Royalty and romance: aren't these at the heart of every union?
It's no wonder that the fairytale wedding — also known as "Happily Ever After" or "Dreams Do Come True," to name just two — never goes out of fashion.
Spotlight on the Princess Bride
Walking down the aisle to a fantasy wedding theme means that as this type of bride, you can go
all out.
That might mean a voluminous ballgown from Lazaro or Mary's Bridal Princess Collection, complete with petticoat ... or a design modeled after a particularly beloved princess from Kirstie Kelly for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings.
But even when the gown is an A-line with a sleeker silhouette, fairytale brides usually go for a substantial veil, floor-length or longer.
The, the hair's often a half or full updo, but formally styled, dripping with romantic ringlets. And the shoes? Never an afterthought, they're something deliciously feminine, strappy and sparkly (though you can even walk down the aisle in clear 'glass' slippers).
And if you want the full-out princess look, straight from the pages of an oversized storybook? Add opera-length gloves, a tiara and a sparkly rhinestone choker.
Dressing The Royal Retinue
Bridesmaids, as often as not, are wearing something with at least at a touch of
pink! A string of pearls makes a treasured gift for each of your girls.
But what about the men? American grooms find it hard to look past the usual black tux, which fortunately looks stunning next to a princess bride. But a white tuxedo has a bit more fairytale flavor, and it's well worth considering.
After all, no man one wants to look like a fashion victim fresh from prom, but Calvin Klein and Jean Yves Formalwear offer some elegant choices that just might put to rest any Prince Charming's qualms about style faux pas.
The Honour Of Your Presence Is Requested ...
Just because you're having a fairytale wedding doesn't mean your invites need to sport castles, but they should be something special. Just choose an elegant, timeless font and style (letterpress is always a gorgeous option). Or go custom: you can never go wrong with beautiful ribbon to wrap up a made-just-for-you pocketfold design, with a few quality rhinestones placed by hand.
Setting the Scene
Like other fantasy weddings, the fairytale wedding starts with draping, and lots of it: draped walls, head tables, cake tables, sweetheart tables, you name it. Luxurious linens are the name of the game.
In addition, this theme pretty much determines where you'll hold the reception: a ballroom. (Unless, that is, you're lucky enough to be able to book an actual castle, or live near one of America's castle-style buildings.)
Fortunately, a good ballroom will do some of the decorating work for you: look for regal curtains, dramatic molding and sparkly chandeliers.
A fairytale wedding is not the place for humble, easy-to-talk across centerpieces. Here, you need the drama that only height and heft provide. Go for towering eiffel vases filled with dramatic fantasy foral arrangements, leggy topiaries, or tall clear cylinders wrapped in satin ribbon and filled with floating candles.
Other ingredients in your toolbox: lots of silver (candelabras, silver cake plateaus), plenty of pinks, classical symbols (swan or double-swan ice sculptures are perfect here), and pearl or rhinestone accents as brooches or bouquet ornaments.
Also: sparkling monogrammed cake toppers, whimsical "I DO" letters for the cake table, and buckets and buckets of rose petals. Plus, every princess bride needs a really cute card box, whether it be a magic pumpkin or a sassy hot-pink hat box. A giant Storybook guest book would be a cute touch, too.
Roses for a Rose
Flowers for fairytale weddings tend to the traditional side.
Occasionally you'll see exotic orchids, but mostly what fairytale brides prefer (in bouquets, especially) are classical choices like roses, peonies and stephanotis. If carrying a hand-tied bouquet, she might have crystal bouquet picks, or choose the larger cascading style.
Plenty of flowers are key for pulling off the fairytale look, but don't overlook the important of candles for setting the mood. Keep them simple, but group large masses together for maximum effect. Floating candles in clear cylinders offer more of a visual punch than regular votives.
A Fashionable Entrance
Drama's essential to a fantasy wedding, so plot out your high points. Find a way to make a grand entrance at the ceremony or reception: a spiral staircase and spotlighting, page boys, or a trumpeter. Take the time to learn a romantic waltz with your Prince Charming and throw in a few stylistic surprises, so all eyes stay glued to you through your first dance.
Outfit your guests with beautiful paper cones they can use to shower you with rose petals as you leave the church (another popular choice is sparklers). Travel from church to reception venue via horse-drawn carriage ... or even pumpkin carriage, available in a few metro areas.
A Royal Repast
Fortunately for your guests, Cinderella food means
elegant 'comfort food': cream sauces, poached mushrooms and wine.
Consider Oysters Rockefeller, and a roast beef carving station.
For a touch of the country squire, serve crispy roast duck or Cornish
game hens, and plenty of
champagne.
The Sweet Strains of Love
A bit of intimate floor
music will really set the mood, so see about booking a harpist or string quartet, at least during the ceremony or dinner. Later on, ask the DJ to queue up a few songs from Disney's
Cinderella or
Beauty and the Beast soundtrack albums. Other soundtracks with tunes worth a spin:
The Princess Bride,
Shrek,
Anna & The King, and
Ever After: A Cinderella Story.
Tags: princess wedding, fairy tale wedding, fairytale wedding, cinderella wedding, happily ever after theme, quinceanera
June 27th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I HAVE FOR SALE ON E-BAY A BEAUTIFUL CASTLE CARD BOX AND 6 CARRIAGES AND 14 CASTLE CENTERPIECES AND ALSO 2 BOLTS OF WHITE TUILLE IF YOU ARE HAVING A CINDERELLA WEDDING YOU SHOULD CHECK THI OUT. I GOT SOO MANY COMMENTS ON THEM AND PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY THEM. BUT I JUST DON’T HAVE TIME TO MESS WITH THEM SO THEY ARE ON E-BAY RIGHT NOW
June 27th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I am getting married on the ground of a real castle and will have access to the inside of the castle as well. It will be a very small intimat family affair. I am trying to settle on my colors and a theme. I love the colors within purple and even some browns.My gown will be ballgown french couture- ivory color. I are thinking about doing the wedding in the fall. Do have ideas for me on how I can come up with an amazing theme and color scheme including food.
