My Ren Fair Wedding
Last year, Larry and I tied the knot – literally – at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas. We plan to visit again for our anniversary, albeit a little belatedly, but I thought I would post a few photos from the ceremony and reception on my blog today. (I’ll post more photos and explain more about the festival in an upcoming post.)
I have helped plan, decorate, set-up, and clean up for several weddings in my life, and I’ve gotta say: It takes a lot of time, energy and creative effort.
When Larry proposed to me in 2010, I was thrilled, but … I moved to Texas from Washington State, so I had absolutely no idea where to begin when it came to planning our wedding.
It was so easy and fun!
Up in Washington, I knew the hot venues. I knew which caterers could be trusted, which bakeries made tasty cakes, and which florists made pretty bouquets.
Hey, I worked in food service for years, even owned my owned coffeehouse/restauarant. In my spare time I hung out with photographers, cooks and musicians, so up north, I had a clue.
However, here in Texas? I knew nothing!
At the time we were planning our wedding, I didn’t have any local friends who I could ask for advice. All my pals were thousands of miles away. Plus, I was still really anemic and had very little energy. Not exactly what Charlie Sheen would call a winning combo.
Long story short: we decided to get married at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas and it was fabulous. I highly recommend it.
Not only did they have a certified officiant to conduct the ceremony, but they have a fantastic baker who creates magnificent cakes, a great florist, good food, and – best of all – after we were hitched, we goofed around for the rest of the day.
No clean up necessary!
As you can see, I dressed as a purple fairy. I considered many traiditional Medieval maiden outfits, but – this is Texas, y’all! The day we were married, it was in the 90’s and humid, so I’m glad I opted for lighter clothing! I made the headdress, and am especially fond of the little bird because I’m an avid amateur birder.
Larry, my handsome prince, actually made the anvil that you see in the photos. Isn’t that cool? We wrote our own vows, and the cords you see (which we tied during the ceremony) were made by his daughter and me. You can see my husband’s son and daughter in one of the photos here, too. Larry’s daughter even sewed her own dress – his do-it-yourself spirit runs in the family!
So if you’re planning on getting married and you want a convenient, playful, fun experience, consider having a wedding at a Renaissance fair. I’m so glad we did.
Want to stay in touch?
For updates on my offbeat travels, books, & other fun stuff (such as postcards from the road!) subscribe to my newsletter using the form below:
Want to read my books?
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
What an amazing wedding!!! My fiancé is practically obsessed with medieval things and he always jokes about getting married at the Renaissance Festival here in Phoenix LOL Your wedding looks great. Happy belated Anniversary!
Hi Cinta! I highly recommend getting married at a ren fair. I’ve helped with many weddings and this one was the least stressful one ever. Plus, we have a built-in party to return to every year for our anniversary. Not to mention that since your fiancé is so interested in the time period, he is likely to be more involved in the planning than most grooms. I say: Go for it! :D
I absolutely LOVE your photos!! It looks like you guys had a ball and congratulations to you.
btw: You gotta love some of our southern city names like Waxahachie :-)
*holds up glass* – Here’s to many many more years of bliss!!
~Kesha
Hi Kesha,
Glad you enjoyed the photos. I am a total shutterbug, as you can see, and compliments only make me worse! ;p
Waxahachie is a great name, I agree. It’s a Native American term for something like, “cow creek,” if I remember correctly. (Hmmm,,, need to look that up now!)
Thanks for your kind words and your wedding toast! :)
~Tui
OMG however did I miss this. It’s just gorgeous. And you both look so happy. I love every bit of it! It is on our list to go the Scarborough Faire, I’ve heard it is one of the best and if your pictures here and on your other entries show half the story –it is!
Wondrous! just wondrous!
Hi Jyllian,
If you ever go to Scarborough – let me know! We could meet you there. :)
Let’s try for next year!
~Tui
WOW! I love your address, absolutely LOVE your dress! It is a fantastic idea to get married at a Ren Fair. How convenient, memorable and fun. You were a beautiful bride (as you continue and will always be a beautiful woman!)
Congrats and thanks for commenting on my blog via #commenthour!
Hi Julie,
It was a magical day – and like you say – really convenient. We went back for our anniversary this year and actually had time to check out the shows and just play. We have a built in anniversary party to attend every year now!
~Tui
Oh my gracious. This is like a fairy tale – you have pixie wings! Love love! :)
Hi Lydia,
Thank you! It felt like a fairytale, too. Very fun wearing wings, although sometimes I’d forget about my wingspan!
~Tui
Congrats! I love how unique and personalized the event was! You looked beautiful and it looks like everyone had a blast!
Hi Sarah,
It was fun how the guests played along – or not – depending! We had a very fun day, a meaningful ceremony, and no clean up afterwards!
~Tui
Oh how lovely! Getting married on a fairy dress? That was a cute concept. You’re like Tinkerbell in your dress. Congrats!
Hi Georgia,
Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment. It was so much fun to dress up and have a magical day at the fair, where everyone you meet is in character and playing the same fun game.
~Tui
Gonna celebrate our first anniversary there this weekend! :) RT @SweetMJ: This is my kind of party. @srfestival http://t.co/KSD3EPh8
Wow! A fairy themed wedding! Congratulations to the newly weds. Wishing you all the best. :)
Hi Camilia,
Nice to meet you! Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. I will check out your blog, too. Hope to see you here again.
~Tui
I want a party like this but at a rock festival!!!! http://t.co/Hjdcgyow
This is my kind of party. @mentalmosaic http://t.co/Yam93940
What a fun party!!!! Thanks for sharing your pictures.
Hi Michael,
It was super fun – like being a little kid & playing dress up all day long. Only even better, because everyone else around you is playing along with you! :)
~Tui
So awesome. My friends at UCI were married at a ren fair by a friend who is a Unitarian Priest. They did indeed literally
tie the knot, which I really like as a tradition. I am glad you were able to have such an awesome day.
Hi Susan,
We wrote our own vows, which was really nice, personal and meant a lot to us both. I loved tying the knot. It felt right to do something so symbolic. It really was a fun day. :)
~Tui
I love that you were a fairy! I think it makes the wedding even more special when you have fun! My favorite thing at Scarborough Fair is the Mud Pit! Those guys are the best!
Hi Sonia,
We’re going back to Scarborough this weekend to celebrate our first anniversary. It’s like a guaranteed party for us each year, if we want. I’ll check out the Mud Pit for you while we’re there. It should be another fun day – thunderstorms permitting!
~Tui
Congratulations on your wedding! Looks like you had a great day!! Glad you found out about #UBP12 from my blog. Thanks for letting me know. Look forward to perusing your blog.
Hi Stacey,
Nice to meet you. :) We had a very fun wedding day, I must say!
Thanks for alerting me to #UBP12. I still need to swing by the blogs I’ve found there.
Hope to see you here again sometime.
~Tui
Awwwww….such cute pictures! Looks like fun was had by all.
Hi Sheila,
It really was a fun day. We’re going back to the fair this weekend to celebrate our anniversary. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Tui