This theatrical Halloween wedding slays with its dark glamour

Monique and Danika worked with some of California's most skilled designers to create this masterpiece of a theatrical Halloween wedding. From the headdress to the table decor, the skulls and skeletons of creatures adorned everything.

Eye Level Studio spent several hours preparing Danika's look, including over an hour and a half of detailed airbrushed designs on her face and body. Her custom dress was handmade by the killer Dark Garden Unique Corsetry and is a work of art. Their circular ceremony may have been sweet and simple, but the reception was another story. Every guest showed up in elaborate costumes to watch the spectacular burlesque show. It's time to see the whole event in all its glory PLUS some insight from the bride's themselves.

We are a pair of creative freaky girls who love the dark arts and have many friends who share the same creative genius and appreciation. This party was all about giving our loved ones a chance to let their creativeness out without restriction, or judgment or tradition. Many of our friends made there entire costumes from scratch!

We had Halloween games, a costume contest and burlesque performers (one of whom was a cat who had babies and then threw fake litter box poo on the audience!).

Our wedding ensembles were custom designed by myself and collaborated and executed with my old boss, Autumn of Dark Garden Corsetry. We spent over a year designing, planning, and doing fittings, with hours upon hours of hand stitching, beading, and making the most elaborate Erte-inspired gown they ever did. Eye Level Studio took wedding day body painting to a new level, airbrushing white filigree onto my face, neck, and arms, to contrast the black gown and headdress.

Danika said of the ceremony:

Surrounded by candlelight, I married my girlfriend of 11 years, in which we read our own letters to each other, vows of a nontraditional nature, completely from the heart. Instead of a bouquet, I had some spooky, alien looking succulents attached to the top of a skull-topped staff, in which I also attached my vows to, in scroll fashion. I'm so glad I had a staff, so I didn't fall over walking down the aisle!

One of our best friends, “Reverend” Garth Fox married us. We arranged the ceremony in a circular nature, so that everyone could sit around us, creating an energy vortex and unifying us all as a family. Since our beloved kitty cats (our kids) could not attend the wedding, my wife's niece and nephew processed into the ceremony as flower cats! They threw cat grass and ran around being cats.

Danika talks about the reception:

We had an instant photo booth allowing our guests to get a printed photo of themselves in costume without having to wait months for the pro photos. Additionally, a dear friend edited a montage of silent, black and white vintage film noir and gothic-inspired movie scenes, which was projected on several walls while the ball took place.

We created a “Day of the Dead” table, to honor loved ones who passed, who could not attend our wedding.
The food was delicious and provided by Noor. I created a few custom specialty cocktails, one of which I named “Unicorn Blood,” a lemony elderflower concoction.

The music was a custom, eclectic mix of our favorites… much spooky dancing ensued well into the night!

Vendors

Photography: Rawtography • Face/Body airbrushing & Hair: Micheal Rosner Eye Level Studio • Gown/Ensembles: Dark Garden Unique Corsetry • Headpiece: Miss G Designs • Venue: Noor •

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About the Author: Catherine Clark

@enidjcoleslaw @bijouxandbits @bijouxandbits

Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.