The Bride Wore Gold for This “Hauntingly Beautiful” Friday the 13th Wedding in Alaska

What better way to celebrate Spooky Season than with a moody, Fall-tone Friday the 13th wedding!  

“I always knew I wanted to have a spooky/Halloween inspired wedding,” says bride Sydney of her approach to planning her October 2023 wedding day with groom Brandon. “We wanted everyone to have a fun time and aimed to make it feel like a big Halloween party—but make it classy.”

With Friday the 13th as their appropriately eerie wedding date, the tone was set for the gothic + romantic event that planners + designers from AK Happenings helped bring to life at Fox Hollow in Anchorage, Alaska. “We designed the wedding to incorporate rich, dark tones, beautiful florals, and elements of romance to create a hauntingly beautiful day,” planner Jordan says.

The warm, autumnal florals. The coffin-shaped ceremony backdrop. The towering black wedding cake. Sydney’s shimmering gold brocade wedding gown! Every single detail worked together to create a cohesive, elegantly spook-tacular wedding day.

And Theresa McDonald snapped all these gorgeous pics to prove it.

What better bridesmaid gift for a Friday the 13th wedding than spooky movie T-shirts!

The First Look

“I was pregnant when I was planning our wedding, and our wedding was about 8 months after I had her, so I never went to any dress shops and tried on a bunch of dresses,” remembers Sydney of her journey to this gorgeous golden gown. “As much as I was a little sad about missing that experience, I did want a less traditional dress which isn’t always easy to find in stores anyway. I scoured the internet for non traditional dresses without knowing exactly what I wanted. Everyone kept asking if I was going to wear a black dress and I didn’t even know!”

“Then I found Teuta Matoshi’s dresses and when I saw the gold one, I knew that was it! I ordered it online which was a little scary, but I took my measurements as best as I could while pregnant and added a few inches just to be safe. I knew I’d have to get it altered anyway. It turned out perfectly and my husband had no idea what I was wearing — he was convinced I’d be wearing black!”

From the bride: "Do the thing you want, even if it’s not “normal”. Our wedding was very us, and I couldn’t imagine it any other way. You have those Pinterest boards for a reason, so stay true to what you love no matter what other people think. And hire a wedding planner! I could not have made it happen without Jordan. I had a vision, but she really helped it all come together and was there to give me advice when I was stuck!"

This stunning, three tier, all-black take on a traditional vintage-iced wedding cake came from the creative bakers at Alaska Wedding Cake Boutique.

“I tend to be an over thinker and worrier. Weddings aren’t great for those kinds of people,” Sydney says, “so the peace of mind I got from having a planner was priceless. It also helped to have the mindset that not everything will turn out perfect or go according to plan.”

“For example, my original makeup artist ended up being sick and my planner found a new one a day before the ceremony! But in the end, those small hiccups didn’t matter and the memories I have of that day are of all the good things (and my makeup turned out beautiful anyway!). So don’t dwell on the stressful parts, just enjoy the process and take in the good moments.”

So perfect that Sydney + Brandon ended the night with a Jack-o Lantern photo shoot.

We’ve got an amazing roundup of all the best Halloween couple’s costumes if you and your person want to look as adorable as Sydney + Brandon this All Hallow’s Eve!

And do not miss the amazing documentary-style film of the celebration that Josh Vassar created! Press play below to see the day, plus some stunning drone shots of Alaska in the Fall. And Sydney + Brandon’s precious little girl!

Congratulations, Sydney + Brandon, on your fabulously moody Friday the 13th wedding! The whole thing was beyond BOO-tiful 👻 All the best from GWS!