7 Things That Will Definitely Surprise You About Having a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding

If you've ever wondered what it's like to have a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, prepare to be blown away. After chatting with Korri McFann, marketing director at Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, and a Disney bride who experienced the magic firsthand, I'll admit that I'm now considering having a DFTW myself. From the unexpectedly reasonable pricing to the stress-free planning process, I now completely understand why couples choose to tie the knot with Disney. See below for seven surprising things about having a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding.

Your initial thought about having a Fairy Tale Wedding may be that it's outside of your price range, but Disney really caters to all budgets. Its Memories Collection starts at $3,500 for an intimate ceremony, while the Wishes Collection runs a minimum of $12,000. Considering that the average cost of a US wedding is around $30,000, Disney's prices are definitely in line with the industry standard.

One thing I've heard time and time again from Disney brides is how painless the entire planning process is. What Disney likes to call its "Be Our Guest" strategy allows couples to enjoy their special day alongside their family and friends while the professionals take care of the rest.

Michelle Lu, whose Halloween Disneyland wedding we've previously featured, also shared how having a Disney wedding planner took the usual stresses of wedding planning away. "Our planner, Michiel, was amazing; she was knowledgeable and was always willing to answer our questions quickly," Michelle told POPSUGAR. "Disney does a great job in being a one-stop shop with wedding planning — they have amazing chefs and bakers, a floral team, musicians, DJs, etc. Disney made it extremely easy to plan a wedding because we never had to worry about lack of customer service or quality."

Though most couples come to Disney's Fairy Tale Wedding about a year out from their date, your planner can work on almost any timeline. "We are happy to help couples weeks away from their wedding or months away from their wedding — depending on how big or how small they're looking to do — but certainly we have the expertise to turn things around pretty quickly here," Korri told POPSUGAR.

It is Disney, after all. Your options for entertainment (including fireworks and the World of Color show) and transportation (arrive in Cinderella's coach if you'd like) are only just the beginning. Disney truly goes above and beyond to bring all your wishes to life, including things it's never done before. Whether you want to have a churro-flavored Beast-inspired wedding cake, rent out your favorite attraction, or say "I do" at the Taoist Temple of Heaven replica at Epcot, Disney will do its best to bring your personal fairy tale come to life.

When asking Korri if there's anything Disney Weddings can't do, I learned that the sky is the limit. "As long as it's safe and we can deliver on it as a brand, we're certainly open to hearing about it or trying to help figure out a way to make that happen."

What surprised Michelle the most about planning a DFTW was the number of options they had, from custom aisle runners to cake choices. "Disney does a fantastic job about making sure that your event is tailored exclusively to your vision," she said. "You can make the wedding as Disney or as non-Disney as you want, and they have been able to capture both beautifully. Another surprising aspect is that the food they serve at weddings is so good. You will be dreaming about your wedding cake!"

Despite the fairy-tale aspect of Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, you're really encouraged to push the limits and design a wedding that's true to who you are as a couple. Michelle explained how she and her husband, Brian, felt as though they were able to personalize their wedding even more by going with Disney. The couple incorporated their relationship milestones by customizing Fast Pass escort cards, for example, and even included special decor to commemorate the bride's late mother. Korri shared with us how in one of the most recent weddings, Disney was able to customize hockey sticks with a couple's names to celebrate their love story (which started in the rink).

Although some of the most popular venue locations include Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Aulani (Disney's resort and spa in Hawaii), couples also have the option to tie the knot on a Disney cruise or at any of its international destinations. Since Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings is a global brand, there are local wedding teams at every destination from Shanghai Disney to Disneyland Paris.

Of course most couples want to pay tribute to their passion for Disney, but surprisingly, many come to DFTW for its outstanding service. The fact that it can eliminate most of the stress of wedding planning is enough to hook potential clients.

"I think one of our misconceptions is that we only serve a die-hard Disney fan, and although they certainly have arrived at the right place, a lot of couples are choosing us because of our service, our one-stop shopping, our wedding planner, our venues, and they really want their destination-wedding guests to have a wonderful time that's reflective of a vacation, as well," Korri told us. "We check a lot of boxes for couples."

To explore your wedding options (even just for fun), the Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings site has great online tools to help you map out your dream wedding. If you want to make sure a DFTW is right for you, you can speak with a Disney Wedding consultant without any commitments and then get paired with a wedding planner if you choose to proceed.

And as for what Michelle has to say to other brides thinking about having their own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding?

"Go for it! Disney does such a great job with taking care of you on the day of your wedding and throughout the wedding planning process. Our guests still talk about our wedding! A lot of people get scared that because of the name Disney the event is going to look childish or be very expensive, but the truth is that they really can work with all sorts of budgets and the event can be as elegant as you would like it to be. We are so happy with how our wedding turned out and cannot recommend them enough!"