Halloween comes with a spooky aesthetic that captures the attention of many nearlyweds. However, how do you make sure your autumnal big day is more Wednesday Adams than horror show? There's no need to rely on terrorising tacky touches to add ghostly charm to your wedding, there are plenty of ways to ensure a hauntingly beautiful experience no one will forget.
In order to avoid a scream-worthy error when decorating your wedding, Samantha Gilchrist, former wedding photographer turned founder and CEO of The Gilchrist Collection, gives her expert advice gathered from more than 15 years in the industry.
All images courtesy of Angela Waites Photography
FOCUS ON THE LITTLE TOUCHES
The smallest of details can make the biggest impact when it comes to a wedding aesthetic, so why not add some spooky little touches throughout your decor. A coffin shaped box to hold the rings for example is sure to infuse the macabre into your big day. The exchanging of the rings is such an important part of the day and a themed box will make it extra special without going overboard.
Another small spooky touch could be halloween inspired place names and table numbers. That way your guests can feel involved in the spooky fun whilst they enjoy their wedding breakfast.
ENSURE YOUR VENUE MATCHES THE VIBE
When planning a Halloween wedding, picking the right venue is essential. The right spooky setting is sure to set the tone, so why not opt for a historical location? Castles with stone walled banquet rooms and victorian style manor houses all look like they have stepped straight out of a Gothic novel and are sure to immerse guests into the Halloween excitement.
Why not opt for a venue with open fires? These mesmerising venue features are sure to set the ambiance, especially during an autumn or winter wedding when it gets darker so much earlier during your wedding day.
Picking a venue that already has photoready areas can also keep the cost of room dressing down, as it comes with ready made backdrops!
THINK ABOUT THE LIGHTING
No matter if you have your wedding at day or night, to ensure you have a haunting feel to your wedding it is essential you think of the lighting. An easy way to add awe inspiring lighting is with artificial candles, that create just as much of a glow as a real flame but are much more venue friendly! Flickering (fake) flames bordering the aisle as your walk towards your beloved is sure to be mesmerising, and table settings that are candle heavy set the scene for a night you won't forget.
What's more, decorating with candles is a great way to keep costs low. They make far more affordable table settings than flowers and candle holders can be DIY’d to suit your theme. If you really want to have real flames there are many fun ways to ensure that the candles are in protected vases, lanterns etc, however always check with your venue.
DON'T FORGET THE FLOWERS
Flowers are a fantastic way of communicating the theme of your wedding in a whimsical and charming way. By adding some deeper tones or even black to the florals at your wedding, either for the bridal party bouquets or the table settings, you are sure to add a gothic edge to any arrangement.
You could even take this one step further by adding some spooky additions to the florals. How about some deep purple or red pearls draped throughout the stems of your table centrepieces? Or how about a sophisticated black velvet ribbon around the bridal bouquets?
TRY HALLOWEEN HAIR AND MAKE-UP
Now with this tip we aren't saying turn up to your wedding like the Bride of Frankenstein (unless that’s your thing!) but there are plenty of ways to add a hauntingly beautiful addition to your hair and make up on the big day. How about a creepy hair clip to hold your wedding ‘do’ in place? There are plenty of styles you can find online from sparkly bats and spiders or if you want to keep it white how about a skeleton hand to keep your hair pulled back all day.
A deep red lipstick with thick black eyeliner also adds a vampy vibe to your look, and there are plenty of inspo’ pictures to be found online. From the most subtle little bat wing eyeliner to fake vampire teeth poking from under red lipstick. Have fun and get creative!
Samantha Gilchrist, founder and CEO of The Gilchrist Collection commented: “I love Halloween! It's a time of fun and magic, making it the perfect theme for a wedding. We see lots of beautiful weddings across the Gilchrist Collection, however one that really stands out for this time of year was Lewis and Katie’s gothic themed big day at Danby Castle. All of the beautiful touches, from the coffin ring box that was a delight to see in the ceremony, to the charming tombstone seating plan and table numbers, really helped to make the day extra special.
”At The Gilchrist Collection, our venue teams are here to make your day exactly how you want it whatever your theme, the more out there the better! We love hearing all of our newly-wed-to-be ideas, and helping them make their wedding dreams come true.”
Check out The Gilchrist Collection's Sussex venues at https://theravenswood.co.uk and www.highleymanor.co.uk
