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All My Love Things

On the morning of her wedding, Andrea, now 32, went to a salon to get her hair done, as brides are wont to do. Only she didn’t say she was her wedding, or even a wedding; the appointment, she told them, was for “an anniversary party.” The price: $75 for a normal updo. “If it had been a wedding thing, they would have rolled out the champagne and the mimosas and done a whole elaborate thing that we didn’t want or need,” she says. The price for the full wedding treatment? “Closer to $350 dollars.” (Today, the salon website lists an ominous bridal price of $85+.) In a fairytale ending, the regular updo was suitably bridal, Andrea got married and saved approximately $275, and everything was and remains fine.
So here is the question: Was it the same?
In an oft-cited stat, the average American wedding costs $35,329, which is more than half of the median American household income ($55,775). This is a number that seems absurd and unsettling, evidence that something must be profoundly amiss — that someone, somewhere, is screwing us all. “I definitely will say that I believed that fully,” says Jasmine Lilly, now a wedding cake baker in Bozeman, Montana, who also hosts The Avowed Podcast, which explores how people get married, and why. “I was like, why are weddings so expensive? It’s preposterous, it doesn’t make any sense, they must just mark up the price when they know it’s for a wedding.” Vendors, she thought, had to be cashing in on the same out-of-control culture that makes spending $35,329 on a wedding seem like a totally reasonable thing to do.
There is a small body of literature devoted to proving the existence of the so-called “wedding tax,” the idea that services cost more if they’re for a “wedding” than they would for a “party,” even if the “party” were identical to the “wedding” in all ways except name. In 2016, Consumer Reports sent secret shoppers to five metro areas, and found that more than a quarter of vendors — 28 percent — charged more for a wedding than for an identical 50th anniversary soiree. An Atlanta photographer charged nearly double for an “almost identical package of services,” while a hotel in St. Louis tacked on more than $8,000 of additional wedding-only fees. A New York restaurant starts its prices at $55 per head for unspecified banquets, compared to $125 for a wedding off-season. A Vox video shows two people calling the same caterer: The “wedding” cost $17,000; the ambiguous “event” cost $15,000. NBC’s Jeff Rossen went “undercover” for a Rossen Reports investigating the industry markup, and found — well, not that much, actually, but he did discover the wedding DJ cost $850 more than a non-wedding DJ.
“You should expect to spend 30 or 40 percent more on a wedding,” says one high-end planner who works in New York state. “When I contract for my own rate for planning, I’m trying to remember wedding culture, and trying to account for this being a heightened day — more important than the birth of a child, for a lot of people,” he tells me. “This is the biggest day they’ve had in their whole life, or they’re considering it that way. That’s high intensity, and often high stakes.” Also, high stress: for a party, there is most likely one person involved — the host. For a wedding, there is the couple, plus parents, plus other assorted familial associates.
“If I ask a corporate client what kind of chair they want, I show them one or two options, and they say yes. If I talk to a bride and groom about what kind of chair they want, it’s a 25-email exchange,” he says. “Your mom has a chair she liked sitting in at the last wedding she went to; your dad has an issue with pillows and seats; your groom wants long, rectangular tables; and you want round tables,” he explains. So, sure, a wedding is more expensive than a normal party, but also, isn’t a normal party; it a party where your aunt texts pictures of flowers or goldfish in bowls or whatever kind of centerpieces from an unknown number in the middle of the night. “I price,” he tells me, “so I can stay sane.”

