From a ride in Cinderella 's horse-drawn carriage to a towering cake featuring beloved characters like Mickey Mouse , Disney's wedding packages offer dozens of perks designed to add some fairy-tale magic to your big day.
Below, find out what it's like to plan and have a Disney wedding, according to 11 couples who've actually done it.
Indonesian actress Sandra Dewi and Harvey Moeis got married at the Tokyo Disney Resort in November 2016.
According to a representative for Sandra , the couple first tied the knot in another ceremony a few days before they wed at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Harvey proposed to Sandra on Christmas Day in 2014.
Sandra's close friend, Indonesian television host Daniel Mananta , introduced her to Harvey, and the couple "started to fall in love" one month later, a representative for the actress told INSIDER.
It was a "dream come true" for Sandra when the couple started planning their Disney wedding.
According to Sandra's representative, Harvey knew from the beginning of the couple's relationship that the actress is a "huge Disney fan," and he wanted to "make her feel like a real princess" on their wedding day .
Sandra is also a spokesperson for Disney in Southeast Asia, the representative added, which made the wedding planning process much easier.
According to Sandras representative, the actress chose to wear her own wedding dress instead of a Disney princess wedding dress.
"She [wanted] to appear like a princess but with her own style and own way," the representative said.
Melanie and Greg Flowers got married at Disneyland in October 2017.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
Melanie and Greg , who have been together for six years, met when they worked together in Miami, Florida, but "didn't hit it off right away," the bride told INSIDER.
"It ended up being love at second sight!" Melanie said.
The couple got engaged in Animal Kingdom park at Disney World.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
Greg proposed to Melanie as they walked through the park's Kilimanjaro Safari attraction.
"We stopped at the Boma Platform to see the view of the savanna and he popped the question!" the bride said.
"Disney has been special to me since I was a little girl," Melanie added. "I've always loved princesses. Greg knows how special Disney is to me, which is why he proposed at Disney World."
The engagement was so magical that we decided we wanted a Disney wedding.
Melanie and Greg, who live in Illinois, planned their entire wedding over phone calls, e-mails, and FaceTime sessions.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
"We were sent a box in the mail that had samples of everything we wanted for the wedding and we even had samples for our cake," Melanie said. "It was like a wedding planning session in a box."
"I had to trust my planner because it was long distance," the bride added. "I'm glad I did. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined."
Greg said the "most magical part" of the couples big day was seeing Melanie pull up to the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage and walk up the aisle.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
Melanie told INSIDER that the carriage was a surprise from Greg.
"I can't put into words the feelings of joy, happiness, excitement, and magic [I felt] when I walked outside and saw this horse and carriage that led me to my dad to walk me down the aisle which led me to my new husband," the bride said.
"I couldn't get to [Greg] fast enough," Melanie added. "I wanted to run down the aisle. He looked so handsome and he was smiling so big."
The couples custom wedding cake, made by Disney, was another highlight of their big day.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
Melanie said the caramel corn-flavored cake — inspired by Greg's favorite snack — was the "best thing [the couple] has ever tasted."
"Our wedding exceeded our expectations and was better than anything we could have ever dreamed of," Melanie said.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
The bride added: "It was truly a dream come true!"
Nicole Patouhas and her husband, Mike, got married at the Walt Disney Resort in Orlando, Florida, in December 2017.
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
The couple tied the knot in Disney's "truly magical" Wedding Pavilion , Nicole told INSIDER.
The Victorian-style venue is located at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa near the Magic Kingdom theme park.
The couple got engaged in Cinderellas Castle in Magic Kingdom park.
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
According to Nicole, Mike proposed to her with a ring placed inside a "beautiful glass slipper" while they were surrounded by all her favorite Disney princesses.
He also surprised her by hiring a Disney photographer to capture pictures of the couple and their families outside the castle.
Disney World has played a special role in the couples relationship.
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
Nicole first visited the resort in Florida when she was two years old and "immediately fell in love."
