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sajack
10-21-2005, 01:41 PM
Hi all, I'm new to the board but a long time Mouse Planet reader. My fiance and I really want a small Disneyland wedding. Something special for us with a few friends & family.
We have an idea of what we want to do and I'd like suggestions or info whether you think it would work or not.

The plan: We'd like to get a group (no more then 40) together along with an officiant & photographer on a Friday in the off-season. Ideally we'd like to all hit the Mark Twain about 2:30pm or so and load the boat. We wee thinking to all get the front with hopefully a cast-members help and have him perform the marriage. We wouldn't be in formal attire (something nice though). Then we'd go do our in park photos with the photographer and head to Goofy's Kitchen for our reception/dinner. I was told by Disney Weddings that there is no problem taking wedding pics in the park as long as we aren't in a tux and gown.

We are open to ideas and suggestions. Please let us know of any flaws or if you know someone who has done it before.

Thank you for your help!

adriennek
10-21-2005, 01:46 PM
You're assuming that the CMs will cooperate. They might ask you to stop. If they ask you to stop and you don't, they have 15 minutes? to call security to meet you back at the Twain dock before the end of the cruise.

Adrienne

Lani
10-21-2005, 01:50 PM
Yeah, the part about getting a CM to help is a bit of a gamble. But since the Mark Twain doesn't have a "show" you might all be able to congregate and do this quickly.

stan4d_steph
10-21-2005, 01:51 PM
I'm assuming you didn't ask Disney Weddings about having your actual wedding on the Twain, hence the "secret" part. If I were a CM, I wouldn't perform your ceremony for you; that's enough to get a person fired. It's a lot to ask of someone you don't know.

Whittibo
10-21-2005, 02:05 PM
Well now, I think this is a great idea, and don't know why it wouldn't work. CM's are pretty easy going, it's not like you're asking them to take you on a private tour..

The part about off-season Friday does scare me a bit. Most of the posts I see, and from my recent experience, there really aren't any "off season" times right now especially on a Friday!

I also would like to know why they care if you're in a Tux and wedding dress. That's silly in my opinion. I guess there's a good reason, but still.. what difference does it make what you're wearing? Isn't that discrimination? It's not like your wedding dress will have any profanities or anything?! (hope not anyway).

If you didn't want the CM involved, who cares what you do? You're not getting naked on the Twain right?! ;)

sajack
10-21-2005, 02:07 PM
We aren't asking the cm to do anything except let us all stand together up front. We know how long the ride is and have someone already who is doing the wedding.

sajack
10-21-2005, 02:12 PM
They say a wedding dress and tux are safety hazards. That's what the girl told me anyway.
As far as the off season, I know this year there hasn't really been an off time and we are planning for next year. I really don't care what day we do it I just wanted to make things a little easier on our guests attending. We also thought of maybe going to Tom Sawyers Island and doing it there.
Thanks.

3894
10-21-2005, 02:40 PM
sajack, do you really want a wedding ceremony that has to be secret and rushed and depends on possibly getting CMs fired? It ain't dignified.

A wedding is very special. Get married outside of the park and have everyone to dinner at the Blue Bayou right after.

Lani
10-21-2005, 02:45 PM
The plan: We'd like to get a group (no more then 40) together along with an officiant & photographer on a Friday in the off-season. Ideally we'd like to all hit the Mark Twain about 2:30pm or so and load the boat. We wee thinking to all get the front with hopefully a cast-members help and have him perform the marriage.OK, I're re-read this post several times trying to figure out what the issue was, and I think the problem is in the way sajack wrote his sentence. I think most us interpreted We wee thinking to all get the front with hopefully a cast-members help and have him perform the marriage. to mean they were going to get a CM to perform the ceremony. But I think what he meant was, "with the help of a CM" and have "the officiant" perform the ceremony (not the reference to one, along with the photographer).