Because, for better or probably for worse, wedding vendors aren’t just selling flowers or hair or cake; they’re selling a dream, and dreams aren’t cheap. A bridal updo at Strawberry Blonde Salon in Charleston costs $105 and up; a regular updo starts at $80, a minuscule difference in the greater scheme of weddings (perhaps relatedly, they are among the few to put their prices online). But Kelsey Luce, the salon’s wedding coordinator, stresses that it is more than a regular updo. “I wouldn’t necessarily take the same time [under ordinary circumstances] as I would with a bride,” she says carefully. Also, there is the veil to consider, how the hair will look before, how the hair will look after, how it will photograph, and the weight of potentially unrealistic expectations that arise when you are a woman in America on what is supposed to be the best day of your goddamn life.
Jerome Pollos, a photographer in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, half an hour from Spokane, says he talks clients through this difference all the time. His portrait sessions are $175 an hour, but his basic wedding package starts at $2,400 for seven hours, which, through one lens, looks about a thousand dollars overpriced. But the math is more complicated: If you incorporate the time total spent planning, shooting, editing, and retouching (nine to 14 hours, versus 49), and the number of extra prints ordered ($620-ish for an average photo shoot; $490 for a typical wedding), the seven hours of wedding pictures aren’t actually marked up at all. Based on dollars alone, it costs more, yes. But it isn’t the same thing.
Even venues — theoretically empty spaces — have reasons for the markup. At Shoreline Lake, a sportily idyllic waterfront spot in Mountain View, California, a wedding costs about 40 percent more than an equivalent party, says Shoreline president Christina Ferrari, but she estimates it requires three times the planning, plus extra labor. Unlike weddings, parties don't have to be arranged after a ceremony.
And still, explanation after mostly reasonable explanation, it is hard to shed the foreboding sense that we are all being played. For one thing, pricing information is startlingly difficult to compare. “They don’t give you any pricing information until you get on the phone,” sighs Larissa, a Vancouver-based marketer whose attempts at email correspondence were met largely with silence. (Mine were, too, which felt more reasonable, because I am not getting married.) The vast majority of vendor websites offer some version of a “contact us!” form (please specify occasion) or a phone number, and only once you’ve explained your needs and been congratulated on your impending nuptials are you quoted something like a number, which leads to the feeling that perhaps your quote is just a little too personal, too tailored to their perception of your uniquely bridal needs. There is no way of knowing; that’s the point.
For this, too, there is an explanation! Wedding-related services are just too bespoke for one-size-fits-all pricing. “Everything is always custom made,” says Caroline Bailly, owner of L’Atelier Rouge, a floral and event design company in New York City (her prices start around $5,000 for a small affair and go up to $80,000 and beyond for an over-the-top wedding blowout, though you couldn’t know that from the site). “Every client has a different budget, so the first thing to do is to sit down and take a look at the designs and inspirations that your bride might have and then go from there,” she says. “We don’t really have any cookie-cutter price points across the studio.”
But why not at least a starting price? It’s strategy. “They want to get people in the door to at least educate them” says Pollos; if a client is on the phone, a vendor can talk them through their sticker shock. (Pollos himself lists an intro price online.)
Nor does it help that prices, once you’ve got them, can be absurdly difficult to compare. Hidden fees and required add-on services — not to mention packaged deals — can obscure actual costs, so you’re not comparing apples to apples, but apples to oranges, or sweet potatoes, or flank steak, or a cow. If one caterer charges $43 a head for a party menu and $80 for a wedding menu — as Larissa discovered — but the wedding menu comes with a whole spread of canapés plus roving waiters to serve them, then sure, it costs more, by a lot, but also, you get a lot of canapés, rendering the comparison mostly moot. At the New York Times, Catherine Rampell compares it to “baggage fees on airlines in the age of Orbitz,” only at least in that case, you get to decide if you want the baggage.
But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you, and just because there is almost always a reasonable explanation doesn’t mean you aren’t being upcharged. Are there vendors charging more just because they can? Sure. But the closest admission I could find of someone actually charging a true upcharge was from an anonymous DJ/photo booth operator on Reddit, who, in a thread dedicated to this topic, confessed that while his DJ services were definitely not marked up (“I do so much more work to prepare for a wedding that it's not fair to compare it to any other type of event”), he is “absolutely guilty” of charging a wedding tax on the photo booth. “If you call me for a Sweet 16, the price will be $200-$400 less than I would quote for the same date and times at the same venue for a wedding,” he writes. “It comes down to what someone is willing to pay and generally, people are less willing to pay a premium for most non-wedding events.”
That’s the root of the issue: almost every vendor I spoke with agreed weddings require more — more time, more skill, more perfection; photo albums and extra canapés — and so they must charge more, because people expect more, but the twist is that people expect more, in large part, because they have been told to expect more — by culture, by television, by the wedding industry itself. It is a chicken-and-egg problem, a snake eating its own tail. Weddings aren’t “just” parties, they are, we’re told, ultimate dream fantasies, and they are priced that way whether or not you want an ultimate fantasy yourself.
“Bridezillas,” as Rampell writes, may indeed “keep prices high for the rest of us,” but the thing about bridezillas is that they are not created in a vacuum. “We’ve created a wedding culture that... promises women especially delivery on a fantasy that they've been concocting for most of their lives, which is some crazy high stakes,” Lilly says. “I would say that of all the service-industry jobs that I've ever had, it is the most stress and anxiety, because you are trying to measure up to somebody's pretty unrealistic expectations of perfection.” A party is a party; a wedding is supposed to be a dream.
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When it comes to wedding options for couples that don't want to invest time, money, and the stress of planning a big wedding, there are always other options like eloping, going to the courthouse, or going to Las Vegas.

