How to Plan a Ghoulishly Gorgeous Halloween Wedding

Planning a Halloween wedding can be as fun and playful or as elegant and tasteful as you’d like it to be. Whether you simply love Halloween or just aren’t a fan of tradition and prefer dark, more spiritual vibes, we’re here to help with some of our absolute favourite Halloween wedding ideas and tips on planning the perfect Halloween wedding.

2. Choose the right venue

It’s important to have a clear idea of the wedding theme or scheme you have in mind from the start and to keep this idea consistent throughout wedding planning. 

Whether you’ve decided on a dark and dreamy “‘Til Death” theme or a cute and kitsch pumpkin scheme, keeping everything tied together is key to ensuring your Halloween wedding feels tight, organised and well thought through.  

Carry your theme from invitations through to hen and stag parties (if you have them), as well as on the day itself. This will help guests understand what to expect and avoid any surprised faces on the day – unless that’s what you’re hoping for, of course!  

In most instances, you will want your guests to know what’s going on, especially if you’d like them to participate. It’s important to be very clear on invites if you want guests to come in costume and give detailed instructions if you’d like them dressed in a particular colour or to suit a specific theme.

3. Time to decorate

Whether you’re opting for a subtle and tasteful theme or embracing fun and colour, here are some of our favourite Halloween wedding ideas for decorating your spaces. 

Keeping it subtle 

• Blend blacks with softer colours like greys or golds, or consider adding jewel-like tones to brighten the palette ever so slightly and in a sophisticated way. 
• Varying your decor and blending Halloween accents such as skulls with candlesticks and bud vases adds interest and takes your scheme from fun and gimmicky to fashion-forward. 
• Opt for dyed flowers like black gypsophila or black orchids for an incredibly demure take on a gothic Halloween wedding theme. 
• If pumpkins are still on your must-have list but bright orange isn’t in your wedding colour palette, try painting them white and filling them with pretty flowers for a more pared-down centrepiece. 

Going all-out 

• Embrace colour and the gimmicky fun of the season with orange and black lanterns, skeletons, tombstones, cobwebs and even a fog machine to complete the spooktacular atmosphere. 
• Line your ceremony aisle with pumpkins. 
• Include pumpkin centrepieces or incorporate spooky branches or candelabras on your wedding breakfast tables. 
• Serve wedding cocktails in a cauldron, complete with dry ice.  

4. Wedding attire

Black bridal dresses are a popular choice for Halloween weddings. When paired with a black veil and a bold bouquet, they can look incredibly chic and fashionable. 

If an accent of black is more your thing, you may consider black accessories like Halloween wedding shoes, boots or a fascinator to add a touch of drama without foregoing the white wedding dress completely. 

In contrast, perhaps you’re keen to take things even further and plan to experiment with make-up. Go as gory as you like for your Halloween wedding, or opt for bold make-up options like dark lipstick and black eyeliner. You may even wish to hire a make-up artist or face painter to help add a little something extra to your guests looks on the day. 

Remember, if you want your guests to participate in your theme and come in costume and wear a certain colour or accessory (such as a mask), ensure that your preferences are crystal clear on your wedding invitations. 

5. Halloween-inspired food and drink

Have fun with your Halloween wedding menu and let your imaginations run wild, conjuring up fun names for classic dishes that complement your theme. Our menu can be adapted so that it is fully bespoke to your vision, leaving space to serve seasonal favourites like pumpkin pie and get creative with canapes. 

For your cocktail reception, you could offer a spice rum punch served in a cauldron with dry ice, or for something more sophisticated, opt for blackberry cocktails in a deep plum colour, which will complement most dark wedding schemes. 

For an element of fun, every Halloween wedding needs a trick-or-treat station—aka sweet table—so that guests can take a bag of sweets home as their wedding favour. 

And last but not least, let’s not forget the wedding cake. Offering the opportunity to showcase your theme in a big way, your wedding cake can be as fun or as tasteful as you wish. Think striking black fondant with gold accents, a haunted house wedding cake or even ‘his’ and ‘hers’ tombstones for a show-stopping Halloween wedding finale.  

Choose Pelham House for your Halloween Wedding

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