Non-tacky gothic ideas

You can have very rich and decadent feeling things without feeling like a Halloween party. I'm a goth at heart and while I didn't want a cheesy Halloween theme having something dark and rich that was relevant to us both was important. Here's my bouquet for an example.

I did wear a black dress and I feel like it was extremely elegant and classy. So it's doable.

Ro, your experience is what I'm concerned about. I just don't want to do a whole wedding setting that looks elegant while playing modern electro dance music, but I don't wanna jump between classical and modern music either. Did you know before attending that it would only be Medieval music?

JoRocka, I must say that I love your bouquet. It's not one you see everyday. The thing is, while there is a part of me that enjoys goth aesthetics, hence the consideration for a goth wedding, I'm not a hardcore goth the way you describe yourself, so I don't think a black dress would make me happy the way it did for you. I do think it could look classy and elegant, but I wanna be sure I can look back on my wedding years down the road and not think "what the hell went through my head?"

Bailey, gold candelabras are an interesting idea. It's not seen in goth aesthetic the way silver is, but I do think it could look nice

I second the damask for table linens & incorporation of black lace. Also, I just saw these cookies and thought of this thread.

Lol lregret nothing.

This is a more pro picture of me at my wedding.the color of my dress was largely irrelevant through the day.

But I realize it's not for everyone. It can be any color. But when you find what speaks to you,you won't be able to regret it because it's you. Who you are right here and now.

OP I think you are being a bit unrealistic about the music. People most likely will not take dance classes for your wedding and would prefer to dance to songs they know.

I'd like to stress being a goth isn't about how hardback ore into power mesh or eyeliner you are. It's a way of seeing the world, appreciating the deepest of dark things even with a sense of beauty.

And it isn't a matter of you are goth enough or not. So if you have a sense for the darker or morbid things. Ir prefer that type of thing you're a goth. You don't need to qualify it.

=)

I love the candelabras! Can you find grand floors too!

I think it can be pulled off well.

You could always hire a DJ and have classical music play for part of the evening, and then regular music later on. You could also look into having songs by the Vitamin String Quartet, too! They do covers of modern songs, all on stringed instruments, with no vocals. Those might be nice to mix in with the traditional classical pieces.

Look towards deep reds and purples, if you think a lot of black will be overkill, in terms of color. If you're leaning towards more of a romantic goth vibe, I would do minimal black; maybe soft gray to dark gray, a bit of black for depth. Materials like tulle would be lovely in terms of doing grayscale and would speak towards a more romantic feel. However, if you want some color, definitely look towards wine-looking shades.

Candles, definitely do candles. Varying sizes would make for lovely centerpieces.

Look at films like "Dracula", "Frankenstein", and "The Wolf Man." Their sets should offer some ideas for decor options. I'm also talking the 1940 versions of these films; Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr, Boris Karloff...

FH and I already know we'll be doing a gothic wedding, and I subscribe to gothic subculture and whatnot, so I've got ideas in my head already, haha.

ETA: I saw a dress yesterday that might fit your taste. Let me see if I can find it.

JoRocka, you're right that I should focus on what will make me happy at the moment, which will then lead to fewer regrets and I do have an appreciation for morbid things to a degree, but I also have an optimistic side that loves light and bright colors. Hell, I'm all over the place with my interests xD

And I do agree that there's more to goth than just the way you look. There's definitely a culture and philosophy to it, and though different people will have different definitions, I think blasting Siouxsie Sioux while wearing head-to-toe black and declaring yourself "goth" is trivializing a very large culture.

Taryn, that is unfortunately true. Maybe I could do darkwave or something along those lines, because at least it'll be more contemporary and familiar. Music will definitely be the biggest challenge.

Holly wins this thread

Liz those cookies do look awesome. I don't like the bags because while I am thinking about a goth wedding, I want as few Halloween elements as possible, if that makes sense. Still, the cookies are interesting.

Bailey a less sparkly version of that cake stand would be awesome, thanks

Kels, that picture is beautiful. The venue I'm considering doesn't have grand light fixtures or paintings like that, but the centerpieces are stunning

Jay, that's actually a really good idea. Maybe I could do classical music for the cocktail hour, then have the music gradually move to dance music as the cocktail hour ends. Maybe I could find dark dance music or play Evanescence and the like.

I was thinking about purple and red for colors aside from black, but I haven't thought of gray much, aside from a silver/black damask table cloth. I'm a little worried it would look more dreary than elegant. The photo Kels posted is beautiful, but the venue in question has large windows and beige walls, so supposing I do it in the day, I doubt it'll look very nice until nighttime. I am more comfortable with the idea of black table cloths though.

I've seen the '31 Dracula and part of Frankenstein, but not Wolf Man. I'll look into it though

I'm very interested to see how your planning comes along. It sounds like you have a unique and elegant idea in mind.

Please don't ask your guests to take dance lessons though. That is ridiculous.

I just wanted pop in to say that if I went to a wedding and found out there were playing sctrictly classical music I would likely leave after dinner. Not in a shitty, "I hate classical music" way, because I quite love classical music. But in a "I don't know how to ballroom dance" and will get bored way.

That being said if I got an invite and was forewarned about the classical music I would still attend, but still leave after dinner for the aforementioned reason