Halloween – also known as All Hallows’ Eve – is one of the most popular holidays in the USA. A time for both adults and children to take to the streets dressed up in Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating in their neighborhood, respectfully terrorizing their neighbors and engorging themselves on sugary treats.
Halloween is becoming an increasingly popular theme for weddings, taking inspiration from famous films such as The Addams Family or Nightmare Before Christmas. Gone is the focus on a whiter-than-white wedding image and darker, more macabre decoration is taking center stage. A gothic and somber look for a wedding can be very elegantly done and can give a nod to classic literary thrillers such as Edgar A. Poe or H.P. Lovecraft with their stories of magic, mystery and seduction!
Ethereal Bride
The bride should appear in a sophisticated, almost ethereal manner, with her hair cascading over her shoulders, giving her a wicca goddess vibe. For the bouquet, use a selection of dark flowers and foliage, tied with semi-opaque ribbons in varying shades of purple, burgundy and black to give intensity to the look.
Personalized Invitations
The invitations are the first impression when it comes to the theme of your wedding, so invest in colors and designs with gothic references. Cursive calligraphy liked that used on old manuscripts, a wax seal to put the finishing touches to the envelope, distressed paper or the use of metallics for embossment.
Shadowy Altar
Dark corridors illuminated by candlesticks, tealights and small lamps create a haunting yet charming and elegant look or the “I Dos”. And for those who intend to get married outdoors, there is nothing more suitable for the Halloween theme than getting married in the middle of a forest and exchanging your vows whilst surrounded by towering trees decorated with lanterns and flowers in rich, autumnal tones.
Decoration
Distressed, vintage-style furniture is the way to go to create a Halloween-y, horror film-style feel for your wedding. Ribbons, feathers, candles and draped fabrics in black contrast with gold accents and burgundy or marsala-colored floral decorations. Think about creating the atmosphere of a vampiric, old castle with strategically-placed shadows and dimmed lighting. The options are a little different depending on what time of day you decide to have your ceremony – night-time ceremonies are naturally more haunting and consequently easier to gear towards a Halloween theme, whereas daytime ceremonies have a boho feel that´s a lighter edition of Halloween. It´s absolutely possible to mix both inspirations to create a wedding theme completely personal to you and your partner – for example, you could have an outdoor wedding at sunrise and the reception at night indoors.
Macabre Details
References to Halloween are plentiful, but there are decoration-oriented details that simply can´t NOT be a part of your wedding! Pumpkins are key to any Halloween celebration; they can be painted and decorated as they are or adorned with candles and accessories. Candlesticks are also an important decorative factor for creating atmosphere and can be purchased in a myriad of colors.
Tricks or Treats?
Forget the tricks and make the most of the sweet treats customized with dark colors and cupcakes decorated with quotes from the Halloween greats of cinema and literature! Phrases such as “cara mia” and “mon cher,” (made famous by the characters Gomez and Morticia – the enamoured protagonists of The Addams Family) prove to be the perfect choice to adorn the sweets at a Halloween wedding!
Poisonous Drinks
Bottles with stoppers that resemble small vials of poison transform simple shots into something fun and creative! Use small dark berries, such as blueberries, cherries or grapes to garnish drinks, creating harmony with the rest of the decor! For the more daring couples, old bowls in silver or gold add to the layout of the tables, giving a luxurious and terrifying appearance.
For a hauntingly wonderful wedding, have these objects spread over every inch of your table! The “stamp” of a ceremony based on this theme is little scary surprises which create moments of great fun for all!
To add a few Halloween-y touches to your fall wedding, click here.
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