June 26th, 2008 at 12:23 am
Here’s a few more fun balloon ideas. #1 is a Cinderella-theme canopy by Dapa Associates.
Two, an ornate quince-theme carriage by NY’s Bounce Arena Parties — those floral garlands are a really nice addition.
Three … definitely not Cinderella, but this under the sea setting, also by Bounce Arena Parties, shows what can happen when you’re working with some REALLY creative people! (How great for a little mermaid theme …)
June 26th, 2008 at 12:16 am
Sometimes a really great way to add a BIG focal point to a fairytale wedding is a balloon carrriage, and sometimes these can be a cheaper option than some alternatives despite all the work they take. Check with your local balloon artists to see if they can do something for you. These cool balloon carriages were created by Balloons Milwaukee, Final Touch Balloons and PartySparkle (UK). I love the ostrich feather crowns at the top.
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I NEED HELP!!!
I am getting married in Vegas on 08.08.08 and I want a sensible carriage to take me from the chapel down the strip and to the reception.
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
i sooo need some help here. i am going for a princess theme for my wedding. colors are watermelon(david’s bridal) and white. for my reception i am looking for something ive seen in a magazine and cant seem to find. a cinderella pumpkin carriage cake display ive seen some but not the one just like the mag. if anyone can help me i will appreciate it greatly! it was in a magazine called alabama wedding. the june 2008 issue. page 183 top right corner
June 22nd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Wow, these 2 were pretty tough. The most I could come up with were for Eeyore, black licorice- for his tail. For Goofy, I was just thinking some “goofy” candy, like those weird flavored jelly bellys, or something like that. Good luck, those two were hard!!!
June 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Hi I forgot 2 character Goofy and Eyeore, if anybody can help me think of themed candy or food ideas that go along with the 2 characters that would be great!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
For Aladdin, I would do something with the theme of genie and give out hand painted genie bottles(plastic or glass bottles painted gold and shimmery purple) and filled with candy. You could tie a note on the bottle saying “make a wish.” If you have the time, you could even add a jewel to the note. Or even better, you could use those beautiful perfume bottles that you squeeze!! If you don’t have the time, I reccomend going with an arabian theme, like scented herbal candles, innsence, or massage oils(might be innapropriate if a kids table lol).
For Pinnochio, since the Tuscan term means “Pine Nut”, you could give out chocolate covered nuts(but make sure they are mislabled something else since Pinnochio was a fibber). Also, since Pinnochio was a puppet, maybe you could hand out sock puppets or something along those lines. Also, since he was made out of wood, you could give out wooden carved pencils and label them pinnochio’s nose.
June 19th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I am having a cinderella/golf theme wedding to bring both me and my fiance together. Plus, we are getting married at a golf course. I am wondering if anyone has any ideas of entrance songs that would be different. We were possibly thinking the spectromagic parade song.
Also I am crave foam pumpkins out for the centerpieces. I got a disney princess carving stencils and I was going to place mums in them.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
crissy, the whole romantic victorian thing couldnt be better with a cinderella theme (watch the movie ever after a cinderella story with drew barrymore watch the ball scenes great inspiration!) anywat centerpieces candle abras everywhere surrounded with gathered fabrics tool for a soft look (lavender) or a burgundy velvet for a more winter feel draped with strings of fake pearls
sara, i got the same flutes and cake knife and server as well i love them! i havent gotten the frames yet but figured i could wait until after the wedding to get those.
Tracy, so cute!
*chip and dale you can do nuts, chocolate covered nuts
*alladin, chocolate covered dates or dehydrated frutes like plums and apricots…or choclate covered banana pieces
*sleeping beauty - chocolate roses her name was arora, and also briar rose. or kisses because prince philip gave her loves true kiss and awoke her from the spell.
*buzz lightyear - stars or spaceship candies
*pinnochio - candy puppets? um….chocolate cigars? (pleasure island all the bad boys drank beer and smoked cigars and turned into donkeys) or a whale shaped candy or cookie.
*tigger, curly cheetos…or curly candies ( i dont know if there are any) or a chocolate tigger
check ebay and online for disney candy molds they’re are tons of them for almost any character you can think of, or cookie cutters. make a sugar cookie in a shape and dip it in chocolate and it looks beautiful and is tasty too, and the tags will really make it use sayings that really tie to that character, and it will be perfect
June 19th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hi Tracy, I found some cute things and some very unique ideas, hope this helps:
For Buzz light year, I would do something with to tie in outer space so maybe light chocolate stars or something, and then tie them up in a ribbon with a note saying his infamous line “Too infinity… and beyond.”
For tigger, I had a little trouble with this one, the best I could come up with were bouncy balls since Tigger was always bouncing around.
For Sleeping beauty, since it would be mean to hand out sewing needles, I am going to say give out coffee with a note maybe saying “Wake up sleeping beauty”. It sounds corny but its all I’ve got lol
For Chip N Dales, I’m not very familiar with them but since they are chipmunks, you could hand out things of nuts and since they were detectives, you could add in a chocolate kiss and tie a note that says “Can you detect the kiss”
June 19th, 2008 at 8:33 am
I am getting married in 5 weeks and I’m having a Disney themed Wedding, each table is going to be a different Disney character and as a little something else for the guest i want to make treats that go along with that character, but I need some help!!..I am having a hard time with some like : Tigger, Aladdin, chip-n-Dale, buzz light year, Pinocchio, Sleeping beauty.if anybody could give me some suggestions that would be great!!..Thank you!
June 19th, 2008 at 7:24 am
I was in Orlando this past week and bought this set (minus the cake topper) for my wedding. I am having a Cinderella theme and until I found these pieces I thought it was going to be a difficult theme to pull off because I couldn’t find anything that didn’t look too childish… I also bought my cake topper through Lenox which is beautiful…
If anyone else is doing a Cinderela theme wedding and has found items that don’t look too childish please share!
