Halloween Wedding Tips

Many people enjoy Halloween and all that goes with it. For some, Halloween is the year's best holiday. It only makes sense that some people would actually like to marry on Halloween. The good news is that you can have a Halloween wedding that is both fun and more elegant than your usual Halloween party. The trick is to carefully plan the décor and your wedding.

When one decides to have a Halloween-themed wedding, one is usually not traditional. Therefore, a white dress for the bride is not particularly necessary. Think Morticia Addams when putting together the wedding gown: elegant and sleek. You might consider adding a cape to your wedding gown. A long cape overlaid with tulle or edged with black or red lace can take the place of a train. Add a black veil and long black gloves, and the bride becomes the picture of Halloween elegance. The groom can wear a Victorian frock coat or even just a plain black tux. Or, he could go old-fashioned Dracula and wear a black shirt with black slacks and add a cape with a high collar. Line the cape in red for extra effect.

Bouquets can be any number of flowers: orange, blood red, or black roses. Also, some nice flowers that are naturally orange include tiger lily, orange hawkweed, and orange poppy. You can add a contrast by carrying white calla lilies or orchids for your bouquet. The white flowers in contrast with the dark-colored garb reminds people of a funeral, with pure flowers held by the corpse.

Decorations do not need to be typical Halloween childish. Use black netting or cobwebs over the entrances. Secure them with black or blood-colored bows. Dead branches (avoid actually cutting from live trees) make excellent tree props for around the room. Use small twinkle lights in clear, yellow, or orange to decorate the branches. You might also use strings of black-colored lights to illuminate the exits, restrooms, and the bar. A cauldron filled with "smoking" dry ice can add a nice effect. Just remember not to serve drinks from it. Finally, place jack-o-lanterns carved with designs (like black cats, moon and stars, witches, skeletons, etc.) around the room. The effect is elegant, but definitely Halloween.

Cover tables with dark-colored cloths (like midnight blue or black). You can add cobwebs to the tops to contrast. Or, purchase star and moon stencils from an art star and decorate the cloths with silver stars and moons. Centerpiece ideas include candelabras with taper candles (use white) in wrought-iron style. Miniature tombstones surrounded by flowers or dead leaves also make good centerpieces. Place red, orange and black flowers in hollowed out gourds or small pumpkins. The hollowed our pumpkins also make good holders for colored votive candles. Put small treat bags filled with candy in an orange or black basket in the center of the table to double as wedding favors.

For extra entertainment for guests, you can hire a fortune teller for the evening (work out a set price for the whole evening, or work out a discount for individuals to pay for short five minute readings). Also, have guests come in elegant spooky attire. There does not need to be "out there" costumes, but rather more elegant costumes like vampires, devils, cats, gangsters, flappers, Elvira, Jack the Ripper, Medieval clerics, wizards, and enchantresses. Dressing up is fun, and when it is done elegantly, the guests feel like they are at a swanky Halloween event.