How to Plan a Goth Wedding

Use dried flowers in deep tones in centerpieces and on your cake.

In a New York Times article on Gothic fashion, writer Ruth La Ferla describes modern Goths as obsessed with "death, decay, destructive passions and the specter of nature run amok." Gothic style invokes those themes through macabre symbols, such as skulls, dark color schemes, with a heavy emphasis on black, and medieval and Victorian period clothing, personal accessories and interior décor. Successful Goth weddings incorporate these elements to set a somber, eccentric and romantic tone.

Instructions

Dress

1. Dress the bride in a full skirt and tight bodice with a very high or very low neckline for a Victorian look. Construct the gown from velvet, silk or brocade and trim it in lace.

2. Dress the groom in long pants, waist coat, ruffled shirt and tail coat for a similar Victorian look. Accessorize with a top hat, pocket watch and sleek cane.

3. Dress the bridesmaids and groomsmen in matching, yet toned-down versions of the bride and groom's outfits.

The Ceremony

1. Walk down the aisle to your favorite Gothic music, choosing from dark classical pieces, by composers such as Chopin or Mozart, or from modern Gothic classics by artists such as Philip Glass, Danny Elfman or Mogwai.

2. Book a venue that honors Goth influences, such as churches with medieval or Victorian-style architecture or the massive, stone-walled cellar of a 200-year old, reportedly haunted southern mansion.

3. Light your ceremony with candles, using standing candelabra and candelabra sconces.

4. Hold the ceremony at sunset or at night to echo the death symbolism theme.

The Reception

1. Decorate with an appropriate Gothic color scheme, favoring black, white and ivory tones as well as deep, romantic shades of red, purple and dark blue.

2. Create centerpieces that incorporate dried flowers, exotic blooms and unusual picks, such as ostrich feathers. Include pillar and tapered candles, set on top of holders and inside candelabras.

3. Seat your guests at long, banquet-style tables covered with velvet, lace or silk tablecloths.

The Cake

1. Accent your cake with dried, dark-hued flowers instead of bright, fresh flowers.

2. Line your cake borders with sugar skulls, rats or crows in the place of icing or sugar flowers.

3. Ice your cake with white or black fondant and then add a sugar-molded net or lace overlay in a contrasting hue or, leave the cake a solid, deep color. Allow black or blood red icing to "bleed" over the tops and edges of your cake's tiers.

References

• New York Times: Fashion and Style: Embrace the Darkness
• The Knot: Gothic Weddings: 5 Ways to Goth Up Your Wedding Day
• The Knot: Gothic Weddings: Gothic Wedding Ceremony Music Ideas
• The Knot: Gothic Weddings: 3 Gothic Wedding Reception Venue Ideas
• Gothic Martha Stewart Weddings: Victorian Gothic Weddings

Resources

• Low Budget Fairy Tale Weddings: Goth Wedding Theme Ideas