June 17th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Hi everyone! My wedding is not for a while, but I am already thinking of ideas. I definitely love the princess/cinderella theme but I also want to incorporate the victorian theme. My colors are ivory, lavender, and mauve. Does anyone have any ideas for a centerpiece? I’ve already found a wonderful location, its a ballroom. If anyone has any other ideas, please feel free to email me!!! Good luck to everyone else’s wedding plans!
June 16th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
actually, my invitations have the words..”once upon a time” on them. I got the invites from princessinvitations.com
June 15th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
It would be really cool to start the invitations with “Once upon a time…” How romantic!
June 13th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Please someone HELP! I am looking for a castle shaped large wooden cutout or prop. Large enough to walk into. Anyone have ideas or suggestions? Email me at stellabarber2@hotmail.com
June 6th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Wow!! If you happen to live in the UK, you’re in luck, because CakesToWedFor make the most fabulous fairytale cakes, surrounded by an off-the-hook lucite carriage!
UK brides can see all their work and contact them here: CakesToWedFor
June 6th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Hi Myiaa!
Hmmm
Can you tell me a little more about what your mom is thinking? Do you have a pic or some things she’s said about it to show what she has in mind? Is she thinking kind of fun and costumey or very formal & elegant, or … ?
Let me know, I’ll try to find some ideas that complement …
June 6th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Here’s an adorable fairytale wedding, about as classic as it gets! Dove release, pumpkin carriage, beautiful bride and groom! Very nice video too, except it came out a bit dark.
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:47 am
my mom is having a wedding she wants to have a royal theme like she’s the queen can you give me some ideas
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Sheila
The day is about both of you!!
It is not a frat party!
Talk to him about hosting a after party in the purple and gold.
He could have a grooms cake that is all Omega Psi Phi at the otherwise elegent black and white reception.
Let him know what is important to you!
June 1st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Help me ppleeeezzzzzeeee!!!!!!! My man is insisting on having his frat brothers in our wedding. They are wild and crazy and loud (Omega Psi Phi). If you know the frat then you know exactly what I’m talking about. He also wants the frat’s colors to be our wedding colors (Purple and Gold) but for months now I’ve been planning our wedding with black and white as our colors. I WAS doing an altered fairytale theme but now I want to just elope and have a huge reception later with all the purple and gold he can find.
My sorority colors are hideous (pink and green) together and I never even once thought about using them in our wedding. The planning has led to numerous heated ‘discussions’.
I’ve tried to use the purple and gold as accent colors but he’s not having it. He wants me to forget about black and white and give in. I’ve never been the type to say this is MY DAY, blah blah blah but lately I’ve been thinking it. How do I convince my man that a classy wedding of black and white with accents of purple and gold is the best way to go. I’ve tried the wasting more money route but he’s not buying it. He’s got a good amount and has no problem throwing it around when it’s something he really wants.
Someone please give me some ideas of how to incorporate the accent colors into my color scheme without the accent colors taking over the wedding.
June 1st, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Here’s a super-cute mom who carved some pumpkins for her daughter’s Autumn fairytale wedding. She spray-painted them white, then dolled them up with rhinestones, organzas, silk roses, votives and lace. I love the engagement ring … adorable! Only thing I might change here is to put those twinkle lights under some loosely piled organza to spread the light and soften the effect. You can see more here.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:33 am
Idea #5.
One of the cutest ways to add fairytale oomph to your wedding is with flower girls. As in multiple! One just isn’t enough.
Here’s pro number one to having all those FGs. You can dress them up in the kind of layered organza and tulle and foof and floral wreaths and ballerina shoes and skirts that even the most romantic bride would blush to wear. It’s like reliving those doll days all over again!
Pro number two. Adorable flotillas of flower girls give your wedding a subtly European flair. Big entourages of bridesmaids aren’t such the thing overseas, but gorgeous groups of pint-sized attendants are!
Pro number three. Gaggles of flower girls are more confident and even cuter than normal walking down the aisle.
Sold yet? But what do fairytale flower girls carry? Baskets of rose petals are classic, of course. Silk butterfly petals are a cute alternative. Or a super-chic choice: pomanders, or "flower balls", dangling from a ribbon.
Only caution with the pomanders is that they not get too big or heavy, or your tykes will ditch them! Silk are lighter than real, because the real ones need wet foam to keep the blooms fresh.
Photo credits: Michael Haslam, shirley77, mcuscire, rydeeroo, eddidit, teacherholly, neonrobotclub, eli jeproks, mchasesteely.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Here’s a tantalizing glimpse of a OTT pink and black fairytale wedding shot by the cake designer, N’Cakes. It’s all about chandeliers! Crystal! Marabou feather boas! Decadent rose pomanders and more crystal! Great palette, and what a fabulous couch for the B&G.
May 29th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
I’m so mad at myself. Idea #4 .. days and days late!
This is a simple one that I really love, a decoration idea Kirstie Kelly used behind one of her Snow White gown designs.
If you don’t mind mixing your fairytale metaphors a tiny bit, this is so cool. Arrange a few large branch arrangements or potted trees around something important, like the cake table or reception entrance. They could be natural, like here, or sprayed white, bare or with twinkle lights.
Then hang apples (real or not). Here, they’re dusted with faux-snow. You could also sugar the apples, or just brush on glitter/glue, or just hang them as they are.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Guess who missed last night! Whoops
I’ll have to post two today.
First is from a woman who had a vow renewal at WDW in 2004 after 20 years of married bliss.
She went all out — had the ceremony in the Wedding Pavillion (seats up to 300), reception in the Disney MGM studios theme park after hours, and even a custom fireworks display.
The wonderful thing is, in addition to posting plenty of photos of the planning & actual events, she also snapped and posted every single page of the WDW proposal the Disney planners sent her, with all their suggested options for cakes, linens, favors, CPs, you name it:
Janette - WDW Vow Renewal Proposal
Definitely prices have increased considerably since 2004, but it’s still fascinating to look over these docs and you don’t even have to call a DW planner!