Now, there is another option many couples are turning to - a Pop-up Wedding. Think of it as an all-inclusive, quick, easy, and affordable wedding that is all about the couple and not the guests. You simply pop in to the venue, get married, and pop out. Voila!

The key is simplicity. In the Triangle, Mad Dash Weddings has been putting on pop-up weddings at the historic Mims House in Holly Springs for about a year. The new way to do weddings has become a very popular option for couples.

A pop-up wedding is a great chance to say, 'Hey, here, take the reins. I just want to show up and get married and not have to worry about pleasing everybody else and just celebrate having a wedding,'" explained Mad Dash Co-Founder Priscilla Erwin.

Erwin and her business partner, Brooke Everhart say a pop-up wedding cuts down on the numerous meetings couples have to attend to plan a wedding and it also gives couples the option of a wedding with guests without the major financial or emotional investment that comes with wedding planning.

"We start at $2,500 dollars," Everhart explained. "Depending on what they add on they can range from $2,500 to about $15,000-but even still at $15,000 that's still a steal considering what you get. For those who are eloping this is a perfect option for them."

Everhart said the price is a huge benefit to busy couples.

"This way, they still get their family pictures, they still get their day, but they don't have to go broke doing it. They can still have their dad walk them down the isle, still have that moment with mom putting on the dress all of those things are so involved but, they haven't had nine months in the planning process leading up to that," Everhart said.

Couples make a Pinterest board for the planners to show them their style. They also fill out a detailed questionnaire and pick a theme to help the planners create an ideal wedding.

Brides and grooms must love an element of surprise. They see it all come together when the arrive for their big day.

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These students from Madison East High School in Wisconsin sure had a lot to smile about before prom on April 29.
All of their prom dresses were homemade for free by junior Maggie McGlenn.
CLICK HERE to read and see more from "GMA" via Yahoo! News
“I’ve been sewing since I was in sixth grade,” the fashion-forward McGlenn, 17, told ABC News. “My mom got me some sewing lessons because she could always tell I’m interested in design and clothes. I’d always dress up as a little kid.”
McGlenn volunteered to make her best friends’ dresses under one condition: “If you let me have total rein over it,” she said with a laugh.
They all agreed and were thrilled with the outcome.
“They loved them,” McGlenn said. “They were like, ‘Oh, my gosh Maggie, I can’t believe you did all this.’ When they got to prom everyone was complimenting them. It was a very feel-good moment for them and myself.”
Making her six friends’ dresses, along with her own, was no easy feat. It took her about four months to complete them all.
“I started over winter break in mid-December and finished the Saturday morning of prom,” she recalled. “That morning I was like, ‘Ok, I have to wake up and take a shower and finish the hem on my dress.’
“Each one of them had their own challenges,” she added. “Mine was the hardest to get started on because I’ve had this dress in my head for years. If it didn’t come out how I wanted it to come out, I was going to going to be disappointed.”
The high school junior used fabrics she’d collected over the years from thrift stores.
“I try to buy my fabrics as cheaply and environmentally friendly as possible,” McGlenn said.
She loved the overall process and knowing she helped her friends have a special prom experience.
“It was great. I love it when girls feel confident and inspired by other girls,” she said. “That’s my love of life. I’m very glad I got to be part of it all.”
Next year, though?
“I’m not sure if I’ll do 7,” she said. “But I’ll definitely make my own again.”
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How many times do you usually wear a prom dress?
It’s a ridiculous question, right? Ridiculous because prom dresses, much like wedding dresses, are typically purchased with the understanding that they’ll be worn just once.
Once! One time for all those hours spent shopping and lurking on Pinterest and trying on dozens of dresses you didn’t love just to find that special one you did. For all that time and effort and stress and indecision, the dresses get discarded as soon as prom is over.
What if there was a way to disrupt this typical consumer cycle? What if there was a way to change how we shop for — and dispose of — prom dresses?
The reasons to do so are clear. Not only does buying a brand-new dress you’ll only wear once make a big dent in your pocketbook, it can also do quite a bit of damage to the environment, too. As recycling company UsAgain explains:
“Common materials for prom dresses include silk, organza and satin, all of which require chemically intensive manufacturing processes and transportation across seas, as they are mainly produced in Asia. Like every article of clothing, a prom dress has an environmental footprint, and it’s quite a large one.”
The fashion industry takes a drastic toll on the environment for virtually all conventionally manufactured garments, but the environmental cost seems particularly steep when it’s being leveraged for an item of clothing that will be worn for so very little time. Surely there’s a better way?