Years later, when she and Mike started dating in middle school, her parents invited him to join the family on their trips to Disney World.
"For both of us, there was never any other place to get married," the bride told INSIDER.
Nicole described the wedding planning process as a "magical extension" of the couples big day.
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
After she and Mike got engaged, Nicole started documenting the couple's wedding plans on Instagram.
"My wedding planner was amazing," Nicole told INSIDER. "I got to spend four amazing days with my mother and sister, alternating going to the parks [at Disney World] and planning my wedding."
She continued: "We got to do a menu tasting, a cake tasting, meet with the florist, the minister, and everyone involved in my wedding."
And, according to Nicole, the only challenges she faced during the wedding planning process were ones that would "come with [planning] any destination wedding."
"I had a few relatives that were unable to make the trip, which was sad," she said.
The bride said her and Mikes wedding "far exceeded [her] expectations."
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"There was not a single moment I was disappointed," Nicole said. "It was all perfect."
The bride said some of her favorite moments from the couple's big day included spending the morning with her bridal party and mom in matching Olaf pajamas; riding to and from the wedding ceremony in Cinderella's Coach, which made her feel like "a total princess"; and dancing with Mike at the reception to "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin."
The couple held their wedding reception in one of the ballrooms at the Grand Floridian resort.
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
According to Disney Weddings , the ballrooms at the Grand Floridian feature Victorian-style design elements as well as modern touches.
"The ballroom looked like a sparkling winter wonderland straight out of Frozen," Nicole said.
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
According to the bride, another highlight of the couple's wedding was the food at their reception.
"My guests were treated to an amazing meal," Nicole said. "And for dessert we had a variety of Greek cookies, wedding cake, and Mickey ice cream bars."
The couples wedding cake featured six tiers and was topped with a model of the castle from "Cinderella."
Stephanie Caldwell/Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
It was decorated with white fondant, white frosting flowers, and rhinestone ribbons.
Morgan and Josh Christ got married at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in November 2017.
Rocco Zoccoli/Occo Photography
The couple wanted a "small, intimate wedding with our immediate family and closest friends," Morgan told INSIDER.
For their ceremony, the bride wore a gown with off-the-shoulder straps and custom shoes. Her hair and makeup were done by Autumn Skibinski .
The couples engagement was also "full of Disney details."
Rocco Zoccoli/Occo Photography
Morgan and Josh, who met on a dating site and bonded over their mutual love of board games, usedpictures from a "miniature engagement shoot" with Disneyland's PhotoPass photographers to announce their engagement.
And the couple's Save the Date cards were magnets that looked like Disneyland's "old paper FastPasses."
Morgan said she and Josh were surprised by how affordable Disneys packages for small weddings are.
Rocco Zoccoli/Occo Photography
At the time of the couple's engagement, they were living in Los Angeles and "familiar with the outstanding customer service and attention to detail that Disney always provides," Morgan said.
"We originally started looking into Disney weddings as a pie-in-the-sky dream," the bride added. "But when we saw how affordable the small packages from Disney were, especially compared to other venues we had considered in Los Angeles, it went very rapidly from dream to no-brainer."
Their planning process was "incredibly easy."
Rocco Zoccoli/Occo Photography
"They have some amazing people working magic to deliver on every detail," Morgan said.
The couple ended up choosing Disney's Escape package , which is designed for smaller weddings.
According to Morgan, she and Josh only had to make a few choices about details like their floral arrangements and reception menu.
Rocco Zoccoli/Occo Photography
To guide their decisions, the couple picked Disney's 1973 animated classic, "Robin Hood," as a theme, which influenced everything from their invitation design to their wedding favors and cake topper.
Morgan and Josh, who is a scene designer , also constructed their own "woodland bower" with fairy lights, which acted as the centerpieces at their wedding reception.
The couple trusted their Disney wedding planners, Sue Romano and Marcia Totten, with "everything else."
Rocco Zoccoli/Occo Photography
"Disney was incredible at helping us accommodate all of the little things, including a couple food allergies on the guest list," Morgan said.
