Rob and Scott's Big Fat Gay Disney Wedding-TR Pg 92; Photo Update pg 133

[TammieLand]

Thank you so much for posting this thread!

Very interesting and the food porn was, well, wonderful....

Down here it's not so much the chicken dance but doing "the stroke"....

shameful, but fun...

 

[JRoyster86]

This is an excellent thread! My DP and I are planning on having a commitment ceremony in Disney once we both finish grad school and actually start making some money!

 

[mykidsintow]

Yummmm.... This thread makes me want to get a divorce!

We eloped in FL. My husband was in the AF and at Biloxi. Pensacola was the first place that didn't require waiting period and/or bloodwork.. So we took a long weekend and did the deed. The nice lady with the big hair and scary blue eye shadow made it short and sweet. We flew kites and rode go-karts and he was back at tech school in 3 days.

I don't regret no wedding. Someone is always whining, I could never please everyone, blah. Too bad we can't just go eat all that food and say we ummm "renewed our vows"? LOL I know lame excuse to get that yummy looking food!

I guess the *perfect* wedding to me would be the $67 ring, scary blue eyeshadow and that FOOD! YUM! Oh and the icing on the cake was listening to him call his momma and tell her what we had done. Oops, no warning.

Tks for the awsome post!

 

[rpmdfw]

So what is my point? My point is that by specifically saying "no chicken dance" you are alienating a portion of your crowd who might not dance the entire night, but would love to do the chicken dance. In a year I have easily done 50-75 weddings and I can tell you the most successful and fun receptions are the ones with the least amount of restrictions. At the very least, I urge you to consider telling the DJ/entertainer "I'd prefer not to do the chicken dance unless someone asks for it" At least that way you are leaving open the possibility. Also keep in mind it's Disney. If I took the way they do the YMCA on the cruise ship and twisted it, imagine what your DJ might have done with the chicken dance!

Again, this is not meant to be disrespectful. It's your reception, but I speak based on experience and a desire for the two of you and your crowd to have the best time possible.

zulemara, thank you for posting this and giving me a different perspective on "interactive dances". And we WILL now consider changing the "NO, NOT ANY OF THEM" stance.

That said, the chicken dance is not something we did in my family. The first I ever even heard of it was when I saw it in a movie when I was in college. We have no tradition or memories associated with it and Scott and I both DETEST it. I feel similarly about the cha-cha, electric slide, and mambo #5. I could probably deal with the Hustle, the Macarena (Scott would kill me, though, he hates it) or the even YMCA; though I have to say that I've always thought that a song about gay men cruising at a bathhouse was an inappropriate and odd choice to be played at a wedding and I always crack up when I see all the str8 people rushing out to the dance floor because it's playing.

My thought is that there are plenty of really fun songs that will get us up and dancing without resorting to the "gimmick" dances. I've got "The Twist" on the "must play" list because it never fails to get my entire family on the floor, and at 65 my dad will be the best twister out there. He always was, and it fascinated us as kids.

But, you're right, we do want it to be fun for our guests, and maybe we'll change our minds. Or maybe we'll decide to have Mickey Mouse show up at our reception to dance and see if that takes the places of the gimmicky stuff. (And yes, I realize that Mickey in and of himself is a gimmick at the reception, but it's a gimmick that you ONLY get at Disney, so why the heck not.)

We're also asking them not to play any of the "Gay Anthems" at the reception. So no "I Will Survive" (the song that brings out the inner drag queen in EVERYONE), no "It's Raining Men", no "I'm Coming Out" etc. This may disappoint some people; but to us it seemed like "too much", for the same reason we didn't even consider doing our reception at "The Great Movie Ride" (which is an option Disney offers, by the way.) We thought that cutting the wedding cake at a gay wedding in the Wizard of Oz scene with the Wicked Witch there to say "and your little dog, too" was just TOO MUCH. Too cliche, too tacky.

Okay, I'll end my rant now. But truly, thank you for your thoughts, and Scott and I will discuss these things again looking at it from the perspective you've provided.

