One of the best-kept secrets of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is that you may use non-Disney vendors for many aspects of your event. Whether you’re allowed to hire outside vendors depends on your venue and the type of service, but it can be a great way to save money or get more bang for your buck!
On today’s show, Disney bride Robin Galry joins me to discuss the types of outside vendors you may hire, where you are allowed to use outside vendors, how much money you can save, and whether Disney charges an outside vendor fee for each type of service. You’ll hear how to save as much as 50% by using outside vendors for chairs, linens, place settings, floral, decor, pipe-and-drape and even a light-up dance floor. We’ll also discuss where you can incorporate DIY projects and dispel the myth that using outside vendors is more complicated than using Disney.
My in laws are Orthodox Jews. Are we allowed to bring in a private Jewish catering service because of it we wanted to make sure before we book our wedding at disney
Definitely talk to your sales consultant about this before you sign your letter of agreement. In general, Disney doesn’t allow outside vendors to provide food, BUT I did once interview a South Asian couple who were able to bring in their own caterer for religious reasons. Disney seems to be very conscious of dietary restrictions in general, so I think it’s likely they would be OK with this—or possibly have a kosher catering vendor they already use!
Hi, Carrie! Are balloons allowed in the ballrooms? We’re trying to add a sparkling, magic touch without breaking the bank with LED balloons at a Grand Floridian ballroom. Do you know how much renting the lit trees costs? Do they still offer to rent an indoor Cinderella coach like at the Wedding showcase event you covered in 2016? I love your guide and podcast! Thank you for all that you do to make our wedding days special! 🙂
Hi Liz! So glad you’re finding the book and podcast helpful! Balloons are allowed in the ballrooms. I have some lit-tree pricing in the Floral & Dècor chapter of the guide, but Disney has access to many different options, so there’s no comprehensive price list. You can show your floral planner photos of what you’re after and they’ll let you know what they can get (and how much it will cost). OR… you can use an outside vendor and save a bundle! The carriage seen indoors at the various bridal showcases is the actual Cinderella Glass Coach, not a prop!
Hey!
Who would I contact to get access to the theme park as an outside photo booth vendor? We are having a wedding in epcot and not sure how to get in as a preferred vendor. TIA
Hi! Disney doesn’t allow outside vendors to provide services for in-park events. They’re also not very transparent about how to get on their list of approved vendors, unfortunately. If you have already been booked by a couple who is under contract for an in-park wedding, you could have them ask their contact at Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings if there is a way for you to become an approved vendor.
Thanks for the response. I did in fact get a hold of someone from Disney fairy tale weddings and spoke to a manager. She had mentioned that I advise the client to contact her event planner to see what the process is because they themselves didn’t really have any knowledge of that. So I’ll see what happens.
Great! I hope it works out for you!
Hi! My friend is getting married in Disney in October and is DIYing all of her decorations. Is there anyone she can hire that can set up the decorations for her? Is there anyone that is familiar with Disney that could do this? An Event Planner or Coordinator or Decorator? Any help or advice is welcomed!
Hi! If her ceremony is outside at a resort and her reception is in a resort ballroom, she can hire her own coordinator to set up her DIYs at both. Cathryne Martell is the vendor recommended by the Disney bride Facebook groups.
I’m curious, when did this bride change her dress? I notice she does the first dance in her ceremony dress and then has a different one on. Also, what times did she have the ceremony, reception and fireworks viewing? We are wanting to do all of these for our wedding in January 2022 but I’m struggling to put the timeline together
Hi Carla!! We had our wedding on a Friday evening June 2019 with the ceremony at 2:30 in the afternoon, reception from 4:30-8:30 pm, and fireworks/dessert party from 8:30-10:00 pm. I informed my planner that I had 2 gowns for the event and couldn’t decide on a definite time to change dresses, so she said at any point during the reception to let her and the team know and they could help me with the wardrobe change. I wanted to have my first dance with my husband in my ceremony ball gown so I stayed in it until it until after our champagne toast/speeches. My planner was amazing and made sure that the second dress was ready to go in the holding room… so just let them know what ideas you have and most likely they can work with you 🙂 Any further information I can provide just let me know! I’d be happy to send an email with copies of our BEO 🙂 Thanks for listening!
Hi Carrie,
Do you know if Disney carries Mandaps for Indian or Jewish wedding ceremonies?
Yes, they can get you one! I have an upcoming interview with an Indian couple who used one in the Wedding Pavilion.
Am I correct then that you can’t have an outside florist do a chuppah or other flower arrangements outdoor in the Polynesian and Trader Sam’s?
Correct. Only inside a ballroom. But Disney does have a chuppah they can decorate for you. And this episode offers tips for keeping your Disney floral costs low: https://disneyweddingpodcast.com/how-to-get-the-floral-decor-you-want-at-a-price-you-can-afford-2017/
Thank you Carrie! You are a blessing.