Create Courage Adventures

How to Create A Perfect Disney Wedding On A Budget

What Disney loving bride doesn’t want to feel like she is marrying her prince charming at a magical ball? When I got engaged (and of course immediately overwhelmed) with how to plan a wedding, what helped me center was picking a theme. Being avid travelers and having kids already (this is husband number two) we knew the wedding needed to be extra special and fun for the whole family. The theme decision was easy, Disney. Our problem was that we didn’t have a lot of money to spend. So, I worked (along with a couple of fairy Godmothers) for a year putting together every ounce of pixie dust and brainpower possible to make a perfect Disney fairytale wedding. You can too if you follow these steps.

Step 1: Decide What Kind of Disney Wedding Theme You Want

This may seem silly but there are a whole lot of Disney themed wedding niches out there and you don’t want to get stuck because you went too broad. Disney theme ideas can include fairytale (princess) theme, Disney Pixar, under the sea (all ocean movies from Moana to Pirates of the Caribbean), Star Wars, Avengers, Disneyland (Disney theme park wedding theme) and almost any movie if you just wanted to focus on one.

We went with a hybrid because I wanted a Disney fairytale wedding but my husband proposed to me with an “Up” (Adventure is Out There) book so we had to include it. I knew I was marrying the right man when he scrapbooked together our travels into a Disney travel book. (He is not a crafty person at all.)

Step 2: Pick A Magical Venue

Your venue is key to pulling off a Disney wedding. If you have the funds and know people will travel for your big day, you can go all out and book through Disney World Weddings or Disneyland Weddings. Check out their venues HERE. They do have Disney weddings at the parks that any princess would kiss all the frogs for. How much is a Disney wedding you ask, they start at $18,000 and go up from there as of 2020. That is for a Disneyland wedding without extras. If you think the Disney wedding cost is too crazy, don’t worry! I figured out how to do a Disney wedding venue transformation on a budget!

If you are like me and didn’t have a ton to spend, no problem! Disney themed weddings on a budget are my expertise! An outdoor wedding, especially in warmer months is perfect for most Disney wedding themes because you feel like you are in an enchanted forest or garden (bonus if there are butterflies!) If you live in a place where it will be too hot or cold for that, a ballroom is another obvious choice for a Disney wedding venue but may drive up the price quite a bit. For Little Mermaid Disney wedding themes or similar, you could even do a beach wedding. The magical possibilities are endless as long as the venue matches your vision.

We again went with a hybrid and found Green Villa Barn in Oregon. It has a side garden for the ceremony and a gorgeous air-conditioned barn for the reception. If you are planning a Disney wedding, please email me and I can help you plan your wedding remotely for a low fee! kat@createcourageadventures.com If you live in Oregon, I may be able to meet with you!

Step 3: Disney Wedding Accessories

It’s not every day YOU get to be a princess so buy the darn tiara and wear it girl! Don’t go for the hundred dollar Disney wedding tiara from your bridal store when you can find one for under $30 on Amazon. Disney makes some beautiful jewelry but you don’t have to spend top dollar to look great. I bought most of my Disney wedding jewelry on Amazon at discounted prices including this “Up” house bracelet.

I even got all bridesmaids a unique Disney necklace or Disney bracelet that matched their favorite movie. My favorite was the Ohana Bracelet I got for my daughter (it cost around $16) from “Lilo and Stitch.” She loves that movie and it was important to me that she knows that even though I am getting remarried, “No one gets left behind or forgotten.” (Insert tears here.)

Step 4: Groom and Groomsmen Disney Accessories

The guys have to go along with the theme too! I started with my husband. He and my son got these Mickey head cufflinks and tie clips. All other groomsmen just got Disney Mickey cufflinks. This was a bonus because they all had a hidden Mickey!

During our first look, I pinned a handmade boutonniere to Nic’s coat complete with Grape Soda Pin from Disney’s “Up.” I made sure to say the line that always makes us emotional, “You and me, we’re in a club now.” He started crying; mission accomplished!

Step 5: Disney Wedding Shoes you Won’t Lose at Midnight!

