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Entertainment: Major Domo

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Disney World  and Disneyland offer a world of entertainment options for both your wedding ceremony or reception.  While entertainment is not necessary for your event, many couples decide to add a special touch to their event.  One of the fun entertainment options for the bride and groom is Major Domo.

Disney Fairytale Weddings website describes Major Domo as:

A Renaissance-costumed Major Domo will act as your ring bearer and carry your rings down the aisle in a glass slipper.

Please consult your wedding planner for current pricing. The last pricing we had started at $675 for a WDW wedding appearance. Major Domo is classified as a themed entertainer and is offered at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland events.

Major Domo can be used for a number of duties at your wedding.  He can serve as ring bearer during your ceremony and carry the rings in on a pillow and glass slipper.  Major Domo can announce you as Mr and Mrs for the first time at both your ceremony and reception.  Some couples use him as master of ceremonies at their receptions and have Major Domo announce the bridal party with paper scroll and all. He can add a formal flair to your event.

However, Major Domo is not all formal elegance, and may couples have him serve as a jokester at their event.  Couples have played a prank on their guests and made them think the rings were lost.  We have had brides at both parks use Major Domo at their event.

I used Major Domo at my 2006 wedding and it’s an addition that was well worth the money.  Our guests still talk about this moment to this day and it really added a funny spin on our wedding ceremony.  My husband and I, love playing jokes on people…all in good fun.  When we were planning and heard we could add a special prank on our family and friends, we had to.  Our lips were sealed for months on this and no one knew the secret.  During the ceremony, the officiant turned to our best man and asked for the rings……he looked concerned….I don’t have the rings!.  The look on our family and friends faces was absolutely priceless. we heard gasps, awkward giggles, and even had several offers from married couples to just use their rings. After a moment of panic the trumpets blasted on the Wedding Pavilion and opened the doors.  Major Domo came in in full regala….pillow in hand, glass slipper on top and rings in place.  Our guests smiled, clapped and stood for the moment.  They couldn’t believe what we had done.  Looking back, we just couldn’t be happier.  Major Domo also announced us outside the Wedding Pavilion and into our reception. I loved when he announced our first dance at our reception, as it really set the stage for the event.

– Sarah, 2006 bride

He is great for the “flow” of things…and a special Disney touch.  Things I liked-the surprised look on people’s faces when he came in at the ceremony. That he orchestrated things into the “first dance.”  Things I didn’t like-since Narcoossee’s doesn’t have that “you are now entering the reception” thing, we came into Narcoossee’s and then later were announced. Which was fine. But, I was bummed he didn’t also announce our wedding party. I should have worked that out with Michelle, but I just assumed she would have them all come to the front of the restaurant and be announced.

– Heidi

The following pictures are from the Major Domo from Disneyland and the experience of Disneymooner Debbie.

We didn’t have a ring bearer in our wedding party so we thought it would be fun to add a little bit of whimsy to our ceremony by having the Major Domo bring us our rings. As our guests arrived at the Rose Court Garden he stood at the entrance and greeted them. He was in character the entire time. When the time in the ceremony came for the ring exchange, he burst onto the scene! We had asked for a regal “serious” Major Domo, but apparently the message didn’t get passed along to him because we got the “comical” Major Domo in all his glory. He was sort of weaving down the aisle trying to ensure the glass slipper (with the rings in it) stayed on his pillow and was making all kinds of funny exclamations. My husband and I looked at each other and he muttered “what is he doing?” We both kinda laughed and shrugged it off. After delivering the rings to the best man with a flourish, the Major Domo walked back down the aisle. He fake cried the whole way and said something about “I can’t believe those crazy kids are all grown up and getting married.” Our guests thought the whole thing was great and no-one but the wedding party knew he was supposed to be serious and not funny. It was kind of a nice break in the ceremony and it got everyone laughing. We didn’t want the Major Domo to seem hokey, but if this was on the one major glitch of the day, it was no big deal!

Before we were announced into our reception, the Major Domo talked with our wedding party to learn how to pronounce their last names. He stood inside the doors of the Sequoia Ballroom and in a nice clear “royal” voice announced the members of our wedding party and then us. Our DJ could have done this but we thought it would be a nice touch to carry on our fairy tale theme. (It didn’t cost extra.)

We were pleasantly surprised when we received our wedding video and found that he had recorded a very cute (and funny) message for us. Including the Major Domo in our wedding day was definitely a bit of a splurge but it was fun and added to the ambiance we were trying to achieve.

Stay tuned for more entertainment features to come.  We would love to hear about the special touches you added to your wedding festivities.  Join us on The Disneymooner Forums

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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