I never really thought I would get married. I was too independent to be tied down by any man. However, despite my stubborn insistence to stay single, in my early thirties I found myself falling deeply in love with a wonderful man who (lucky for me) returned my affections. We quickly moved in together, and a few years later I excitedly accepted his marriage proposal.
Secretly, even though I had never dreamed of getting hitched, I had been enthralled by the idea of a Halloween wedding for many years. It was my favorite holiday after all… really the only American holiday I enjoyed celebrating. The creepy undertones, the darkness, the fantasy, the magic, the chance to be whoever or whatever you dreamed up, if only for one night, were not just fun but strangely liberating. On Halloween, anything and everything was possible!
My fiancé wasn’t as obsessed with Halloween as I was, but he agreed to marry me on Halloween, nonetheless. Because of the COVID pandemic, we knew we’d have to wait at least another year before bringing our family and friends together, but the extra time ended up being a hidden blessing. While we were all locked away in our homes, I delighted in planning the most spectacular celebration without being under the pressure of a tight time crunch.
Our wedding was small—only about thirty guests — but grand! It was not just a one-night affair, but a three-day event culminating on Halloween night. We rented out a farm nestled into the wooded hills of eastern Pennsylvania, which had been converted into a retreat center. We were able to house all our guests in the little cabins scattered throughout the farm and a nearby Airbnb. Our closest family and friends arrived early to help us decorate—tombstones, skulls and bones, bats and spiders galore, and a 15-foot-tall inflatable ghost at the entrance. I must say we did a marvelous job!
Of course, we couldn’t control the weather, and the first couple of days were rainy, so all the field games we had available for entertainment were mostly unused. No one seemed to mind, though. A large barn served as a homey gathering place where our friends and family got the chance to get to know one another. We also had cards, board games, and pumpkins to carve.
Thankfully, when Halloween day rolled around, the sky cleared—so we went hiking! Nearby was Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, which, as an outdoorsy nature nerd, I desperately wanted to see. About half our party joined my fiancé and I for the side trip. Aside from a shortcut that ended up being a long detour, it was a delightful outing with stunning views.
As the late afternoon sun began to set, our costumed guests gathered on the hilltop with magnificent views of wooded mountains, beautifully dressed in autumn yellows, oranges, and reds. Covered hay bales formed rows of seats with an aisle down the middle. In the background, a speaker played gothic, Victorian-style music to set the mood. Meanwhile, my best friend, along with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, did my hair and makeup, which, with my flowing ivory dress, transformed me into a beautifully haunting bride.
It had just turned dusk by the time I walked up the hill and down the aisle to meet my man, who was handsomely dressed in a black velvet coat and top hat. My best friend was at the end of the aisle to act as our officiant. She had dressed herself up as the officiant in the movie Corpse Bride, complete with a long chin she had crafted and affixed to her face. Together, the three of us enacted the wedding ceremony from the movie, exchanging the same vows –
“With this hand, I will lift your sorrows. Your cup will never empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine.”
We had ornate wine glasses and black candlesticks we used as props as well. This may sound incredibly cheesy, but the atmosphere was deliciously dark and romantic. Everyone there seemed enraptured, and a few shed tears.
After the ceremony on the hilltop, we convened in the barn for dinner, where a DJ was playing music to keep the spooky atmosphere alive. Bringing in catered food and letting guests serve themselves cafeteria-style worked well with our smaller party. We also decided to forgo the standard wedding cake for delectable bars of chocolate and other candy. No one complained.
After dinner, we cleared away the tables to form a dance floor. My husband and I wooed everyone with a lively dance to “The Ghost of Stephen Foster” by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, which was followed by a father-bride dance and a mother-groom dance before opening the floor to everyone else. After a couple of hours of dancing, we switched to some karaoke with songs spanning a wide variety of genres. We ended the night outside by a campfire where a couple of my friends played their guitars and led us in singalongs.
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This Halloween will be our five-year anniversary. We have had parties every year since then to commemorate both our undying love and the joys of Halloween. Not all the original wedding guests have made it to the subsequent parties, and we have since added new friends to the mix. Yet every year the spirit of our wedding returns, stirring a sort of magic into the air.
This was written by our contributing writer, Kara Kukovich.
All images were provided by our writer, Kara Kukovich, and were taken at her wedding.
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