The bride said she also worked with her wedding planners to surprise Josh with custom Mickey Mouse-shaped macaroons during their reception.
And Josh "went completely above and beyond" to surprise Morgan with a small Winnie the Pooh plush toy during their wedding ceremony.
The toy, which was wearing the couple's wedding rings on its paws, replaced "a childhood heirloom" from the bride's late mom, who she lost the year before.
"We were both tearful messes over that moment," the bride said.
Thanks to their wedding planners, Morgan and Josh even got to see a secret part of Disneyland.
Courtesy of Morgan Christ
The bride told INSIDER that she and her husband invited all their guests to Disneyland the day after their wedding to continue celebrating their nuptials.
"Our wedding planner was able to arrange a ride for us and our families on the Lilly Belle on our parks day, which is a piece of Disney magic and history that I never thought would be possible," Morgan said.
According to a blog post by Disney Parks, the Lilly Belle is a train that Walt Disney began building in 1948 and named after his wife, Lillian Disney.
According to the bride, there were very few "Disney-specific" challenges she and Josh faced while planning their wedding.
Courtesy of Morgan Christ
One of the hardest parts of the process was deciding who to invite to their reception at Disneyland.
Disney's Escape package is "limited to 20 people," Morgan explained. "The happy couple and up to 18 guests."
"[Josh and I] both come from large extended families, but as we were living in Los Angeles at the time, we knew many of [our family members] wouldn't be able to attend," the bride continued.
"We opted to just invite our immediate families and close friends, and have a party closer to our families after the [reception]."
Chris Dancy and Fernando Albarran got married on Groundhog Day in February 2018.
Michael Vu/Disney Fine Art Photography
The grooms, who met on a dating app, were in a long-distance relationship for four months before moving in together.
Michael Vu/Disney Fine Art Photography
"I actually asked [Fernando] to marry me the day we met, because when we kissed the first time fireworks went off," Chris said.
Chris said the couples Disney wedding planners organized everything.
Michael Vu/Disney Fine Art Photography
Disney took care of travel, lodging, and more for the grooms and their guests.
One highlight of their Disney World wedding was the parks fireworks display at the end of the day.
Michael Vu/Disney Fine Art Photography
"The fireworks were magical as our entire family got to be together and reflect on a day of getting married, riding rides, and being together," Chris said.
Chris and Fernando also loved taking photos alone in Disney World before dawn on their wedding day.
Michael Vu/Disney Fine Art Photography
"We really enjoyed getting to pose inside The Haunted Mansion," Chris said. "My husband and I are big fans of ghoulish things."
Jodi and Saurabh Sethi got married at Disney World in December 2014.
Cricket Whitman/Disney Fine Art Photography
Jodi wore a short-sleeved lace dress by Theia Bridal during their ceremony.
The couple, who live in Canada, had visited Disney World twice, and Disneyland once, before they got engaged.
Cricket Whitman/Disney Fine Art Photography
Originally, Saurabh was "never big on anything Disney," Jodi told INSIDER, but he "went along" with her vacation plans since he knew she was a huge Disney fan.
According to Jodi, during the couple's first trip to Disney World, it took Saurabh "about five minutes of being in the park to light up" and get "hooked."
Jodi and Saurabh loved having a "small, intimate, and fun" wedding.
Cricket Whitman/Disney Fine Art Photography
The couple had a "traditional Hindu wedding ceremony complete with sitting around a fire on the ground," Jodi said.
"We are a Catholic/Hindu couple, so we wanted to do something special," the bride added. "We had a Hindu priest perform the ceremony. Many traditions that we would normally have done at home were done at Disney."
Their wedding planning process was surprisingly "stress-free" and "exciting."
Cricket Whitman/Disney Fine Art Photography
"Our initial consultation went amazing," Jodi said. "Our wedding planner was so helpful."
The bride continued: "There were many online brochures, photos, and websites. Any questions we had were responded to right away."
