The classic story of Cinderella has been told throughout the centuries in different parts of the world.  The lead character has been known by various names and the settings or the situations may vary from one story to the next but the basic plot is usually about a young girl who finds herself in difficult circumstances beyond her control which she valiantly overcomes.  At the end of the post, there will be a section with wedding ideas inspired by the classic fairytale.

The first known version of the Cinderella story was written in 1697 and it is the French story of Cendrillon written by Charles Perrault.  Cendrillon introduced such plot elements as the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage and the glass slippers. The story starts when a widower with a small daughter marries a woman with two daughters.  The widower’s daughter is forced to work from dawn to dusk performing menial chores for the household and often falls asleep by the fireplace in an effort to stay warm.  She frequently wakes covered in cinders and her stepsisters taunt her with the name of Cendrillon.  Sadly, her father is completely unaware of the abuse and cruelty.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen are planning on having a ball to introduce their son, the Prince, to eligible young women in the hopes that he will find a wife.  On the night of the ball, the stepsisters leave dressed in their finest gowns, Cendrillon was told that servants are not invited and was required to stay home.  After they depart, Cendrillon starts to cry and suddenly her magical fairy godmother appears to transform Cendrillon’s rags into a beautiful gown and turns a pumpkin from the garden into a grand golden carriage with several mice turned into horses to pull the carriage.  The final touch is a lovely pair of glass slippers to cover her bare feet but the fairy godmother warns her that Cendrillon needs to return before midnight because that is when the spell will be broken and everything will return to its original state.

Cendrillon arrives at the ball and the Prince soon becomes enchanted.  They dance together and quickly begin to fall in love.  But before the stroke of midnight Cendrillon suddenly leaves the ball and in her haste she loses one of her shoes.  The Prince tries to follow but Cendrillon has vanished and all that remains is one of her glass slippers.

The Prince vows to find the girl who lost her shoe but won his heart!  He sets out and in his quest he travels across the countryside stopping to have all the unmarried women try on the shoe.  When he appears at the home of Cendrillon, the stepsisters try on the shoe, but of course it doesn’t fit them.  When it is Cendrillon’s turn the shoe it fits perfectly.  The story ends happily with the Prince marrying Cendrillon.

Little girls love the Cinderella story, regardless of whether it is in a book or film format, and at some point they will inevitably dream about the possibility of finding their own “Prince Charming”.  The versions of the Cinderella story that my generation fondly remember are the 1950 Disney animated movie, the 1957 Rogers and Hammerstein television musical starring Julie Andrews and the remake that was televised in 1965 starring Leslie Ann Warren.  Over time there have been more modern interpretations, such as “Ever After” starring Drew Barrymore, “A Cinderella Story” starring Hillary Duff and “Another Cinderella Story” starring Selena Gomez.  Most recently, in 2015 Disney released a live action “Cinderella” movie starring Lily James.

Special Note: For more information regarding the movie costumes from “Ever After”, please click on the link

Wedding ideas inspired by the Cinderella fairytale

It is possible to add elegant and opulent elements of the classic fairy tale into a modern day wedding.  Here are some ideas and suggestions –

Invitations – Consider wedding invitations printed in a beautiful font, perhaps with the paper edged in gold befitting a royal court. Another idea is to embellish the invitation with a lovely satin ribbon with a crystal accent attached. (this idea may be a little more costly since additional postage may be required due to the  weight)

Wedding ceremony or reception site – Of course, the ultimate venue for a Cinderella-inspired wedding would be a real-life castle! Shown below is a evening ceremony at Walt Disney World.

Transportation – Rent a carriage for the bride to arrive in royal style to the wedding venue. Another idea, if the wedding ceremony takes place outdoors, is for the groom to make a dramatic entrance on horseback. Shown below is the Cinderella carriage in front of the Walt Disney World castle.

Bridal gown – Inspired by the beautiful ball gown in the recent 2015 “Cinderella” movie, the bride’s dress can be embellished with Swarovski crystals to add a special sparkle that would catch the light as she proceeds down the aisle at the ceremony or dancing with her “Prince Charming” at the reception. Shown below is the wedding dress worn by actress Lily James in the 2015 Disney live action “Cinderella” movie which was featured in Vanity Fair magazine.

Bridal shoes – What could be more iconic than Cinderella’s glass slippers? Look for shoes embellished with crystals or pearls and maybe even a “glass” heel. Shown below is a beautiful sparkly Jimmy Choo shoe.

Bridal fashion accessories – If the wedding gown selected is a strapless versions or has short cap sleeves, consider a pair of long elbow length white gloves to add an elegant and formal style to complete the bride’s ensemble.

Bridal hair accessories – Accent a beautiful hairstyle with a sparkling tiara or other hair accessories made of Swarovski crystals or pearls.

Reception decorations – To project a regal style for the decorations at a reception think in terms of colors considering combinations such as ivory and gold or white and silver. Either choice can be accented with a third color such as blue or pink.  Floral arrangements can be draped with ropes of hanging pearls or crystals.  Another idea is to have a “throne” style chair for the bride and groom to regally take their places at the head table.

Cake decoration – Consider adding a porcelain cake topper of Cinderella and Prince Charming. Another idea is to design the cake in the shape of a towering castle. Shown below is a porcelain Cinderella and Prince Charming figurine by Lenox that could be a beautiful cake.

As you can see, the ideas for a Cinderella themed wedding are endless with elegant and opulent elements used to create a fairytale wedding of your dreams!

Special Note: Portions of this post came from my other blog, theechantedmanor.com.