From atmospheric venues, to dramatic outfits, to styling ideas for the quietly unhinged – here’s seven ways to invite darkness into your wedding day.

Black is a colour of many shades. It’s witchy, and haunting, and Haversham-esque. It’s tuxedo-stylish, and Slash-hat cool. It’s amps, and vinyl, and the deep of night.

And once upon a time, a dark wedding would’ve been seen as spooky (*ghost noise*). Gothic. Depressing.

But the wedding world is evolving; welcoming change, and embracing different. And for those of us who grew up in baggy jeans, band hoodies, and Vans, we find ourselves remembering that thing we’ve always known…

There’s beauty in black.

Choose a Very Vibey Venue

Your wedding venue sets the tone for the whole day. It’s your guests’ first impression, the ultimate mood-bringer, the canvas to your styling. Find the perfect setting and your vision will fall neatly into place.

My advice? Think about how you want your wedding day to feel – the look you love, the experience you want to create – and then choose a venue that inherently fits the vibe.

If you want eerie and atmospheric, look for dilapidated beauty – somewhere ancient and unique, like The Asylum Chapel in London. If steampunk industrial is more your speed, think West Mill in Derby, or Giraffe Shed in Wales. You could find a crumbling castle in Scotland. Or a once-grand manor with history, hauntings, and stories in the walls.

And remember, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a registered wedding venue. Do all the legal stuff separately, and every dark corner in the country is up for grabs.

The Darker Side of “I Do”

There are three types of ceremony. Religious (strict), Civil (legal, but flexible), and Celebrant-led (not remotely legal; do whatever the fuck you want).

If you want your ceremony to be different – to be deep, to be dark – going Civil or Celebrant will give you a lot more freedom to make it yours.

You could write your own twisted vows. Have your favourite song lyrics as a reading; have a live band instead of hymns. You could get your initials tattooed as part of the ceremony, or channel Ozzy and release bats instead of doves (OK, maybe not that last one. Imagine the carnage).

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with timing and location. You could have it at dusk, in the silvery milk of twilight. Or find a clearing in the woods at midnight, and have candlelit vows beneath the full moon.

This is your ceremony, after all. Give it some love, and make it true to you.

Jewels in the Darkness

All-black styling is a tricky thing to get right. It swallows light; it makes spaces feel small. And having just black can be a bit overwhelming. A bit Halloweeny, a bit…Addams Family wedding. Nothing wrong with that of course, but you need a bit of contrast or everything will kind of disappear into a pit of blackness.

Jewel tones are your friend. Ruby reds, emerald greens, and ocean-deep blues. Burgundy roses, amethyst place-settings, folds of sapphire silk. And you won’t need much. Just touches will really make things pop.

Look to Instagram and Pinterest for jewel-tone inspiration. With a few well-chosen accents, you’ll take your styling from ‘dark and dingy’, to hauntingly beautiful, and achingly cool. 

You Ain’t That Pure

For millennia, brides traditionally wore colour. Then 200 years ago, Queen Victoria wore a white dress to her wedding, and we’ve been stuck in a pure-white slump ever since.

But now (at last!) the world’s longest-running fashion trend is coming to an end. Christine Quinn wore that iconic black dress; Sarah Jessica Parker, Tina Turner too. Even Avril Lavigne had one (and she’s just a skater girl).

It doesn’t have to be a black dress (it doesn’t even have to be a dress). You could wear a suit, have an epic cape instead of a veil, or stroll down the aisle with a top-hat and a cane. You could say your vows in Doc Martens, and change into Vans for the party.

If you have tattoos, wear an outfit that celebrates, compliments and accentuates them. For multiple looks, have removable sleeves and get your ink out for the afterparty.

You don’t have to feign purity, or follow in the footsteps of a long-dead monarch. Wear what you like. What makes you feel amazing. What feels most you. 

Your Tablescape

Candles flicker in the semi-dark, wax running in rivers down their long black stems. Blood-red roses spill from the centre of the table; the table-runner in ripples of scarlet silk. The place-settings are elegant, in ivory and black; the cutlery is gold, the candlesticks too. Above the table, chandeliers glimmer in the inky dark.

Sorry, I kinda got away from myself there. But you see what I’m saying, right? A dark tablescape can be fucking epic and it can be personal, too.

Scour antique shops and car boots for vintage finds. You could frame vinyl of your favourite songs, or ask your tattoo artist to design your stationery. Have artwork from your childhood albums, serve your favourite cocktails (and give them suitably on-theme names!), fill the tables with wine from that night.

Do the Things You Love

Planning an awesome evening doesn’t have to mean getting drunk and dancing. I mean, it can be that, but it doesn’t have to be.

You could have live-band karaoke, or get everyone to bring their instruments for an open jam session. You could have a tattoo artist, whisky tasting, or tarot readings. If it’s a small wedding, you could have a murder mystery or play games over dinner.

I don’t know what you crazy kids are into, but you get my point. Think about the things you love doing together, and weave them into the day.

Oh, and if there’s anything you don’t fancy doing – the first dance, cake cutting, sparklers – just don’t fucking do it.

Darkness is More Than Just an Aesthetic

It’s freedom of expression, lived-in pain, and sense of self. It’s the dark jokes you send each other, your weird obsessions, your habits, your quirks, your kinks. It’s that once-hidden part of yourself you now get to share.

It goes beyond “Til death do us party!” welcome signs. It’s ‘til death do us part.

And when you’re planning your wedding together, that’s what it should be about. You. Darkness, weirdness, warts, and all.

Have your tables named after your favourite horror films, your favourite sex positions, your favourite serial killers. Have your first dance to that mental song you both scream to in the car. Wear something awesome, plan something crazy, do epic shit.

Let the elders bicker, and let boomer eyes roll. This is your wedding, your day. And your celebration of your wild, twisted love.