Gothic style wedding: from the Middle Ages to vampires

A wedding in a Gothic style is shocking and a violation of all traditional ideas about the first family holiday. This “terrifyingly majestic” style, which came to us from architecture and art, is definitely not suitable for everyone. It is inherent in risky and courageous couples who belong to subcultures.

They are used to experimenting and the images of the Gothic Middle Ages most appeal to their character and mood. If the bride and groom decide to celebrate their wedding in such an unusual way, then here are some important recommendations. They will help you hold a celebration at the highest level and strictly follow the Gothic style.

Where to get inspiration

People from the British musical movements of the 70s and 80s gave the world the gothic rock style. Along with this trend, a subculture appeared, which is characterized by a gloomy flavor and a desire for luxury.

This movement is built on images and appearance. Modern “Goths” are not only characterized by flamboyant clothing, but also by cool, soft Goth makeup. These are flashy colors and a variety of execution techniques.

The bride and groom can see options for images from modern collections of fashion houses and ideas from makeup artists and stylists. Before planning, you can be inspired by films about the Middle Ages and learn something from world masterpieces of art. But don’t forget about your own imagination and boldly rush into experiments.
After all, shocking is important here.

Images of the bride and groom

The outfits of the main characters of the celebration are intricate and should reflect the era of the past. There is no limit to the choice of images. The main colors for both are burgundy, black and white. They can be combined and matched with accessories and details in different ways.

Bride. Dress with a corset, complex updo with accessories in the form of a crown, comb, tiara, as well as ancient jewelry. In makeup, a light complexion will give the image of aristocracy.

Groom. A top hat, a classic suit or tailcoat, as well as makeup in the form of powder and eyes lined with black pencil are the basis of the image. Constant colors - white, black, red. Guests can be invited to dress in dark colors, or rent suits. When a gothic wedding is chosen, the photos come out very unusual.

Gothic Wedding Ideas

The Gothic style has different directions and therefore a Gothic wedding can be different:

Vampire. For images of vampires, it is advisable to dress in outfits of past centuries, for example, the Renaissance. Put on pale blue lenses and false fangs. The venue for the celebration can be a gloomy room without windows or at least with darkened windows. This wedding is more like a theatrical show than just a stylish event.

Cyber gothic. In the images of lovers there are piercings, clothes have a lot of metal rivets, and shoes should be on a high, massive platform. Both the bride and the groom wear aggressive makeup. The hall is decorated in black, red and purple colors.

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Classic. It takes place using a trend of culture and art that was fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries, called neo-Gothic. The appearance of the newlyweds and the interior decoration are distinguished by special luxury and sophistication in everything. Vertical lines can be traced in architecture, clothes, and hairstyles.

Location

Gothicity is associated with coldness and detachment. Therefore, the place of celebration should be uncrowded and secluded. It is advisable to rent a separate mansion in advance or agree on a restaurant outside the city. Alternatively, it could be an indoor nightclub or a castle. Here it is important to maintain solemnity and the right surroundings.

Nothing and no one should distract young people and guests. Everything will be immersed in a Gothic atmosphere. The decor of the space and the right musical accompaniment can help with this.

Attention! It would be nice to add a carriage with horses or dress the staff in medieval costumes.

To make guests feel like one, it is necessary to help them choose images. So the wedding will resemble a game or some kind of movie.

Hall decoration and accessories for decoration

Decorating a wedding in a Gothic style requires a special approach. The absence of bright lighting, the presence of candles in candelabra, dark curtains and tablecloths, and heavy curtains will immediately create the necessary mood. If the wedding will be celebrated in a restaurant, then its style should match. Furniture, accessories and details should create a certain ambiance. Additionally, the space will help to decorate:

dishes decorated in Gothic style - dark colors, gold, red;
musical arrangement or a live orchestra that will play throughout the evening;
candelabra and candles of different sizes and colors;
cards for guests in Gothic style with an original signature.

In a gothic wedding, everything matters, especially the paraphernalia. And invitations for guests are especially important. They are the ones who will set the tone and make it clear what those invited should be prepared for.

What is important in a gothic style invitation? The font matters; the image of roses, a castle, mysterious silhouettes and other elements will interest guests. The paper is also important and its density, embossing and ornate patterns are inherent in such an invitation.

It can also be decorated with fabric, feathers, and stones.

