While looking around to find a subject for this week’s blog post, I came across countless weddings, dresses, and houses (and A LOT more Disney adults than I would’ve expected). I have, of course, heard of this term before, a “fairy tale wedding”. But I had never expected to see pages and pages of inspiration and an entire culture built upon this idea. I fell down this niche rabbit hole of fairy tale and Disney themed weddings. There were websites, and articles dedicated to planning a picture perfect fairytale inspired wedding. Disney has an entire 2 season long show called “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” that documents different couples’ magical night and the process leading up to it.
Plan Your Snow Fairy-Tale Wedding! Dreaming of Planning the Perfect Winter Wedding? Why Wait for Spring or Summer, When You Can Take Advantage of Chilly Climates to Plan Your Big Day!” Asiana TV, https://asiana.tv/wedding/planning/plan-your-snow-fairy-tale-wedding/
I have never understood this idealization of big expensive weddings. It seems like just another thing that is pushed upon young girls to dream and look forward to. Countless times over family dinners, I’ve been told “one day you’re going to get married to a good man and have kids”! It always comes from a place of love, but it only made me conscious of all the things I could do wrong. Not only that, but it ultimately made me hate the idea of having a big wedding. It’s supposed to be the best day of your life, but shouldn’t every day with that person make you feel that way? I think instilling the idea that the only way to make your marriage special is to have a fairy tale wedding is harmful to more kids than people realize. Has anyone else had similar experiences to this? Did it have a positive or negative impact on your ideas about marriage?
As a man, I don’t think I have ever conceived what mine might look like outside of watching a wedding. I think it’s natural to compare your life to others, especially for such an important cultural event. It is Your Day.
The ‘Fairy Tale Wedding’ uses the language of fairy tale fantasy to describe fantastical ideals. Fairy Tales do not really have weddings. Fairy Tales force us to assume the ending is happy and ends in a wedding. But what does that event actually entail?
Rae, I’ve also come into contact with the “fairy tale wedding” idea a lot, and while I understand the allure of some of the princess-like aesthetics involved, it never made much sense to me otherwise. Does planning such an elaborate, complex event really bring people joy? It just seems like a logistical nightmare to me. What a headache, trying to get all of these details perfect! Speaking of details, isn’t it interesting how we’ve discussed in class the characteristic lack of detail in fairy tales, whereas the “fairy tale wedding” aesthetic appears to focus heavily on elaborate details?
I really like your point about what a wedding is supposed to be. It represents the “happiest day of your life,” but the ultimate point is to spend time with the one you love. I would’ve liked to see you comment more on the specific image you chose. Why did you choose this image specifically? How is it representative of fairy tale weddings?
I really enjoyed reading your post! I did not think of “fairy tale weddings” in relation to our discussion before, but now that you’ve brought it up, I think it is very interesting. I am curious about the start to the elaborateness of these weddings. What I mean is, in fairy tales, the wedding scene is usually very short, perhaps a sentence or two; and in Disney movies, the scenes are also short flashes at the end where everyone is smiling and happy. There is very little detail about the actual weddings in the stories, so I wonder why these “perfect,” elaborate weddings are deemed “fairy tale weddings.” I suppose it has to do more with “happily every after” and setting up a perfect life with your partner. I would have loved to have heard your thoughts on the translation of fairy tale weddings from page/screen to real life. But overall, I enjoyed your post and thought the title and color blocking were really nice!