Six months before their wedding, Jodi and Saurabh visited Disney World for an in-person planning session.
"We had the opportunity to do a cake tasting and menu tasting inside the Epcot kitchen," Jodi said. "You never dream of going behind the scenes at Disney World, so that was extra special!"
Jodi said Disneys staff made "everything feel so magical."
Cricket Whitman/Disney Fine Art Photography
According to Jodi, Disney's staff ensured that everything "was going perfectly" on the couple's big day. The staff also threw in "small gestures and surprises" when she and Saurabh least expected them.
One major highlight of the couples wedding day was their outdoor reception along the water.
Courtesy of Jodi Bourdage
The couple also enjoyed arriving at Disney World on their wedding day before the park filled up with tourists.
"It was peaceful," Jodi said. "Seeing all the details in the venue that you wouldn't normally notice because of the crowds."
Brianna and Demetrios got married at Disney World in June 2017.
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
The two wed at Sea Breeze Point at Disney's BoardWalk Resort, which overlooks Crescent Lake and Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.
"The ceremony venue was beautiful," Brianna told INSIDER. "Boats were floating back and forth in the background the whole time and I kept thinking, 'Wow, I can't believe I'm actually getting married here!'"
The bride added: "It may sound cliché, but Disney really is magical. Throughout [our wedding] day, Disney guests and cast members were cheering and congratulating us like we were all one big family."
Demetrios proposed to Brianna on their first trip to Disney World together.
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"He surprised me with a trip to Disney World and proposed by Cinderella's wishing well near Cinderella's Castle at midnight," the bride said.
"It was really special to experience that moment in a place so dear to me," she continued.
The couple has been together for almost a decade.
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
In 2009, Brianna and Demetrios attended the same youth conference in Washington, D.C., to see the first presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.
Both 16 at the time, the pair met outside a tour bus and "hit it off instantly," Brianna told INSIDER.
The couple, who dated long distance over the course of high school and college, now live together in Washington, D.C. — nearly 10 years after they first met in the city.
Brianna said deciding to get married at Disney World was "far from easy" — even for a huge Disney fan like herself.
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"My family has visited Disney World every year at least once since 1995, and we have made so many amazing memories there," the bride told INSIDER. "But I was honestly worried that our guests from all over the country wouldn't be interested in traveling to attend a Disney wedding."
Ultimately, the couple ended up having almost 80 people attend their destination wedding, which was over 90% of their guest list.
"Disney World won our hearts because we knew we wanted a wedding weekend with a distinct family reunion feel to it and there is no better place to make memories with the people you love than Disney!" Brianna said.
The couple faced several challenges while planning their wedding, but the overall process was "fabulous."
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"Like with any destination wedding, there were several logistical details we had to work out," the bride told INSIDER.
According to Brianna, finding lodging for the couple's guests was the most "time-consuming" part of the wedding planning process.
"Disney's room block system is pretty complicated because there are so many resorts to choose from," she explained. "We wanted to give our guests various options [...] but you have to kind of estimate how long each guest will be staying and where they will want to stay."
"Luckily it all worked out and the rooms were perfect," she said.
Brianna said the best part about planning a Disney wedding is that you dont have to find your own vendors — although youre welcome to.
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"Our wedding planner, Kristie, pulled out all the stops and was there nearly every second of the wedding to make sure everything went as planned," the bride said.
After choosing Disney's fully customizable "Wishes" package, the couple flew to Orlando for an in-person planning session.
That day, the two were driven to a "backstage kitchen" in Epcot where they tried all their reception food; met Disney chefs; got a private tour of their reception venue, the Living Seas Salon in Epcot; and picked out outfits for Mickey and Minnie Mouse to wear to their reception.
According to the bride, Disneys cast members went out of their way to make the couple feel "valued."
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"I had no idea how much staff was going to be involved in our wedding and reception," Brianna said. "We were constantly surrounded by assistants and servers to make sure our guests were having a good time."
Disney's photography team was also "amazing," the bride added. "Our photographer Ali Nasser [took] breathtaking photos."
