Gargoyles, gothic poetry and cocktails with their cats’ faces on them. Averi and Roy’s wedding at Chateau de Harpe in Portland, brought together their taste for the spooky and their enthusiasm for making things. Garden lighting and fog set the atmosphere, while guests helped themselves to temporary tattoos designed by the bride.

“The wedding had a romantic, moody, gothic-inspired feel with a modern edge”, Averi said, “We wanted the day to feel dramatic and a little unconventional while still being timeless and elegant.”

The couple were inspired by venue’s gargoyles, adding moss, flowers and lighting to create the gothic setting they had in mind. Working on the flowers with florist Bella Bloom became a favourite part of the preparations. They loved seeing each other get so invested in the plans, with a florist who shared their excitement.

Averi made the favours herself, including rhinestoned matchbooks and custom lip balms, alongside crystal and moss boutonnieres. Guests could build their own trinket bags, and the temporary tattoo station gave everyone a chance to wear a piece of her artwork. Roy also had a custom piece of art made from love notes Averi had written him.

Making so much themselves helped keep costs down. They also reused moss donated by Averi’s cousin following her own wedding the previous September. It found a second outing among the décor, contributing to a setting the couple would happily have taken even further. “If we’d had more to spend we would get even wilder with our floral instalments,” Averi explained, “ivy and flowers dripping absolutely everywhere, moss in the fountains – Bella Bloom was an absolute delight!”

The couple saved their first sight of each other for the altar. During the ceremony they read gothic poetry. Elsewhere, they picked through the traditions according to what appealed to them. The garter toss was out, and the flower-filled moss baskets were staying firmly in people’s hands. They also agreed to spare each other a face full of black wedding cake!

Having their loved ones together was the part they treasured most. Friends and family had travelled from out of state, with everyone gathered in the same place for the first time. Their cats, Lucie and Pepper, got a place on the drinks menu: a Gimlet and a Whiskey Sour, each served with a dissolvable picture of the relevant cat’s face.

Throughout the planning, the couple valued suppliers who understood both the venue and their vision. Their advice is to change direction if someone is failing to meet your needs, and to find people who are invested in what you want to create. “Be open to change and pivot if a wedding vendor is not meeting your need”, they advise. “Our vendors were instrumental in the success of our exquisite day, they understood the venue. They were collaborative and passionate about our vintage, sultry, spooky vision!”