I think it makes a world of difference between asking a CM to cooperate by allowing you to stand there, and asking a CM to perform the ceremony itself.

So... I think most people here read your question the way it was written, not in the way that you meant it.

DianeM
10-21-2005, 03:10 PM
I think you are right. I don't know how it works in other states, but in California you can't just get married by anybody. In some counties, you must use a licensed justice of the peace or minister, and in others you can have anybody marry you, but they must apply for a special permit to do so.



I think it makes a world of difference between asking a CM to cooperate by allowing you to stand there, and asking a CM to perform the ceremony itself.

So... I think most people here read your question the way it was written, not in the way that you meant it.

potterphreak
10-21-2005, 03:32 PM
In California, the laws required an ordained minister marry you, but there is no drama with registering with the county clerk or needing a letter of good standing or a special permit. I work for Universal Life Church and we ordain everyone. If you have a friend who would like to perform the ceremony, visit our site, www.ulchq.com and request an ordination. :-)

[Moderator's note: Personal phone number removed from post for privacy reasons. Please contact original poster via PM or email please.]

Whittibo
10-21-2005, 03:44 PM
I understood it correctly because there was an officiant involved, so I just don't understand the problem. It's no different then a group of people standing together talking. It's not like you're going to interfere with anything.

If no tux is allowed, then a nice suit would work... and a nice white dress. I would make the clothing as nice as possible, this is something special, and you're spending a LOT of money, it should be done right. I think it's romantic and it's a way to make a Disney wedding for under $15k.. :D

DianeM
10-21-2005, 03:47 PM
Actually, in some counties, they have looser standards. I was married by a family friend who is neither a legal official nor a minister. All he needed to do was go to the county clerks office and get a special permit that allowed him to act as a justice of the peace for a day. This was in San Mateo County, but I know that San Francisco County has a similar regulation - my brother was married by a close friend using the same process.


In California, the laws required an ordained minister marry you, ...

carolyn
10-21-2005, 03:58 PM
They say a wedding dress and tux are safety hazards. That's what the girl told me anyway.


My friends and I went to DL in our prom dresses and tuxes to take prom pictures. No one ever approached us. I'm not exactly sure what in unsafe about a tux. Slippery shoes? You could wear the same type of shoes with a suit and that would be OK? Weird.

I don't even think you would need to get the CM involved at all. Provided your officiant isn't speaking very loudly and disturbing other DL guests, I don't see any problem with your plan. Good luck!

Leash81
10-21-2005, 04:49 PM
sajack, do you really want a wedding ceremony that has to be secret and rushed and depends on possibly getting CMs fired? It ain't dignified.

A wedding is very special. Get married outside of the park and have everyone to dinner at the Blue Bayou right after.

This is almost exactly what my boyfriend said to me when I suggested we have a "secret" wedding in Disneyland. I had thought of going over to Snow White's well and just have us and a few people like parents and best friends but he said he didn't want to sneak around for our wedding.

sajack I really like your idea but I think to really pull it off you might need to rethink the number of people who will be with you. 40 people might attract too much attention and then Disney can claim you were interfering with the "show". However if you kept it real small, like the handful of people you cannot have miss your wedding that might work a little better.

Loteki
10-21-2005, 06:13 PM
My husband and I were married on 2-2-02 on the Merryweather boat, Storybook Land. I wore a tea length lace dress and my sequined ears with veil and he wore tux pants, a bow tie and cummerbund with his top hat ears (originally boring so I covered the ears with fur and put a thick sequined band around the pipe of the hat). His best friend from college was deputized to perform the ceremony. I went through the turnstyle with my mom and he came a bit earlier with his and we met siblings and family at the ride entrance. We snapped a couple of pictures and got in line with just enough of us to fill a boat with our own party. When we got to the front of the line, we requested that we get our own boat and it wasn't an issue. When we started off, the ride operator smilingly asked if there was something she should know and when we asked that we be allowed to do the talking, she offered to film the entire thing. We began the ceremony as we entered Monstro's mouth, said our vows as we passed Agrabah (where my beloved originally popped the question) and Cinderella's castle (I even got a round of applause from lookers-on at Casey Jr.), exchanged rings at the Old Mill and sealed the deal with a kiss at Pinocchio's village.

