Dimitrios & Brittany’s Halloween Wedding at Tuscan Hall

Love at First Sight

Brittany from Eagle, Wisconsin, and Dimitrios from Lombard, Illinois, met in college. Dimitrios says it was love at first sight when Brittany walked into class the first day—and the rest is history.

He planned to propose during a trip to Hawaii at a scenic spot en route to a lovely dinner out. The two arrived at the spot and as they were walking up the path, Dimitrios stopped Brittany and told her to close her eyes. He helped her walk a few more feet. “When I opened my eyes, he was down on the beach on one knee with a full picnic set up behind him.” A photographer emerged from the nearby trees and captured the entire thing. After Brittany said yes, the couple spent an hour taking stunning pictures on the beach and enjoying their picnic.

A Halloween Wedding

From the bride’s beautiful and bold black gown to a costume party reception, there was nothing about this wedding that didn’t have a fun Halloween twist. It’s Brittany’s absolute favorite holiday. “Halloween falls on a Saturday only every six years,” she says. “It was tough to convince Dimitrios to have a Halloween wedding, but after some coaxing, he gave the green light.”

The wedding colors were dark and moody—anything that worked within the Halloween theme was acceptable. The bridesmaids wore light grey and men wore darker grey. Brittany’s three bridesmen wore orange ties to help them stand out from the groomsmen, who wore black ties. Both the ceremony and reception were held at Tuscan Hall in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

The Ceremony: ‘Til Death

For the ceremony, there was a gorgeous aisle runner leading to a fireplace flooded with candles.The white runner and other linens came courtesy of Ambrosia Events. The flower girl and ring bearer were Brittany and Dimitrios’ niece Charlotte and nephew Nickolas. “She was dressed as an angel and he was dressed as the devil. Nickolas carried the rings in a coffin-shaped ring box.” The kids were pulled down the aisle in Brittany’s childhood wagon, which she and Dimitrios disassembled, sanded, stained, painted, and refinished for the wedding.

The rest of the ceremony included four special readings, the lighting of a unity candle, letters placed in a time capsule to open one year later, and the giving of roses to the bride and groom’s mothers and grandmothers. “After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour downstairs at the wine bar.” And after that—a costume party!

A Costume Party Reception

Brittany and Dimitrios dressed as King and Queen of the night, complete with capes and crowns. “Almost every guest wore a costume, and it was magnificent,” Brittany says. “We had Halloween projections on the ceilings, and on the stage we had video playing Halloween images. All of the centerpieces were handmade by us and will be used as Halloween decor for our home for years to come.” Brittany and Dimitrios also made all of the photobooth costumes, created three drink specials along with a custom bar sign, and more.

Unique Touches

During dinner, every table was given cards to fill out for the newlyweds to read on the year that corresponds to their table number—for example, Table 8 wrote cards for Brittany and Dimitrios to open on their eight-year wedding anniversary. For tables who had tarot cards, the couple created a custom QR code that guests could scan to learn how to use and read the cards.

Tuscan Hall Food & Drink

All of the food and drink came from the kitchens at Tuscan Hall. “The food was awesome! Since the food was cooked right in the hall, everything was fresh and hot. We highly recommend finding a hall with the food right inside. Not only did this make planning easier, but the food was also great and not in short supply.”

“Appetizers were served during cocktail hour with an open bar. We created three custom cocktails. Beer and wine were served on-the-house all night. Dinner was buffet style. We also had an ice cream bar along with the wedding cake. Tuscan Hall also surprised the family with baklava as a special treat. The biggest hit was a late-night gyro bar.”

Bride Tip #1: Do a First Look

Brittany loved that she and Dimitrios did a First Look. “This gives you time to take all of the bridal party pictures before the craziness of the day actually starts. And this way, the bride and groom can enjoy spending time with their guests between the ceremony and reception, instead of cramming in pictures.”

Bride Tip #2: Do What Makes You Happy

Brittany is all about doing away with traditions that don’t speak to you and starting your own. “New traditions start every day. I wanted a black wedding dress, which is extremely out of the ordinary, and we knew it was going to ruffle some feathers of the traditionalists in our family. But it was the right choice for me in the end—and no matter what I picked, it had zero impact on others. It was our wedding and my dress. I got my black dress and it was 100% the right decision for me. I was comfortable and felt like myself that day.”