Tag Archives: Living Seas Salon

Entertainment: Characters – Stitch

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“Adding a Tiny Terror”

I suppose that most people assume all couples who chose a Disney World Wedding have a Disney character at their event.   While many couples chose to add a little Disney magic to their festivities, many more do not.  It’s all a personal choice for the theme of the event.

One thing is true when we were planning we certainly had options.  We knew we wanted Mickey and Minnie at our event.  We added them to the budget and let it be.

A few months into planning we decided to see if it was possible to add a newer character to the mix….Stitch.  Lilo and Stitch the movie was one of our favorites at this point and we thought that  adding him might add just a touch of tiny terror to our event.  We kept the characters a secret from most of our guests.  Our bridal party and parents knew about Mickey and Minnie.  But we really wanted more surprises for them.

While we were dancing Mickey and Minnie came in for their set.  We were having a blast and mostly the adults were taken back more than the children.  They wanted to have their picture taken and dance with the famous mice.

“Just then the cd skipped and came to a screeching halt……we all looked around Our guests looked around and wondered what was going on now?? I almost was taken back and wondering what was going on. Scott says “Uh Oh folks….silence….”

Then music began to play – I did it again…I forgot all about my absolute favorite surprise of all!!!

You look like an angel
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You´re the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise


I of course remembered instantly. Just then Stitch ran into the room and started to cause chaos immediately. I kid you not…when he came in the room the entire group screamed and clapped as if he was a rock star. Stitch rocked that place! It was so loud! He ran towards the cake as if to jump on it and gave me a huge hug. I do not think I could have been more excited or happy at this moment…I just could not stop laughing. I kind of felt bad for Mickey and Minnie…I searched for them once he arrived and all I saw were ears in the back. But thankfully there were people dancing with them. I joined them. I swear the adults enjoyed the characters more than the kids at points.”

There are so many character choices to have at your Disney Fairytale Wedding please be sure to check out our forums for more suggestions and ideas on how to entertain your guests.

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A Fairy Tale Focus ~ Sarah & Pat

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Disneymooner Pixie Sarah, and her husband Pat, were married on July 15th, 2006 at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion. They hosted their reception at Living Seas Salon inside Epcot followed by an Illuminations Dessert Party at Italy Isola

Disneymooners: Tell us a little about yourselves!

Sarah:100% Disneyphiles. If it deals with Disney we need to be apart of it and know about it. As DVC members we always have a trip (or two planned.

Disneymooners: What made you decide to have a Disney wedding and why?

Sarah: We both grew up on Disney. Our families both took trips each year and so when we met we continued building on that number of trips together. I don’t think there was ever a doubt in our minds when we got engaged that we would be returning to say I do. We actually had no other locations in consideration; it was Disney wedding or bust. We knew having a wedding in Walt Disney World meant it got that Disney seal of quality and magic.

Disneymooners: How did your friends and family respond when they found out you were having a Disney wedding?

Sarah: I don’t think many people were shocked when they heard the news. We had gotten engaged there and as soon as we decided on a wedding there we began telling people to save up for a destination wedding. We were lucky and were not met with much resistance on the traveling. Our families were very supportive and they are all Disney fans themselves.

Disneymooners: Was there any particular reason why you chose your venue locations?

Sarah: The wedding and reception venues were givens for us. We were getting married in the heat of a Floridian summer so we needed an indoor location. I always dreamed of having a wedding at the Wedding Pavilion, with every monorail ride overhead. The Living Seas decision was made 2 years prior on the Behind the Scenes Tour at Epcot. Part of the tour shows you this private room in the Living Seas. As soon as our tour guide mentioned couples could have their receptions there, our eyes met and the decision was done.

Disneymooners: Planning a wedding, especially long distance, can be stressful for a couple. They wonder how it will all look in the end. How did it feel for you when you saw it all come together on your wedding day?

Sarah: Planning the wedding from a distance was a touch stressful at times, but the planning session and constant communication with my wedding planner really helped ease all the anxiety for me. I think it was a really surprise for us to see everything come together. You see it all piece by piece for so long, that it’s hard to see the grand picture of how the centerpieces will look on those tables under that lighting. We were really blown away by how well Disney took our ideas and brought them to life. I remember the biggest moment for us was seeing our reception for the first time.

Disneymooners: Was there anything that surprised you? Maybe something that you didn’t expect to have such a huge impact on the day?

Sarah: I think I was really surprised at how the adults reacted to our three characters at the reception. We had Mickey, Minnie and Stitch at our reception and the look of excitement and awe really captured us. To see these giant smiles on the faces of grown men and women dancing with Mickey was priceless.

Disneymooners: Part of the excitement for a lot of couples is to see their guests react to the magic of a Disney wedding. What aspect of your wedding do you think your guests loved the most?

Sarah: It’s really hard for me to name just one aspect that our guests loved. There are a few things that they still talk about. I think the guests were really taken back by the Dessert Party at Italy Isola and the private area for Illuminations. They really felt like they were celebrities that night being escorted back stage to a private area just for them.