You can see the rest of Janette’s great photostreams here:
Janette’s WDW photo collections
May 21st, 2008 at 12:42 am
Fairytale week! Here’s idea #2. This is a Georgia bride who put together a fairytale wedding with a simple but successful design scheme. Her colors are gold, red and white, with dark foliage accents to set off these colors. Take a peek:
The best thing about this set, IMHO, is that it contains a VERY simple, fast, and pretty CP. (click through to see the whole photo.)
Basically this bride has filled an attractive glass goblet with craft store pearls, lots of crimson rose petals, water and a gold foil leaf. Then, there’s a small avalanche of more rose petals covering the base. Really, this looks great, doesn’t cost much, is totally fairytale and can be assembled by non-pros … relatives, friends … fast before the reception.
Plus, this CP looks great against the topiaries draped in twinkle lights in the background. Again the contrast of dark green lends elegance and weight. Overall, a scheme that’s sweet, not at all fussy, fits the theme … thumbs up.
May 20th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Shaunta:
My programs are going to be based on the disney princesses and their men…I got this idea and pic during an image search on yahoo but I’m taking the idea and personalizing it…It will have the disney couple on the front with a ribbon at the top, but it include our names as well as the wedding date in the front too….Also, my fiance and I are Big theatre people and I’m having our programs look similar to a Playbill, except Weddingish instead of Broadwayish. Hope this helps some…
May 19th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Hi Shaunta, cool idea! I think you’ll find what you’re looking for. My thought is to look around for mini scrapbooking books.
For example, this lot of 5 x 5″ blank mini board books on ebay; it has a ‘proper’ binding and four inner pages plus the two boards (covers).
http://cgi.ebay.com/5-X-5-Blank…Z005QQ
I’m imagining this with a small fairytale bookmark (brocade ribbon) tucked or glued between two pages and a beautiful cover you’ve designed, printed out and stuck on. (Or, a raw silk cover embellished with satin ribbon. Or, red velvet with tiny fringed or braided trim.) But search on “mini scrapbook album” or “blank mini board book” and see what you turn up. It sounds gorgeous.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I am trying to plan a Cinderella Wedding. I don’t want the original dreary wedding programs, instead I would like each program to be like a mini storybook in which it actually looks like a storybook and it opens up to be the program. Anybody have any suggestion where I could get something like this made or how would I make it myself. The wedding is November 1st and I’m have 350 guest….Please help!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Ok ladies, this is fairytale week. Every day this week (fingers crossed
) I’ll be attempting to post a fairytale idea found on the web. It might just be a small detail, but something I hope someone can use in their planning.
So, here’s idea #1. This goes back to the idea of easels adding ambiance to your reception. Only, instead of staging a photoshoot, this woman scrapbooked several personalized fairytale posters to display around the room, some featuring gradeschool pics of the bride and groom. Of course, you could quickly change the mood by using engagement pics.
This woman is great with paper; she made an amazing letter book with a fairytale theme for the bride’s shower. Go here to see more on the posters and letter book: Kenlin86 Flickr stream
May 19th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Hi Amber, definitely post some pics of your first dress, you might find a buyer here! And congrats on finding the dress of your dreams, even if its timing was a little off
I’m sure that won’t matter much when you walk down the aisle in the one you really love.
Is there any way you could add a single layer of ivory or champagne tulle or organza to the skirt of the flower girl dress to darken it up some … maybe a latte sash? I’m looking at these colors side by side in the photo above and definitely see what you mean.
If not, I’ve heard ebay is a good place to get an inexpensive new flowergirl dress. Maybe someone here can suggest another good place … you might be able to sell the first on craigslist.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Hi everyone!
So I have a dilema! Last week I went to look at my girls dresses for the wedding, well they are beautiful. As I was leaving the bridal salon I saw this beautiful dress hanging on the rack. Actually beautiful isn’t a stong enough word, AMAZING is more like it. Well I went back the next day, because I kept thinking about it, tried it on and fell absolutely in
with the gown. Well I went and purchased the gown. So here is my dilema…I now own two gowns 
I can’t return the first gown I purchased because I bought it at Davids Bridal and they said they don’t accept any returns. The dress has never been worn, tags still on it, never taken out of the garment bag.
My question is…has anyone ever sold a gown on line and had any luck? Or if anyone is looking for a gown (total princess gown) let me know!
Also, my new gown is the color diamond white. The flower girl dress is white. We paired the two together and her dress makes mine look dirty. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do with this? A color that may work better (ivory, etc) or should I just deal with the white?
AGH HELP!!!!
May 19th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Hi Rachel!
Actually, I took a look at the few photos I could find of Dave & Busters’ fabric-draped event rooms and they really look perfect for a medieval theme. I think a lot of brides with that theme would be thrilled to have an event room pre-decorated with all those heavy red velvet curtains so … good choice!
See if this Medieval section doesn’t give you some decorating ideas:
Medieval & Renaissance Weddings
Esp. the bottom one, “Your Medieval or Renaissance Reception.”
Lots of iron and pewter would be great here … can you bring in props? Will they let you into the room to decorate well ahead of time or is your time limited? It would be great if you could bring in a pair of rented thrones, a grand focal point like that. For centerpieces, someone on this site recommend Pinch n Paw for inexpensive Moroccan lanterns on table stands and iron candelabras. You have to look under Earthshop -> Candleholders & Lanterns and then patiently scroll through all the pages but the prices are good. You could twine ivy, ribbons or silk rose garland up the stand and sprinkle the bases with rose petals.
I’m seeing this with crystal-look faceted glassware and pewter-style chargers under the plates … also with floral arrangements of pink, red and ivory roses alternating with the table lanterns, to play up all that romantic red in the setting. (Of course on re-reading I see you already have your CPs, so please indulge me and excuse the bad reading!)
Other decorating tips that might or might not be practical for your setting: potted trees with twinkle lights are VERY effective for adding fairytale ambiance to a room. If you have enough room along the edges and can have a landscaper or rental co. come and set these up/break them down they will be beautiful. A bit of spot or pin lighting in between the trees can work wonders, too. Gobos with monograms are very fairytale and dramatic and would look wonderful projected along those walls.
