Vampire Themed Wedding Checklist

 Are you planning a non-traditional wedding with a Gothic or Vampire theme? 

    I had a Vampire-themed wedding and at the time there was not a lot of information on the web for such a wedding theme.  Here are some things I learned to do to make sure your non-traditional wedding runs smoothly.

The Marriage Laws in your State

    There was a time when there were only a few states that would allow a Notary or other non-church official to legalize a marriage. Many went to Vegas to get married for that reason. Check the laws of your state to see what is required for your wedding or plan a trip to Vegas. Here are some quick links to Marriage laws by State

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/marriage-laws-by-state

https://www.ulc.org/wedding-laws

https://nacministers.com/answers-faq/requirements-wedding-officiants/

Venue

    We found a historic church that we could rent for a wedding. There were some rules regarding the number of decorations and guests, but the small church had its own decor and stunning visual backdrop. 

    Before we found the church we tried other places as well. The historic cemetery rejected our request to have a wedding there. But active cemeteries would be okay to do it. Also, just look around your area for venues to rent. Some people own properties with interesting architecture that they rent for weddings, parties, and other events. Museums, Historic Homes, and historic buildings are also possible places that may allow wedding ceremonies on their premises. 

    When speaking to the Museum or Historic building, emphasize that you only wish to hold the ceremony there or just take pictures in the location.  If you don't make that clear up front, some people only hear you say Wedding Party and think you want to hold the reception there. 

    But you can have your Vampire Themed Wedding anywhere and decorate it however you like. For the reception, we decorated a conference hall with cheap Halloween decor including Castle Wall Halloween wallpaper, and asked all our guests to dress in scary Halloween costumes. 

Flowers

    There is such a thing as a Black Rose. Also, Florists can paint your flowers with a special floral paint. I chose to mix my bouquets with Red, Dark Red, and Black roses. I think mine turned out beautifully.

Wedding Cake

    There are so many talented and creative Wedding Cake bakers, all you have to do is make an appointment and discuss your ideas. Bring images or drawings. Find someone excited about your ideas. 

    When we designed our cake, I first started looking for a Gothic wedding cake topper. Perhaps a Vampire bride and groom or something similar.  I could not find anything that was exactly what I wanted. But I did find a Mexican "Day of the Dead" Bride and Groom wedding cake topper.  It was complete with an arch over the top and a plastic version of the top part of the wedding cake. I took it to the bakery and asked if they could decorate a cake to match the cake on this topper. It was basic, a cream icing, no fondant, with beige icing, and black accents and florals to match the cake topper, but I thought it was perfect. It was Old-Fashioned and Gothic. 

Vampire Themed Wedding Images

Here is an idea for a Vampire Themed Wedding

In 2007, my husband and I had a Vampire-themed wedding.

This Blog was created to share the images and ideas we came up with to help others design their Gothic or Vampire-themed wedding day!

Vampire Wedding Vows

    My husband and I are big fans of all things Vampire. We love Halloween and all things dark and gothic as well. When we decided to get married there was no doubt it would be a non-traditional vampire wedding!

    We adapted our wedding vows from a Gothic Wedding Planning website from Orlando, FL. www.gothicweddings.org. Check it out, a cool site with some neat wedding ideas. I will write the vows we used for our vampire wedding below, we changed some things to work for the unique circumstances of our wedding but you may also want to check out the website Gothic Weddings to see the original vows on their site for more ideas!

Priest Says:
Welcome one and all, and witness (Groom's Name) and (Bride's Name) as they pledge their dedication to walk the night together.
From the night we come to the night we go,
Cursed or blessed to walk the moonlight alone.

Sometimes another soul walks our path,
Then two become one, in love everlasting.
Come forward, Children of the Blood,
And welcome this couple to your brood,
Within each other, these two are found,
Bear witness as their souls are bound.

The priest binds the couple's left wrists together with a red scarf. The binding takes place over a goblet containing the wedding rings.
Stand now as ye will stand forever,
Like this crimson cloth, your hearts are tethered,
This goblet's contents are your symbols of devotion,
So take the rings from the Goblet.

