I took a look at the yahoo slideshow. There is one sunflower- yellow Beauty-and-the-Beast-inspired "gown" that was kind of hideous, but the traditional wedding gowns (approx. slides 16-25 of the slideshow) looked like fairly cool wedding-y gowns. I myself wore flip flops and capris at my wedding reception, but then again, there was a volleyball net set up... i digress...

The question most pertinent here is, "Who would wear a DISNEY dress?" Let us imagine:

A young woman, maybe in her 20s still, who has fond memories of packing up the family car and heading off for summer vacation to Dland/Dworld with Mom, Dad, and somewhat goofy/annoying older brother. Maybe they go every summer. Maybe the long, hot car ride is half the fun, as it's forced family time, but quality family time.

Maybe, as daughter and son got older, the trips were harder to plan each year, but Dad planned away nonetheless and got the reservations together (and the money needed) so that for a week every year, they could remember that they were a family.

Fast Forward: Daughter's getting married. Dad unexpectedly has a heart attack and passes away. Distraught daughter, facing her grief, chooses a Disney dress as a way of honoring those memories of her dad and of the times they shared. The dress doesn't scream "Cinderella" but in the back of her mind, she knows a small piece of him is with her.

Wow--a sappy, melodramatic possibility, yes? Perhaps. And no, I don't work for Disney or any of it's affiliates. But I'm not sure if a real purchaser of a Disney gown will have the guts to tell a real reason of why they'd want a DISNEY dress.

I wonder if most of the people buying those wedding dresses are from other countries, like Japan.  I have a hard time imagining mainstream America buying that stuff.

well the dresses are actually nice...and not really DISNEY....I had visions of the grown up versions of the 'dress up' clothes they sell at the Disney store.

and some brides really want to be princesses and think disney is the best at doing that, so there you go.

I know a few grown-ass women who went full-out Disney on their entire weddings, and I'm sure at least one of them is, right this very minute, planning to renew her vows just so she can have one of these dresses.  

I'm sure branding has been around forever, but it never seemed as aggressive as it does now.  Kids these days can't just choose the blue one or the orange one, it has to be the Dora one or the SpongeBob one.  Hmm.

I think the dresses did originate in Japan, Grammy - or at least, that's where they were first available.  Perhaps women in another country might think that Disney = kitschy American glamour, and want a piece of it (?)

I'd buy one in a minute, if I were getting married now or soon, and if I weighed like 102 lbs.  Fat women aren't supposed to get married or have babies (according to the fashion industry).  

Anywhoooo, I didn't see any big deal with the dresses.  They didn't look any better or worse than anything I've seen in any of the bridal magazines lately (yeah, I've looked--my neighbor is getting married soon.)

They weren't the worst dresses I've seen...quite honestly, I would have liked it if they identified what "princess" was supposed to be reflected in each of the dresses, because I really couldn't tell. (And I've watched a lot of Disney princess movies in my days!) ;)