Variables containing HTML?

Stupid question for everyone... i'm just having one of those braindead moments. I have a page which allows users to add custom headers and footers in HTML. (i.e. Fill in a text area with a bunch of html, and that's stored in a mysql database and retrived when that user logs in again). The problem i'm having is this: When a users fills in all the info, and hits submit, they are taken to a preview page which renders everything and has an accept button. If i try to store the header and footer data in a hidden input it just renders it on the screen (if it's more than one line it gets even worse). How can i get this info (variable w/ strings that are QUITE long, and include quotes and apostrophes) from the form they are entered on, into a preview page, then back into the script to be written into the database? I have thought about sessions, and they work until the user decides they dont like the way it turned out and try to discard and change it, even after re-registering the variables in the session, they do not change to the new input. I hope someone out there can make sence of what i have said... because i think i confused even myself.... ;) Thanks for any help! //Nick Richardson