Disney Fairy Tale Wedding

      Yesterday 2 billion people watched the Royal Wedding of William and Kate. I too got up early to watch the elegant event. After it was over I decided to watch another Fairytale wedding that I was a part of a few years ago.  It been a long time since I watched the video and  forgot how amazing it really all was. 

      This Fairy tale wedding was my sisters and my role become one of Maid of Honor, Travel agent, and wedding Coordinator. It was a big job but I did have the help from the incredible people at Disney who really do make all your dreams come true. It also helped we had a very generous budget from our Father. 

    It all started one day while looking though some bridal magazines and seeing an ad for weddings at Disney, she said “I would like to get married there”.  I made a call and next thing we were on a plane to meet with the wedding planners at Disney. At time they had only done a few weddings at the Magic Kingdom's Castle as part of promotions for TV but never for the public. Of course that was the place my sister saw herself being married in the Rose Garden in front of Cinderella’s Castle complete with glass coach. 

     That being her dream we ran into a road block for the date. In order to come down Main Street in Cinderella’s glass carriage the park has to be closed. Disney has a  rule is no paying guest can ever see anyone but Cinderella in her carriage. The wedding would have to be either very early in the morning or very late which neither we wanted. After two months of going back and forth for date and time it was finally settled Friday, May 18 at 8:15pm after the park closed for the day. Now the real fun began, planning all the many details that went into this day. For me it was a year’s project and I really did love every minute of it. 

    There were 90 people that flew in for the wedding, staying at 3 different Disney hotels, Disney’s Caribbean Beach, The All Star Resort, and Grand Floridian Resort. The Thursday night before the wedding when you would usually have a rehearsal dinner we choose a Country Hoe Down at Rustic River Country for the all the guest to attend. We arrived by Hay wagon for this party. It was complete with old fashion country cooking, dancing, and a campfire after dark. The wedding party did sneak away for a little rehearsal. 

The Big Day 

     All the months of planning the date went down the drain when we arrived at Disney. It seems due to the crowds of people at the park that weekend they decided to keep the parks open extra hours. What that meant for us, well now the wedding would be held prior to the night parade for everyone to see and hear. Disney was going to broadcast the wedding service over the speakers for everyone. Once the wedding was over the parade would start, our guest would be escorted to the front of the castle where a stage was set up to view from.  All sounded good but again I had no idea how this would all go. 

The Event

     As our guests arrived at the Magic Kingdom cars were waiting to drive them down Main Street to the Rose Garden in front of the Castle. It had been announced throughout Disney that a wedding was to take place prior to the parade and the streets were packed with viewers. The wedding party was taken to a back entrance off of Main Street where our cars were waiting. At this point I had not seen what was going on outside. The Groom went first leading the wedding party and just like a prince he rode down Main Street on a White Horse. I could hear the cheers from the crowd as we waited for our turn.  

 The groom’s man followed the Groom, then the Bridesmaids and flower girls.  We rode in small trolley cars. 
  As we got to the start of Main Street again I heard the crowd start cheering and lights flashing everywhere. I turned and saw Cinderella’s Glass Carriage pulled by six white welsh horses and footman had entered Main Street. It was truly something to see. It gave me goose bumps plus a little tear to my eyes. My sister rode down just like a princess, smiling and waving with our Father loving every minute. 

      The service was held in the Rose Garden and was beautiful, with the whole park listening as well.  

  After the service the parade began, while we made our way to Fantasy Land where the reception was to be held. The wedding party went to the top of the Castle to wait to be announced.  We were announced with such pomp and circumstance you would think we were Royals. We even had trumpeters. The Bride and Groom were announced and treated to fireworks as they stood on the balcony of the castle overlooking the guest below. 

    The party went into the wee hours of the morning, we didn’t sit down to dinner until just before midnight.  Of course Mickey and friends showed up to party with us. I finally left with my daughter sometime after 2:00am. I remember as we got to the end of Main Street I looked back at the Castle all lit up, perfectly quiet, no one around but the two of us and I thought wow I will never be in this spot like this again. 

     It truly was a Fairy Tale wedding.