According to Brianna, Nasser showed up to the couple's Magic Kingdom portrait session at 4 a.m., even though he had a "terrible cold" because he "didn't want to let [them] down."
The couples reception featured several unique surprises.
Ali Nasser/Disney Fine Art Photography
"Our reception was in the Living Seas Salon which is surrounded by aquarium tanks," the bride told INSIDER. "We knew we would see fish, but we had no idea there would be scuba divers waving to us through the tank windows!"
The couple also didn't tell any of their guests that they were inviting Mickey and Minnie Mouse to their wedding.
"It was amazing to see the looks on everyone's faces — especially the adults! — when [Mickey and Minnie] came out during our cake cutting," Brianna said.
Wayne and Heather Mingin got married at Disney World in August 2011.
Courtesy of Heather Mingin/Sandra Zimmerman/Melissa Bonham
The bride met her husband while they were both teaching in a public school district in New Jersey.
"We had a mutual friend at the school who helped us connect," Heather told INSIDER.
The couples first vacation together was to Disney World.
Courtesy of Heather Mingin/Sandra Zimmerman/Melissa Bonham
A longtime Disney fan, Heather grew up with Disney Channel shows like "Rescue Rangers" and "DuckTales."
During her and Wayne's first trip to Disney World, the bride said Disney cast members "went above and beyond" to help her feel better when she got sick with the stomach bug.
"There is something magical about the high-quality customer service the Disney company provides," she said. "So, when my husband and I decided on a destination wedding, a Disney World wedding was our top choice."
Heather continued: "As I researched Disney weddings, I realized that it was feasible because [the company] offers packages for different price ranges."
Their wedding planning process was "easy" and "hassle-free."
Courtesy of Heather Mingin/Sandra Zimmerman/Melissa Bonham
According to the bride, Disney assigned the couple a wedding planner who sent them options for flowers, cakes, officiants, musicians, beauticians, "everything you would need for a reception," and more.
Everything was also "customizable to fit [the couple's] wishes," including limos, photographers, and videographers.
Heather also loved that their planner included her 5-year-old son, Daniel, in the wedding planning process.
"[Daniel] could view the options and select his favorite," the bride said. "He selected the entire wedding cake without any assistance from Wayne or myself."
The couples first dance was to "Once Upon a Dream" from Disneys 1959 film, "Sleeping Beauty."
Courtesy of Heather Mingin/Sandra Zimmerman/Melissa Bonham
The bride said it was also "really neat that other guests at the resort were eager to congratulate us."
"Everyone was so helpful, everything ran so smoothly, and the cast members showed genuine happiness for us," she added. "Disney World really is the 'happiest place on Earth.'"
Mindy Marzec and Tim got married at Disneyland in May 2012.
Mindy and Tim, who met in 2005 in the audience of a comedy show in Los Angeles, documented their wedding planning process on a blog called This Fairy Tale Life .
Now, Mindy runs a crowd-sourced site called Married at Disneyland , which helps future brides, grooms, and their families find information about Disneyland weddings.
The couple got engaged in the "snowfall" at Disneyland in November 2010.
Tim proposed with a pink rhinestone Mickey Mouse-shaped ring as a placeholder, so the couple could go shopping together for a real engagement ring.
"He knew that would be the perfect time to pop the question," Mindy told INSIDER. "As a California girl, I've always found the Christmas fireworks show and snowfall [at Disneyland] so magical."
Getting married at Disneyland has been a longtime "fantasy" for Mindy.
Growing up, the bride visited the resort once a year with her family and had a huge map of Disneyland on her bedroom wall.
"[Disneyland] is a special place, a place full of happy memories, a place where I feel carefree and without troubles," Mindy said. "I wanted to be surrounded by that magical feeling you can only get at a Disney park."
"My husband simply wanted a fun party with all of our family and friends," the bride added. "Disneyland was able to give us everything we wanted for a wedding."
The bride said planning their wedding was "easy" since Disney "can literally handle everything for you."
