Here’s What Getting Married On Halloween Will Probably Cost You
If you're looking to marry the Jack Skellington to your Sally, there's no better day to say "I do" than Halloween. The scariest day of the year (in the United States, anyway) is ideal for any horror fans and lovers of the supernatural to get married. Still, if you're wondering, "How much does it cost to get married on Halloween?", brace yourself. It can be a scarily expensive endeavor.
There isn't some concrete, ghastly "Halloween fee" you'll have to pay caterers, vendors, and venues for a Halloween wedding. As event planner Lindsay Jani points out, weddings, in general, can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $1,000,000. The final cost just depends on the couple and their budget. That being said, price variations occur because of factors like the size of your guest list, and of course, geographic location. For example, you can probably expect elevated wedding costs in major cities like Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, or Chicago.
When it comes to Halloween weddings, Jani, who is the Event and Creative Director for Simply Sunshine Events, tells Elite Daily, "October weddings, in some areas such as the Northeast, tend to be considered 'in-season' and a more popular month." But that's just one of a few factors to consider.
Your wedding being on Halloween won't necessarily drive up the price of the event, but whether or not Halloween falls on a weekday or a weekend that year might challenge your budget. "For instance, if you're hosting your wedding around Halloween and are open to booking on a Friday or a Sunday, they are considered less prime days," Jani explains. "Whereas Saturdays are considered the most popular and generally carry a higher price tag." In 2019, Halloween will be on a Thursday, but in 2020, it will fall on a Saturday — meaning the price would likely be higher next year.
Another factor to consider is whether the venue you and bae are eyeing will be already be haunted by other events. "Some venues that host annual Halloween parties may require you to do a full buy-out of the venue," Jani explains. "To make up for the revenue that they would be making off of a hosted party. In this instance, the buy-out may be higher to cover their costs."
Last but not least, what might really make a Halloween wedding pricey is exactly how in-theme you and your boo want your wedding to be. For example, if you have all sorts of creepy-cool dishes in mind, like squid-ink pasta or other "goth foods," you can probably expect a big bill from the caterer. "Anything that is considered to take more time by a vendor is generally charged a higher rate in order to pay their team appropriately," Jani says.
That also includes desserts. You can totally have an on-brand wedding with a simple black-and-orange-iced cake or, say, a bloody red velvet one. But, Jani says, "If you're going for a themed cake with sugar-created decorations, [and] special fondant details, then yes, it will be more expensive than a more standard, non-decorated cake."
Even if you stick with traditional or low-key wedding fare, you'll probably want to go ham with the decorations. It is Halloween, after all. When it comes to weddings for the holiday, Jani says, "I'd likely recommend increasing the decor budget for rental needs, special purchases and unique floral ingredients your floral designer will need to source." Decorating is half the fun of this holiday, and your spooky wedding doesn't have to be the exception — whether you're lining the dance floor with gnarled animatronic zombies or draping the space in glittery cobwebs.
If you and your spooky spouse-to-be are looking into a Halloween wedding, plan your date wisely and be discerning about decorations — because the devil is truly in the (wedding) details.
