Amusement Park Wedding

cathyjo7

Hello Everyone!

I am planning my wedding for either the summer of 2015 or 2016, it depends on funds and career moves.  Anyway, we are wanting to get married at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, OH.  We are currently living in Nebraska so my information for the area is very limited.  I have been speaking with reps from the amusement park and they said I can have a beach ceremony (for $1500) and then go into the park afterwards, does anyone know if there is a cheaper way to do this?  Ideally, I would want to have a smaller wedding with only close friends and family (this would still probably be about 50 people), and then take pictures on the beach and then go into the park for some fun and pictures.  I was wondering if it would be too much for guests if I have a reception after this?  I am trying to figure out what a good itinerary would be if we did this, I don't want people to wait hours for food and dancing, but if they had a few hours in the amusement park prior would that be a bad thing?  My thought was maybe have the wedding around 1 or 2 (quick quick wedding, like 15 min tops), then go into the park for a few hours and have dinner/reception at 6.  Would that be too long of a wait?  Also, does anyone know if I would be allowed to have my reception in a tent on the beach, or would it have to be at the Breaker's hotel?  I haven't found an informative website for the Breakers.

Thanks for all your help!

mlg78

Giving folks only 4 hours in CP really sucks...that's two roller coasters with the wait time on the popular rides. At most, 3. What about having your wedding in the morning, doing a brunch reception and then spending the afternoon/evening at CP? Also, wedding & reception attire isn't really amusement park-friendly and that's certainly not being taken into account. What about water rides? I'd want to wear my tennis shoes at CP so are you okay with someone wearing sneakers to your wedding and reception in a tank top and shorts?

[Deleted User]

I would do either a morning cermony or a late cermony (think sunset on the beach). My concern with splitting the ceremony & the reception up is that people will probably change for going to the park from their wedding clothes, go the park & stand in line & get sweaty & either have to go back to hotel to shower & change again or show up looking like they've spent hours at the park. Also think of the photographer charges. They will probably charge you for the time frame everyone is in the park having fun. Unless you only want ceremony photos and a few formal photos & nothing from the reception.

Since they won't allow you to get married in the park, maybe consider somewhere else in the Sandusky/Port Clinton area and maybe the day after your wedding doing a family trip to the park.

Jessica2426

I would maybe do a quick morning ceremony. as for a reception, I don't think many guests will come back for that. they have like the place up front where you can have a catered meal, maybe have that and let them go back in the park.

but most of the time we stand in line for at least an hour for the "big" rides.

if I had my wedding there, I would be fine with people wearing cedar point clothes, because well we are at cedar point that is what I would expect them to wear. 

Dignity100

I'm having a Disney wedding, so a little different.  I'm basically planning for NO park time the day of my wedding.  I will get married @ 2:30; after that we will go and have dinner at one of the resort restaurants and then after that we will go into Epcot for fireworks and desserts (but no rides).  If my guests wish to arrive a few days early or stay a few days later to take in the parks, that's on them.

As far as a Cedar Point wedding - I would agree, do a morning wedding with a brunch reception.  Either let your guests come in amusement park appropriate clothing or somehow offer a changing area for your guests.

As others have stated 4 hours is not enough time in the park to really do much.  Unless the ticket was being provided for me, it's really not worth the admission price (I believe it's $60 at the gate right now or $50 if you buy online).

cathyjo7

Thank you all for your advice!  These are things I didn't even think about, we definitely want to spend some time in the park that day after the wedding, but I still want some kind of a reception with dancing, such difficulties!  I have A LOT of thinking to do...

cathyjo7

Also, I could get married in the park before it opens (we would have the space in frontier park from 8-10) but it would cost about $2500 and I don't think I want a wedding quite that early.

Jessica2426

U can get married outside the park in the parking lot for free, lol, before it opens. Then spend all day there and have a reception somewhere close to there (like great wolf lodge or something) around 9. Just have finger foods and cake!

c0reyann

I had a couple go there for their pictures between the ceremony and reception and have seen people get married on the beach there.  My couple got married at Old Calvary Church (small chapel near Cedar Point) and then had their reception at Kalahari.  We had about 4 hours in the park where they did pics on the beach and rode a few rides in their wedding gear.  It was a hot day and the bridal party wasn't exactly thrilled but everyone had fun.  

If you decide to skip Cedar Point the day of you may want to hit one of the spots along Lake Erie that have an overlook of the park so it is still in your pics.  

I don't think you can do a reception in the park but you can do Hotel Breakers and may be able to even see if you could rent one of the company picnic type spots along the boardwalk for a casual reception?  

I would personally do the sunrise on the beach ceremony (so long as it's not cloudy the sunrises are amazing there!) and then a brunch reception inside the hotel then let your guests enjoy the day however they want in the park and maybe meet up later for drinks at the bar or something light if you'd like.  If you want to keep the reception at 6 just do a small intimate wedding on the beach for just you two and a few friends. They may charge you less if it's a small thing w/o a setup. 

mrsk616

there is a nice place across the bay called Lyman Harbor which over looks the Sandusky Bay and Cedar Point. we are planning on having our wedding one day there and the wedding party and us will go to Cedar Point.