At no time did we feel the need to "sneak" and it was all so much more wonderfully meaningful to us than a cold courtroom and a justice of the peace or an Elvis-impersonating officiant in Vegas. And... significantly less expensive than the second mortgage required for the $32,000 minimum for an official Disneyland wedding. We were careful not to be disruptive or even mention what we were doing (or had done after the fact) in case of repercussions to any cast members who might have been made to feel that they should have stopped us. We did stop to have our pictures with Mickey and Minnie saying simply that it was our wedding day.

Part of our reasoning for this ceremony was the forced brevity; Be honest, no one really enjoys weddings, per se. They're generally long, boring, and no one but the family has a really good view. Later that same day, we showed the five minute film of our wedding vows on a huge screen to the 115 guests at our reception in a lovely little Italian restaurant before we were announced as man and wife. Then we swept through the doorway in our full regalia, gown with train, tuxedo with coat tails... the works. We ended up with the best of both worlds and a bunch of our guests have told us that this was the "best wedding" they've ever been to... and they weren't even AT the wedding!

----------

My advice would be to make it meaningful to you but do all you can to avoid "causing a scene". Yes, the wedding dress is an issue but it's not just the danger issue, imo... I would guess they don't want someone to think you are "characters" and reflect poorly upon the park. Also, remember that it's an amusement park and you'll want comfortable shoes... maybe ballet slippers rather than heels (safer also) and loafers instead of dress shoes for your sweetheart. But this is once-in-a-lifetime... you want pictures that reflect the specialness of the event! Lastly, there's absolutely no need to involve a cast member and risk having them tell you not to do something to protect their job. It's not fair to them and, as long as you are being safe and non-disruptive to other guests' experience, it shouldn't be an issue.

I always write too long of posts... sorry! hehehe

Good luck!!

PrincessAmie
10-21-2005, 11:00 PM
So....does do they allow weddings to happen in the park now? We were told on a tour that Disney doesn't allow it.

cstephens
10-22-2005, 04:37 AM
If someone wanted to have a secret wedding at Disneyland, I'm not sure posting about it on a publicly-accessible discussion board is the best idea...

3894
10-22-2005, 04:54 AM
So....does do they allow weddings to happen in the park now?

The short answer: not for free.

disneyhound
10-22-2005, 09:17 AM
sajack, do you really want a wedding ceremony that has to be secret and rushed and depends on possibly getting CMs fired?
sajack is not planning to ask a CM to do something that would jeoparidize their employment. They only want to stand together as a group in the front.


It ain't dignified.
sounds awfully judgmental to me...

sajack, your idea sounds great, if this is what you want, go for it. Good advice about minimizing drawn attention!

PrincessAmie
10-22-2005, 09:41 AM
The short answer: not for free.

Gotch ya! ;)

SteamboatWillie 1964
10-22-2005, 09:53 AM
Greetings, Disney Denizens!

Instead of introducing myself in the introduction forum, I thought I'd add a couple of bons mots to my lovely bride's (Loteki) post about marrying at Disneyland.

The first thing we didn't do was tell cast members what we were doing. We just up and did it. We paid for everyone's admission, we got everyone on the same boat. We were also very fortunate to have a cast member who "participated" by filming and going as slowly as possible.

We were very meticulous in our planning, too. We took at least five or six trips around Storybook Land to perfect the timing; we came to the conclusion we had somewhere between five to eight minutes to say everything.

Looking back, of course, it was perfect. Blue skies, bright sun, and of course, a beautiful bride.

