We’re in the heart of Spooky Season now, and we’ve got all things undead + otherworldly on the mind. So crack open your copy of The Handbook for the Recently Deceased and say it with us, everybody: “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!”
We cannot get enough of this Tim Burton-inspired gothic fantasy photoshoot created by wedding photographer + event designer Cat Dossett. And where did the idea to base the wedding editorial and its high-fashion horror aesthetic on the deliciously creepy cult classic 1988 film come from? From the dress, of course!
“Once I saw the gown Elle Heavin Couture was creating, I knew we had to turn our model Meghan into Lydia from Beetlejuice,” Cat says. And we don’t blame her at all. How could anyone resist a chance to recreate the vibe of Winona Rider’s iconic + gloriously goth character?
“I designed a fashion forward shoot with some fun nods to the film,” Cat shares, “from striped shells, beetle accessories, and abandoned spider webs I captured with paint and canvas to then photograph for double exposure textures.” 🕸️
And with the dramatic dunes of Florence, Oregon as the backdrop, the whole shoot might as well have taken place on Saturn’s moon Titan, just like all the sand worm scenes from the film!
We’ve got Harry Belafonte playing and nothing but eternity in front of us! 🪲 Let’s take a look at this brilliantly Beetlejuice wedding!
We love the way Cat used these minimal wedding invites from Digital Design Templates on Etsy to delicately introduce the famous black + white stripe motif we all associate with Beetlejuice + his famous stripey suit.
Novella Theory was behind the shoot’s gloriously gothic floral creations. This blood red bouquet feels dangerously romantic, doesn’t it?
Bright Red Romance
Meghan Ceallaigh Artistry — the model herself! — brought to life her own edgy, Lydia-inspired half up half down wedding hairstyle and fierce + smokey editorial wedding makeup look.
The accessory game was SO strong for this shoot. First of all, we love that bright red lace cameo choker wedding necklace. So antique-chic.
Then: the perfect pairing of those sheer red bridal gloves with a set of jet black wedding nails!
There it is: the dress that inspired it all. Elle Heavin Couture created something truly special when she made this stunning scarlet wedding dress out of layers of sheer + billowing red tulle.
You NEED to take a look though our list of 31 beautiful red wedding dresses we’re obsessed with if a Lydia-styled look like this one is speaking to you.
This red bridal veil from In September really completed the color-rich, ruffly silhouette.
Also, how brilliant to put the groom in a black + white striped dress shirt! A chic + subtly edgy way to bring visions of Beetlejuice himself to mind.
Rich red really is one of our fave trending wedding colors of the moment. And this dramatic mix of roses, anthurium, and cockscomb is doing gothic dark academia SO well.
A Bride in Black
If the Tim Burton of it all is what’s inspiring you most about this one, you need to take a peek at this spooky, dreamy “Nightmare Before Christmas” wedding.
We’ll say it: the elegant moodiness of black wedding dresses truly cannot be matched.
The double-exposure spiderweb photos that photographer Cat mentioned! So macabre + ethereal!
For those of you with a Spooky Season wedding date on the books, we put together a roundup of our fave creative Halloween wedding ideas 🎃🖤
“I Do’s” In the Dunes
“We kept the details simple with a draped backdrop, focusing on the duned landscape that reminded us of the film’s expansive moon Titan, expecting to see Tim Burton’s sand worm at any moment,” Cat recalls of the shoot’s pop-gothic aesthetic.
“Meghan and Seejay pop against the stark landscape, creating a cinematic feel as their shadows cast across the sands and again against the dramatic red backdrop and blue skies.”
This brilliant Beetlejuice wedding editorial made Tim Burton’s vision of the afterlife into an edgy, colorful wedding aesthetic and totally took our breath away in the process. Congrats to Cat and all the vendors who brought this goth fantasy to life!!
And dont forget to explore GWS for all the Halloween inspo you could ever need: cute couples halloween costume ideas, chic + spooky halloween nails, and an amazing Etsy Halloween Home Decor shopping guide!
Wedding Vendors
Photography: Cat Dossett Photo + Styling // Event Design: Cat Dossett Photo + Styling // Florals: Novella Floral // Wedding Dress: Elle Heavin Couture // Hairpiece: In September // Bride's Shoes: Tuk Footwear // Makeup Artist: Meghan Ceallaigh // Paper Goods: Digital Design Templates // Models: Meghan Ceallaigh // Models: Seejay Ceallaigh