Some high school students are choosing to avoid the mall and instead source a dress for their big night from high-end dress rental outlets like Rent the Runway. Based in New York, the online store currently boasts 265 prom dress styles in addition to its thousands of other dresses, and offers users a way to save money and space in their closet while helping the environment by renting a dress rather than buying one. By signing up, creating an account and spending around $50 to $70, users can rent dresses that retail for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Best of all, when your event is over, the dress gets shipped back, cleaned and borrowed by someone else. It’s a great way to stretch the environmental cost of the dress over dozens of wears instead of just one.

Secondhand Doesn’t Mean Second Best

Other teens are buying secondhand dresses through consignment stores, Craigslist and Kijiji, and sites like Prom Again, which offers users the chance to buy (and sell) prom dresses. The selection is huge and the dresses are in perfect condition — after all, they’ve only been worn for a few hours! It’s also incredibly refreshing somehow that buying and renting secondhand formalwear is now acceptable for women because, um, dudes have been doing it for decades and no one’s said a thing!
Now, let’s say you did buy a dress (secondhand or new). What do you do with it when prom is over and those slow dances are fading into distant memories? Well, selling it to one of the consignment or online dress stores we mentioned is definitely one option, but there’s another one that allows recent grads to spread a little goodwill into the world, too.

Organizations like The Princess Project and Becca’s Closet collect and distribute prom dresses to those who are unable to afford to purchase them. Becca’s Closet was started in memory of Rebecca Kirtman, a 16-year-old student who passed away in a car crash. Before her death in 2003, Kirtman had collected more than 250 prom dresses for South Florida students in need. Since her passing, hundreds of chapters of Becca’s Closet have sprung up across the country, ready to collect and donate gently used prom dresses.
And how about those of us who are, ahem, perhaps a little older but have been hanging onto prom dresses for, well, no good reason, really? Those of us who are fairly certain that our dresses — while lovely for their time — are completely out of style now? Unfortunately, these dresses likely won’t be accepted by prom dress organizations, but listing them for free on a sale site or donating them to Goodwill means that someone crafty out there will have the opportunity to give new life to an old dress. If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can even do it yourself! Over at Paris Ciel, they round up 55 gorgeous DIY projects using old prom and wedding dresses, and the results are incredible.
Just like your memories from the evening, your prom dress can live on.
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Have we got a gem of a real wedding for you this morning!
Marrying on the biggest party night of the year – New Year’s Eve – today’s real wedding couple really got into the celebratory swing of things with more sparkles and bling than you could shake a diamond-encrusted stick at.
So, prepare to be dazzled (we are getting a little carried away?!) as we travel to the North East to relive the gorgeous big day of Nicola and Scott…

Scott and I first met at a New Year’s Eve party on Gateshead quayside in 2009. I lived in Liverpool and had come to Newcastle for my best friend’s party. At first, we had a long-distance relationship with us travelling between Liverpool and Newcastle but after 18 months I moved to Newcastle and then after six months of living there, Scott proposed on New Year’s Eve, exactly two years from first meeting. It was nice and low key, exactly how I would have wanted him to do it had I had a choice. It was at home – we were watching Jools Holland with a bottle of prosecco and at midnight he got down on one knee and proposed.
We got married on New Year’s Eve 2016. We chose this date as it was obviously of special significance to us as we had both met this date and then got engaged this date.
We wanted a city centre wedding, instead of a stately home, barn or hotel. We had guests travelling from America, Ireland and Liverpool and wanted them to stay in Newcastle city centre for the weekend and enjoy the city as well as the wedding.
We arranged to be married by Glyn our vicar at St Andrews Church. The church is in the heart of the city and really is special. It is the oldest church in Newcastle and has so much character.
When looking for a reception venue we couldn’t find anything suitable at first then my friend (coincidently the same friend who had first introduced me and Scott) told me about St Mary’s Heritage Centre on Gateshead quayside. I booked an appointment to view the venue and Scott and I instantly knew this was the venue for us and we booked it there and then. It was so different, an old church with lots of history and space. It had amazing views of the Tyne Bridge and city centre too. It was exactly what we were after. An added benefit for booking it was it was available New Year’s Eve and the quayside fireworks would also be going off at midnight. The venue was a blank canvas but I wasn’t deterred by this, I quite liked that I could put my own stamp on the place.

