UPDATE: OCTOBER 18, 2011
The Makaloa Garden was completely transformed into a stylish and
elegant wedding venue complete with a draped floral wedding arch,
dazzling chandeliers and chic furnishings. We even sprinkled in a little
Disney magic with custom made Mickey-shaped pink pillows and flower
petals forming the shape of Mickey’s head carefully placed down the
aisle. Mickey and Minnie themselves even joined in on the enchanting
celebration sporting their Hawaiian wedding attire.
We thought it would be fun to meet this young couple, so we invited Jamin and Valerie to
Disneyland park, where our own
Paul Hiffmeyer took their engagement photo.
Some special guests also stopped by to wish the happy couple best wishes on their upcoming marriage.
As for setting the date, it’s looking like May 11, 2012, is going to be the big day. Congratulations, Valerie and Jamin!
Wedding Bells Ring at Walt Disney World Resort
If
your thoughts turn to love, romance, and all things "twitter-pated" in
the spring, you're not alone – there's a reason that spring is the
traditional season for wooing and wedding. And for couples who are ready
to take that final step and embrace a happily-ever-after, there's no
finer place than
Walt Disney World Resort to say "I do."
We wanted to peek behind the bridal veil and see what goes into planning
a Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding, so we sat down with Korri McFann. A
15-year veteran on the
Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons team, Korri gave us some helpful tips for making the most of a wedding and showed us what it takes to make the magic.
"I and many of my colleagues are all very passionate about the work we
do in weddings," she explains. "I guess you can say we are one of the
few who get to think about weddings 365 days of the year!"
That passion is put to work creating weddings that are as special as the
couples they celebrate. And to make a wedding truly memorable, Korri
urges the couple to take charge and decide what would make the day
meaningful. "Being engaged is very overwhelming, but it is very
important to share with our team what is most important to you. The more
our team knows the better we can help to make your day perfect."
She recommends booking 16 months in advance to ensure couples can
reserve the venue of their choice, and to allow plenty of time for
relaxed planning with their Disney Wedding Planner. Specialists are
assigned to help them arrange food, flowers, and complete event
management. Korri reminds couples, "Our dedicated team of experts is
here to make the planning process easy and, more importantly, fun.
Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings truly is a 'one-stop-shop' for all your
planning needs. Walt Disney World Resort offers floral, photo, video,
transportation, culinary, and entertainment that work perfectly together
so you don't have to!"
Once the planning is done and the big day arrives, she has one crucial
tip, "My biggest advice for the wedding day is to let go ... allow us to
take on the planning, so you can truly be a guest at your own wedding!"
The
Memories Collection
makes planning easy, with wedding plans designed with a Disney touch –
just choose the option that strikes your fancy and let the magic unfold.
But suppose you picture a wedding as unique as you are? For couples
looking for a truly personalized experience, the Disney's Fairy Tale
Weddings
Wishes Collection
is there to make their dreams come true. From an intimate gathering to a
grand gala event, the team is there to tailor every detail. Says Korri,
"My favorite part is helping a couple create an event that is their
story. This can be as simple as a color scheme, an amazing menu that
reflects their heritage, or special entertainment and special touches
that reflect themselves as a couple. That is when you know you have
helped to plan a great wedding!"
The centerpiece of a fairy-tale wedding is a fairy-tale gown – and it's
hard to do better than a gown from an actual fairy tale! Brides looking
for lovely couture can turn to the
Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings by Alfred Angelo collection, inspired by the style and personality of seven iconic
Disney Princesses:
Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow White, and Tiana. The
collection includes classic, grand ball gowns in layers of tulle and
sparkle net, updated fit and flare styles to highlight curves and
movement, and pleated and wrapped bodices to flatter the bride's figure.
Flowers and frills make a wedding lovely and highlight this
once-in-a-lifetime moment. But the key to a real dream wedding might lie
in something very simple. Korri says, "We have seen a lot of events
over the years, but the best weddings are when couples relax and get to
enjoy their event. It is about the couples joining as one family – I
still tear up when I see a bride go down the aisle. I guess that is why I
am still in this business!"
As anticipation builds for the British royal wedding on Friday, so does speculation about what Kate Middleton will wear when she weds Prince William. We have another princess getting ready to debut her wedding gown here at the
Disneyland Resort, on June 3. That’s when Ariel and Prince Eric will debut in The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, an attraction inspired by the classic animated film, including the film’s wedding scene.
To find out more about Ariel’s dress and Prince Eric’s attire, I talked to the clothing designer, Gloria Bowls. She collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineer Larry Nikolai to create a look that reflects several periods of British history. Ariel’s gown, similar to the dress in the film, was largely influenced by the royal wedding of Charles and Diana in 1981 (“The Little Mermaid” film debuted in 1989).
“What was amazing about Diana’s dress was that no princess had arrived on the scene with such grandeur – larger than life,” Gloria said. “Ariel’s dress has some of that grandeur, a fantasy come to life – and larger than life. The big poof sleeves are almost as big as her head.”
Here’s a sneak peek at Ariel in her wedding finery.
Gloria designed custom wedding gowns and evening wear before taking on the challenge of designing costumes for Audio-Animatronics figures and consulting for Disney. She credits Larry Nikolai’s vision for encouraging her to let this dress express Ariel’s mermaid personality (i.e., she has this thing for “thingamabobs”).
“Ariel’s dress is made very much like a regular bride’s dress in that the bodice is fully lined, interlined and extensively boned – it practically stands up on its own,” Bowls said. “My favorite part is the front inset of the skirt … an underwater seascape with a shell, a starfish, a seahorse, all beaded and appliqued on, with seaweed lace.
“I hope each little girl will come off the ride inspired and dreaming of having a dress like Ariel’s for her own wedding day.”
These photos show Gloria as she was working on the dress, plus some of the intricate detail.
Complementing Ariel’s dress is Prince Eric’s attire, inspired by 19th century British royalty and British military uniforms. Details such as gold silk buttons reflect the aspects of courage, valor and honor.
Gloria was one of many experts who worked on this attraction. Would you like to hear from some of the Walt Disney Imagineers who created the Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure? Enter for a chance to
attend our meet-up, scheduled for May 10 at 6:30 p.m.
What do you think of the magical detail in Ariel’s royal wedding gown?
We recently had the honor of kicking off the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration where we held a surprise vow renewal ceremony for
Walt Disney World couple, Kristen & Greg. I’m seeing more and more couples look for unique and interesting ways to make their grand entrance, so I wanted something fun and energetic to introduce our bride Kristen. I enlisted the help of some friends and Franck himself to make operation ‘Rock the Pavilion’ come to life.
