If traditional weddings are just not your style and you always wanted something more original for your special day, a Halloween-themed reception can be a great idea, especially if you will say ‘I do’ on or near October 31. Not to worry, your wedding doesn’t have to look like a kids’ party. In fact, with some careful planning, you can avoid cheap decorations and pull off an elegant, glamorous, yet spooky event. Here are several tips that will help you organize a wedding everyone will remember.
Source: Jami Laree | Joy n’ Company Events
Every step of the way you need to remember that this isn’t a Halloween party, it is your special day and should not be mistaken for some kitschy costume event. Therefore, the whole Halloween vibe should be subtle so don’t go overboard with Jack-o-lanterns, masks, and creepy candies.
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Photo by Luna de Mare Photography via Style Me Pretty
Just because you are planning a Halloween-inspired wedding doesn’t mean you need to look like the Bride of Frankenstein. Instead opt for a wedding dress made of vintage lace, long veil and long sleeves that have a ghostly feel, accessorize with moonstone earrings such as those from Moon Magic and put on red lipstick. If a black wedding dress is more of your cup of tea, you can easily find gorgeous ones because they still have their place in the fashion world. For bridesmaids dresses go with deep jewel tones, or in case your dress is white, dress them all in black.
Photo by Nirav Patel with design by Crosby + Jon via Green Wedding Shoes
If you can find an old castle or a glamorous historic building that is supposedly haunted, your wedding venue problem is solved. Check out places that look like old cathedrals, have lofty ceilings and pre-war architecture, or are made of stone. You can even find hotels that offer that spooky vibe, although they look completely glamorous. When it comes to the colour palette, you have a few options. You can go with a sophisticated mixture of black, white and silver, or achieve a more rustic feel with antique gold or dark orange.
Photo by Purple Tree Photography
Again, you want to plan a sophisticated wedding with a hint of Halloween spirit, not a cheesy party, so be careful with decorations. For a touch of elegance, make sure that the waiters are dressed all in black and have white gloves. If your budget allows it, have them greet your guests with trays of Venetian masquerade masks and your wedding will be the talk of Instagram. You can line the ceremony aisle with candles and spice up your first dance with a fog machine. When it comes to reception, you can rent antique crystal chandeliers and have them hanging from the ceiling. White plates, black napkins and centrepieces made of hydrangeas, black forest calla lilies and garden roses will make your guests feel like they are attending an elegant dinner party at Dracula’s castle. If you want to make the whole event even spookier, elegant and ornate skull designs will help you achieve that effect.
If you wish, you can serve drinks from a cauldron, make spaghetti and meatballs look like intestines and eyeballs, or give cocktails creepy names. However, if you want to keep things elegant, maybe you should save these ideas for your next Halloween party and stick with more sophisticated options. After all, keeping things seasonal and festive is not that hard if you focus on fall’s rich, spicy flavours. Incorporate pumpkin, apples, pecans, walnuts, cinnamon or nutmeg into your menu and you will have yourself a classy Halloween-inspired dinner everyone will love.
When it comes to desserts you can let your imagination run wild. You can decorate your wedding cake with black roses or branches without leaves, fill a dessert table with chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes, cookies in the shape of a skull, caramel apple tarts or slices of pumpkin pie, and basically anything else that comes to your mind.
Photo by Becky van Straalen Photography
If you claim that all weddings look alike and you don’t want to organize a reception no one will remember after a month, Halloween-inspired event is the way to go. So grab a notebook and start planning your amazing special day!