With all this red it would be lovely if you could have a “red carpet” aisle runner at your ceremony, just as a foretaste.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
rachel
if you google artificial moss rocks, you can find several discount craft and florial sights. Michael’s and/or Jo ann’s may have them too. i was at a wedding that used then. they had a woodsy theme, and everyone loved the extra touches she used. the moss rocks on the tables with floating candles, the moss rocks were used at the base of the cake too (the cake was leaves, mushrooms, and ferns). i think the moss rocks would be great for your theme too. the red and black in the room could really work for the medieval feel use lots of candle light everywhere. drap the balcony with lights and thick garlands of greens or thick garlands of fall leaves might be cool. i think you can do alot with it.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
hello robyn,
thank you for the advice. I like the moss rock idea. Where did you see them? at a crafts store? like Michael’s or Jo ann’s?
May 15th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I’m back. I have another question. We had to change our reception site and the only one we could find that was affordable and on our wedding date was Dave and Busters. Their hall is light years away from being “fairy tale”. It has red carpet, red curtains everywhere, and red lighting. The ceiling is black and it has a black railing (kinda like a balcony). Anyway, what can I do to make this place look a bit more fairytalish? The overlays for the tables are going to be in burgundy and gold and I have the grey cardboard castle centerpieces with the ivy wrapped around them (they were made out of wine boxes from hobby lobby and look like realistic castle towers with turrets). In addition, the towers have a luminarie in them since I don’t think it would be wise to use actual candle in them since it would be a fire hazard. I also have two gold suits of armor that I have yet to put anywhere and my card box is also a castle with the same color as the towers. My wedding is on October 11, 2008 so I only have a few months left and I have no idea how I am going to decorate this hall decently. My church does not need decoration since it is pretty just as it is (its a neo gothic church with stained glass windows, etc. So, if you have any suggestions, please e-mail me at ealfric@comcast.net. Thank you
May 15th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Hi Rachel
castle cakes don’t have to be childish! Think about doing something more realistic,, or if you used cocolate icing with the gold and burg. The cake with the drap could be cool with gold drap and a realistic castle topper. Sounds like that would look good with the towers you and your mom have made. i have seen moss rocks (fake moss) that would be cool at the tower base with your rose petals.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
This cake was perfect, my wedding theme was the Princess & The Frog…my caterer had a bible cake that he and I transformed into a storybook instead with a picture of my choosing on the left and a small story of how our wedding day came to be…on the other side.
it was gorgeous and everyone is still talking about how beautiful it was
May 15th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I am getting married in October and I have also decided on a fairy tale theme. However, it will not be disney nor cinderella. I am going with a medieval/rapunzel theme which has been difficult to decorate. Currently, my mother has made castle towers for my centerpieces with some ivy wrapped around them. I have thought about using chargers in my colors (burgundy, gold, and ivory) and putting rose petals with some colored beads around it. I am wondering if it looks good at all. I would love some suggestions. Also, I want to have a castle cake but to many that I have seen are too disneyish or childish. I am having a hard time finding the perfect one.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Hi MaryAnn, what cute touches are you seeing at fairytale style weddings lately?
Would love to hear some details if you have a moment.
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:45 am
Don’t forget the the very eligant Queens style, horse drawn carriages. The Romans used the most elegant and impressive horses and carriages to show their brides Royalty, LONG before Disney thought of Cinderella. The Cinderella Pumpkin carriage is nice…but some people feel too Princessy in it, and choose the more Queens style vis-a-vis or surrey. The type of horse really makes a difference too. Most certainly, choose a company that uses draft horses, but make sure they have the showy wedding horses, with show harnesses, not the field horses. They should braid and decorate their hair with roses to match your wedding.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:40 am
Hi Tabitha, Robyn, thanks so much for sharing some of your aspirations and ideas with newcomers here. I think it is really a challenge, planning a fairytale theme, not only because of how hard it is to hunt down elegant decor ideas — much less centerpieces — but also because in many places (cough … rhymes with TheSpot … cough) you can’t even say you’re having a fairytale theme without being mocked into oblivion. And just try finding actual fairytale ‘real wedding’ photos or inspiration boards on the usual sites … there’s not much out there.
Still, I know most brides here with a fairytale theme have folders stuffed with images, ideas and sources. PLEASE feel free to share some that you’ve come across. It will be a HUGE help to everyone if there are a few more of your hard-won resources or suggestions on this page. I know the mod will not approve any, you know … critical types of comments trying to put anyone down here. So please feel confident in putting your ideas forward!
Thanks so much for listening, that is all
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Hi Lizzette , A fairytale theme doesnt have to be childish or frilly its basically what you as the bride make of it. Try doing a Royal Victorian style wedding its still in the theme of fairytale but an adult upscale version being Royal and elegant \Victorian Glamour very regal and the fact that your doing an evening wedding with midnight blue and silver as your colors will make the Royal theme work even better put your bridesmaids in Satin ballgowns and rent some beautiful silver candleobras for the church ceremony. im doing a Fall fairytale theme and even though im doing a fairytale theme its going to have the elegance of fall colors and the style of victorian royal glamor so just because you are doing a fairytale theme doesnt mean it cant be done in style or with elegance it does not have to be frilly and girly you are the bride so make it your own.replu and let me know what you think?
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
hi. has anyone come across a clear Cinderella and Prince cake topper? Ive looked everywhere and no luck and i dont really like the one pictured above. HELP.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 am
Lizette,
I am in my late 30’s too, and we are having the ultimate in fairy tale weddings. We are at Disney World!!! I wanted our wedding to be mature, but still fun. So I have focused on the castle and fireworks. With midnight blue and silver you could focus on the night sky and wish apon a star. Keep things clean and simple with just the two colors. Have some fun and find things you love. This is for you, too!!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:44 am
help
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:09 am
Hi Everyone,
Help, please. I’m in my late 30s and trying to decide how to do a fairytale theme without it being too disneyish. The big day is 9/20/08 around 7pm in Virginia. This is more for him because I’d rather be on the beach in Puerto Rico or Bermuda at sunset. I’m not the frilly type but my man wants a traditional wedding mainly because as an only child his mom really wants to see her son get married in a church with all the traditional bells and whistles. My dress for the ceremony is traditional but my dress for the reception is more my style, sexy and easy to salsa in. My maid of honor is a huge help and directed me to this site for favors. Any ideas and suggestions will be appreciated. The main color is midnight blue accented with silver and maybe some jewel tones. It is a formal evening wedding so I really don’t want it to be too childish with this fairytale theme. I almost went for the Tiffany jewelry box theme and I might change it if I don’t find more adult things that aren’t too childish. HELP PLEASE!!!!
