Disney Wedding!

We've been to Disney plenty of times over the years, but never for a wedding. When our oldest son and his fiancé opted to tie the knot at the Happiest Place on Earth we thought it was a pretty good idea. It certainly simplified many things! They planned to have the ceremony at the Grand Floridian with the Magic Kingdom in the background, so most of the guests chose to stay at the resort, adding to the festivity of the occasion.

As things go, the event was not without a few challenges! The day of our arrival (Tuesday) we had reservations for dinner in the Queen Victoria room at Victoria & Alberts. We thought this would be a great way to start things off and a particular treat for our culinary-graduate son. If you consider yourself a foodie and want to experience the meal of a lifetime then take the plunge and make reservations. Not only is the food some of the most amazing you will ever experience, the service is off the charts as well. If you appreciate wine then go whole-hog and add on the wine pairing option. For most people this is a one-time experience and, in my opinion, it's worth it. We dined with them for our tenth anniversary, many years ago, so we were very much looking forward to a return visit. The challenge, you ask? Well, Victoria & Alberts is a coat & tie venue and our luggage didn't arrive with us.

DOH!

Unsure of when it might join us, I called the restaurant manager and explained the situation. She was outrageously helpful and insisted that we not give it a moment's additional thought. If the luggage arrived, wonderful. If it didn't arrive then she would see us at the appointed time and that was that. She wasn't about to let an airline snafu ruin our plans or cast a shadow on the beginning of what should be a joyous celebration. As luck would have it, our luggage arrived about 30 minutes before our reservation. Just enough time to clean up and change! The food and wine were everything we remembered and the service was even better than before. Inventive dishes consisting of unusual and rare ingredients (not the same as bizarre and strange ingredients, mind you) are presented with a flair and a complete description of where the components originated and how they were selected and prepared. The wines, some of which are always on my list of "not favorites" are impeccably paired, to the point that even the wines that I don't usually enjoy are quite delectable.

Wednesday was enjoyable and low-stress. While some family trickled in during the day, we spent our time at EPCOT, indulging in the variety and deliciousness of the Food & Wine Festival. Small bites and libations from around the globe (not just the World Showcase countries) are offered from kiosks spaced every 50 feet or so around the World Showcase Lagoon. This is the second time we've visited during Food & Wine and we still haven't managed to sample everything, but with rare exception everything we've sampled has been wonderful. Each afternoon and evening there are concerts on the stage of the America Gardens Theater, so you can relax, digest, and enjoy a beverage before continuing your culinary assault.

Thursday morning was rehearsal time and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We congregated on the patio and did a walk-through of the ceremony with the requisite harassment of the betrothed. The rest of the family arrived throughout the day while we enjoyed the parks prior to hosting a cocktail hour in the evening for the wedding party. Once again, the staff of the Grand Floridian exceeded our expectations and helped to pull off an enjoyable event with minimal effort required on our part.

By Friday morning everyone had arrived and we had a full-scale wedding party in full swing. Most of us ventured back to EPCOT (there was food and wine, after all!) and a majority of the group enjoyed dinner in the German pavilion, complete with LARGE servings of beer. Not wanting to over-do things prior to the Saturday morning wedding we erred on the side of caution and headed back to the resort at a reasonable hour.

Saturday dawned less than ideal for an outdoor ceremony. By less than ideal I mean wet, and by wet I mean a tropical storm was brewing. The wind was whipping and rain was coming down by the bucket full. The ever-attentive, courteous, and efficient Disney Cast Members were at the ready with enclosed golf carts to shuttle the wedding party to the substitute venue at the conference center. While not as picturesque as a dockside venue with Cinderella's castle in the distance, the substitute venue provided plenty of room for all the guests in a comfortable (and dry!) environment. The storm escalated to the point that they honeymooners spent the first night of their Disney cruise securely tied to the pier at Port Canaveral, waiting for the weather to pass. Rain on your wedding day is supposed to be a good omen. I haven't heard any prophecies with respect to torrential tropical systems and must admit that this was a first in our family. The plan was for the wedding attendees to join the newlyweds in the Magic Kingdom for an afternoon of fun and frivolity. We made a strong effort, but the rain was simply too much for many. Even with the ubiquitous Mickey ponchos we were soaked to the bone in a matter of minutes and keeping track of a large group in a mass of people who are all wearing the same rain gear is the epitome of frustration. Those who stuck it out had great fun while the others retired for hot showers, dry clothes, and a fortifying adult beverage.

As Murphy's Law would dictate, Sunday dawned dry and mostly sunny. EPCOT was back on the agenda (still trying to visit all the kiosks!) and the crowds were moderate. After the energy and latent stress of the wedding it was a nice change of pace to stroll around World Showcase with just a few family members. Monday was get-away day for the rest of the family and after seeing everyone off to the airport we spent a few more hours at EPCOT, wrapping up a few loose ends and sampling the remaining items on our list.

If you, or a member of your family, are looking for a destination wedding and have an affinity for Disney then give it a look. You'll certainly not have any worries about keeping guests entertained and they do an excellent job of taking care of the details. It comes with a Disney price tag, of course, but for a small event the convenience is (nearly) priceless.