Looking forward to enjoying more rants :)

Steamboat Willie

Whittibo
10-22-2005, 10:12 AM
I am in tears after reading Loteki's and Steamboat Willies posts. I wish I would have done something like this. Instead we had an inexpensive (but nice) wedding in our church. It was a pain in the BOTTOM! My in-laws refused to come, or pastor didn't want to do the ceremony because my in-laws didn't "give their blessings". To top off my in-law issues, my parents separated just weeks before our wedding. It was a nightmare and I have always wished I would have just done something else.

I LOVE this idea, and would encourage you to go ahead with your plans. After reading Loteki's post, it sounds better then any dream wedding. I love that she remembers exactly when and where everything took place. I love that Steamboat Willie remembers it as a beautiful day.. and especially love the fact that Steamboat proposed on the same ride! Oh my.. I am just an old romantic! (due to our wedding problems, my husband NEVER even proposed to me! Just left the ring on the table. I still resent that, even after 15 years of marriage).

Maybe for our 50th anniversary, I will set up something romantic like this. :D

I say GO FOR IT!! You only live once, and afterall, Disneyland is a MAGICAL place where DREAMS COME TRUE!!! People propose at DL all the time, a wedding could be done in just moments, just a tad longer then a proposal. Don't need no 2 hour drawn out wedding. You're making memories for YOU, not everyone else.

sajack
10-22-2005, 11:53 AM
I want to thank you all for your replies. I did notice that I typed too fast and made a few typos. When I tried to correct them it was past the time limit and became more of a hassle.

I have ALWAYS dreamed of being married at Disneyland. I want something very personal that has meaning to us. Something we will always remember. I've never dreamed of a 'big' wedding. I've never wanted to be that bride in a huge dress with hundreds staring at me. I'm not saying that they aren't beautiful, they just aren't for us.

Since Disney is what brought us together and is in our everyday life there is no other place. We've waited 10 years now trying to save for a Disneyland Wedding and I was very disappointed in talking with them. It almost seems they are more into it for profit then making the day special and UNIQUE for the couple.

We are very excited about going into the park ourselves. We still aren't totally sure about the dinner. Goofy's kitchen will only take a reservation for up to 40 people. We love that restaurant though, so fun!

As for the CM. We aren't going to announce what we are doing and we of course wouldn't ask anyone to do anything to jeopardize their job.

Once again, I want to thank everyone who offered their opinions.

It's great to have a place like this.

DianeM
10-22-2005, 12:33 PM
Disneyland is a for profit company. They have a lot of demand for weddings in the park. They are in the business of making money, not making romance. Weddings can be a major distraction for people who are at the park for other reasons, so I imagine that DL wants to limit the number. Capitalism dictates that the only way to limit the number of wedding in the park is to make them expensive, so that people are steered into other options, such as having the wedding elsewhere but the honeymoon at the park, or having a wedding at the resort instead of the park. I think you are going to have to make some decisions. You could probably manage to marry in the park informally, but I doubt you will be able to accommodate a crowd of 40 people in the process without disrupting regular park activites and drawing undesired attention. At the very least, you will probably make a lot of your guests uncomfortable as they realize that they have to pretend not to be a wedding party in order to not get you kicked out of the park. Some people just aren't comfortable breaking rules. Perhaps you could have a small ceremony with just a few people, then follow it with a reception for 40. You could have someone film the ceremony and show it at the reception. Or you could have a small private ceremony somewhere in the park, and follow with a formal repetition of your vows in front of the rest of the crowd. In my experience, it's often okay to break the rules a bit, as long as you don't break them too big. Good luck - and remember, wedding are nice, but what is important is having the perfect person to marry, not having the perfect wedding.



I have ALWAYS dreamed of being married at Disneyland. I want something very personal that has meaning to us. Something we will always remember. I've never dreamed of a 'big' wedding. I've never wanted to be that bride in a huge dress with hundreds staring at me. I'm not saying that they aren't beautiful, they just aren't for us.
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