The couple takes the rings from the goblet with their right hands. The Priest asks the bride and groom to repeat these vows.
(Bride's Name), repeat these vows:
I will stand by your side, hunt at your back, and fly within your Soul.
I will stand between you and all that would harm you.
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you, for you are my Heart, my Soul, and my Life.

(Groom's Name) repeat these vows:
I will stand by your side, hunt at your back, and fly within your Soul.
I will stand between you and all that would harm you.
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you, for you are my Heart, my Soul, and my Life.

The priest takes the goblet then sets it on the Altar and states:
Above you are the stars, below you are the stones. As time passes, remember, like the star should your love burn brightly, like the stone should your love be firm. Be close, yet not so close that you restrict one another. Possess one another, yet grant each other the freedom to grow. Be understanding and compassionate, and have patience with each other, for storms may come, but they will quickly pass. Be free to give affection and warmth. Fear not, lest the ways or words of the unenlightened give you unease. For the Lady and Lord are with you, now, and always.

As both your arms and the cloth form the symbol of eternity, may your love endure through this life and all others. As the Gods and the old ones are witnesses with those of us present now, I proclaim them Husband and Wife, and thus are they bonded in Blood. The Two are now one. I present to you the Blood (Groom's Name and Bride's Name and Surname) forever bound, eternally free! You are husband and wife for all eternity. You may now kiss each other to seal your eternal bond of love.

How to become a Vampire*

    Vampires are a solitary group. It is not easy to get in with the organization. If you get bitten by a vampire, you will most likely die. Especially if you are healthy and eat well. If you are tasty, the more likely the vampire will drain you dry without giving it a second thought. However, if you smoke, drink, take drugs, or eat unhealthy, a vampire is not as likely to bite you, or if they do, they may be less likely to drain you dry.

    This doesn't mean you will become a vampire. Some books have suggested that you must be bitten three times by a vampire to become one. But most agree that you must be bitten by a vampire and be nearly dead and then drink the blood of a vampire to become one. Whether or not a vampire decides to change you depends upon the mood of the vampire and how they feel about you! Have you become the vampire's friend? Is the vampire in need of a companion?

 
    Where do you meet a vampire? Most live in cities and come out at night. Cities make it easier to remain anonymous because of their dense populations. The southern states are popular havens for vampires, mainly because it is warm, vampires do not like the cold. They are especially fond of the city of New Orleans.  If you saw a vampire in New Orleans, would you believe it was real or Cosplay? 

 
    Some believe that a person can become a vampire by practicing black magic or studying the black arts. Although it is possible to become a vampire in this manner, it is not likely. The black arts are full of distractions from truth. Should you find your way to the ultimate source of dark power, you may become a vampire, but you will have to read past pages and pages of deliberate disinformation. 

    The secret to getting past the distractions is a solid education in all the subjects and sciences. You need to read the Liberal Arts with the assumption that all of it contains the bias of human perspective and political manipulation. When it comes to math and hard science, avoid tangents of numerology and focus on physics and chemistry instead. It is when the study of Chemical and Biological forms leads you to mathematical magical forms, that is where the magical study of numbers is grounded in what has already been demonstrated to be possible. 

    

    That is how you ground magical study in reality. Another way to look at it is the expression, the miracle of life. Life is an incredible miracle. It is amazing that we are alive on this earth at all. Oh, look at that, we circled back around to the daylight. That is what happens when you live on a globe, the night (Leave this dark side now or be trapped in here forever, go and find God) soon leads to the morning, and the morning is not long followed by another evening and another night. Predators lurk in the dark, waiting, with just enough knowledge to guide you or mislead you. Some predators will chase you down all night. Others lie in wait. Some, like the cat, are more devious. They will befriend you along the way, and study your movements carefully for many days. They will wait until you are most vulnerable and when they no longer find you amusing. And then they will strike!

    And oh, will not your soul then be trapped in the dark? A wandering wraith of sorrow from a soul that died in terror while lost in the dark.

(For Entertainment Purposes Only)