April 29th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I also need a pumpkin carriage cake stand to go along with my fall fairytale theme Im having 2 wedding cakes on display one being a castle shaped cake and the other is a stacked ring bearer pillow shaped cake with a glass slipper on the top because my ring bearer will be carrying a glass slipper on the pillow instead of a ring.
April 29th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
My wedding will be a fall fairytale theme at either a beautiful lake side banquet facility in Riverdale Ga ,or a Southern Style mansion in Roswell Ga.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Tabitha, where are you located? We have a lot of carriage vendors floating around here who can probably help you, they just need to know where the wedding will be.
April 29th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
In parts of the country, it’s traditional for the bride to get a formal bridal portrait done before the ceremony, then this gorgeous photo is enlarged, framed and displayed on an easel at the reception near a spot like the cake or guestbook table, or the foyer. Click here or here to see examples of how these are displayed. Even if this isn’t tradition in your area, a fanciful bridal (or couples’) portrait would be a lovely addition to a fairytale wedding.
Most wedding photographers do this, or if you have a talented friend many modern digital cameras are capable of taking very high-res shots which a talented photoshopper can then tweak to add some of the magical touches seen above. You can easily see how much fairytale "oomph" this can add to a wedding. You don’t have to use you real dress for the shots, in fact something like a dramatic prom dress might be better if you’re worried about getting your real gown soiled or accidentally tipping off the groom. You could even do a narrative with several portraits from the fairytale, such as the staircase/lost shoe scene that Scarlett recently did for Annie Leibovitz.
Clockwise from top left, these photos by apples-and-shanana, JohnySxxx, kayleigh-annabelle, and Ariandir. What do you think, would you do this? Are you?
April 29th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
And, study these extras that Disney is offering their brides (for a healthy fee of course) — props and touches that add atmosphere and drama to the day. Any fantasy wedding needs some big gestures like the ones listed here, so this list is worth a close read.
Disney special decor requests / Wish Book
Also, even near the beginning of your planning, I’d strongly recommend combing your area for local theatrical prop shops who can rent you some focal points like two thrones, a castle/fountain/pillars, a dramatic grandfather clock, something like that … something fun. As the wish book points out, twinkle lights are fun, organza canopy ceilings are fabulous, a fog machine can make for a great atmosphere (especially in pass-through environments … don’t necessarily want to fog up your reception hall), some kind of dramatic entrance is great, like a gate or arch covered in florals, event lighting is great if you can swing it; they do stars on the dance floor which should not break the budget.
Personally I love the idea of a giant storybook as a guestbook, and one bride here wrote that she was putting lattice behind her focal points and dressing it with twinkle lights, fabric and roses — a great idea.
April 29th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Nadz, check out DisneyWeddings, take a look at their Couture and Wishes reception designs, they have some very bright colors in there as well as a lot of pastel treatments that aren’t pink.
Go here for David Tutera’s four designs for disney weddings — sure, the most traditional is all about pink, gold and crystal but he also has much more contemporary alternatives.
If you don’t want to go that wild, check out their 12 Wishes Collection reception designs. The most classic is a white, ice blue and silver design that anyone would instantly recognize as ‘Disney Cinderella.’
But they also offer fuchsia florals and lime green linens, royal red roses and crisp white tables, crushed copper linens with gold chivari chairs and rust and burgundy roses, and other beautiful color combos that aren’t pink! Anyone just starting to brainstorm fairytale layouts and colors should definitely check out these sites, they are full of ideas for getting ‘the look,’ after all Disney is under a lot of pressure to pull this off for you brides!
Plus, Tutera has a cute butterfly-&-fairytale design called Enchanted Garden, very nice.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Hi everyone im planning a Fall Fairytale themed wedding in october of 2009 and im using the fairytale wonderland setting with beautiful fall colors such as burnt oranges,deep reds, chocolate browns etc.for my guest favors im making large goodie bags with tastey treats like pumpkin shaped cookies to go along with october and cinderella pumpkin twist ,and candied apples,etc…but i need help finding a large iron pumpkin carriage for my flower girls to sit in for the ceremony entrance does anyone know where to get a pumpkin carriage ?HELP ME PLEASE!!!
April 28th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Hey i’m planning a fairy tale wedding for 2009 but i’m not so sure about the pink can anyone advise me other colours to use any pics would be great
nordiajohns@hotmail.com
April 26th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
i just bought the cake topper in disney world for just $19.99!
anyone have pix of gift envelope boxes with a cinderella theme, like the carriage or castle? any centerpiece ideas w/o getting tacky? i’m thinking about doing the glass slippers for my favors.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Thanks, Amber, Lindsay, good to hear what you’ve come up with.
Amber, I noticed that many of the carriage CPs were pretty expensive even before you decorated them, especially the ones with some detail, so I wondered if people were using them. They’re a beautiful choice, tho! I like hearing how you’ve integrated the fairytale theme with the season. One of the things I’d love to see is a fairytale wedding tweaked for winter.
Linday, glass pumpkin cookie jars are a great idea. I’d love to see them! Those jars sound hard to find. Again you have that seasonal twist — nice.
