Sisterhood of the Castle Dresses

What is the “Sisterhood of the Castle Dresses”?

Have you ever seen the most beautiful castle dress pictures on Pinterest or IG and thought, “I wish I could do that!”

Well, I’m here to help that become a reality – for FREE!

I started donating my dresses in 2019 so that after I have taken my own dreamy photos, other women could borrow them and do the same.

I have been able to do this at castles in both Ireland and Germany and hope that I can continue to keep adding more as we travel. Stay tuned to see where I keep adding dresses around the world! (Some may even be in the United States! Yep, we have a couple castles here too!)

How and where to wear the castle dresses

This is a completely FREE, fun thing for me to do for you all. All I ask is that you take good care of the dresses, return them back to where you borrowed them and then share your pictures with me. (See below for where to send the pictures.)

Neuschwanstein Castle Dress (Germany)

Known as the “Fairytale Castle”, Neuschwanstein Castle is a dream location for me to leave a dress for the “Sisterhood of the Castle Dresses”!

Long before Walt Disney was inspired by this castle for Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, this castle had its own incredible (and mysterious) story. I am obsessed with it in all aspects. From the beauty of the outside to the grandeur of the throne room (which made me cry!), it was a dream come true to do a photoshoot at Neuschwanstein.

I searched for the perfect dress and found this very Cinderella-like dress. My husband and I went in 2025 and did a photoshoot before our tour. Now, in 2026, we are going back with our kids. This time though, my daughter has a dress to donate also! More pics of her dress to come. 🙂

Location of dress

You can find both my dress and my daughter’s dress at a local Airbnb called Apartment Ludwig in the town of Fussen. (Fussen is the town right at the foot of the castle.)

You have to stay somewhere when visiting the castle, so why not stay at this beautiful house?? It is great for families (like ours) and is so convenient.

The dresses are tucked away in a closet just waiting for you to come and wear them! To book your stay with Apartment Ludwig, please visit their website directly at https://meine-fewo-fuessen.de/.

This apartment is managed by two friends (both women) and they have an additional property called Apartment Amalie, which is on their website too. A booking at either of those apartments will gain you access to the dresses.

When you go to book, make sure to tell them that you are coming for the dresses!

Sizes of dresses at Neuschwanstein Castle

I so bad wish that I had multiple sizes to offer; however, I don’t at this time. (It would be incredible if others added to the dress collection though!)

The adult dress is a size small.

The little girl dress is a size 10-12 but runs a bit big. I have pictures of her dress below but will update them with the dress at the castle as soon as we get them.

Taking pictures in the dresses

I don’t recommend getting dressed in the dresses and then going to the castle. It is a like a 45 min hike up the castle from the bus station at the bottom of the hill.

Instead, I suggest packing it in a backpack (just smush it in there) and then changing at the bathrooms at the top near the castle. Or if you are like me, just wear something that you can shimmy off under the dress once you put it on haha.

Make sure to book the first tour in the morning and then arrive about an hour BEFORE the tour to ensure that you have enough time to take your pictures.

We didn’t hire a photographer for these pictures. We just had my husband take them with his iPhone. However, if you wanted to hire a photographer, be our guest! (See what I did there…love Beauty and the Beast!)

Kinnitty Castle Dress (Ireland)

At this time, I am so sorry to say that the Kinnitty Castle has misplaced the red dress. However, it had a good 5 year run with many women getting really beautiful pictures in it. 🙂

I don’t expect these dresses to last forever. However, I am just hoping that they can bless as many women as possible while they do last.

I like to think that the little mice and birds flew it away to a girl who needed it. ❤️

However, if you are going to Ireland, please feel free to reach out to Kinnitty Castle and see if they have found it. The more people that ask, the harder they may search for it. 🙂

You can email them here: generalmanager@kinnittycastlehotel.com

Size of red dress

This dress actually has a lace up back so it fits a size range from 2-8.

Where to send the castle dress photos

Please, please, please send me your photos! I have a couple of different places that you can send them based on what platform you use.

My Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/natashadaniellec/

My Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thefreelifefamily/

Or email me – thefreelifefamily@gmail.com

I have also been told that I need to start a hashtag for these dresses so let’s also use #SisterhoodoftheCastleDresses so we can have a collection of them. 🙂

Why do I do this?

I get this question a lot.

I absolutely love taking pictures in big, beautiful dresses but I equally love sharing them with other women. It means more to me donate the dresses than to bring them home.

I know that for a lot of women, purchasing a big dress, packing it in their suitcase, and then taking it with them on their trip is a hard task, both financially and physically.

So hopefully, I can ease this burden for you by already having the dresses at (or near) the castles for you to pick up and enjoy for the day.

So whether you are a woman traveling solo with her tripod (been there), with your husband, as a girls trip, or with your daughter/granddaughter, take advantage of these free dresses!

This is such a fun project for Avery and me so go wear our dresses and send us your pictures!

History of the “Sisterhood of the Castle Dresses”

It all started in 2019 when I found out that I was going to Ireland for work. I scoured Pinterest for photo ideas and came across a gorgeous picture of a woman wearing a big, beautiful dress in front of a castle.

I knew I had to recreate this picture.

However, I did not want to spend hundreds on a dress. I knew that was a battle that I just did not want to have with my husband. So I started the hunt for a big, beautiful dress that was also really cheap.

And I ended up finding a red dress at Goodwill for only $5! Thank the Lord!

The dress was big and heavy so I had an idea that I would take it with me and see if the castle would let me donate it to them so that I didn’t have to take it back with me, leaving room in my suitcase for souvenirs. 🙂

I explained to the castle that I would love to donate the dress so that other women could come and wear it for their own photoshoots. This would be a win/win situation. I didn’t need to lug it around Ireland with me and it could be a blessing to other women who wanted to do a fun photoshoot but also didn’t want to spend hundreds on a dress.

The castle agreed and immediately I saw another woman grab the dress and start her own photoshoot. The idea was already in motion!

I posted about it in a couple of travel groups and the idea took off. Women from all around the world started traveling to that Ireland just to wear my dress!

Each time I received photos from others wearing it, it made me so happy. One woman even shared with me that she noticed a small tear in the dress so she sewed it. How incredibly special that she took such good care of this shared dress. It wasn’t just my dress anymore. It was our dress.

A Proverbs 31 Princess

I came across this article and wanted to share it with all of my Sisterhood of the Castle Dresses sisters. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior (and let’s face it, we all need to be saved!), you ARE a princess. It’s a sweet, quick read. I hope that it gives you a new perspective as you are wearing these dresses.

The Wrap Up

Womanhood is such a beautiful thing and I hope that the “Sisterhood of the Castle Dresses” can make us feel like the beautiful women we are and connect us all in such a special way.

Thank you for being a part of the story. We are making our own fairytales and adding on to the stories of the castles.

Like I mentioned above, through Jesus, we are princesses. Now go act like it. 👑🩷

Live happily ever after, my sisters.