Disney Bride Jamie had a Disneyland wedding at the Rose Court Garden and Sleeping Beauty Pavilion in February 2018.

Every magical, enchanted, spectacular Disney wedding starts its fairy tale in the beginning with a bride, a groom, and a dream. Our story starts like any other: we fell in love, we got engaged, and we planned a wedding. Centering it around Disney where we met, fell in love, and were building life was both a dream come true and full of challenging situations.

Photography by Griffin Photography (unless otherwise noted)

Photo credit: Luciano Leon

How to Have the Disney Wedding of Your Dreams In 6 Magical Steps

Step 1. “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney

When my fiancé came to me and said we could have a Disney wedding I felt like I was living my own dream come true. It was both scary and exhilarating as we began to investigate becoming a Disney wedding couple. The fact that we met, purposed, worked, and escaped all in this little area of Trader Sam’s and the Rose Court Garden made it even more special. We knew we had to get creative and this meant a great deal of planning was in our future. I do believe as Mary Poppins said that in that every job that must be done there is an element of fun. In my case the wedding planning was so much fun. Don’t get me wrong, the money out was no fun since we payed for the wedding all on our own. We knew we would have to be very smart on what we spent on and what couldn’t be in our budget.

Step 2. “The only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability.” – Remy

Just like in all weddings things came up … family and friends drama, uncomfortable conversations on budgets, and many other little things that throw your sweet little wedding plans on a road that have more potholes than Route 66 before Lightning McQueen filled them. When these problems came up my only advice is to stick to who you are and really what you want. Keep in mind that at the end of the day it’s about you and your future spouse. The biggest argument that came up always included other people surrounding on big day. When it came down to it we talked about our issues and came up with a game plan that worked for us.

Step 3. “Every once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.” – Anonymous

Photo Credit: Nicole Wiseman

Suddenly, before you know it becomes your fairy tale wedding day is here! You wake up on the day like a little girl on Christmas morning barely having slept the night before. Exhausted and overly excited to get the day on the way and walk down the aisle to my husband. SLOW DOWN!!! Enjoy this time. My wedding felt like getting ready to board our late dearly departed California Screamin’. You enter the queue, wait in line for so long, board the ride in anticipation, have a split moment of insane amazing fun time, then it’s over and you are left with the feeling of “now what do you do?” In my opinion, my wedding was just like this. I had a year of straight planning, I couldn’t sleep, got ready nearly all day, the whirlwind of the wedding took flight, and before I knew it … my beautiful day was over!

Take your time and take it all in! This day will fly by. Eat as much as you can, drink as much as you can, laugh as much as you can, and mingle as long as you can because this day is your real-life fairy tale. My wedding felt like a fairy tale I didn’t want to end. One beautiful moment that was shared with my husband and I right after dinner … We were sitting at the sweetheart table looking around the room at everyone eating, drinking, mingling and some where dancing. We smiled at one another and remarked, “We did it.” We made this happiness and magic and we were sharing it with those we loved. Our wedding wasn’t extravagant, it wasn’t over the top, but it was wondrous and it was ours. It was our fairy tale.

Photo credit Luciano Leon

Step 4. “People do crazy things when they’re in love.” – Hercules

On the day of the wedding it is ALWAYS crazy. You must expect it. Mine was no exception. Between everyone getting ready to the setup, vendors and guests I felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions. I felt like I was going crazy. I was dealing with so many emotions as well as the emotions of everyone who was there. For most of the day I didn’t have my rock, my husband, near me and it seemed like everyone around me had just as high emotions as I did but they all kept saying it was fine. To top it off as soon it was wedding time it was party time. I felt like I was being torn in every direction. I didn’t get enough time with everyone. I kept smiling because I was being watched and photographed. In all that was happening both emotions and actions I embraced my crazy and those around me. I had fun, a ton of it! Not taking anything to heart I just had a wonderful time and had a crazy wonderful wedding.

Step 5. “Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings.” – Peter Pan

In the end, thinking of our Disney wedding the part I will remember most is the happiness. Happiness in walking down the aisle to my handsome smiling groom. Happiness in everyone greeting one another; families meeting and making new friends. Happiness in our girls dancing. Happiness in people’s faces as they ate and drank. Happiness in that we pulled off all this. By the end of the wedding day I laughed so hard my stomach hurt the next day and I had so many messages and posts of kind words to wish us well in the beginning of our marriage. I truly felt happiness. In your wedding seek happiness; hold on to it. Find a great happiness and make it last your entire wedding.

Step 6. “To face the future with another, who means more than any other, is to be loved.” – The Rescuers

Our wedding was an enchanted magical Disney dream come true. I still must pinch myself to see if it was real. I find myself staring at photos from that day and post constantly on it. Although the last and final step is remembering this is just one day. You made it and you survived it. And now you have the one you love by your side. I am so thankful to have a Disney wedding and be a Disney bride, but it means nothing next to spending the rest of my life with my very own Prince Charming. The wedding is a ton of planning time, one wonderfully magical day, and a lifetime with someone who means more than any other.