Katelyn and Spencer planned their wedding a $5000 budget, a state park barn location, and a strong desire to have a day which felt just the right level of spooky. The bride has been reading Rock n Roll Bride since she was 14 (!!) so as soon as they got engaged she had plenty of ideas.

“I’ve dreamed of being featured by Rock n Roll Bride since I was 14 and I’m 30 now”, she told us. “It feels full circle and I’m honoured to be considered! I spent a long time thinking about a theme that felt fitting for the both of us. I wanted gothic elegance and I kept playing around with small Lego accessories, ways to include Marvel, etc for Spencer. We settled on a horror movie vibe because every October we watch nothing but scary movies together, from the 1st to the 31st! It’s a tradition we’ve had for the last five or six years. Spencer’s favourite movie is Shawn of the Dead, and I’m a sucker for traditional slashers like Ghostface and Jason Vorhees. Our wedding being set in October made the whole thing click, down to the invitations which were fake vintage VHS sleeves that read ‘Dawn of the Wed’.”

The day took place at Friends Barn, in Fort Townsend State Park, Washington. It ended up being a tiny wedding, with just eight family members gathered by the fireplace while their dogs roamed the room like furry ushers. “Our vows were written by us in our beautiful sun and moon themed vow books (Spencer is the sun, I’m the moon)”, the bride continued, “and there were lots of tears from everyone. We challenged our officiant to make some horror movie puns and he did a great job incorporating our requests and fitting the theme, I wish I had video of it.”

The reception was decorated from top to bottom by the couple themselves. They carved pumpkins the night before on their living room floor. Katelyn burned candles for months so they’d melt and pool the way old gothic candles do. She pressed petals from every bouquet she’d saved over the years and even kept the flowers from the luxury picnic where they celebrated their engagement and used them again on the charcuterie table. “Lots of love, time, and energy went into all the details!” she said.

Choosing a state park also kept their costs low, although it came with a bit of a headache. “The permits were a nightmare!!! Get them early and set aside some extra $ for it. Our venue the website wasn’t very clear on what permits we would need. We thought because it was a small wedding with less than 20 guests the permits wouldn’t apply, but about a month before the wedding they emailed me that we need permits and event insurance, which led to a bunch of headaches and paperwork. It was stressful and unpleasant and it’s something to be aware of if you’re planning a state park wedding, especially in Washington!”

The photography was their biggest investment – $2000 from a $5000 overall budget – but it was the one thing they didn’t want to compromise. “The main thing we wanted out of our day other than the actual act of getting married was pictures we could look back at when we’re 80 to say ‘Damn we looked good and cool as fuck! I only wish we’d had the budget for a video too”.