If you live in New England, you already know how popular fall is for getting married. Not only that, but with the increasing desire for less traditional weddings Halloween weddings specifically have risen in popularity in recent years. Many couples are choosing New England as the perfect location for such weddings. Between its historic homes and picturesque woods filled with colorful fall foliage, New England has a unique charm that makes it the perfect place for a spooky yet elegant wedding.
In this blog, you’ll get all the juicy details about why, how, when and where to plan a Halloween wedding in New England.
Why Choose a Halloween Wedding in New England?
First and foremost, New England fall is stunning – the changing of the leaves, the warm days and cool nights, and general crispness to the air gives the perfect backdrop for a Halloween wedding. Just picture movies like Hocus Pocus (set and filmed in Salem, Massachusetts). THAT could be your wedding backdrop!
Aside from its natural beauty, New England is home to some of the oldest places in the United States. Historic mansions, museums of witchcraft and the macabre, and quaint old villages with cobblestone streets will enhance your Halloween themed wedding with no effort.
When to Start Planning Your Halloween Wedding
Timeline
Since we’ve already established that fall is a very popular time to get married in New England, it will come as no surprise that we recommend to start planning as early as 12-18 months in advance. Some of the most popular venues will book that far in advance so you’ll want to secure that first. Then, you’ll also want to book your photographer – especially if you want a fall engagement session as well – followed by other important vendors such as videographer, florist, musicians, and so on.
Seasonal Considerations
Planning so far in advance can be good in terms of securing your favorite venue and vendors, but it can also come at a cost. Peak foliage calendars so far in advance like the Farmer’s Almanac can be helpful but not perfect seeing as things such as the mildness of the winter season and the amount of rain in the spring and summer have an impact on when peak foliage is. I’ve personally seen times where the leaves where practically all gone by the end of September as well as times where they didn’t even start to change until late October. To be safe, mid to late October should always have at least some sort of foliage wether its still on the trees or covering the ground in crisp leaves.
Best Venues for a Halloween Wedding in New England
Connecticut
Home of everyone’s favorite Gilmore Girls, Connecticut is home to quaint New England towns and eerie coastline with venues such as:
- Willow Hill in Brooklyn, Connecticut
- South Farms in Morris, Connecticut
- Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut
- Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Connecticut
Maine
With eerie coastal lighthouses, quaint farms and remote wilderness you’ve got your pick of spooky and colorful natural backdrops for your Hallowedding including:
- Flanagan Farm in Buxton, Maine
- Live Well Farm in Harpswell, Maine
- Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine
- The View Point in York, Maine
Massachusetts
Home to the ultimate spooky destination during New England’s fall season – Salem. That combined with tons of historic inns and estates means you’ll have your pick of witchy, gothic and rustic venues for your Massachusetts Halloween wedding including:
- Tupper Manor in Beverly, Massachusetts
- The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts
- The Boston Athenaeum in Boston, Massachusetts
- Connemara House in Topsfield, Massachusetts
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New Hampshire
The Green Mountains and lakes region will provide you with the perfect spooky backdrop for your wedding – Friday the 13th vibes, anyone? Some venues to consider are:
- Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, New Hampshire
- Cobb Hill Estate in Harrisville, New Hampshire
- Four Winds Farm in Peterborough, New Hampshire
- Mill Falls at the Lake in Meredith, New Hampshire
Rhode Island
From coastal Newport with grand mansions from the gilded age to historic Providence with brick buildings and converted mills, you’ll find everything from luxury to industrial venues such as:
- Mansions including Rosecliff, Marble House and The Elms in Newport, Rhode Island
- Hope Events on Main in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- Glen Manor House in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Vermont
Rustic barns with fresh maple syrup and pristine rolling landscapes with crisp fall air are the perfect setting for your Halloween wedding in Vermont including:
- Riverside Farm in Pittsfield, Vermont
- Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont
- The Inn at Manchester in Manchester, Vermont
- Lareau Farm Inn in Waitsfield, Vermont
- Common Ground Center in Starksboro, Vermont
Halloween Wedding Attire
You can take your attire and dress code for your Halloween wedding in several different directions – gothic, traditional, luxury, costumey, vintage – but here’s some general attire inspiration and recommendations for you, your wedding party (if you’re having one) and your guests.