 

[rpmdfw]

Officially cracking the seal on the Cherry Garcia here and getting teary-eyed. i I am SO happy for you RPMDFW and more than a little jealous of your mom. It all looks wonderful, beautiful, and fabulous!!!! You are going to have an awesome wedding!!!!

I think so too! And my mom has been enjoying every minute of it. Many of her friends have told her how lucky she is to be experiencing the planning of her son's wedding because most of the time the groom's mom isn't as involved. But since Scott's parents are no longer with us, Scott will be cutting into the Mother/Son dance and dancing with my mom, and my parent's flowers will have a mix of Scott's light blue and my cobalt blue. He's part of the family, so we're sharing the parents.

As a server/bartender....I LOVE THE CHICKEN DANCE!
That's when we take our break! Guaranteed a good 20 minutes before anyone wants another drink!

Gosh! I forgot to ask the bartenders what they're preference was! How thoughtless of me!

Thanks for posting all the details and especially the pictures. I always wondered what was involved in the planning. Everything sounds amazing!

You're welcome! There's a lot more involved with the planning, but the planning session is really "the fun stuff".

Thank you so much for posting this thread!
Very interesting and the food porn was, well, wonderful....
Down here it's not so much the chicken dance but doing "the stroke"....
shameful, but fun...

Never heard of the stroke. If it's shameful but fun, it might be right for us! And if you think the food porn looked good, you should have tasted it. I'm craving more of that chicken right now! (Scott's telling people we're having the "Chipper Chicken" at the wedding. )

This is an excellent thread! My DP and I are planning on having a commitment ceremony in Disney once we both finish grad school and actually start making some money!

Well, it sure ain't cheap, but we think it's going to be worth it. Start saving up now, and enjoy the ride when you get there!

Yummmm.... This thread makes me want to get a divorce!
I don't regret no wedding. Someone is always whining, I could never please everyone, blah. Too bad we can't just go eat all that food and say we ummm "renewed our vows"? LOL I know lame excuse to get that yummy looking food!
Tks for the awsome post!

Disney does a LOT of vow renewals. It makes a lot of sense, too. Many people can't afford to do a big wedding when they're young and starting out. So why not have the big fun party when you can do it. A lot of people then turn it into a family reunion, celebration of family as well.

And we're not worried about pleasing everyone. We're really just doing what we like and hoping everyone else climbs on board the band wagon!

 

[OrlandoMike]

or the even YMCA; though I have to say that I've always thought that a song about gay men cruising at a bathhouse was an inappropriate and odd choice to be played at a wedding and I always crack up when I see all the str8 people rushing out to the dance floor because it's playing.

Makes me laugh every time!

"Hello! Are you listening to the words???"

 

[rpmdfw]

Makes me laugh every time!

"Hello! Are you listening to the words???"

Speaking of gay men cruising at a bathhouse, Scott and I saw "Bathhouse the Musical" along with the Wanzie production of "When Pigs Fly" last night at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. For those of you who are local, the Fringe may be the gayest event of the year outside of Gay Days at Disney. What a BLAST!

 

[OrlandoMike]

I saw the "Ladies of Lake Eola" with Wanzie and Doug.....hysterical!

 

[rpmdfw]

I saw the "Ladies of Lake Eola" with Wanzie and Doug.....hysterical!

We missed that one! Apparently Wanzie was in a car accident yesterday and his understudy performed most of his role last night. He did come out and sing a love song to Dick Cheney though. (It's a very INTERESTING show.)

We enjoyed Bathhouse the Musical more. Boys in towels. Need I say more?

 

[PghLybrt]

I am loving this!! I have never known anyone to get maried at Disney, so youare giving great insight! It might be the spot for my sister!

Now on a serious note....i vote no on the chicken dance as well
(of course this might not have been open to debate!!)

 

[rpmdfw]

I am loving this!! I have never known anyone to get maried at Disney, so youare giving great insight! It might be the spot for my sister!

