Arianna and Nate were married in their backyard in Oakland, CA, by an Edgar Allen Poe impersonator in a faerie garden meets gothic disco-style wedding. The flowers were designed to make guests want to frolic through them, but had moss-covered skulls, disco balls, disco mushrooms, and crows hidden throughout. They were married on 4/20 so also leaned into the vibe and had a bud-bar serving pre-rolls, canna-cocktails and edibles.

“We wanted our wedding to feel like a fever dream,” Arianna explained. “Our passions—disco, fairytales, gothic romance, and literature—all came together in a way that transported everyone into another world. We set up little wooden doors and fairies all around our yard and in our trees to help emphasise the fairytale romance theme and we had SO much fun with the florals. Janelle at Green Petal Designs is pure magic. It was also important to us to incorporate themes of love and loss, to celebrate the completeness of life.”

The ceremony, officiated by an Edgar Allan Poe impersonator with a raven perched on his shoulder, embodied this ethos. The aisle was lined with the most beautiful flowers but the vows were the real highlight for both of them. “We didn’t review with each other prior to the ceremony, but we both wrote poetically, and they matched so well it was truly a fairytale moment”, the bride said. “We’re crying just thinking about it now.”

The bride wore two couture dresses from Lisa Marie Couture. The groom, who works in the music industry, and had three DJs to set the appropriate vibe for each part of the evening. They spun everything from The Cure to Taylor Swift, and a custom-built DJ booth decked out with LED lights and flowers. A late-night second meal kept energy levels high until the party finally ended at 5am.

Reflecting on the day, Arianna said, “It was truly the best day of our lives. It’s amazing to look around and see everyone you love in one space, celebrating something you’ve poured your heart into. But the most special moments were the ones we shared when no one else was looking. The day after the wedding we decided we are going to renew our vows so we can do it all over again!”