Any video gamer can tell you that, in order to win the hand of a princess, sometimes you must go on a quest. For Donny Jansen, said quest involved graphic design skills, a brief jog, and the Texas Renaissance Festival (TRF).

It was October 1997, and Jansen, then a 32-year-old graphic designer, had been attending TRF since he was 12. In those days, vendors at the festival distributed “One Free Kiss” cards. Jansen realized he could make his own as a joke, in hopes of earning a laugh—or maybe even a smooch—from a fair maiden. But it stopped being a jest when Jamie, then a stranger, walked past him on a thoroughfare.

“She turned around, caught me looking at her, and smiled,” he says. “I still to this day cannot explain how that felt. It was like being struck by lightning, except it was pleasant. The only thought that went through my head was, ‘That’s the woman I’m going to marry.’”

By the time he recovered his wits, Jamie was gone. Jansen sprinted as fast as he could around the bend, slowing down as he caught sight of her to make his run seem like he had just been on a casual stroll. He presented her with the card. Jamie grabbed him and kissed him deeply. A year later, they married at the very place they fell in love—the Renaissance festival.

TRF, the country’s largest fair of its kind, has offered weddings for most of its 51-year history, giving couples a chance to exchange vows amid sword fights, jesters, and costumed revelry. Couples looking for their own fairy-tale moment can lay claim to one of the fair’s four venues, including the 90-seat, moss-covered Cathedral Chapel and the 200-seat English Garden chapel. A standard package runs $1,900 and includes the venue, an officiant, parking passes, flowers, a musician (pipers are the most common performers), and on-site support for anything you need the day of. Additional musicians, entertainment, and the option to have a falcon as the ring bearer cost extra, and the package does not include a reception.

Guide Keegan Ferguson estimates he’s performed more than 600 weddings at TRF in just nine years. It’s become one of the most popular aspects of the festival, with slots filling up quickly for one of the most affordable and whimsical, stress-free options for matrimony. Jansen says he spent less than $1,500 on his wedding, which included a carriage ride to the chapel, flowers, and an honor guard of pikemen for Jamie as she walked down the aisle. “We spent more on Jamie’s dress than we did anything else,” he says. Planning for the event was seamless, too, according to Jansen. Nearly every aspect was handled on-site, except for the wedding dress (though the faire also sells gowns if a couple needs one). 

For an additional fee of $1,200 to $2,000, receptions can be held on the grounds at the Lady Rose Pavilion or the Italian Village. Couples can also let their guests loose at the festival afterward to seek out their own entertainment. That’s what Leigh Ward-Broussard opted for when she wed her spouse, Robin, at TRF. They had only been dating for a few months in 2015 before they decided to tie the knot at the faire, something Ward-Broussard says was almost an accident. “I told my mom about her, and she said she could tell I was serious about this one,” says Ward-Broussard. Her mother encouraged her to ask Robin what kind of wedding she’d like, and when TRF came up, Ward-Broussard had one question: “You want to?”  

“I called my mom back and told her the wedding was next Friday,” Ward-Broussard says.

Like the Jansens, Ward-Broussard was shocked at how quickly and easily the wedding came together for a modest cost. “They took care of everything,” she says. “You don’t have to worry about booking all these vendors. We just answered their questions and said what we didn’t want. I've been engaged once before, and TRF took so much stress out of planning.”

Both couples say TRF also goes out of its way to make wedding parties feel appreciated. Cast members bowed and curtsied to Ward-Broussard all day, and a rickshaw driver offered to pick up a friend who was running late to the wedding for free. 

Jansen recalls a magical moment when, after realizing he and Jamie had forgotten to get their wedding paperwork signed by the officiant while at the chapel, they camped out near the exit to wait for him. Lost in the moment, they shared a passionate kiss, to which the guard at the front joked that they “needed a license” for that. “I didn’t even break the kiss. Just held up the wedding certificate,” he says. In response, the guard laughed and said, “As you were, my lord.”

Keeping costs down was a primary reason Ward-Broussard opted for no reception, and though the process is considerably stress-free, it's not for everyone. Attendees expecting a more traditional wedding, for example, might be put off by the raucous atmosphere or cheeky humor (Ward-Broussard’s mom refused to attend the festivities because she didn’t want to be around “that weird shit”). TRF weddings are also rare in that, though free tickets are offered to the wedding party, guests must pay the $41 entry fee to attend. There is also the possibility that the surrounding festival will encroach on your special day. Jansen says the medieval version of “The Imperial March” from Star Wars is now a part of his wedding video (a nearby comedy show happening at the same time as his wedding was playing the tune). He thinks it’s funny, but it wasn’t part of the plan. 

For the Jansens, there are no regrets. Today, Jamie keeps the kiss card in her purse. It’s a reminder of how the reality-warping power of TRF led to her wedding day.

They return to relive the memories. “Every year we go back on our anniversary weekend or as close to it as we can, and then we go to that spot in between regular weddings that are happening,” Jansen says. And if the opportunity presents itself, they’ll slip into the exact place where they said, “I do,” repeat their vows, and kiss.