Happily ever after

In the newest development in over-the-top wedding ceremonies, a designer named Kirstie Kelly unveiled a new line of dresses inspired by Disney princesses. The dresses are not costumes, as some people in my editing class though as Laura and I oogled over the site. They are full-fledged formal and gorgeous dresses that were inspired by Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Jasmine, Ariel, and Belle. For example, one of the 5 dresses in the Belle collection is very similar to the yellow dress the character wears at the climax of the movie. Dresses in the Cinderella and Snow White collections are much more traditional (full skirts, corsetts, etc.) while the Ariel collection features slinky and more provocative cuts.

When I first was shown the collection, I couldn't stop drooling over the exquisite gowns. But let's face it, I drool over any fabulous dress, bridal or otherwise. And as the class went on, more and more people realized that this was a much more interesting conversation than whatever we were supposed to be learning about (I think it was infobox day, so really no competition.) And we got to thinking, what kind of message are you sending when you "dress" up like a fictional character, especially one that carries as much weight as a prominent Disney figure in the lives of almost every girl. Both consciously and not, we remember the images of our childhood as our examples of womanhood and definitions of romance.

No matter how much I say that I recognize that Prince Charming is unrealistic and "happily ever after" doesn't have to manifest itself in a white carriage and field of roses, we hope that, someday, it will. I'm not saying this out of any particular bitterness, as I'm sure it comes off, but just in the recognition that for many girls, these are serious expectations. As much as I love Ariel and the gang, I wouldn't want their life. So what does it say if one of the most significant dresses I'll ever choose is directly influenced by those characters?

And then there's the issue of your actual Prince Charming. I would think that a dress like this, or the motivation behind the dress, puts unnecessary and unfair pressure on the groom. Because honestly, you should think whoever you marry could kick the crap out of Eric or Aladdin (though it would take a real bad-ass to beat Aladdin, he's legit.)

And for my final argument, no one needs to spend that much money on something you'll wear for one day. It's not worth it.

http://www.disneybridal.com/collections/cn/bridal/cn1.html