend to try to pull together everyone who will be in town - basically to make the focus more on a gathering of friends and family (we don't like the spotlight!).

Another part of the problem is that guests will be paying for their own "other" experiences based on their interests. We will be paying for the Dessert Reception, but will not be paying for the meals and whatnot.
Regarding the price, the Escape Wedding starts around $4k and I'm figuring maybe $2500 for the Dessert Reception. That still leaves a reasonably large gap between it and the $10k minimum Custom Wedding.

Hopefully part of my impression is just the anxiety of setting this all into motion and the fact that I'm a perfectionist.

Thanks for the help!

 

[wdwmagic]

We had exactly the same problem as you. We started looking at the escape package, and found that we couldnt really do everything that we wanted. We ended up spending the extra to go with the custom where we could do everything we had planned. it was well worth it. If there is anyway that oyu can move onto the custom I'd highly recommend it. Custom opens up a whole lot of locations as well.

If you are going to do it yourself, WDW Events are the people you want. Call 407-824-2222 and ask for them there.

 

[wild01ride]

Ahhhhh..... <sigh of relief>

Well, the Magic of Disney definitely showed up to work in full effect today.
After a week of frustration and feeling like we wouldn't be able to put together the wedding package we dreamt of, I got a call from a Fairy Tale Wedding planner today who was covering for my designated planner. Apparently, the Events dept. and Wedding Planning dept. talked and decided the best way to take care of things is for the Wedding dept. to handle EVERYTHING!
So, they have agreed to plan the Dessert Reception for us with any number of people while still maintaining the Escape Wedding Package.
The planner went over some basics of the pricing, accomodations, etc. for the Dessert Reception and reserved our date and time!
:sohappy:
I can't even describe how relieved I am and how much my mood has improved since yesterday when I thought that everyone was working against us!
I feel now like the Wedding dept. is truly living up to its reputation and to my hopes of what they could do for us!

Thanks for the encouragement of everyone here!
I'll keep you posted as the planning continues!

 

[wdwmagic]

Good to hear its going well! Who is your planner?

 

[wild01ride]

I'm still not exactly certain how the organization of everything works, but I think that it has been only a sales coordinator that I have spoken with at this point.
My main contact as of now is "Brie" (Brianna), but the woman who called today to set up the Dessert Reception was "Amy".
They have both been great so far!

 

[wdwmagic]

Yep you start with a sales coordinator, once the contract is signed you get passed to an actual planner.

Good luck with everything!

 

[wild01ride]

Oh no! Not more passing!

I hope the Dessert Party confirmation doesn't get lost in the shuffle!

(j/k!)

Thanks for the clarification! With all of the anxiety and details, everything hasn't been completely clear.
I'm so glad to have this support network here for info and tips!

 

[Philo]

Sounds like your going to have an amazing time. Ending the day with IllumiNations will be fantastic!