Given the timing and location of the wedding, we wanted the theme to be very city centre ‘new year’s glam’. We wanted lots of sparkle and bling. The groom and best men/ushers wore dinner suits and my dress was very sparkly. The centrepieces were falling crystal chandeliers with added crystals on the tables with sequin tablecloths, we also used lots of chalkboards as Scott is a teacher and thought this would add a quirky ‘teacher touch’ and break things up nicely.
We kept the colour scheme simple with the men in black dinner suits and bridesmaids in champagne dresses as we wanted the look to be timeless and classic. The men (apart from the groom) wore champagne dicky bows to match the bridesmaids. We also tied the whole look in with champagne sequin tablecloths.
I knew when I was looking for a dress that I wanted it to be very sparkly due to the wedding being on New Year’s Eve. I went to nearly every wedding dress shop there was in the north east looking for a sparkly dress and I eventually found a dress by Alfred Angelo (part of the Disney range) in a shop called First Glance in Sunderland. The dress is called the Disney Cinderella 2016.
The whole dress was embellished in pearls, crystals and stones and the material also had additional shimmer all over it as well. Not content with all this bling I also customised the look by adding the Ronald Joyce Odessa necklace (also from the same shop) to it so that my chest did not look so bare.
I found it difficult to find a makeup artist for the wedding. I was let down by one and then other trials I had were disappointing. In the end I found a makeup artist on Facebook called Marta Make Up and I literally could not recommend this woman enough. She made my bridesmaids’ and my makeup look so flawless. She is definitely one of the most talented makeup artists I’ve ever used. My makeup lasted all day and night. Anyone getting married should contact her.
My hairdresser was Lucy Brown of Lucy Hair and Tan from Westerhope. She came out to hotel and did my hair as well as my five bridesmaids, my mum and sister-in-law. She was really affordable and did exactly what I asked.
Scott, the best men and ushers all got their dinner suits from Burton.
The bridesmaids wore dresses by Biba from House of Fraser. All the bridesmaids were various sizes and these dresses flattered everyone’s shapes as well as photographing really well.
On the day of the wedding, the bridal party all travelled in VW camper vans. We hired two of these from Brooklands Wedding Cars in Lanchester. They were the most affordable company we came across and they were very professional, helpful and reliable.
We also had a red vintage double decker London router bus for the guests to travel from the church to reception in. This was hired from Henry Cooper Coaches, and again, they were very reliable and helpful when speaking with them in the lead up to the wedding.
Our photographer was Jamie McElderry of Jamie Mac Photography. His photos speak for themselves. He has done numerous friends weddings and there was no doubt I would be booking him for my wedding. Jamie is extremely professional and organised. He got all the pictures we had asked him to get for us and more. I can’t recommend him enough.
We also had a videographer on the day and this is the one piece of advice I would give to anyone getting married – hire a videographer! The day goes by so quickly and photos are good at telling a story but the video captures the ceremony and speeches and words, which over time you will forget. We used VideoFX and Sean was fab. His prices are some of the best around.
The bouquets for my bridesmaids and myself contained hydrangea, ranunculus, anemone, wax flower, eucalyptus and roses. I absolutely adored them. They complemented my ivory dress and the bridesmaids’ champagne dresses perfectly. My flowers were from Thoughts of You Flowers in North Sheilds. The staff there were so friendly and kind they designed my bouquets exactly how I wanted them to be. They also supplied the roses for the wedding cake and supplied additional flowers for the tables.
As the venue was an empty shell I had to bring a lot of various companies in to give it the wow factor. I had a look in mind and I had to make it happen. I specifically wanted the louis ghost chairs and Crosby Hire in Newcastle supplied these for me. The sequin table cloths, falling crystal centrepieces, crystal votives, crystal candelabras and mirror and easel for my table seating plan were all supplied by The Whole Sch-bang. They were both so professional.
I also bought a roller banner in a chalkboard style to welcome our guests, and we had chalkboard bunting around the venue with our names and wedding date on.
