Can't decide if this is a good idea or not for our Halloween wedding..

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We are planning to get married on Halloween next year in our local town hall. We just want a cheap and cheerful event, with a nice big party after for all our family and friends. We met at a Halloween party years ago so it's a special day for us. We were thinking of telling people it's fancy dress code too, as we will be running with a Halloween theme for the day (pumpkins etc). I know it's tacky, but I want a fun wedding where people don't need to spend a fortune on a new outfit and will remember it.

A close relative is getting married next year and is having a very expensive, full frills wedding, requiring most guests to stay a night or two, and I feel like a low key, fun wedding would be a welcome contrast to that.

So my question is, if you received a wedding invite for Halloween with fancy dress code, would you be happy to dress up? I was thinking of incentivising with prizes for best dressed..?

* We were thinking of telling people it's fancy dress code too, as we will be running with a Halloween theme for the day (pumpkins etc). I know it's tacky, but I want a fun wedding where people don't need to spend a fortune on a new outfit and will remember it.*

^I don’t have a Halloween outfit. So I would have to spend money to buy one that I wouldn’t wear again. So in that respect I would rather not go fancy dress.

There’s usually two camps of people- those who go all out for fancy dress with amazing attention to detail, and others who just internally scream “for fuuuuuucks sake!” when they get an invite for a costume party.

I’m in the second camp.

I would probably politely decline.. but then I am a miserable old cow not a fan of fancy dress and especially for a wedding.

Love cheap and cheerful weddings though, and they're usually the most fun IME too!

Nope, I hate dressing up! I probably would decline the invitation, unless I couldn't because you were my sister or something, in which case I'd just rock up in normal nice clothes.

strike fail FFS

Nightmare

You could say fancy dress is optional.

I think it's a fun idea, but I'd say something like "spooky dress optional".

People will still need to spend on outfits - just ones that they will probably never be able to reuse.

Personally I'd worry about whether my outfit was appropriate for wedding photos etc. Plus if you're having children at the wedding id have to consider that too - my DD is terrified of people in costumes and others might get frightened by particularly gruesome costumes.

I avoid Halloween parties because I have a genuine phobia of clowns - they spark panic attacks so I probably just wouldn't attend.

I'd decline. I hate fancy dress.

I absolutely hate dressing up, and may well decline on this basis. I can't imagine anything worse than a fancy dress themed wedding.

I hate with a passion dressing up. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable and self conscious. I would decline to attend if I had to dress up. How about making it optional?

I got invited to a Halloween wedding. I dyed an old white nighty grey, wore a tiara and went as the GreyLady. It cost me less than£10.
It was fun , and I’m not keen on fancy dress usually.
You can always make fancy dress optional.

Ah ok, thanks for the replies! In that case I won't bother saying it's fancy dress, and instead just have a box of costumes etc there for people to put something on if it takes their fancy, which it probably won't.

you can have a very nice Halloween theme wedding without having people go in fancy dress. Do a poll among your friends and family and see what they think. This will only be fun if they are up for it.

Can you not have a "black" dress code?
Fancy dress optional

I would hate a fancy dress wedding.

I was invited to one this year (we can't go though) and the dress code is "gothic chic"

No one is going to want to put some random costume from a box over their carefully chosen wedding outfits!

I like fancy dress parties but I really don't feel it has a place at a wedding. It is also much more likely people will have to buy a fancy dress outfit for your wedding than a new outfit and even if they did want to buy a new dress etc at least it wouldn't be just for 1 day unlike the costume.

I would hate it but would probably make an effort if I was invited.

people don't need to spend a fortune on a new outfit We would though. DH has plenty of suits, I have a few dresses suitable for weddings but neither of us have any costumes so fancy dress would be a much bigger outlay for us than normal wedding attire.

I think a Halloween theme is fine and soumds much more fun than the full frills over several days. However, maybe, make it smart casual with dressing up optional. You could specify a dress code of black and red smart casual or Halloween costumes .

Personally, I'm take it or leave it with dressing up although I'd go all out for an era (20's, 50's etc) theme. My DH is very much NOT ON YOUR NELLY and wouldn't come.

God no. I probably wouldn't go. Dressing up is for kids.

I would dress up, but I have costumes already. It will be the people that don't who may hate the idea. It means buying something they won't wear again and they may feel uncomfortable all day

As others have said, saying fancy dress is optional allows those who enjoy it to dress up and those who hate it to wear regular wedding attire.

You'd be better off asking a selection of your intended guests tbh. I reckon if you're the kind of people who think a Halloween themed wedding is a good idea you're likely to have friends and family who don't think as the above! ^^

See what your most prim and proper intended guest thinks.

I second making fancy dress optional.

I usually get really into the spirit of fancy dress but would feel quite pressured at a wedding to either spend alot of money for a well made costume or not go for a "fun" option due to all the photos that will end up online, professionally done etc. I think I'd probably just end up going with a black lacy dress and a dark lip - kind of glam goth to avoid anything too risky.

I know loads of people who just flat out refuse to attend a fancy dress event. Normal people. They just find fancy dress really embarrassing and awkward and they would rather miss a wedding than attend in fancy dress.

In all honesty, I don't think it's a great idea.

Could you maybe provide some props at the reception instead? Masks, capes etc.