Also, you and any bride that have CPs or other stuff you’ve slaved over for your wedding and want to pass them onto other brides afterward, feel free to post here! These things can be tough to find/make … obviously you’ve been gathering your materials for almost a year! … and I’m SURE other brides would appreciate the chance to snatch them.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Well it was tough, for the most part you just cant buty them you really have to put effort in to making them…. i’m in the middle of making mine but some of the ideas i had were plush pillows (square couch throw pillow size) with tassels at the corners with a glass slipper on them…mirrors with a light up castle of coach placed on them (mirror reflects the light and makes them glow more dresses up something plain without a lot of money) i actually found pumpkin cookie jars last sept and bought them all up and have been storing them, and i am doing glass etching on them as i go and i will have my flower arrangements in them (i am willing to sell them after june if there are any takers? lol i put a lot of time and money into these to just give them away) or if i couldnt find the pumpkins i was thinking of using the square vases and using the glass paints and creating colorful characters and imagery on the 4 sides (stained glass look)…. hmmm i think thats all i got. like i said im doing the pumpkin vases with the flowers in them but those are some of the ideas i had thought of doing. hope this helps
ps ill take a pic of the vases soon and post them
April 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I’m using a wrought iron pumpkin for my centerpieces. My wedding is in September, so the centerpiece goes with a fall/cinderella themed wedding. I’m putting a hurricane glass with a candle in the middle and flowers around the base of the pumpkin.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hi, am I mistaken or is finding centerpiece ideas one of the hardest things about planning this kind of wedding? Does everyone have their CP ideas all sewed up or are you finding it tough?
I have some ideas for GENERATING some ideas as a group … unless you all have it figured out already! Please rap back!
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Tanya, some thoughts for you!
That Disney costume is not too bad, but anything in the $50-100 dollar range is not going to look too sharp up close. Yeah, that won’t work for a wedding, not with all you pay for photos.
A quality prince costume is $$$! The first place I’d start is a custome rental shop. They’re accustomed to renting high-quality costumes, the kind that cost $400-500 if you bought them new. So if you live in or near a metro area you might just find the perfect clothing.
Your second stop might be Ebay. I don’t know your budget, but there are some very nice prince-slash-military style costume jackets there in the $200 range. (There is a gorgeous, very elaborate PC costume there with a cutaway jacket in the $500+ range.) Search under “Prince Charming Costume” or “Prince Charming Coat.” This still leaves trousers, but it is really simple to get great pants. You can rent, or buy. If you buy, you can have a handy friend or mom willing to sew that stripe down the sides and voila.
If $200-300 for the jacket is a stretch, consider that you could probably resell it after the event to another fairytale bride. (Maybe even here!) They tend to come in sizes like M, L, etc. which are easy to pass on.
Other options that look very princely are mess jackets (military) and many of the highland-style jackets men wear with kilts, aka the Prince Charlie jacket or the Argyll jacket. However there you run the risk of surprising Scotts or military men who aren’t used to seeing this clothing out of context.
Don’t forget that white tuxedos tend to look VERY prince charming on their own, when worn with a white waistjacket or white cummerbund (or pale pastels in those colors). Take a look at Edwardian-type frock styles, cutaway styles. And check out the photo in the comment below with two handsome guys in white (click here).
Add white gloves to any of the above and you have an even more evident Prince Charming look. And particularly if you wear a tiara I think the PC vibe will be unmistakable.
Here are a few photos to hopefully help you along. 1) is the ‘official’ PC at Disneyland, talking to Cindy. 2) is two of the better-tier Prince Charming style costume coats available at ebay this second. 3) is the full-length (frock) coat-style Tuxedo by Avalon, very princely IMHO.
I hope this gets you started!
Please let me know what you decide on.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:52 am
hello everybody.
i need help im gonna get married in 5 months , i already visited all the websites looking for places that could have prince tuxedos i just found prince costumes and it looks really cheap , i would like to know if somebody knows where i can find it. its for the groom, and i need something like that for the groomsmans too. thanks
my e mail : tania_m2m_15@hotmail.com
April 16th, 2008 at 11:54 am
How cool is this bride? Custom-printed M&Ms in a glass slipper favor, finally tucked in a tulle net bag and tied off with a custom favor tag.
CUTE!
April 8th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Hi Sharon,
I am looking for a cinderella type wagon for a child for my friends wedding. Would you mind seding me the picture of the one you made. Thank you so very very much! Stephanie
simpson1172@charter.net
April 8th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Sharon,
Can you send me pictures of the carriage you made from a wagon? My email is jessica_anderson at hotmail dot com
Thanks!
April 7th, 2008 at 9:38 am
hello everybody.
i need help im gonna get married in 5 months , i already visited all the websites looking for places that could have prince tuxedos i just found prince costumes and it looks really cheap , i would like to know if somebody knows where i can find it. its for the groom, and i need something like that for the groomsmans too. thanks
April 4th, 2008 at 1:48 am
Cute castle cake!
Here’s another, I bet a lot of people would like to find that cake topper.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:50 pm
We are a LiL TLZ, a small company out of Dallas, TX, who specialty is solely to make your event the same Fairy Tale Cinderella Event you always dreamed about.
Please contact us at Aliltlz (link).
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Gina:
Thanks for the information. They are very expensive. But it gives me an idea of what i need.
April 2nd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Sharon:
Please send a picture I figured we would have to make something I just wasn’t sure how to do that. Thanks.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
April 1st, 2008 at 8:11 am
Jean:
I don’t know if this will help or not. It’s not exactly a carriage and kind of pricey but they are cute.
www.wedding-wagon.com/default2.htm
www.miniwagons.com/catalog/Delightful+Pictures+of+our+Wagons+used+in+Weddings
March 31st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
HI JEAN,
MY NIECE IS HAVING A CINDERELLA WEDDING IN JUNE 2008 AND SHE IS HAVING HER LITTLE NEPHEW IN THE WEDDING SO I MADE A CARRAIGE OUT OF A WAGON AND THE ONE FLOWER GIRL IS GOING TO PULL THE WAGON. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED I WILL SEND YOU A PICTURE.
March 31st, 2008 at 1:48 pm
I am having my 6 month old daughter as my flower girl and I wanted to get a princess carriage to pull her down the isle in….does anyone know where I could buy or rent one???
March 27th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
thanks so much lindsay. i went to the dcwv website and the ideas started rushing through my mind for my wedding. THANKS AGAIN!!!
