The Bride Wore Gold for This “Hauntingly Beautiful” Friday the 13th Wedding in Alaska

What better way to celebrate Spooky Season than with a moody, Fall-tone Friday the 13th wedding!  

“I always knew I wanted to have a spooky/Halloween inspired wedding,” says bride Sydney of her approach to planning her October 2023 wedding day with groom Brandon. “We wanted everyone to have a fun time and aimed to make it feel like a big Halloween party—but make it classy.”

With Friday the 13th as their appropriately eerie wedding date, the tone was set for the gothic + romantic event that planners + designers from AK Happenings helped bring to life at Fox Hollow in Anchorage, Alaska. “We designed the wedding to incorporate rich, dark tones, beautiful florals, and elements of romance to create a hauntingly beautiful day,” planner Jordan says.

The warm, autumnal florals. The coffin-shaped ceremony backdrop. The towering black wedding cake. Sydney’s shimmering gold brocade wedding gown! Every single detail worked together to create a cohesive, elegantly spook-tacular wedding day.

And Theresa McDonald snapped all these gorgeous pics to prove it.

What better bridesmaid gift for a Friday the 13th wedding than spooky movie T-shirts!

The First Look

“I was pregnant when I was planning our wedding, and our wedding was about 8 months after I had her, so I never went to any dress shops and tried on a bunch of dresses,” remembers Sydney of her journey to this gorgeous golden gown. “As much as I was a little sad about missing that experience, I did want a less traditional dress which isn’t always easy to find in stores anyway. I scoured the internet for non traditional dresses without knowing exactly what I wanted. Everyone kept asking if I was going to wear a black dress and I didn’t even know!”

“Then I found Teuta Matoshi’s dresses and when I saw the gold one, I knew that was it! I ordered it online which was a little scary, but I took my measurements as best as I could while pregnant and added a few inches just to be safe. I knew I’d have to get it altered anyway. It turned out perfectly and my husband had no idea what I was wearing — he was convinced I’d be wearing black!”

We love that Sydney paired this glamorous fur wrap with her look to stay warm on her chilly October wedding day in Alaska. Check our our collection of the best bridal jackets and wraps if you’re thinking of adding a layer to your wedding day look, too!

Honeybloom Floral Design used deep red, peach, and ivory florals to capture the day’s moody, gothic Fall feel.

Definitely explore our round up of the most stunning gold wedding dresses if Sydney’s metallic look has you thinking of going gold on your big day.

Groom Brandon leaned into the moodiness of the color world by rocking a deep burgundy wedding suit that popped against his crew’s all-black groomsmen suits.

We LOVE that Sydney’s bridal party embraced their inner goth with these black bridesmaid dresses!

The Ceremony

“The creative couple designed a coffin arch ceremony backdrop that fit the theme perfectly,” planner Jordan says.

“And the dark, moody sky added an unplanned yet totally perfect dramatic backdrop, for the ceremony!”

These adorable red velvet flower girl dresses brought in so much rich, Fall-tone texture.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
“Never Forget - Midnight Version” by Halo & Kazuma Jinnouchi
Recessional
"I do" by ABBA
First Dance
“Once Upon a Dream” by Lana Del Ray

Our Favorite Memory
From the bride: "We got to have our daughter at our wedding, which was so special. I remember she was super tired right before everyone walked down the aisle, so she was fast asleep while my mom carried her. It was pretty cute.

And then all my husband’s friends gave him a lap dance later on that night, I’d say that was pretty memorable."

Completely obsessed with Sydney’s gold, almond shaped french tip wedding nails and they way they match her gown! They’d make excellent glam Halloween nails, too.

The Reception

Sydney + Brandon created opulent, Gothic tablescapes with fresh fruit, black stemware, and gold charger plates.

Even the wedding cocktails were brilliantly on-theme. One Beetlejuice Mule, please!

Loving all the chic-yet-spooky decor details? Check out this gothic + glam Halloween wedding and this gothic desert wedding for even more October-ready wedding inspo.

Sydney + Brandon’s guests feasted on a delicious pizza spread from Moose’s Tooth Pizza.

Our Advice
From the bride: "Do the thing you want, even if it’s not “normal”. Our wedding was very us, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. You have those Pinterest boards for a reason, so stay true to what you love no matter what other people think. And hire a wedding planner! I could not have made it happen without Jordan. I had a vision, but she really helped it all come together and was there to give me advice when I was stuck!"

This stunning, three tier, all-black take on a traditional vintage-iced wedding cake came from the creative bakers at Alaska Wedding Cake Boutique.

“I tend to be an over thinker and worrier. Weddings aren’t great for those kinds of people,” Sydney says, “so the peace of mind I got from having a planner was priceless. It also helped to have the mindset that not everything will turn out perfect or go according to plan.”

“For example, my original makeup artist ended up being sick and my planner found a new one a day before the ceremony! But in the end, those small hiccups didn’t matter and the memories I have of that day are of all the good things (and my makeup turned out beautiful anyway!). So don’t dwell on the stressful parts, just enjoy the process and take in the good moments.”

So perfect that Sydney + Brandon ended the night with a Jack-o Lantern photo shoot.

We’ve got an amazing roundup of all the best Halloween couple’s costumes if you and your person want to look as adorable as Sydney + Brandon this All Hallow’s Eve!

And do not miss the amazing documentary-style film of the celebration that Josh Vassar created! Press play below to see the day, plus some stunning drone shots of Alaska in the Fall. And Sydney + Brandon’s precious little girl!

Congratulations, Sydney + Brandon, on your fabulously moody Friday the 13th wedding! The whole thing was beyond BOO-tiful 👻 All the best from GWS!