The first time I toured a potential wedding venue, I had many questions. How many guests can it hold? Where would the ceremony take place? Can I bring in my own vendors, or do you require that we use yours? Oh, and how much will it cost to rent the space?

When I got the answer to that last one, I inevitably gave my fiancé a look, and he knew what it meant: "Smile, say thank you to this nice lady, and then back away slowly toward the exit." I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Turns out, throwing your dream wedding isn't just expensive, it's comically, prohibitively expensive. But what if you could have your big day in a legit castle in France or Italy for about 10% of what it would cost to rent a warehouse in Brooklyn? You can.

Thanks to sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, renting a private castle for your wedding isn't just easy, it's straight-up affordable. Or at the very least, relatively affordable. Ahead, we've selected 15 incredible castles — from California to Lake Como — that you can rent for the perfect fairy-tale wedding.