March 26th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
santana, thank you very much for the wonderful compliment. I created them each from scratch. DCWV has an amazing line of fairy tale papers which really helped but i created them. As i go i am filling in teh blanks with photos and my goal is to have my fairy tale story on display at the reception. i have extras i sell as well pages and complete books. but die cuts with a view is teh brand joanns.com usually has the best price on the papers and albums.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
Lindsay: I just loved your fairy tale scrapbook. Did you buy a starter kit or just make all of the templates?
March 26th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Hello, I am actually making my table # cards I havent decided if i am using names or #’s yet however I am making these paper piecing characters which i will then put the number or name on them as well. i am useing the plastic pitchfork things in my centerpieces to hold these, however you could probably take 2 single sided ones and mount them onto tent cards as well. I am using the most beautiful papers they are pearlized and metalics and really really nice!! please take a look at them (imagine them with names or #’s on them I think numbers are better because the names may be too small to read from a distance) but if you are interested send me an email and we can discuss what you are looking for and i can see how much it will cost to make it. I have more images posted on my myspace page, www.myspace.com/lillinds811 check out my photo albums i have my die cuts and i have some scrapbook pages, and some art work. I am also doing glass etching on my vases they are sooooooo nice ill post pictures once they are done! and i am going to hand decorate my flower girl baskets (2) and i will post pictures of those once they are done….and i am going to probably paint a posterboard to place my seating chart on and if i do that i will post a picture. please check out my myspace or email me with any questions! i’d love to help and i hope you like what i’m doing for my own wedding.
lindsay owens
lillinds811@yahoo.com
March 25th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I am having a fairytale wedding on march 7 of 2009….can anyone please help me with ideas. so far i have my save the dates magnets i got from favor ideas and i have my cinderella coach pen and coach guest book. im looking for a card box, cake stand ideas for colors and just about everything so please anyone help me….thanks
March 25th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I me and my fiance are getting marring in August of 2008 and i’m having a Cinderella themed wedding. Can somebody help me find a website on cute Table Name Cards? I tried to buy them off of ebay but the seller is no longer listed. He had cute table cards with really nice cinderella names on it. Can somebody help think of some cute ideas for table names. I would really really appreciate it! Thanks!!
March 25th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
I was wondering if anyone knew where I could find a prince “uniform” for a groom to wear. I am having a Cinderella wedding and want the groom to look as much like the prince as possible without wearing a costume.
March 24th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I had my daughters 18th birthday as a cinderella theme we had a trumpetier playing a fan fare as each guest arrived and then they were annonced as Mr & Mrs …..I also had table runners made with once upon a time on one end and happily ever after on the other we placed wands into all the ladies napkins and lots more
March 21st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I just ran across this gorgeous white pumpkin centerpiece idea from BH&G … too cool … perfect for a bridal shower! From here (link)
March 16th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Hello Yadi,
I have The Cinderella Pumpkin Cake Stands available for purchase at Cinderella Fantasy for your daughters Quinceanera. It can be shipped directly to you.
~Adina~
March 15th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I am planning my daugters Quinceanera, it is a cinderella theme. We live in Southern NJ, I am trying to find a pumpking cake stand and also a pumpdin carriage seat. Does anyone have any idea where I could find them, buy or rent, It dosen’t matter. I just want this day to be very special.
Thanks
Yadi
March 13th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Amber,
I heard this song on the radio the other day for the first time while driving in my car. I thought I was gonna loose it, and start crying. Wonderful song! Thanks for sharing.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I thought I would pass this along to everyone out there. It’s by Steven Curtis Chapman and is called Cinderella. I listened to it on the raido the other day and I couldn’t stop crying. This is definitely the song I will be dancing to with my father!
March 9th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
does anybody know where I can find a “Princess Kissing a Frog” wedding cake topper?
March 8th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Magical Affairs Says:
April 1st, 2007 at 8:44 am
We have a one of a kind horse drawn Cinderella Carriage. We are located in Rhode Island but travel all over the east coast. Please visit our website www.magicalaffairs.com to see pictures. 401-397-8701
March 8th, 2008 at 10:05 am
We are planning a Cinderella wedding & we need ALL the help we can get. I want to take a picture of my daughter in her wedding dress going down stairs with a shoe on a step, frame it & have it displayed on an easel at the reception. And, maybe a pix of the groom bending down with a shoe in his hand. Any suggestions for decorating the reception area would be GREATLY appreciated. Bridesmaids are wearing black & white dresses. We are thinking about having white tablecloths with black toppers. Ideas for inexpensive favors would be appreciated too!!! Thanks!!!
Pictures would be GREAT!!!
February 19th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Is it ok to have about 10 bridesmaids when your groom only has 3 groomsmen?
February 6th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
In response to Judy:
I have a very similar situation. I got pregnant at the age of seventeen and was engaged to my sons dad, but then after wising up that he wasn’t going to grow up I gave the ring back. But I have been the biggest Cinderella fan my whole life, my friends think I’m kinda crazy over it, but I’ve always dreamed of finding my prince charming! And two years ago I finally did! We will be getting married on June 14th, 2008. Good luck and congratulations! May all of your dreams come true!
January 31st, 2008 at 4:29 pm
i don’t have any photos yet, we are getting married on may 3, 2008. I have been married before but it was at my aunts house at the age of 18 and everyone was mad because I was already pregnant. That day was a really bad day for me, we ended up getting divorced about 3 years later. Ever since then I have been searching and waiting for mr. right, well now he is here and he wants to marry me, alot of my friends tell me that our relationship sounds like a fairy tale. The way we met, the way he came down 2000 miles to get me and drive me back. Everything, makes it seem like a fairy tale. So my theme is a fairy tale dress, and hair style and so on. I don’t want anything big, something small by the ocean where there is a lighthouse maybe. Lighthouse because they help sailors find their way home in the old days, and well, I kinda feel like i have found my way home into the right mans arms. I have no parents they are both deceased, i have no one in my family that can help me pay for it, but i figure