The biggest challenge the couple faced was sticking to their budget. While they were tempted to select all the "amazing add-ons" Disney offers, they did not want to spend "above their means" or "take on any kind of debt."
They also had a tough time narrowing down their guest list.
"We had a budget for 60 guests and after inviting both of our families, we had limited space for friends," Mindy said. "Trying to decide who would get those seats was a bit anxiety-inducing. But in the end, it all worked out."
The couple surprised their guests by inviting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck to their reception.
"Our guests went wild!" Mindy said. "We kept it a total surprise, even from our parents."
According to the bride, the food at their wedding reception was also "incredible."
"A lot of couples forget to eat at their wedding, but if you have a Disney wedding you must eat your food," she added. "Disney food is top quality, and the chefs work really hard to make sure you have a meal that you love. And they happily work with dietary restrictions."
Amad and Heather Abdullah got married at Disney World in October 2018.
Jaime Rivera/Disney Fine Art Photography
Amad and Heather met in high school when they were both 17. The couple, who have two children together, created a tech startup that was featured on CBC's "Dragons' Den", the Canadian version of ABC's "Shark Tank."
The couple also got engaged at Disney World.
Jaime Rivera/Disney Fine Art Photography
Amad proposed to Heather in October 2015 while watching the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor comedy show.
Amad said he and Heather chose to have a Disney wedding to bring together two things they love: their families and Disney.
Jaime Rivera/Disney Fine Art Photography
"The highlight of our wedding trip was enjoying the park together as a family," the groom told INSIDER.
"Our photo session was also very interesting as we were taken behind the scenes at Animal Kingdom park," he added. "We had so much fun walking around the empty park at sunset and enjoying the views."
The couple found it hard to book local hair and makeup companies for their wedding photo session.
Jaime Rivera/Disney Fine Art Photography
"It was difficult to find a company that would come to the Disney resort at 3 a.m. [for the photo shoot]," Amad said.
Adam and Ted got married at Disneyland in October 2017.
Dina Douglass/Andrena Photography
"We had a unique black-tie wedding that was held over the weekend of Gay Days Anaheim," the couple told INSIDER.
The two tied the knot in the Rose Court Garden at the Disneyland Hotel.
The couple had a black-tie reception in the Sequoia Ballroom at Disneys Grand Californian Hotel.
Dina Douglass/Andrena Photography
Diogo and Erica Albuquerque got married at Disneyland in June 2018.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
Erica said the couple started researching Disney weddings after coming across the Rose Court Garden during a trip to Disneyland.
The garden, which would end up being the venue for the couple's wedding ceremony, was "just so beautiful and magical looking," the bride told INSIDER.
Disney has played a special role in the couples relationship.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
"We celebrated the beginning of our relationship at Disneyland and then got engaged on our anniversary in Hawaii at Disney's Aulani resort," Erica told INSIDER.
She continued: "There was no better place for us to have our wedding than at Disneyland."
Erica and Diogo chose a mixed theme of "Cinderella" and "Beauty and the Beast" for their big day.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
"Every single part of our ceremony and reception was just so magical that it felt as if we were in a movie," the bride said. "Everything from the music choices to the floral arrangements to the decor was just so breathtaking."
Erica said the most "memorable" moment of the couple's special day was riding together around Disneyland in Cinderella's Coach after their ceremony.
Erica said the staff at Disneys Fairytale Weddings are like real-life "fairy godmothers."
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
"Our planning process for our Disney wedding was honestly an absolute dream," the bride said. "Any idea you have and want, Disney just helps to make that come to life."
"To see all of your dreams come to life before your eyes is truly the biggest blessing," the bride said.
Jenna Henderson/White Rabbit Photo Boutique
"The food was amazing, the cake was amazing, the staff, the venues, just everything," Erica said. "[Our wedding] was absolutely perfect and definitely worth every penny and amount of work that was put into it."
Did you get married at a Disney resort? We would love to hear from you. Reach us at lyang@insider.com.
