These days everyone wants to have a fun and unique wedding, and a themed seasonal wedding could be right up your alley.

If you are brainstorming wedding ideas and find yourself wanting to keep things on the dark side, you may find yourself sending out RSVPs for a Halloween wedding in no time. Not quite sure how to pull it off? We are here to help!

Decorations

There are many options within the Halloween theme that you can incorporate into your wedding, from full costumes, jack-o-lanterns, or bright orange centrepieces to a more subtle approach of darker shades in your decorations and wardrobe. Once you decide which elements of Halloween you want to incorporate into your big day you will be able to start putting together an action plan.

Take advantage of the deals in stores the year before your wedding to stock up on Halloween-themed supplies, rather than trying to get them last minute. By the beginning of October most stores are packed with Halloween decorations and goodies, and online specialty stores will also start to knock down prices on autumn-themed stock items.

Centerpiece ideas:

• Miniature pumpkins
• Lace-wrapped tea light holders
• Black roses
• Painted skulls
• Jack-o-lanterns
• Taper candles adorned with tiny fake spiders or bats
• Bouquet of branches and autumn leaves
• Confetti in any familiar Halloween shape, such as bats, witches, pumpkins, broomsticks, or skulls

Wedding Venues

Consider venues with gothic architecture and high ceilings. Dark rooms with low ceilings make the space feel cramped, so you can mitigate this by offsetting the dark decor with tall walls and hanging lights. If your venue is tight on space you may wish to use sparse dark decorations and centre pieces and leave the walls and backdrops fairly light. This will help maintain your Halloween vibe while also saving you from creating a claustrophobic atmosphere.

Another perk of choosing this wedding style is that the weather will compliment your theme no matter how it turns out. Make use of a dry day of sunshine by taking your wedding photos among the coppery leaves and bare branches of the changing trees, or use dry, bare land as a ghost-town-like backdrop. If your wedding day is met with a thunderous storm consider it a bonus element of drama for your Halloween wedding.

Wardrobe

To complete the look, don’t forget about what you want your bridal party and guests to wear to the wedding.

If you want your guests to dress in a specific Halloween costume theme, be sure to specify this on the invitations or at some point prior to the event. For example, if you choose an un-dead theme, you may recommend that your guests dress up as zombies or vampires rather than pirates or ninjas. On the other hand, you may prefer to keep your Halloween wedding theme broad to allow for guests to choose any type of Halloween costume. Just be sure to communicate your wishes so that you, your wedding party, and your guests all arrive in the right style of costumes. No one wants to be the only pirate in a sea full of witches and goblins, so do your guests the courtesy of providing clear instructions for costume attire and everyone will have a smashing time.

You may decide that you want servers at the reception to be in full costume complete with masks or ghoulish face paint. Incorporate Halloween into your wedding by hiring actors or asking friends or family involved in the big day dress up in specific costumes – think zombie limo drivers or Frankenstein bartenders.

Alternatively, you may simply opt for a less theatrical approach and select the bridal party’s wardrobe to have deep purples, velvety reds, or burnt orange hues to compliment your Halloween themed wedding. The groom can wear a black tuxedo and a tie with complimentary colors to that of the bridesmaids’ dresses or your own. Think bright pops of red, orange, or purple depending on the colors you chose. Dark lace sets the stage for a macabre and dramatic look in a wedding dress, but even a simple flowing white dress can match the spooky atmosphere.

Food

You can infuse the Halloween theme into the food served at the reception. From appetizers to entrees, and even signature cocktails you can transform the holiday spirit into tasty delights for your guests.

Most caterers will already have a go-to list of Halloween themed foods that they can offer, and a little creativity can transform traditional grub into spooky-sounding dishes. Many in-season foods already have associations with Halloween such as pumpkin which is a food can be incorporated into both sweet and savoury dishes.

Nail your themed dessert by offering a full trick or treat bar, complete with bowls of candy, plates of ghostly sugar cookies or devil’s food cupcakes, and any other sweet treats you want.

A fun way to put a unique spin on your wedding is to have signature cocktails for your guests. Even simpler, instead of honing a specialty cocktail you can just rename classic drinks to fit your Halloween theme. Here are some examples of new names for classic beverages, and ways to tailor them into specialty drinks for your wedding:

• Franken Sour: A whiskey sour with green food coloring
• Bloody Beer: A wheat beer with sliced blood orange
• Gin Reaper: Gin and tonic with a splash of green juice

Alternatively, if you won’t have a bartender you could offer a cauldron of red sangria and call it Bloody Sangria or Witches’ Brew.

Music & Entertainment

Time to set the mood! Prepare a hit list of creepy songs for your playlist that will be sure to get your crowd in the Halloween spirit! Set up a fog machine that flows into the dance floor, dim the lights, and you’re all set. Here are some song suggestions to get your guests grooving:

• “I put a Spell on You” – Nina Simone
• “Witchy Woman” – Eagles
• “Love Potion Number 9” – The Searchers
• “Superstition” – Stevie Wonder
• “Creep” – TLC
• “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell
• “Monster Mash” – Bobby Pickett & The Crypt Kickers
• “Witch Doctor” – David Seville

As you can see, this fall wedding idea can transform your big day into a unique and fun-filled event that you and your guests will remember for years to come. The changing season from summer to autumn makes for stunning photo opportunities and a wealth of rich color palates to choose from. By taking advantage of the sales of the season you can save money by stocking up on decorations, table settings, and even your wardrobe. Wrap it up with themed treats and tunes and you will have yourself a wonderful Halloween themed wedding!