As favours we had mini shot glasses on the tables with a tag attached saying “now we’ve tied the knot, take a shot” these were for everyone to keep. We didn’t want the usual name cards on the table so in keeping with our chalk board theme we had mini heart-shaped chalk boards pegged to each shot glass with everyone’s name chalked on. We also handed out as an additional keepsake small chiffon bags with a Perspex lucky six pence in it. This was engraved with our names and wedding date.
We wanted a slightly different wedding cake and loved all the chalkboard cake designs we had seen on Pinterest. We wanted something simple yet quirky. We were very lucky to have a friend offer to make us one as a wedding gift. The cake had different flavoured layers: lemon, chocolate and cherry madeira. It exceeded our expectations and we can’t thank our friend enough for such a kind and considerate gift.
Given the nature of the venue, we had to hire outside caterers to supply the food. We used Ramside Event Catering and they were amazing. We provided them with prosecco and they served this to all the guests as a welcome drink and for the toasts. They provided all the food and silver service. We wanted to keep the menu simple and non-pretentious. We also wanted everyone to have a choice of food. I came up with a three-course menu and so did Scott and then we let our guests choose a combination of foods that they wanted from each. My menu consisted of mushroom and goats cheese bruschetta to start, Cajun chicken breast with sweet potato wedges for the main and chocolate orange sponge cake for dessert. Scott chose vegetable soup with thyme dumplings to start, steak and ale pie with mustard mash for the main and apple crumble for dessert.
Ramside Event Catering also supplied the bar, which had every kind of drink. The staff were very professional at all times and at no point did it feel like outside caterers had been brought in.
For the evening food, we had a hog roast (again supplied by Ramside) it came with fresh floured stotties, rosemary and thyme roast potatoes or there was an option of vegetable lasagne.
As an extra foodie treat were gifted a large white sweet cart from a friend so we made our own ‘McGreevy Sweetshop’ sign for it and we had a large selection of jars of sweets and tongs set out on it. We had sweetshop bags with McGreevy’s Sweetshop printed on them.
When it came to the entertainment, we decided that we didn’t want a band and as the venue had its own surround speaker system we supplied all our own music on an iPod. That way we got to choose all the songs played and knew we would like them.
Instead of a usual photo booth for the reception, we had a ‘moonbooth’. It meant that we could have a vintage photo taken of our guests sat on the moon and they also got a photo to take away with them.
Our chosen wedding venue is something of a hidden gem. Everyone was blown away at how stunning it was. If you want a city centre wedding and something different and quirky then St Mary’s Heritage Centre is a great choice. You need to be prepared that you will need to get lots of outside suppliers in and therefore will be making some extra work for yourself. It was more stressful having our wedding this way as I had to source the caterers and chairs, decorations etc. but the results speak for themselves and it was totally worth it.
Looking back, my favourite part of the day was probably the fireworks at midnight on the quayside. When we went outside the atmosphere was buzzing, the quayside was packed and we had our own little viewing platform in St Mary’s grounds all to ourselves. The fireworks were out of this world and better than I could have imagined and we were right there in the middle of it all. It really was special and an amazing way to see in the new year.
After the wedding, we went to Cameron House in Loch Lomond and then to the Angels Share Hotel in Edinburgh for a minimoon. Our official honeymoon is in April – we are off to New York, then Colorado and then driving to Las Vegas.
My top tip to other Brides Up North would be (as mentioned) get a videographer, to capture the moments you will forget over time and book a reliable photographer. I’ve known so many people get messed about with photographers in the past, which is not what anyone needs in the lead up to their wedding. I’ve known Jamie through friends’ weddings over the years and knew I could trust him.
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It's a Tuesday night in late January, and I'm about to crash a couple's wedding in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It's a relatively intimate affair, but shockingly, none of Ruby and Eric's friends and family question my presence. For a moment I wonder why, but one look around my surroundings, and it suddenly becomes clear: Jennifer Lawrence could have crashed this thing, and I doubt anyone would notice. Because when you're at Disneyland after the park has closed, there are plenty more exciting things to check out.