Disneymooners: What was the #1 splurge you had that you couldn’t imagine not having on your wedding day?

Sarah: Our Illuminations Dessert Party. Looking back I don’t think our wedding would have been the same if we didn’t have that event after the reception. It was a final farewell to our guests who traveled so far for us. It was the perfect ending to an amazing day.

Disneymooners: Tell our members about the top 3 things that you’re glad you did for your wedding.

Sarah:

  1. Had characters at our reception. The look of pure exhilaration on the faces of the youngest to the oldest as they danced with Mickey Mouse and Stitch at our reception was priceless.
  2. Had a few group events prior to the wedding. We had our rehearsal dinner and a night out at Pleasure Island a few days before. I was so thankful for those special moments with our friends and family. I found myself wanting more of those moments during the trip.
  3. Surprised our guests twice. We hired Major Domo to play a prank on our guests during the ceremony. No one knew what was going on and really thought our best man had lost the rings. The story is still told to this day with big laughs. We also surprised everyone with the lighted slipper sorbet at our reception. Everyone thought that was the greatest addition.

Disneymooners: Was there anything that you wish you had done? Or wish you had done differently?

Sarah: Looking back in the weeks and months after the wedding there wasn’t really anything I would have done differently. We were so happy with the event from start to finish, I can’t imagine changing anything. Now that almost 6 years have passed I think there are so new trends and additions I could have added had they been an option. I think if given the chance now I would have done an Epcot photo shoot after the wedding.

Disneymooners: Photography is very important to all brides. Was there a particular shot that you knew you absolutely had to have to document your day?

Sarah: There were a ton of photos I had on my must list. I even made a detailed list of top 20 pictures that MUST be taken and handed it to my photographer. He was great and carried it around all day to make sure he got all of them. If I had to pick one…they were the fireworks shots from our dessert party. Those are still some of my favorites. However, I did find that some of my more cherished ones were the unexpected ones taken.

Disneymooners: Do you have any words of wisdom to our future brides?

Sarah: Plan the wedding you both want, not the wedding you think other people want. We really did plan the wedding we both envisioned. Sure we took others into consideration but the wedding venues, style, theming, music, ceremony, etc were all us. And for those brides ready to walk down the aisle, my advice to every bride that I have seen off over the years. Take a mental picture. At some point on your wedding day stand off to the side and look around at everything around you. Take in the sights and sounds and the people around you. The day goes by lightning fast and you will be happy you took a few precious moments to be in the moments, once its all over.

You can read all about Sarah’s wedding here

Sarah, on behalf of Disneymooners, thank you for taking the time to share a little about your wedding planning and day. You are a great member of our community and we look forward to following along in your Happily Ever After! All the best ~ the Disneymooners

Featured Venue Fridays: The Living Seas Salon

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Imagine transporting your guests under the sea and hosting an enchanted wedding reception in one of Disney’s theme parks.  The Living Seas Salon is a private area found in EPCOT’s The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion and showcases a wall of glass windows overlooking a 5.7 million gallon aquarium. Your guests will be amazed at their incredible view of a wide array of sea life, as they dance and eat dinner.

This venue can be used for weddings of 20-104 guests and has pre-existing tables of six. The Living Seas Salon already has pre-existing vibrant blue and green table linens.  However, brides who want to accent their own wedding colors can change these linens for an additional charge. Since the Living Seas Salon is a private venue, it gives brides and grooms the ability to have an in park reception during park hours.  The venue can be used for lunch and dinner receptions and is spacious enough to have a multi-level seating area.  Your cocktail hour can be hosted in a connecting room, giving the venue an intimate feel.

The biggest highlight of this location is the stunning view and its the only venue were couples can add Scuba Mickey to surprise their lucky guests. The Living Seas Salon other big selling point for Brides and Grooms is the pre-existing décor.  Many brides feel that the location needs very little in terms of additional decorations.

If you are considering the Living Seas Salon or have had your wedding at this venue, one thing is certain: This venue is one that your guests will soon not forget.

Here’s what Disneymooners on our forums are saying about the Living Seas:

“The Living Seas is a location that has that extra Disney magic. Even though all the reception locations we looked at during our site visit were beautiful, the thing I liked best about the Living Seas was that it provided my guests free entertainment! The view into the tanks gave them something to do besides the music and food that was already planned for the reception. I was able to have the extra Disney magic of the aquatic life without the costs that are required for things like characters. ” – Vanessa 

“I loved the fact that it was in park. This has a real excitement factor for guests and Bride and Groom alike. Also when you tell people you had your reception in EPCOT they are a little blown away and I like that…I loved every single part of the day and the Living Seas was a huge part of it.” – Gemma

“During our wedding reception scuba divers were inside the Living Seas aquarium. Our guests had a lot of fun dancing with the scuba divers through the glass.”  – Sarah 

 

For more information on the Living Seas Salon, including pricing minimums, site specific restrictions and wedding recaps please visit the Disneymooner Forums.