Patrick and Kristin chose La Foret, a 1930s summer lodge in Colorado Springs as the location for their gothic meets summer camp wedding. Married just before Halloween, they blended eerie elements with the rustic, natural charm of the location. Every nook and cranny of the venue was adorned with original taxidermy, wood carvings, textiles, and wrought iron.

“Our wedding was a true reflection of us and our personalities”, the bride told us. “We love mystery, nature and oddities. We tend to be sarcastic, truly love to laugh and approach life with the perspective of reverent irreverence. We forwent many traditions in lieu of what felt comfortable for us as a couple. For example, we didn’t have a bridal party, we walked each other down the aisle. We also didn’t play any music while walking each other down the aisle, but instead encouraged our family to cheer us on.”

The evening began with a private handfasting ceremony led by Patrick’s stepfather. They encouraged their guests to dress in Halloween costume and after the ceremony there was a costume contest followed by a murder mystery as entertainment, which was written by the bride and performed by a few friends.

“We encouraged guests to come dressed in Halloween costumes if they felt inclined, and doing so really helped create a laid back atmosphere”, Kristin continued. “We also wrote and developed a murder mystery game that guests could play if they wanted which was a big hit. Our favourite music played in the background while friends and family mingled and we even MC’d the whole event ourselves which was a bit nerve-wracking in the moment but in a strange way made us feel closer to our guests. There was so much laughter and mischief the whole evening. It really was a wickedly good time. One of my favourite moments was looking up and seeing my aunt Julie, who was dressed as a pilgrim, grooving to Run DMC while trying to solve the murder mystery.”

The couple created nearly every detail in the wedding themselves and by hand, from the invitations to the decorative pumpkins which were grown in their backyard. Patrick’s mother arranged all of the flowers. They loved making everything themselves but do wish they’d hired a day-of coordinator to put everything together for them on the day. For dinner they served their favourite, Chick Fil A, and desserts from a local bakery.

The DIY attitude extended to their attire with them each wearing two outfits (one light, one dark). In total they spent $500 on the lot! The bride didn’t feel comfortable when trying on wedding gowns, so instead found pieces online and put her looks together herself.

“We are both so thankful that we stood our ground and participated in our wedding in a way that felt authentic”, Kristin concluded. “There are so many things that people will tell you that have to be done or be done a certain way; they don’t. Do what works for you!”