Gary and Traci love Halloween. So much so that they decided the best place for them to get married would be at their Halloween party in their own home. The coolest part of this wedding was that it was a complete surprise for all their guests! After telling everyone they were getting married then and there, they then assigned each attendee a roll in the celebration.

“We were trying to figure out how to do a ceremony and reception for our families that live in New York and California when we live in Alaska”, explained the bride. “We wanted our ceremony to be meaningful and something we could share with family at a later date, but we also wanted to focus on the celebration part of marriage and do that with friends that we know will be there to support us in the future with our families not geographically close.”

“I am a BIG fan of Halloween and we knew we were going to throw a party at our house”, she said. “It was a dream come true when Gary came up with the idea of doing a surprise wedding ceremony during the party for our friends. In Alaska, any person can marry you, so we came up with a plan to choose ‘characters’ to fill the traditional and not-so traditional roles during the wedding. We had roles for an officiate, maid of honour, best man, slutty bridesmaid, drunk uncle, father of the bride, ring bearer, flower girl, and wedding singer. The best part was, not knowing which friend would get selected to play each role.”

Check out the incredible film, made by Lauren of Beauty Board Media, and all will be explained…

“We found vows online that we pieced together and made a few alterations that made them more meaningful to us”, she continued. “It worked out perfectly that our good friend Mallori was drawn to play the role of the officiant. Although the night could be described as one big party the exchange of vows made the marriage feel real and I will never forget those moments.”

“The biggest expense for the wedding was our videographer but it was the best decision we ever made. Now we have a lasting memory of our non-traditional wedding to watch for years to come. Our advice to other couples would be to do what makes you happy. Be as creative as you want and at the end of that day you won’t have any regrets!”