I believe in (Disney) magic

Though I promised in my last post that I'd try to be a grown-up for the wedding, it's very hard since I've been a Disney kid forever. My brother and I grew up amassing the signature VHS clamshell cases and replaying our favorites until the poor tapes would actually start to jump.

 If a Disney movie's on, I'll be up front like Lucky of "101 Dalmatians."
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(Now that I'm older, my feminist tendencies sometime impede my love for the princess films. I'm not one to silence myself to get a guy or get married because a law says so. And this social commentary is a bit disturbing but has a point. Then I remember that these ARE stories, and the warm fuzzies of childhood glee return. Anyways...)

Disney has a hold on all things sentimental movie-wise, so it was no surprise when I found myself back in the day beside my pal Christina (hi!) checking out the Kirstie Kelly for Disney line of wedding gowns in our high-school library. Each design is inspired by a different Disney princess, and I love this one based on my headstrong, bookwormy pal Belle.

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And logically, Disney gets in on the location game, offering weddings and honeymoons at Disneyland, Disney World and even on its cruises. Don't worry, this was totally nixed by both of us. Surprised? I honestly think that would be overkill, especially being around crowds on your big day.

Besides the obvious, there are ways to integrate some Disney magic into the wedding experience without going hokey or over the top. Case in point: A few days ago, The Wedding Chicks featured a gorgeously adorable engagement photo session by Wildflowers Photography inspired by the Disney and Pixar hit "Up."

I'm not usually a fan of themed photo shoots, but this one is too cute! Fitting for such a moving film.

From the screen...

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... to reality!

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Check out the rest of the shoot here (complete with grape soda!). For those that have seen the movie, aren't these photos perfection? For those who haven't, get on that!

Are you a Disney fan? Would you be a little weirded out by a full-on Disney wedding?

A 'Twilight' inspired wedding

After a hellish week at work, tonight I rewarded myself by watching "New Moon," the latest movie in the "Twilight" series.* Instead of angsty details, I'll show you a grownup way to give a nod to the romantic saga.

One of my favorite wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty, gave readers a Valentine's treat last month, posting a "Twilight"-inspired photo shoot, which included the picture below as a play on the first book's cover.

How cool is that as a placecard?! (source)

The original post features many more photos of the ethereal, woodsy decor and a detailed explanation from the event planners. I like how all the vendors took key features of the series (the woods, the fancy script handwriting, the apple, etc.) and made them fit together for an event in a pretty yet practical way. Who knew you could carve an apple into a votive holder? (And I would totally nab one of the Team Edward pins!)

And yes, the teen vampire series has even more of a presence in the wedding world: Last year, a Weddingbee blogger wrote a post about sketches InStyle sought from world-famous dress designers on a certain someone's wedding dress!

Oh, if only Robert Pattinson could attend our wedding ... I kid! :)

* Yes, I have read all the books after stalking them at the library. Yes, I raced through them like they were "Harry Potter" material and thoroughly enjoyed them ("New Moon," not so much). And yes, I understand that to some, this makes me a bit of a loser. But I don't care. :P

Mambo! This is how Sharon makes me feel after our morning goodbye

Ha ha! Now, this ain't like the bullshit they teach you in school... you know, stuff you ain't never going to need. This is something really important. I'm going to teach you...to mambo!

A scene from one of my favorite movies all time, "My Family." I especially like how the little kid gets pulled away from the group by his mother, only to join in the fun from his window. Once you mambo, you just can't stop!

Growing out of 'Father of the Bride'

I've always been obsessed with wedding movies, and once I got engaged, I moved the 1991 version of "Father of the Bride" (starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton) to the top of my Netflix queue though I've seen it plenty. It's one of the first DVDs my family bought, and I'd watch it practically every time I was home from college in Chico or work in Arizona.

I persuaded Greg to watch it with me last night, and as I heard his questions about only brides' families paying, Annie Banks' dress with sleeves down to her wrists, the seemingly short five-month engagement and crazy Franck the wedding coordinator (played by Martin Short, and my fave character), I realized I'd grown out of the magic that the movie once sparked.

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I got slightly irritated when Annie and her mother wouldn't even think of considering George's idea of holding the reception at a restaurant (though I wouldn't be thrilled with the Steak Pit, either, personally). The formal church wedding decorated with lush florals and candelabras stirred up only thoughts of how much the florist bill would be (lots) and if it was sustainable to cut all that greenery for only minutes of display (not in my mind). Greg even paused the movie to ask me if $1,200 was really what a wedding cake costs and I said, "Yeah, it happens, but probably not with us."

I got a little sadder as I repeated this to other questions. This movie used to be my wedding bible, a little girl's fantasy of a time when we didn't know what $250 a head meant. The power of this film permeated my subconscious: I realize now that my dream home in a San Francisco neighborhood close to where my parents live now is almost a twin of the home in Pasadena where the movie was filmed.

 

The home in the movie (source) and my dream mansion (screenshot from Google Maps)

While I'm not disappointed in leaving the traditional, formal, dated wedding vision behind, it's really hitting me that our wedding is going to be a big deal — a very personalized expression of our love for each other and our families — something that'll stick with us forever. This is a great revelation to have so early in the planning process so as to not lose perspective.

As with planning a wedding (and a marriage), you can't lose sight of what's important. Sure, this movie was full of sparkles, spending and swans, but what I'll really treasure it as is something that brought my family together, repeating our favorite George and Franck lines and constantly rewinding the supermarket hot dog scene. :)