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..?

I'd love it. I'd dress up as a goth witch. You could make it optional. But it's your wedding, lots of weddings have a dress code.

I had a Halloween wedding. The wedding invites said "fancy dress or dress fancy" so it was optional. Many people just went for a small accessory like cat ear or spider headbands. It was a lot of fun

I'd love it! Wish I was coming

I personally think it sounds like fun and would welcome an excuse for fancy dress. They are so rare for adults.

Why not uggest that people can optionally spook-up their dress for the wedding and have some inexpensive spooky masks for people to wear. That way people can get into the spirit of things as much or as little as they want.

Otherwise, it sounds like a great way to mark how you met!

@snibril what a great idea! Loved the "fancy dress or dress fancy" .

The people on MN really aren’t representative of your no doubt normal friends and family. You need only look at the disgust surrounding toilet brushes (but not sticking a hand down a toilet) and obsession with being middle class.

Do it. It’s a lovely idea and would certainly be memorable. If people can’t afford outfits they can be extra creative, e.g. pop a bin bag on and you’re a ghost.

I hate weddings and hate getting dressed up in a dress I’ll never wear again so I’d be all for a Halloween themed dress up.

Instead of saying fancy dress optional you could suggest that guests might want to wear Halloween themed outfits, but state that this is optional.

Loved someones suggestion of a particular colour theme! I wouldn't enjoy fancy dress, but would really enjoy wearing a lovely dress in that colour! Can always have some props for a photobooth/photos later, I've been at non themed/non Halloween weddings where there were props on tables and polaroid cameras or whatever.

I would make it black or orange coloured outfits rather than fancy dress. Will you be dressing up?

I think it sounds great fun, actually, and I'm not somebody who particularly enjoys dressing up! As long as you say fancy dress is optional and maybe provide some witches hats etc, I think it could be cool!
If they don't want to dress up, could you maybe suggest (and it is just a suggestion) that they wear black or something equally Halloweeny (is that even a word?).

Personally I would love that but I get why other people wouldn't.
Pumpkins piled together look beautiful though so decorations would be easy and I think a box of props for some silly Halloween photos in the evening would be quite good fun.

Why don't you make sure people know its a themed wedding and are welcome to dress up or not. Some may just add a hint to an outfit

I really can't understand why people are being called 'miseries' for not wanting to get dressed up in Halloween fancy dress.

It doesn't make them miserable ffs.

We'd love it. As would quite a few of our family members. We've made them dress up before. The ones who are less keen have still managed to pop some silly thing on their heads regardless. One would be anti-gore, but does find the level of effort fascinating.

How about giving an option e.g. Please wear a Halloween costume OR blue clothes with a silly hat (any colour from navy to cornflower is fine), your choice. Then your photos will still be interesting with loads of blue-dressed people plus the fancy dress mob. And/or would those less keen be up for a face painter to decorate them Day of the Dead style?

It's because it's Mumsnet @PositiveVibez and people love to act as if they are superior to others who aren't the same as them on here. See the Mean Girls thread for more examples.

How about saying Halloween fancy dress or if you don't feel able to do that black/orange theme. Surely even the misery guts can rustle up a little black dress?

I had a Halloween wedding, low-key wedding. I just told people they could dress up if they wanted to. Some went all out others wore normal clothes. Everyone seemed to have a great day regardless.

Loving all the suggestions. I still plan to wear a traditional dress (although not looking to spend a lot on it - might even buy second hand), and I am open to accessorising it with spooky touches, or wearing a masquerade style mask for a bit of the ceremony. Some family members are totally up for it, others (MIL) does not like dressing up, so a middle ground of spooky accessories / optional dressing up might be the direction we go in!

When I was a florist my very favourite wedding was a Halloween one! Was so cool. All orange and black- loved it! The bride and groom were goths. Most guests dressed up- or were goths any way and just worn their regular stuff. There were 5 or 6 slightly out of place looking older guests in laura Ashley frocks - but overall looked like they were having fun. We did pumpkin table centres and such a cool bouquet- black bacarra roses, orange pin cushion proteas and black foliages.

I hate dressing up.

But I would definitely do it for a wedding, I wouldn't actually mind, I'd much prefer that to a wedding that states 'black tie preferred' or has a colour scheme for guests.

You can get halloween costumes for under a tenner or lots of second hand ones off Facebook so the costs wouldn't bother me.

I'd probably just go as a cat or something - black clothes, ears headband, tail - job done.

But I'd prefer a bit of guidance as to what you were expecting - halloween costumes can still be fairly formal or casual and I would be worried about what you were expecting.

Its your wedding though and people ask a lot more, so I vote go for it even though it's not me at all

Could you do masquerade as the theme if you are planning on potentially wearing a mask?
Suggest black lace type wear and mask as nice compromise?
Most will have some black wear then they won't mind spending on a few accessories

I would actually love that as a guest as I hate trying to find an outfit!

I'd have the costume box as you describe with a big frame and a Polaroid camera plus guestbook. Then people can take a Halloween pic and stick it in the book with a message, and you get something to take away as a Halloween-y memento. Congratulations!

you could do a halloween dress colour theme? like black and orange? Or "wear something spooky" which could be a full outfit or just a witches hat or some spider socks.

Its your wedding, and your choice.
If people care about you enough they will do it.
I hate fancy dress, but if a friend said thats what she wanted and was kind enough to invite me, then I would definitely do it. Those people saying they wouldn't come because of it are being too precious and would probably moan about something else anyway