You can have Disney princess shoes on a Cinderella budget! I scoured the internet in search of the perfect glass slippers but honestly, all of them were hideous, too high a heel, made for kids or very expensive. So, I thought of the most Cinderella-like shoes I have ever owned and BAM! I thought if it, jellys! For those of you who grew up in the ’90s, jellys were all the rage. Guess what, they still make them and they are reasonably priced! These Disney wedding shoes didn’t cost a fortune and looked great!

Step 6: Pick the Perfect Disney Wedding Dress

You can go with a super poofy Disney princess dress or even mermaid style as long as it fits the Disney character you want to resemble. I wanted a poofy (but not too Poofy) dress fit for a queen so spent more than I anticipated on a David’s Bridal Oleg Cassini dress. Actually, the sales lady tricked me into trying it on and once it was on, it had to be mine. Your Disney wedding dress needs to look good and make you feel like royalty!

Step 7: Disney Wedding Invitations

For most folks, invitations will be their first sneak peek at the Disney wedding theme. You need to make a first impression that will stick. We made sure to include all important information on invitations along with a couple of Disney Wedding tips such as “No costumes please” and “kids are welcome.” If you want your event to allow costumes, have at it, but for me, I wanted to be the princess without navigating through a bunch of kids dressed as Sleeping Beauty. I also designed themed RSVP cards on Canva. They came out great!

Step 8: Disney Wedding Cake Ideas

Your cake needs to match the Disney Wedding theme! There are a ton of ideas online but I loved the idea of the cake being like a Disney princess castle. When I called wedding cake shops and asked for a Disney castle cake, most places quoted me over a thousand dollars! No way! So, I did what I do best and turned to Amazon. The picture of this cake topper on Amazon looks weird at first but when I got it, it looked beautiful! Check out the picture of my Disney cake below.

This is actually the second cake topper I bought. The first Disney wedding cake topper was blue/ white and cheaper. It arrived broken with paint looking like a first grader did it. Go with this cake topper if you want the perfect Disney castle wedding cake.

Also, I had our cake decorators add in hidden mickeys on our cake just to add in some Disney magic!

Step 9: Disney Wedding Decorations

Here is where I went a little crazy. My vision was that every table would represent a different Disney movie. The vision came out beautifully but it was a lot of work! I went to thrift stores galore, borrowed countless Disney items from friends/ family and even made a color-coded spreadsheet with what was going on each table. I wanted tables to look like Classic Disney, not a child’s birthday party so this meant getting creative with things like spinning wheel bookends for Sleeping Beauty themed table and a sailing ship for Pirates of the Caribbean table. For more details on each table, check out my post on Disney wedding centerpieces.

Step 10: Hide Hidden Mickeys All Over your Disney Wedding Venue

For those of you who don’t know, Hidden Mickeys (Mickey heads or symbols that represent Mickey Mouse) are located all around Disneyland and other parks including resorts and cruise ships. They are also in Disney movies, TV shows, and books! The question is how to add hidden mickeys to your Disney wedding? We did it subtly and obviously all through the day. My favorites were our bridal party accessories and our “Up” themed guestbook I ordered custom on Amazon.

(How many Hidden Mickeys can you find in this post? Please let me know in the comments!) I will do an entire post on how to add hidden Mickeys to your Disney Wedding decor.

Step 11: Plan a Magical Disney Wedding Ceremony and Music

The ceremony and music should also go with your Disney wedding theme of course! Disney songs should be playing in the background of the whole ceremony along with the reception. I’ll do another post about the perfect Disney wedding song playlist soon. I definitely walked down the aisle to “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty.

Make sure to include Disney love quotes into your ceremony along with classic Walt Disney quotes. We started the wedding ceremony with our officiant saying, “To all who come to this happy place: Welcome.” (The start to Walt’s opening day speech at Disneyland.)

Step 12: Have Fun at your Disney Wedding!

Above all, your Disney themed wedding should be filled with love, laughter, and happy ever after. Make sure to take the fun photos (yes, I am combing my hair with a dinglehopper), hug all the kids, and bring the magic of childhood and wonder to your special day.

Please let me know how your Disney wedding went! I would love to provide consultations or even be your Fairy Godmother wedding planner! Please contact me directly for individual Disney wedding planning or subscribe to my blog for freebies and family travel tips! kat@createcourageadventures.com

Have a magical day!