How to Have a Fairytale Wedding
Fairy tale weddings are popular, offering a romantic, "happily ever after" ambiance. The motif can simplify the planning process. The theme narrows the bride and groom’s focus, makes decisions easier, adds creative fun to the sometimes grueling to-dos and lets a woman look forward to the fantasy wedding many girls dream about.
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Things You'll Need
- Fairy dust
- Castle tower cutouts
- Glass pumpkin carriages
- Glass slipper place cards
- Wedding arches
- Medieval goblets
Instructions
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Fairy Tale Wedding Types & Attire
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Sprinkle glitter in invitations as fairy dust. Send invitations filled with fairy dust and use words reminiscent of fairy tales. Examples include "a princess has found her prince charming," "please join us for our happily ever after," "enchantment is in the air," "once upon a time, a man and woman fell in love" or "we invite you to a storybook wedding." If time and money allow, send invitations that look like old-fashioned scrolls. Tie them with ribbon and write in fancy calligraphy.
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Basic planning is a must, especially for a fairy tale theme wedding. Follow the basic wedding planning checklist. Decide on a budget and timeline while keeping in mind that fairy tale weddings can become extravagant affairs. Some couples prefer a destination wedding in a fairy tale location. This can mean anything from a European castle, a Renaissance-era cathedral or a theme park like Disney World. Guests need ample warning to book travel.
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When planning, differentiate between a Grimm's fairy tale wedding versus a Disney wedding. Zero in on the type of fairy tale wedding. There is a difference between original Grimm fairy tales and the Disney versions. Weddings inspired by the Grimm brothers should have medieval touches. A bride and groom leaning toward a Disney-flavored ceremony will want to focus on the individual films and use their traits.
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Tower cutouts add a medieval, fairy-tale touch. Decorate reception halls and--if appropriate--the church with medieval features such as castle tower cutouts, ivy-braided arches and patterned flagstone wallpaper. Medieval wedding dresses should be made of rich colors such as crimson and emerald, with long, draping sleeves, loose-fitting belts and gold embroidery. In lieu of a tiara, brides can wear gold circlets. At the reception, the newlyweds can sit on high-backed thrones draped in velvet material and let everyone sip from goblets.
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Cinderella wedding dresses have a bell-like shape. Match a dress style with a Disney princess. Cinderella wedding gowns are also called ball gowns and have sweeping, bell-shaped skirts with tulle overlays and rhinestone beading. Ariel dresses are sleeveless and have tight-fitting mermaid skirts. Blue beading or gauzy, sea foam-green tulle overlay can complete the under-the-sea mood. Place cards in the shape of pumpkin carriages or glass slippers dovetail with the Cinderella atmosphere. For The Little Mermaid theme, use seashells or fishbowls filled with sand and shells to assign seats.
Fairy Tale Wedding Accents
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Top wedding cakes with iconic fairy tale images, such as carriages and castles. Order theme-appropriate cakes. For a humorous touch, groom cakes can be shaped like frog princes or docile dragons tamed by knights. Cake toppers can be brides kissing frogs wearing crowns, pumpkin carriages or crystal castles. In terms of wedding favors, homemade ideas are miniature books with famous fairy tale quotes or scented sachets tied with little bags of fairy dust (glitter).
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Let guests write down good tidings and toss them in a wishing well. Incorporate guests in the fairy tale theme by setting up a "wishing well" made out of cardboard or papier mâché and let them toss in personalized notes. Or, make the guest book look like an old-fashioned fairy tale book and supply a quill pen. Simple touches, such as naming tables after famous fairy tales or princesses, also set the mood.
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Honeymooners can tour such palaces as the Alhambra in Spain to continue the fairy tale theme. Carry the fairy tale theme into the honeymoon. Tour Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, which was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Visit the Chambord Castle in France's Loire Valley that inspired Leonardo di Vinci paintings and Moliere writings, the Leeds Castle in England that housed Edward I, Henry V and Henry VIII, and the Alhambra, the lavish palace that the Moors built during their rule in Spain.
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Tips & Warnings
Investigate prom rental shops and websites. Modern day proms always have themes, and companies catering to schools with tight budgets have backdrops, props and gimmicks that are less expensive than what a wedding planner might offer.
Certain fairy tale aspects, such as specialized cakes, require more time.
If hiring a wedding consultant, research her past jobs to ensure that she grasps the concept. Find visuals and reviews of past nuptials, as a wedding of this scale requires a specialized touch.
References
- Photo Credit fairy tale towers on old building image by thomas owen from Fotolia.com pots of glitter image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com day planner image by JJAVA from Fotolia.com Palais de la belle au bois dormant - disney paris image by bourrin from Fotolia.com Medieval Village Church image by Jeff Dalton from Fotolia.com Wedding bouquet the bride on background of wedding dress image by Aliaksandr Zabudzko from Fotolia.com cake image by cherie from Fotolia.com well image by Gudellaphoto from Fotolia.com alhambra in granada image by Ivonne Wierink from Fotolia.com