For the Couple
- Dresses
- black wedding dresses (my personal favorite is Zander from Maggie Sottero)
- gothic inspired or vintage wedding dresses – think lace, frills, long sleeves, ballgowns, bustiers, and lots of layers
- or go costumey and purchase a high quality victorian-era gown
- Suits
- rich fabrics like wool, velvet or even satin
- colors like black (obviously) or deep fall colors like burnt orange, brown or maroon – such as this one from Indochino
- ones that have a vintage vibe with a proper vest and longer jacket combo – think RDJ in Sherlock Holmes
- Accessories
- big badass jewelry like strings of pearls for a vintage look or chunky natural stones
- a big spikey crown for queen vibes
- long flowing veils or capes
- gloves, pocket watches or anything else that feels vintage
For the Wedding Party
You’ll want to take the same advice from above and go for suits and/ or dresses in rich fabrics or you could also continue the costumey vibe and assign a movie, tv show, book or era and give them a guide with inspiration for their attire. For example, if you wanted a vampire inspired Halloween wedding you might opt to dress as Nadja and Laszlo for yourselves and then encourage your wedding party to wear similar outfits for themselves.
For the Guests
Make sure that your guests know how to dress by providing a dress code, at a minimum. Whether its black tie, costumes encouraged or an era inspired Hallowedding, giving your guests some guidance about what to wear will help them feel more included in your wedding festivities and add to the ambience of your wedding overall. If you don’t want to go as far as to create a theme or dress code exactly, you might at least provide a suggested color palette – think oranges, blacks, greens, maroons, or even purples.
Halloween Wedding Decor Ideas
Before you start planning out your decor, you’re going to want to develop a plan for a cohesive design. Don’t just run out to Michael’s and start raiding the Halloween decor section all willy nilly. Take some time to gather inspiration first – whether it’s from some of your favorite Halloween movies, moody restaurants, museums or even your local fall festival. Pick a vibe and stick with it so your wedding decor doesn’t end up looking disjointed and tacky. Here are a few “vibes” to get started with and some decor ideas for each.
Gothic
- lots of black and darker colored fabrics with velvets and satins draped everywhere
- skulls and skeletons for accents
- big candelabras and lots of dim lighting
- a lounge with vintage furniture
- vintage frames for signage and table numbers
- moss or tree branches to bring in some natural elements
Fall Festival
- big string lighting and fun fall colored drapery (think tented!)
- apples and pumpkins for accents
- a caramel apple or popcorn stand
- mums, dahlias, and other classically fall florals in reds, oranges, yellows or even plums
Cozy
- soft blankets or scarves for your guests – especially for an outdoor ceremony
- late night firepit with s’mores
- plenty of candlelight
- muted or dark warm tones and heavyweight linens
- oversized pumpkins and amber glassware
Kitschy
- vintage jack-o-lanterns and halloween masks
- blow molds, retro signage, and black cats
- classic black and orange color scheme
- lots of thrifted elements from the mid century
- cutesy candy and sweets bar
Unique Halloween Wedding Ideas
Wedding Invitations
Work with a designer to set the tone for your wedding with stationery that includes gothic fonts, ghostly illustrations and other moody elements. Seal it with blood red wax for an extra Halloween touch!
Food and Drink
Incorporate menu items that include seasonal flavors like pumpkin and cranberry. Serve signature cocktails like a blood orange sangria or something smoky. Have a candy bar or make your own candy apples station to get your guests feeling extra Halloween-y.
Entertainment
Have classically fall games like bobbing for apples or a pumpkin carving or costume competition. Hire a psychic or tarot card reader to give readings to your guests. Have a band who dresses up and plays spooky yet fun Halloween music for your cocktail hour.
I know that was a lot to take in all at once – choosing your date, location, attire, entertainment, decor and more can be overwhelming. Just remember to start at the top and work your way through the details in order that they’re listed here, a little at a time. So don’t be afraid to save this blog and come back to it when you’re ready to move forward with the smaller details. And no matter what, you’re going to have the most incredible and memorable Halloween wedding!
And if you want to check one thing off your to-do list and hire a photographer who will encourage your Halloween wedding dreams and capture your wedding in a colorful, filmy and vibey way, look no further. Reach out to us HERE to chat more and book us for your Hallowedding! We can’t wait to be a part of it!
