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.