Yes, welcome to Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. That's the premise for the special of the same name, which airs tonight (Sunday, May 7) on Freeform, and is hosted by Bachelorfavorites Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell. The 90-minute event takes viewers behind-the-scenes as four couples as plan their wedding day (or night) at different Disney properties.

I love Disney resorts, but I was a little skeptical about what an actual Disney wedding looked like. Does the bride come dressed as her favorite princess? Is every hors d'oeuvre in the shape of Mickey Mouse? Does the reception include unlimited rides on Space Mountain?
The wedding, as it turned out, was nothing near what I had dreamed up. (Which is probably a good thing). Ruby and Eric's wedding was one of the classiest, most magical affairs I have ever attended. (Added points: Pentatonix was their wedding band!) Every detail—from the venue to the flowers to her carriage ride—were stunning and elegant. And forget about the reception afterwards at nearby California Adventure. Just when I thought the mini lobster rolls were enough to seal the deal, World of Color started playing over the water, and I was as memorized as a 5-year-old seeing the Magic Kingdom for the first time.
But what does it take to actually pull off a Disney wedding? Not to mention, what does it cost? After my magical evening running loose throughout the park (seriously, there's nothing like seeing the Matterhorn up close when no one else is within 50 feet of you), I went straight to marketing director Korri McFann to get all the answers. Hold on to your Mickey ears!
Glamour: How can a couple start planning their perfect Disney wedding?
Korri McFann: Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons has been assisting couples from all over the globe plan their weddings for 25 years. They provide a one-stop experience that will help with event planning, venues, food and beverage, floral, entertainment, photo and video needs. We have extensive planning tools on our website for those who are still in the dreaming stage.
Speaking of being in the dream stage, how much does a Disney wedding actually cost? Do they work within budgets at all?
We have a lot of experiences for couples to choose from, whether it's a celebration aboard the Disney Cruise Line or an island getaway in Hawaii or renting out the Magic Kingdom for the night. An intimate celebration with a handful of guests would start from $2,500. Our Wishes Collection offers couples a completely custom wedding starting from $12,000. We have a wedding experience for pretty much any budget.

What was your favorite wedding on a Disney property?
Oh my! I think right now I am really loving the wedding ceremonies in the various pavilions in Epcot. Instead of jetting off to Germany, Italy, or Japan, couples have the option to exchange their vows in different "countries" that make you feel like you're transported to a whole new place.
I couldn't believe the details that went into creating Ruby and Eric's dream wedding. I mean, there were hidden Mickey's in the flower petals by the aisle!
Our job is to make each event a reflection of a couple’s individual style. This can be achieved with the culinary selections and the color scheme of the wedding to world-renowned entertainment and venues chosen for the big day. One of my personal favorites is Major Domo—the royal footman from Cinderella. Couples can have him attend as a surprise to guide wedding guests through the entire evening as a Master of Ceremonies.
What inspired you about Ruby and Eric’s Disneyland wedding?
So much! I loved the flower petals, the fairy tale runner down the 100-foot aisle leading up to Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the chameleon chairs were a perfect fit for this venue. And seeing Ruby’s reaction to Pentatonix as she arrived at the ceremony in Cinderella’s Coach was an unforgettable moment. It was completely unexpected for the bride and a magical surprise for a deserving couple.
And how do the brides choose their dresses? How does that come in to play?
We offer Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings bridal collection with Alfred Angelo inspired by iconic Disney princesses. The designs aren't literal interpretations, but rather an option for brides seeking their own modern day fairy tale. The line reveals new wedding dresses each fall at Bridal Fashion Week. This past season we showcased two new princess-inspired dress options: Pocahontas and Mulan. So now there's at least one wedding dress each for the full line-up of 11 princesses.

How did you get your job as the Fairy Tale weddings marketing coordinator?
Ironically enough I saw Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings on a TV show years ago and was smitten enough to come work for them. It wasn't long after that I started to work for Disney and they offered me an opportunity to answer phones for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings. The rest is history. We have an amazing team of professionals that get to think about weddings 365 days of the year, which is really special. I enjoy helping to be a small part of making someone’s fairy tale dream come true.
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Today’s gorgeous bride Robyn admits she likes things on the formal side, and so she and groom Matt opted for tails, cravats, roses and full-on strapless princess-fit bridal glamour.
But this couple were true to themselves and made fun a big part of their big day, too – there was a game of Mr & Mrs, magic, a singing waiter and much more.
Formality and fun, glamour and games – what more could you ask for on a Wednesday morning?
With photography by Brides Up North Sponsor Sally Eaves.

robyn says: We got engaged just the two of us at our home in the Lake District – oh, and the dog and the fairy lights from the Christmas tree in the background! It was very low-key and just what I wanted.
We were married on September 29th 2016 – the day before my 30th birthday. We had our ceremony and celebration under one roof at the Swan Hotel, Newby Bridge. It’s right at the base of Lake Windermere so really beautiful and picturesque but also not too big. It felt intimate as well as very grand, if that makes sense.
For the theme, we didn’t go for anything too prescriptive. I’m quite laidback and I didn’t want anything too fussy with centrepieces and decorations. The venue is beautiful enough without needing to add anything else.
Colour-wise, we went for black and pale pink. I like things to be a little more formal and I love black and white, but the touch of pink made it feel more romantic rather than a corporate do.