Original wedding in Gothic style

A wedding is a significant and emotional event. In order for this day to be remembered not only by yourself, but also to excite the minds of relatives and guests for a long time, you can come up with a whole theatrical performance with costumes and makeup. Wedding celebrations, where the whole atmosphere is imbued with a mysterious theme that manifests itself even in the smallest details, are becoming increasingly popular. If you decide to surprise those present, you should think about organizing a themed wedding in the Gothic style, and stories about it will be passed on from mouth to mouth for a long time! The only question is how far you are willing to go in your desire to surprise and amaze others. A rebellious character, an informal attitude to life, and disobedience to generally accepted rules and laws fit quite logically into the idea of a wedding in the Gothic style.

It is worth saying that it is not at all necessary to be a Goth, but you need to understand that the idea of such a celebration requires a certain courage, rebelliousness of spirit and the desire to make your holiday bright and unusual. So, if the decision has been made, then it’s time to start preparing for the wedding. Order a cake from a pastry chef with good taste and a sense of humor: no roses or whipped cream; dark fondant and decorations in accordance with the chosen theme will make the cake inimitable.

The main palette of a wedding in the Gothic style involves the presence of gloomy colors - black, burgundy, purple, lilac, gold and silver in various combinations. White color may be present in the wedding decoration, but it is not the main and leading color, unlike a traditional celebration.

The best place to organize a wedding in a Gothic style is a restaurant or cafe that has the appropriate surroundings - twilight, high ceilings, gold and luxury in the interior. It’s great if young people have the opportunity to organize a celebration in an ancient castle - against such a background the photographs will come out stunning, and the atmosphere itself will be simply incredible! You can also rent a country house with a fireplace and a garden plot.

To hold a wedding, the selected interior should be modified. Decorations in the Gothic style include tall candlesticks with dark candles and candelabra for lighting - the antique surroundings exclude bright electric light. In order not to worry about constantly replacing candles, you can take care of purchasing or renting table lamps and sconces, stylized as candles. They will illuminate your celebration for as long as necessary, and their light will be dim and diffused. Additionally, you can cover the lamps with openwork black capes or scarves.

Particular attention should be paid to decorating the hall with flowers and plants. Compositions of fresh flowers should be dark in color and consistent with the overall theme of the wedding celebration. Dark burgundy roses are ideal; compositions of black feces and lilies will look amazing. When decorating a hall in the Gothic style, compositions of dried herbs, painted in gold and silver, in combination with dark beads, feathers, and leaves would be appropriate. Small neat baskets with flowers are placed on tables for guests, and chairs can be decorated with green compositions.

Since the tablecloths at the wedding celebration will have a dark or burgundy-red color, floral arrangements selected in the appropriate color scheme will create a wonderful ensemble. The newlyweds' table can be decorated with wreaths or garlands of long roses, which will exude a divine aroma. No wedding provides such an opportunity to show the triumph of dark, unearthly beauty as a gothic one. Making such compositions yourself will be quite problematic: flowers and plants are painted with special compounds that allow you to achieve the desired tone and not damage the plants. Florists from the relevant companies and firms will be happy to handle this task.

The outfits of the bride and groom will also be far from generally accepted: no white dresses, veils, flounces or curls. The bride's dress is chosen in dark colors: black, dark red, burgundy, gold. White color can be present as separate elements, shading black. The style of the dress involves full skirts, crinolines and corsets, although, at the request of the bride, the dress can be short. Black lace mittens or gloves, a veil, a hat, a black lace umbrella - this is what will complement your look. The groom is recommended to wear a black three-piece suit, but he can complement the suit with elements of a medieval style: frill, lace, frock coat or tailcoat, top hat. If you want to shock the public - make-up on your face, white skin, blood-red lips, black eyeliner.

High multi-level styling, complex elements, unusual style - the bride’s head should truly be a masterpiece of hairdressing art. You can achieve the desired effect by decorating your hair with flowers. Buds and flowers woven into the hair should be in harmony with the bride’s outfit, her wedding bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere. We will help you choose flowers of the required color and ensure that the flowers are in perfect condition in your hair throughout the evening.

One of the most important attributes of a bride’s wedding look is her bouquet. At a Gothic wedding, the bouquet should be made in dark colors, striking with its luxury and sophistication. A bouquet of black feces or dark roses, complemented with feathers, decorative elements, and rhinestones, will look gorgeous. May-flower studio florists have experience in creating such bouquets. We will take into account all your wishes, and we guarantee that your wedding bouquet will be elegant and unique. In order for those present to feel the atmosphere of your wedding, you should take care of this as early as possible, and for this you should present invitations - they must be decorated in appropriate style. Guests should be warned about the dress code and the specifics of the upcoming celebration in advance, especially those who are no longer young.