Now on a serious note....i vote no on the chicken dance as well
(of course this might not have been open to debate!!)

Oh, I'll listen to any debate on the chicken dance anybody wants to throw out there. Especially those who are against it!

 

[OrlandoMike]

Your getting married at Disney World, not some Bowling alley in Milwaukee!

(Nothing against Milwaukee, I've had a lot of fun there!)

But I vote no on the Chicken Dance!

 

[mykidsintow]

I vote on chicken dance for kids birthday parties. Maybe active 80 yr old birthday party. A 50th wedding anniversary for the right type of outgoing couple.

For a wedding.... I vote no to the chicken dance. Of course this is coming from the person that got married at JOP with some crazy woman with bright blue eyeshadow..... Take it for what you will.

If I was going out of my way to have an awsome memorable wedding and reception at a place such as Disney.... I wouldn't want the chicken dance. Frankly, I wouldn't care what my guests thought. I doubt any will suffer long-term from not having the chicken dance. Of course, this goes back to why I eloped and had the blue eyeshadow woman . If they really need the chicken dance that bad, I would suggest them pairing the wedding trip with a nice baseball game....

 

[zulemara]

zulemara, thank you for posting this and giving me a different perspective on "interactive dances". And we WILL now consider changing the "NO, NOT ANY OF THEM" stance.

That said, the chicken dance is not something we did in my family. The first I ever even heard of it was when I saw it in a movie when I was in college. We have no tradition or memories associated with it and Scott and I both DETEST it. I feel similarly about the cha-cha, electric slide, and mambo #5. I could probably deal with the Hustle, the Macarena (Scott would kill me, though, he hates it) or the even YMCA; though I have to say that I've always thought that a song about gay men cruising at a bathhouse was an inappropriate and odd choice to be played at a wedding and I always crack up when I see all the str8 people rushing out to the dance floor because it's playing.

My thought is that there are plenty of really fun songs that will get us up and dancing without resorting to the "gimmick" dances. I've got "The Twist" on the "must play" list because it never fails to get my entire family on the floor, and at 65 my dad will be the best twister out there. He always was, and it fascinated us as kids.

But, you're right, we do want it to be fun for our guests, and maybe we'll change our minds. Or maybe we'll decide to have Mickey Mouse show up at our reception to dance and see if that takes the places of the gimmicky stuff. (And yes, I realize that Mickey in and of himself is a gimmick at the reception, but it's a gimmick that you ONLY get at Disney, so why the heck not.)

We're also asking them not to play any of the "Gay Anthems" at the reception. So no "I Will Survive" (the song that brings out the inner drag queen in EVERYONE), no "It's Raining Men", no "I'm Coming Out" etc. This may disappoint some people; but to us it seemed like "too much", for the same reason we didn't even consider doing our reception at "The Great Movie Ride" (which is an option Disney offers, by the way.) We thought that cutting the wedding cake at a gay wedding in the Wizard of Oz scene with the Wicked Witch there to say "and you're little dog, too" was just TOO MUCH. Too cliche, too tacky.

Okay, I'll end my rant now. But truly, thank you for your thoughts, and Scott and I will discuss these things again looking at it from the perspective you've provided.

In every job I've had, I try to help people understand the other side of the McDonalds counter, the other side of the retail guy, and the other side of the DJ(which btw is a thankless job)

I have to say though, I'm a little disappointed about no gay anthems Truthfully, I will survive is a song that rarely ever gets played in this area and It's raining men is reserved for garter tosses.

In my opinion, no one knows the hustle and everyone except 9yos hates the Macarena. LOL that is one where if a bride says No macarena I scream with joy! 5 min of the same thing? gosh!

I frequently use Shout, the twist, then twist and shout later on in the night. They have lots of energy and it gets the older crowd dancing after you've been forced to play modern music.

