AN ELEGANT HALLOWEEN WEDDING THEME
by Rose Smith, Copyright 2003
http://www.wedthemes.com

Glowing candles, grinning pumpkins and a moonlit night. What a great beginning for a Halloween Wedding. Most people can easily turn a Halloween party into a wedding, however, consider adding some polish to this special night. Here are some suggestions that incorporate elegance with pure Halloween fun.

**Wedding Party Attire**

Bride: A slim fitting dress in the "Mortica ­ Addams Family style" would work nicely. You many also choose to have your gown died black or red. Add a black cape with red lining, black veil and long, sleek black gloves.

Bridesmaids: Slim fitting black, red, orange or yellow dresses with matching capes. Instead of a regular neckline, consider having a seamstress add a high, stiff collar to frame their faces. Use tiara's in their hair or matching ribbons.

Groom and groomsmen: Black tuxedo's with red cummerbunds. Another option would be black shirts, black slacks and a red-lined black cape with high collar.

**Bouquet's**

Carry red, orange or yellow flowers mixed with black roses. If you've decided to use orange as a wedding color, you may wish to opt for orange colored flowers such as: Orange Hawkweed, Day Lily's, Tiger Lily's, Orange/Yellow Freesia's, Orange Roses, Orange Poppy's. Remember that you can often get a variety of flowers dipped or dyed to suit your wedding colors.

**Centerpieces**

Decorate hollowed out gourds or small pumpkins with black, red, orange and/or yellow flowers. Add a few props to the arrangement, such as small scarecrows, plastic pumpkins, small ghosts, gold stars or moon, etc.

Create miniature tombstones from Styrofoam painted dark grey. Add a catchy epitaph and decorate the base with a miniature flower bouquet.

Orange and black pillar candles in varying heights placed on small round mirrors. Tie a coordinating ribbon bow around the base of the candle. Scatter a few fake leaves in autumn colors on the mirror.

Wrought-iron style candelabras with taper candles.

**Decorations**

Decorate doorways and the front of tables with black and orange, red or yellow crepe paper. Or drape with black netting and added contrasting bows where the netting is secured.

Get large dead branches and use as tree props. Add white, yellow or orange miniature Christmas lights to the branches. Secure in pots filled with sand and covered with shiny orange or black wrapping paper. Place around room.

Make a large round moon from cardboard covered with shiny yellow wrapping paper and secure from the ceiling. Add a "flying witch" next to it. Create additional atmosphere with hanging bats and gold stars.

Place a coffin in one corner of the room (you can easily make one from large cardboard boxes and paint it black). Add Dracula to the coffin by stuffing a dark suit with a white shirt, adding a cape and placing a Dracula mask over a balloon. You can also make several tombstones from cardboard boxes, paint in grey, add a funny epitaph and place these around the walls of the room.

Instead of your usual grinning jack-o-lantern, consider having pumpkins carved in unique designs. There are many patterns available and they would provide a unique touch to your wedding. Place the pumpkins throughout the room, but be sure if you are using candles, that they are not near anything flammable and cannot easily be tipped over. Better yet, consider using a battery-powered light or one that can be plugged in nearby.

Cover the top of the tables in black or midnight blue tablecloths. Decorate these with gold sparkled fabric pens in the shapes of stars, suns and moons (use stencils that can be bought for stenciling walls with paint).

Place a large cauldron on the main serving table and add dry ice to create a smoke effect. (Do not use this to serve drinks from).

**Entertainment**

Hire a fortuneteller to dress up as a gypsy and give short readings. You can opt to pay for this and come up with a set price for the evening, or have guests pay for their own readings. Be sure they are kept short (5 to 10 minutes) and that the price reflects this.

Have the DJ play songs such as the Monster Mash, Ghostbusters, Thriller and other suitable Halloween songs throughout the evening.

**Favors**

Use the traditional Halloween treat bags and fill with Halloween candy.

Give candles, such as novelty Halloween candles, orange/black votive candles in a clear holder, 2 tapered candles tied together with raffia ribbon. Spiff up the candles with small decorations such as plastic spiders, autumn leaves, gold moon and star stickers, etc.

Make homemade chocolates or iced sugar cookies in the shapes of ghosts, pumpkins, witches, sun, moon, stars, tombstones, etc. Package several together in cellophane or in Halloween decorated bags/boxes and tie with black and orange ribbon.

Fortune cookies make great favors. You can opt to use the fortunes found in pre-packaged fortune cookies or make your own cookies and fortunes, and insert them into the cookie. (Check the Internet for recipes).

**Suggestions for Guests**

Instead of requesting that your guests dress in any type of costume, consider asking them to find costumes and clothing that are more refined, but still related to Halloween. Basically, instead of dressing like the Wicked Witch of the West or some gruesome monster, they find one that is more fashionable and sleek to fit in with a wedding.

For example, women could wear dresses in black with orange or yellow accessories, dress up like Morticia Addams or Elvira, be a sassy devil, an enchanting sorceress or a Victorian vampiress. Men could dress as Dracula, a 1920's gangster, Jack the Ripper, a medieval cleric or monk, an evil wizard or a werewolf dressed in a suit. You get the idea. Keep it fun, but more in keeping with a wedding, rather than a typical Halloween party where anything goes. And remember to take lots of pictures and videos. This is one style of wedding that is sure to bring lots of laughter and fond memories over the years.

~September 2003

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Rose Smith is the author of the ebook How To Create a Beautiful Medieval Wedding, and several other wedding related ebooks. She owns and operates the Wedding Themes and More website, which features wedding theme ideas and planning resources. http://www.wedthemes.com
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