I wore a strapless buttermilk/ivory satin princess-fit gown with some beading around the waist from a wedding shop in Cheshire that has now unfortunately closed. I chose to have a small backward bolero, too. This meant I could have the illusion of a neckline with a keyhole back during the day but it transformed into a strapless gown for a second look in the evening.

Matt wore black tails with an ivory waistcoat and a very soft blush pink cravat. We hired it from Moss Bros and I bought the cravats from a fab little company called Swagger & Swoon who made all the ties for the men.
The best man and Matt’s two sons all wore the same black wedding suits with tails and pinstriped trousers and our dads wore black suits with black waistcoats and blush pink ties.
Our bridesmaids wore blush pink applique dresses from Next. I ordered some diamante belts from Amazon to give them a little bit of sparkle.
We all stayed at the venue the night before so no transport was required on the day of the wedding. We had a lovely get together, then an early night in preparation for the big day!
Sally Eaves was our photographer. We found her online and I instantly fell in love with her gorgeous work. She’s so friendly, professional and talented. I felt a real connection with her from the moment we all met; every one of my guests commented on how wonderful she was. She managed to take wonderful natural shots and went completely unnoticed. I would absolutely recommend her. From the minute she turned up on the day she made me feel instantly at ease on the most nervous day of my life. She was a pleasure to have as part of our big day and I really do miss her! But I’ve now gained a fab friend.
My flowers were a mix of roses in various sizes and pink/cream colours with some David Austin roses (peonies are my favourite flower but they were out of season). They were provided by a local florist in Grange Over Sands.
We used a fab company called Purple Swan, based in Kendal, for our centrepieces: little bird cages with tiny pink buds on mirror plates. We had a bay tree at the registrar table and simple black organza chair sashes. A friend designed our table plan and cheese poem board.

For favours, we gave little jam jars with Percy Piglet sweets. I love Percy Pigs from M&S!
Our cake was five tiers of cheese. We adore cheese and it doubled up as our evening buffet with cold meats and chutneys.

We served a mix of red and white wine at the table and had reception drinks of fizz and bottled Birra Moretti (Matt’s favourite beer). We had a buffet wedding breakfast to allow our guests a choice of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.

For entertainment, we used Dance Floor Couture and had Adam as our amazing host. He was so much fun and full of charisma. We had a singer called Russell who kicked off the entertainment as a singing waiter as a bit of a surprise for our guests and he got everyone up and dancing through the wedding breakfast. We had a magician, a photo mirror booth and we also hired light-up Mr & Mrs letters on crates from Brides Little Helpers.
Following our wedding we’d definitely recommend our choice of venue to other couples. The events team were fantastic from start to finish. Hanna, Tanya and Roxy made the day perfect and stress-free. They were serving the food and working behind the bar and we really appreciated having familiar faces there on the day after planning everything for so long with them.
Our favourite moment? I can’t pick one: it was the best day of my life. The wedding breakfast was so much fun with the singer posing as a waiter then bursting into Michael Buble songs, the games and Adam the host. One of his games was a version of Mr & Mrs but using our shoes instead of the blue and pink ping pong bats – it was a great idea and we all laughed so much!
For our honeymoon we went to Thailand, Koh Samui. We landed in the worst rain they’d seen for ten years and all flights and boats were cancelled for the first five days, so we didn’t have the best start. But Bangkok was so much fun and Koh Samui is absolutely beautiful.
My top tip to other Brides Up North would be, don’t get stressed out on the lead-up. It’ll be perfect, everything will go to plan so enjoy every single second because once it’s gone, you’ll miss it! My other top tip would be to pay a venue decorator – it made the day before and the day after totally stress free. Cultivate a good relationship with your event planners, too – you’ll need them! And finally, pick an amazing photographer that you feel a genuine connection with.
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