13 Hauntingly Gorgeous (and Surprising) Halloween Wedding Ideas
There’s something incredibly magical and mysterious about a Halloween wedding. While the traditional “wedding season” is summer, having a fall wedding with a Halloween theme will instantly set your nuptials apart from the rest. If you’re looking to brew up some great Halloween wedding ideas, we’ve got you covered. Find wedding inspiration here for spellbinding venues, decor, invitations, and more.
1. Bewitching Engagement Photo Shoot
Kickstart your Halloween wedding ideas before the big day rolls around with a spooktacular engagement photo shoot.
Select a location with a glam gothic vibe or something that conjures up a bit of mystical beauty — perhaps a gorgeous church with a towering steeple, a museum with dazzling architecture, or maybe even a cemetery with beautiful grounds. (Just be sure to obtain the proper clearance or permit for your photo session, of course.)
You could also set up a backdrop at home or elsewhere and have your photographer capture images of the two of you alongside pumpkins, woodlands, and other moody elements. Not only will you end up with some amazing pre-wedding photos to treasure, but you can also use them for your wedding invitations too.
2. Halloween Wedding Invitations
Design: Claudia Owen
Speaking of invitations, let your guests know they’re in for a not-so-usual celebration when sending out your Halloween-themed wedding invitations. Look for wedding invitations that match your theme or customize a Halloween party invitation with the details of your special day. With Greenvelope’s digital invitations, you can also make use of the details panel to share extra information about everything from the ceremony and menu to the reception, dress code, and more.
3. Impressive Wedding Venue
When planning a Halloween-themed wedding, look for a venue that enhances the atmosphere you want to create. For instance, you may want to consider a Victorian mansion, rustic barn, dense woodlands, industrial warehouse, or any place with a Count Dracula-esque vibe.
Fortunately, having an impressive venue doesn’t mean it has to be expensive or grand. Even the coziest of backyards can be transformed into a mystical place for your ceremony or reception. All you need is some Halloween decor (think dark-hued table settings accented with dry ice centerpieces), dramatic lighting, and moody background music.
4. Dark Color Scheme
Design: Signature Greenvelope
A Halloween wedding really lends itself to a dark color palette full of fall favorites and gothic charm. Think deep fall colors like burnt orange and dark red, or spooky classics like black and deep purple for your big day.
Your wedding color palette can help set the tone for the whole event, so think carefully about what works best for you. A dusky color scheme can look gorgeous with soft florals for a dark romantic vibe, or you could opt for brighter fall colors with plenty of orange for a more traditional Halloween-inspired celebration.
5. Themed Wedding Attire
When it comes to Halloween wedding ideas, something we really love is the opportunity to be extra creative with your wedding attire. With such a dramatic backdrop and exciting theme, you can have a lot of fun with the wardrobe and accessories for yourself as well as the wedding party.
If you or your partner are wearing a wedding dress, perhaps you want to give it an unexpected twist by opting for one in black or another dark hue that speaks to you. You could also consider a flowing gown in soft pastels with a touch of black lace or velvet for the ultimate in gothic chic. Or maybe you and your partner want to don masquerade masks or paint your faces and base your wardrobe on the Dia de los Muertos holiday.
6. Spooky Wedding Officiant
Instead of being married by an officiant in their best dress, why not opt for something a little more quirky or supernatural? This is one of those fun Halloween wedding ideas that works great if you want to add a touch of humor to your ceremony.
Seek out a wedding officiant who’s happy to dress up as your favorite Halloween villain or hero to add a truly unconventional aspect to your wedding ceremony. (Harry Potter, anyone?) If that sounds tricky, make this an extra special moment and see if a friend can do the honors of officiating for you instead.
7. Fall Wedding Flowers
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Gorgeous fresh flowers help to bring a wedding to life, and a Halloween wedding is no exception. Instead of soft pastels and bouquets of roses, switch to fall flowers with richer hues for visual impact.
Create a wedding bouquet of fall blossoms like orange mums, violet asters, dahlias, and anemones. Add in a handful of roses in classic red or opt for a darker shade to match your theme. Feature the same flower combinations in all your floral arrangements (from the bouquet to the centerpiece) to create a cohesive look across your ceremony and reception.
8. Themed Wedding Vows
With a Halloween-themed wedding, it makes perfect sense to be offbeat and venture away from tradition with your wedding vows — if you want to. Your ceremony vows are a great way to tie in the theme and celebrate one of your favorite times of year.
Take “til death do us part” as inspiration and craft vows that celebrate your love lasting into the afterlife. You could also feature a quote from your favorite spooky film or Halloween-themed song.
9. Halloween-Inspired Wedding Ring Box
No matter what style of wedding rings you choose, you can transport them safely to the altar in a stylish themed ring box. Like most quirky and specialty items, you can find plenty of Halloween ring boxes for sale on marketplaces like Etsy. Choose a color or artwork to match your theme, then have your ring box engraved with your wedding day details for the perfect memento.
10. Pumpkin Wedding Decor
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Is it even a Halloween-themed wedding if you don’t have pumpkins? This is one of those gorgeous (or should we say, gourd-geous?) Halloween wedding ideas that’s a must for most couples having a fall wedding.
Pumpkins work great as wedding centerpieces — whether you opt for a giant DIY pumpkin painted in your wedding colors or a stack of mini versions alongside candles and confetti. Place jack-o’-lanterns at your venue’s entryway to guide your guests on their way, and use them as props throughout your reception space for an easy way to get the October 31st look.
11. Candlelit Wedding Reception
The right lighting can create the perfect atmosphere, and for a Halloween-inspired wedding there’s nothing better than plenty of candles.
Light as much of your ceremony and reception space as you can with warm, glowing candles. Tall candles in stylish candelabras can make a real impact on your tablescape, while tea lights can add a soft glow in other areas. If you’re hosting your ceremony or reception outdoors, use small candles in lanterns or torches to light the grounds. Just keep safety at the center of what you do — especially if you’re running around playing Halloween party games.
12. Spooky Signature Drink
Design: Signature Greenvelope
A signature drink for cocktail hour is a wedding tradition for most couples, and it’s the perfect chance to create something unique for your guests to enjoy.
For example, ask your bartender to help you come up with a special Halloween cocktail. Maybe you can add a magical twist on a classic cocktail with an unexpected ingredient or flavor to match your wedding theme. You could even add food coloring to transform an otherwise basic drink into a dark and eerie concoction. Or for a fun wedding favor, consider making special cocktail mixes for your guests to take home.
13. Halloween Wedding Cake
For your Halloween theme, consider a multi-layered blood orange or red velvet cake iced in dark colors and topped with gorgeous florals, a masquerade mask, or Dia de los Muertos skulls. Another great idea is to opt for a wedding cake inspired by your love of all things fall with flavors such as pumpkin and apple spice.
Ask your baker to create themed cupcakes to match your wedding cake, which guests can take home as wedding favors. For a fun twist, play a game of “trick or treat” and have some cupcakes made with a delicious flavored icing as a treat, and others with an unexpected flavor as a trick! (Did someone say bacon?)
Celebrate In Style With These Halloween Wedding Ideas
Halloween-inspired weddings can be some of the most unforgettable events for everyone involved. Halloween is a theme you can truly play around with — whether you go for a magical vintage-style event or a spooky ceremony in a could-be-haunted building. Once you’ve decided on your specific theme, all the other elements will come together. Remember: You can customize any wedding invitation design at Greenvelope so all of your romantically spoooky dreams can come true.
