Samantha and Chuck headed underground into one of the oldest cave systems on earth, lit candles, and said their vows next to a giant stalactite organ. It had snowed the night before so guests gathered wearing cloaks and masks in The Cathedral Room, before A Mighty Fortress is Our God by Martin Luther was played on the world’s largest musical instrument and the couple made their entrance.

The theme for the day was winter meets pagan ritual. It was part romantic, part eerie, part playful. “We encouraged our guests to wear capes and masks,” Samantha said. “Our ceremony was in one of the oldest caves in the world. The presence and character of the space was a beautiful witness to our union. We also added in a handfasting ceremony to show our partnership with a ribbon cord made by the groom. In the ceremony, we create a knot together to show how we are connected and that we need both people equally.” Their friend, a poet and writer, officiated. The couple skipped anything that felt performative or untrue to them.

The reception afterwards was held at the Mimslyn Inn. They used tarot cards instead of numbers to mark the tables. The guest book was a repurposed metal funeral home box, filled with vintage forms for people to sign. The centrepieces included crystal balls. Hanging greenery softened the edges of the banquet hall chandeliers. Samantha carried a bouquet made of dried and fresh flowers, dried mushrooms and feathers.

The whole thing looked like it had been pulled from a snowy forest dream and dropped into a candlelit feast. Chuck even forged a ceremonial dagger to cut their cake. He also made knives as gifts for his groomspeople. From home, they brought a hurdy-gurdy, a deer skull, silver champagne glasses, and a Ouija board. Favours were spell jars, filled with a blend of spices that could be cooked with or used in small rituals at home.

“I wish more people understood that their opinion on what should be done really doesn’t matter”, Samantha continued. “We had people commenting on our clothes, ceremony, name change, etc. I did my best to convey how little their opinion mattered to us, while trying to be polite. In the end, we loved our wedding.”

Luray Caverns was more than a dramatic setting for their day, it came with a thoughtful team who made the experience even more wonderful. “They seemed genuinely excited to have us there and that was a good feeling,” she said. When they accidentally left a few things behind, someone from the venue even drove out to return them in person. “That was really above and beyond.”

Her final piece of advice? Consider an off-season wedding. “Getting married in winter, during the off-season was a good decision. Guests were available, venues were available, and everything was a little bit cheaper.”