Spooky season is officially upon us, and here in Florida, it coincides with the beginning of the busiest season for weddings!
If you’re the type of couple who loves all things spooky (or you simply love to think outside the box) a Halloween wedding could be the perfect way for you to honor your love for each other and the turning of the seasons.
What’s more, you don’t have to sacrifice your favorite aesthetic just because you’re getting married in October. If you’re looking for ways to host a fall or Halloween wedding that doesn’t feel “tacky,” these tips should help get those creative ideas flowing.
Spooky Halloween Wedding Ideas
If ghosts, ghouls, and goblins are right up your alley, there’s only one option for your Halloween wedding—make it spooky!
If you’re concerned that your Big Day will feel more like a grade school classroom party, don’t worry. Fun and frights can coexist with upscale elegance! Here’s how:
Photo courtesy of Life and Love Studio
Think Beyond Black & Orange
Nowadays, Halloween colors lean toward deeper, more muted tones. Keep the black, but pair it with gold, deep purple, dark green, burgundy, or even white for a classy, modern twist.
Prefer vibrant pops of color? Opt for turquoise, orange, and pink for a Day of the Dead-themed party they’ll never forget.
Great Expectations
Make sure your guests know exactly what to expect with a Halloween wedding invitation! Go full goth with a Victorian vibe, or channel your inner witch and choose a more celestial design.
Whatever you choose, make sure to give clear instructions about the dress code. Your guests will want to know if you expect them to come in costume or not.
Photo Courtesy of Stout Photography
Back In Black
White wedding dresses are the traditional choice, but they’re far from mandatory! More and more brides are now choosing to walk down the aisle in black.
If done right, it’s the perfect touch of Gothic glam while still being totally romantic. Look for styles with tulle, lace, and sequins for a softer look.
If a black bridal gown feels like a bit much for you, select a few black accessories, such as your shoes or veil. Or, wear white to the ceremony and switch into something black for the reception. Another great option: put your bridesmaids in black!
Haunting Grounds
The venue is one of those big decisions that can make or break a Halloween wedding. Graveyards and haunted castles are a bit hard to come by in sunny Florida. Luckily, the Lightner Museum might be your next best choice.
Photo courtesy of Life and Love Studio
As one of the oldest and grandest structures in downtown St. Augustine, the historic Lightner Museum is like your own haunted castle in the Oldest City. Many people claim that the building is haunted by the spirits of guests who visited the building when it was the Alcazar Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in the country upon its opening in 1889. Others believe that spirits are attached to the various antiques and collectables that now make up the museum’s collection.
Whether you are a fan of the paranormal or not, the Lightner Museum is sure to leave a lasting impression on your wedding guests. The towering ceilings of the Historic Pool are the perfect background to make your wedding décor pop. The multi-level layout of the majestic space leaves plenty of room for dinner, dancing, and devilish delights!
Photo courtesy of Life and Love Studio
Set the Stage
For a true Halloween wedding, choosing the perfect color scheme may not be enough. You can add in a few spooktacular details to really sell the theme.
For centerpieces, consider dried flowers instead of fresh blooms. Or, add in a few pumpkins and other multi-colored gourds with your traditional wedding flowers. Going for a haunted mansion aesthetic? You can’t go wrong with candelabras!
Capture the Moment
One of our favorite things about Halloween weddings is that you get to capture some amazing pictures. And a new trend in spooky wedding photos is “exploding” onto the scene: smoke bombs!
The ethereal plumes and gorgeous colors make for some of the most beautiful wedding photos we’ve ever seen! Just be careful, as the smoke can stain. (That’s why you opted for black!)
Check with your venue for the ideal location to do this. At the Lightner Museum, we think it looks great on the lawn by Fort Matanzas!
Subtle Seasonal Ideas
Don’t feel like you have to host a Halloween wedding just because your date happened to fall at the end of October. What’s more important is that the two of you are authentic to who you are as a couple.
If, however, you’d like to have a few subtle nods to the fall season (without it turning into a full-blown Halloween Spooktacular), here are a few more tips.
Fall-ing in Love
If you don’t like the idea of a Halloween wedding, celebrate fall instead! A more muted color scheme in rich rust, gold, and cranberry tones is both timeless and trendy.
Choose Your Own Theme
Use your venue as inspiration and find a theme that gives guests the opportunity to wear a costume.
One of our couples took advantage of this in the best way with a Gatsby-themed Halloween wedding! The guests looked amazing in their dapper duds and flapper costumes!
The Lightner also played host to an incredible circus-themed event! Guests dressed up as sideshow characters like the bearded lady and the wolf man. Everyone was treated to surprise performances by stilt walkers and aerialists. Who wouldn’t want their wedding to be The Greatest Show on Earth?!
Photo courtesy of Studio Julie Photography
Shake Your Bones
Incorporating some spooky tunes into your music lineup can be a fun and unique way to celebrate Halloween at your wedding. Do you have any dancers in your wedding party? Coordinate with them to learn the Thriller dance!
Pick Your Poison
Create a devilish Halloween-themed specialty drink to serve at your bar! Our team would be thrilled to work with you to craft a Witch’s Brew or a Black Magic Martini. Or add some of the flavors of fall with a pumpkin-flavored cocktail!
Trick or Treat!
Most of your guests might be too old to go trick or treating, but they’re never too old for candy!
Tuck a few tasty treats into a mini pumpkin bucket or cauldron for a favor that’s festive and nostalgic.
Photo courtesy of Life and Love Studio
We’ve hosted hundreds of weddings at the Lightner Museum, and if there’s one thing we’ve discovered, it’s that there is no “right way” to host a wedding.
Halloween weddings open up even more opportunities for couples to get creative on their wedding day. We love to see how these two celebrations come together to create a spooky good time!
Whether you’re “creepin’ it real” with a Halloween wedding or prefer a more subtle nod to the fall season, the most important thing is that you do what feels right to you!