It's a different part of the country and a different family history. 99% of people have one particular genre they like and think it's the only and best genre. I can have a packed dance floor to shout and some snotty 19yo will come up to me and say "play something newer, this old stuff sucks"
then the next person comes off the dance floor after build me up buttercup and says "awesome music, I feel young again"

Then of course there's the dreaded "Can you play soulja boy?" You can put that one on the do not play list

Ok so that was a mini soapbox. I don't get to voice my opinion or challenges about wedding receptions to the public very much, so I kind of took this as my chance to do that and help anyone, not just you two, think about a couple different things.

Best of luck to both of you and I am insanely jealous that you're able to do what you are doing. DBF wants to get married in the fall in MA. We get to honeymoon at WDW or DCL though, so I still get half the Disney feelnig!

 

[rpmdfw]

Um, I don't even know what "soulja boy" is.

Honestly, we're probably looking at mostly 60s, 70s, and 80s music for our crowd. Don't know of anyone who is in that "late teen/early twenties" demographic that is even coming to the wedding. And thank you for mentioning "Shout" and "Twist and Shout". I'm adding them to the play list.

As Scott and I are both (barely) over 40. We've got folks in their late twenties/early thirties through my parents generation in their sixties and seventies. And a few little kids thrown in to the mix.

 

[chip007]

Sounds like you had a great time. Congrats!

I'm curious, what other options does Disney have for receptions and what made you pick your location?

 

[rpmdfw]

Sounds like you had a great time. Congrats!

I'm curious, what other options does Disney have for receptions and what made you pick your location?

Disney has LOADS of options! Ceremonies can be held at the Wedding Pavillion, Yacht Club Gazebo, Sea Breeze Point (on the Boardwalk) or at several locations in World Showcase. And there are other locations that are used as well. Sunset Point at the Polynesian, a location at Wilderness Lodge, etc.

Receptions can be held in several unique locations as well as in the ballrooms on property. They also do receptions at the Living Seas private lounge, the American Adventure Rotunda, the American Adventure private lounge, the Piazza in the Italian Pavillion, the Great Movie Ride (it's a progressive reception there--cocktails and appetizers in the gangster section with appropriatly dressed actors to interact with your guests. Dinner in the Western section with cowboy actors, dessert and cake cutting in the Wizard of Oz location with Glinda interacting with guests an the Wicked Witch, then dancing under the "stars" in the black box room where they show the movies at the end of the ride. VERY cool, but not for us).

When they showed us the Atlantic Dance Hall we fell in love with it. It's just the right size for us, it's a gorgeous art deco dance palace. No additional decorations needed. AND because our guest count is as high as it is scared1: ) we're not spending any more money than if we'd booked a hotel ballroom. The only catch is that if you want an evening reception you have to book Sunday or Monday night because the ADH is open to the public on Tuesday thru Saturday. That's why we're having ours on Sunday.

 

[zulemara]

Um, I don't even know what "soulja boy" is.

Honestly, we're probably looking at mostly 60s, 70s, and 80s music for our crowd. Don't know of anyone who is in that "late teen/early twenties" demographic that is even coming to the wedding. And thank you for mentioning "Shout" and "Twist and Shout". I'm adding them to the play list.

As Scott and I are both (barely) over 40. We've got folks in their late twenties/early thirties through my parents generation in their sixties and seventies. And a few little kids thrown in to the mix.

good! Trust me, you don't want to hear the crap music this "artist" puts out!

We always start old and work new, but if I don't have requests for modern music I usually play 3 songs tops, plus maybe the cha cha. I should just write out my general playlist for weddings and then you can pick and choose which songs you like. Just don't be a "bridezilla" haha

 

[wallyb]

Disney has LOADS of options! Ceremonies can be held at the Wedding Pavillion, Yacht Club Gazebo, Sea Breeze Point (on the Boardwalk) or at several locations in World Showcase. And there are other locations that are used as well.

How about right before the big drop on splash mountain -
new meaning to take the plunge.

 

[rpmdfw]

How about right before the big drop on splash mountain -
new meaning to take the plunge.

You don't even want to know what a Magic Kingdom ceremony costs!

And then you have to hold the ceremony after the park closes for the night, so it's either book for January, or get hitched at 1am.