They stood close together in the lobby of the hotel, her tiny body a stark contrast to his tall athletic frame. They stood alone, immersed in conversation, she in her ethereal wedding dress, he in an elegant suit that set off his dark good looks. The rest of the wedding party stood apart, allowing them their time together – but I, a stranger in the land, was curious about this young couple who had just married at Disneyland and approached them to ask if they would talk to me about their wedding – at a later date of course!

We emailed back and forth, and Jess and Dave’s story emerged – a love story with a Disney theme.

As a practising (and practised) cynic, my work colleagues were stunned when I returned from Disneyland having had an absolutely wonderful time in the few short days I had there. Talking to Jess in particular, it was easy to see the reasons for her attachment to the park – it was part of her girlhood, a place where she was comfortable and familiar, a place of happy memories – what could be more appropriate than to link her hopes for the future with her happiness of the past?

Why did you choose Disneyland as the venue for your wedding?

Jess says “I grew up in California and had season passes to Disneyland from the time I was old enough to get one. We went ALL the time. I jokingly say that I
‘grew up’ there. I found out that they did weddings when I was a little girl and had always dreamed of having my wedding there. When I told Dave, he wanted nothing else but to make my dream come true.”

Did you include any Disney themes in the wedding or the reception?

“Our overall theme was Beauty and the Beast so we decorated everything with red roses and our reception venue had a chandelier which was beautiful, but we didn’t do too much. We had Disney music for the reception and Dave and I danced to Beauty and the Beast for our first dance. We also used Cinderella’s Glass Coach during the ceremony.”

When and how did you meet?

Jess says “We met through my best friend who was dating Dave at the time. After they broke up my friend jokingly gave me permission to date Dave and six months later we got together.”

How was the proposal made?

Dave says “I proposed. I took Jess to her favourite restaurant with two of our friends on the pretence that it was one of their birthdays. They both had to leave the table for various reasons (false of course) and I got down on one knee with a miniature Disneyland Castle box and inside was the ring.”

Did you choose the ring together?

Jess says “I told Dave the design that I liked (heart cut with two teardrops on either side so it looked like a flower) and mentioned that the teardrops might look cute with colour but I liked them as diamonds too. He then chose the ring and the teardrops are sapphires.”

When did you get engaged?

“March 25, 2006 and we got married on June 9th, 2007”

Given that you live in Littleton, Colorado, was the wedding easy to organise long distance with the Disney people? How did they help you?

Dave says “The wedding was very easy to organise. The Disney wedding planners sent us a planning sheet to help us get an idea of what we wanted and then when we were out there on vacation (some of Jess’ family lives in California) we visited and had a session with them, (though it’s possible to do it over the phone as well). We went over everything in about two hours and 90% of the wedding was planned. They also gave us preferred vendors so that we could find a photographer and videographer for the wedding as well as someone for Jess’s hair and make-up.

What is your favourite memory of the day?

Jess says “Riding in the coach with my new husband near Downtown Disney and waving to all the little girls. Dave laughed at me and told me I really was a princess, and with my own little fans waving back. I really did feel like a princess for the day!”

Dave says “When Jessica stepped out of the carriage and started walking down the aisle. I almost fell over backwards because she was so beautiful!”

Jess says “Another special touch at the wedding was that my mom used rhinestones to spell out in cursive “Happily Ever After” on our aisle runner! They fell on each of the steps up to the gazebo.”

Were there any funny moments during the day?

Jess says “When Mia (our flower girl) fell asleep during the reception. She curled up on the floor with her blankie and went to sleep!”

Dave says “The groomsmen playing cards in the dressing room before the ceremony.”

We wish them “Happy ever after”

Text Margaret McGuire

Getting married in DisneyLand Practicalities To marry at Disneyland you will need a marriage licence, so we asked the wedding planners at Disneyland about the legalities. Is there a minimum time of residence to get married in California? No, there is no minimum time of residence required to get married in California. Is there a time period of the licence (eg has to be issued a week, a day, a month, prior to the wedding?) The licence can be issued up to 90 days before the wedding and the Orange County Court’s offi ce hours are 8.00 am to 4.30 pm. Monday through Friday. They are closed on all major holidays. Can the licence be applied for from Australia, and if so, how? No, you must apply for the licence in person. Does Disney organise a celebrant, or priest of the couple’s preferred denomination? Disney is happy to organise a non-denominational officiate. However, the couple can also choose to provide their own offi ciate if they have a preferred one. As you would expect, the very efficient people at Disneyland have got the business of organising weddings and receptions down to a fine art - in fact, they have a team of wedding consultants to plan your day, just as they helped Jess and Dave. It is possible to have your wedding in the grounds of the on-site hotels at Disneyland, or if you are a real Disney tragic, imagine celebrating your nuptials at Disney’s California Adventure Park or Disneyland Park where you can choose from locations such as Sleeping Beauty Castle, or ‘It’s a Small World’ Mall. You can have Disney characters at your reception, mingling with your guests, or even helping to cut the cake. For more information log on to www.disneylandwedding.com

 

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