Undoubtedly, a wedding in the Gothic style is a rather bold decision, which speaks of the unconventional approach of the newlyweds to organizing the most important day in their lives. But how stylish, extraordinary, luxurious it is! Our team will be happy to help you arrange your celebration in the best traditions of enchanting Gothic style.

The bride's bouquet

The bouquet is the main attribute for the bride. This is where imagination can run wild. The main thing is that it looks dark and at the same time luxurious. The decisive factor here is the color - black, blue, dark red, scarlet or any dark, cool shade. This will add some spice. Moreover, the flowers do not necessarily have to be alive. What flowers in a bouquet can be made from:

feathers;
dried flower;
fresh flowers of a naturally dark color;
paper or plastic.

Many brides opt for a bouquet of dark red roses, and decorate the handle with crystals or metal fittings. Black fabric in combination with fresh flowers looks very unusual. Special paint for flowers is also often used. It will create the necessary contrast and highlight accents.

Bride's image

The gothic bride is a fatal and cold-blooded girl. Her outfits can be a black dress, red or purple. The dress can be fluffy, slightly flared at the bottom, or simply tight-fitting.

For a black dress, it is advisable not to use a veil so that the bride’s image does not resemble a “black widow”.

Another characteristic feature of a gothic girl's clothing is a lace-up corset.

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The appearance of the bride of the chosen style excludes vulgarity; it should be elegant and strict. It will be complemented by lace gloves.

In this case, both a hairstyle in the form of collected hair and retro styling are suitable.

There are many hairstyle options for a gothic style wedding.

Hair decorations can be: tiara, hairpins with stones, ribbons, black feathers.

The girl's makeup should be bright, her eyes should be painted with dark pencil and eye shadow, and her lips should be wearing red lipstick in a shade suitable for the bride. This style of makeup is called "vamp".

The bouquet can be made of purple roses, deep blue or dark purple callas and other flowers of similar shades.

Glasses and cake

Glasses can be either super extreme or more restrained. It all depends on the temperament and recklessness of the young people. The best option is clear glass with black decorations. You can stick black guipure on top of the glass, paint it with paint, stones or any other decor that matches the style. As a rule, glasses for the bride and groom are ordered in advance from hand-made masters who can offer something original.

A gothic wedding also implies an unusual design of sweets. A wedding cake can be a real confectionery masterpiece decorated with skulls, black flowers, chains or a castle. Dark chocolate combined with white and red will create an unforgettable wedding dessert.

Interesting! We wrote more about how to choose a delicious wedding cake in this article.

Desserts look like a work of art when a gothic wedding is held, photo below:

A wedding cake

There should be no problems with making a Gothic cake. Modern confectioners are capable of creating any culinary miracle.

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A cake made in black, red and white colors will not look mournful.

But if you wish, you can order a completely black cake, with patterns in the form of forged metal.

The greatest effect for creating a Gothic cake can be achieved by making the cake layers in red and the cream in black.

Celebration scenario - competitions and entertainment for guests

A wedding in the Gothic style is always something unusual and the scenarios go beyond the standard idea. Here at the celebration, quests, role-playing, or acting out a story are appropriate. Alternatively, the story of Dracula or the Addams family. Guests are actively involved in the game.

Attention! If the holiday is also diluted with horseback riding in a carriage and a vampire photo shoot, then this will definitely remain in the memory of all those present. You can also have fun with live music from a visiting orchestra.

Some tips for hosting a wedding in a Gothic style:

Don’t forget to invite a professional photographer and videographer to your wedding, because this will be the best memory for all the years of your life together. It's not worth saving. When you have a gothic wedding, the photos will be amazing;
Plan your celebration in advance and order all the attributes well before the wedding date, and also reserve the restaurant;
Remember that such a wedding may shock others and some relatives, so consider traditionally celebrating the official part with a separate date, if possible.

Summary

Not all relatives will agree with the choice of the bride and groom of this particular wedding style. But this celebration is specifically for the young and they can choose what it will be like. Gothic is the abolition of traditions and classical understanding, but this is the kind of wedding that will never be forgotten. Therefore, for the most daring, it can take place in the Gothic style. And guests with relatives should not take what is happening too seriously - this is just a game that the newlyweds like so much.