Weddings That Will Never Be: Disneyland

As you may have figured out from my serious lack of posting the last few weeks, I have been in wedding hiatus mode lately.  Mostly, I've just had other important things to do (like tanning and freezing my toes off in Lake Michigan), but I've also hit a bit of a wall planningwise.  With my lack of venue and the knowledge that I won't be booking one until September, trying to plan anything seems like kind of a waste of time, especially when I can see the beach beckoning from my window.

Thus, I am taking the opportunity to do a little series entitled "Weddings That Will Never Be."  It's something I've been thinking about for a while.  I'm not one of those people who started planning her wedding before she got engaged, but I have been engaged for a very long time (about a year total), so I've had A LOT of time to dream about my wedding without actually having to make progress on it (damn long distance!).  As a result, I've had time to look into a few wedding options that I knew weren't really going to happen, or weren't likely to, but would still be pretty awesome.

 Disneyland Castle at Christmas

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I feel obligated as a fan to start with Disneyland.  I'm a lifelong Disney fan, but my intense love of Disneyland itself started when I was 13 and got an annual pass.  That first year, I went 32 times, and in my subsequent 9 pass holder years, I spent about 160 days at Disneyland.  During my lifetime, I've been well over 200 times.  Obviously, Disneyland has been a big part of my life, and what better place to be a princess bride?

 A Most Excellent Day with the Ce at Disneyland

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I knew Disneyland was too expensive for me to even consider, but I just had to send away for the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings information packet.  Now, I already knew the ceremony and reception locations in the hotels having hung out in them often after a hard day's Disneylanding, so I already knew that I'd prefer the Disneyland Hotel rose garden to the Grand Californian's woodsy area.  However, I had not been aware of the greatest ceremony location of all:  in front of the castle in Disneyland after the park closes!  I never even asked how much that would cost, but it sure did give me something to dream about.

Now That's Pretty

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I never really considered Disneyland as an option, partly because of the cost, partly because Daniel really wasn't interested, but also partly because Disneyland has become a little mundane to me.  I feel like getting married in one of the hotels that I frequently hang out at already would take the excitement and specialness out of the experience.  But getting married in front of the castle while having the whole park to ourselves?  That's a different story entirely.  Having Disneyland to myself is a lifelong dream, and, well, who doesn't want to get married in front of a pink castle?  I can see it all:  arriving by pumpkin coach, the ridiculously princessy dress that would be a requirement for the setting, Mickey officiating the ceremony, the castle all lit up and pretty at night...it would be awesome.

And if I had a $100,000 budget, I might see if I could make it happen.  It's probably better that this is not to be because Daniel wouldn't love it, and Disneyland really is my thing and not our thing.  But if we ever become extremely wealthy and renew our vows, I know where I want to do it :).

 How's That for a Backdrop?  Disney's California Adventure--Paradise Pier

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Disneyland Hotel Rose Garden

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 Grand Californian Outdoor Reception Area

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Mmm, Castle Cake

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 Or If You Prefer Something Even More Elaborate

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Arriving in Style in Cinderella's Coach

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Is there a place you would like to get married if you didn't have to take your fiance into account?  Or a place you'd love to get married but could never afford?