Have a Zombie Wedding Ceremony

If you are a huge fan of “Dawn of the Dead” or the modern day hit show, “The Walking Dead”, when it comes to your wedding, you may want to ditch conventional wedding traditions and let your inner zombie emerge. Theme weddings have become more prevalent in recent years ranging from Halloween themed nuptials to couples having Disney characters officiate the ceremony. And zombie weddings are in vogue too. So, if you're dreaming of a zombie wedding, you’ll have to do it right in order to achieve an event even George Romero would “die to attend.”

Steps

  1. Make sure your parents are on board, even if you're paying for the nuptials. Keep in mind that weddings are also made for the parents, no matter who is paying. They want to celebrate your marriage almost as much as (and sometimes even more than) you.
    • Approach the subject with care. Let them know that you want to have fun with your wedding and desire something out of the ordinary. Remind them of your love of zombie culture/flicks and your desire to inject a little shock value into your big day.
    • Ask them to be part of the planning. Mom may have some hidden talent like making fake blood or finding a creative caterer. If you invite them to be part of it, they may be more accepting (and realize how much fun your wedding will be).
  2. Select a ghoulish location. Part of having the ideal zombie wedding is to secure a ghastly location. You want your guests to feel as if the end of the world occurred or is near––so why not party down?
    • Cemetery. Not the most ideal place for a regular wedding, a cemetery is actually the quintessential location for a zombie wedding. Contact the cemetery caretaker to inquire about parties and locations that would be ripe for your “I do’s.” However, be respectful if your party takes place anywhere near a burial––or talk to the caretaker to ensure that doesn’t occur. Realize that it might upset some of your guests and anyone attending the cemetery to witness a wedding in a cemetery. Consider who you're inviting before choosing this location.
      • An alternative to a cemetery is to find a field that looks a little creepy or overgrown and to put in fake grave markers.
    • Abandoned motel, house or shopping center. For the ultimate in post-apocalyptic horror, choose a location that appears to have been ravaged by zombies. As with any location, you’ll need to obtain permission from the property owners and possibly (and most likely) pay a fee. If the property is abandoned you may want to hire an independent contractor to conduct a structural inspection to identify any actual hazards––you only want implied danger and not a situation where you or a guest could become injured. Another alternative is to make a set that mimics an abandoned building and have it as part of the wedding decorations.
    • A creepy club. Some warehouses and indie clubs offer an uber-creepy locale. In fact, many locations are prepped and ready for dancing and dining, so inquire about all services and amenities.
    • Another approach is to have the wedding ceremony free of zombies but to bring them on for the reception, from building and decorations to cake and zombie-fied music. In this case, you might like to factor in a change of clothing in between the ceremony and the reception.
  3. Secure a team of professionals to transform your wedding from ho hum to zombie couture. You may need to go that extra mile to make your zombie wedding realistic. Instead of having traditional flowers and make-up, you’ll need to make sure you're working with a team of professionals who have experience with monster transformations and are on board with your vision.
    • Clothing. Consider going to a secondhand store for the bride’s dress, bridesmaid’s dresses, grooms’ and groomsmen tuxes. Find an outfit you like and then trash it––you're a zombie so you're annoyed with your outfit anyway. One stylish consideration is to go retro and get electric blue ruffled tux shirts and big taffeta, mauve dresses. Slash the clothing and cover outfits with fake blood. All clothing should be hacked, including the bride’s dress.
    • Hair. In post-apocalyptic times, hair may not be a priority. In fact it may even look electrifying. Study zombie movies to get the right look; typically, zombies look like they're wearing a rat’s nest on top of their head, so go for the ultimate in zombie hair. To add an extra element of creepy, find a crazy tiara for the bride to wear, dripping with blood and/or fake brains.
    • Make-up. Since you and your bridal party are basically dead and seeking brains for sustenance, you’ll have more of a green pallor to your face. A trained make-up artist can do the job, however some make-up artists at local salons may be totally into your idea. Consider visiting the local art school for students willing to help or do it yourself by referring to your favorite zombie film and using white pancake make up and black charcoal to hollow out your eyes.
    • Photography. Reconsider spending thousands of dollars on a traditional wedding photographer––you're going for more artsy, rad photos. Consider hiring a photographer who specializes in photographing bands or even a photo journalist. As with the make-up the local art school may produce willing and talented photographers.
    • Music. Strike a balance between playing “Here Comes the Bride” and the funeral march and include a variety of music and themes during the ceremony and reception. Consider hiring a band or DJ willing to go along with your theme and dress in full zombie garb.
  4. Choose appropriate flowers. Of course dead flowers would be appropriate for a zombie affair, but since you don’t want to include the stench of death as part of your nuptials, select a florist that can pull off that dead flower, end-of-the-world flower arrangement and still allow you to come out smelling like a rose.
  5. Find a caterer to create fun, zombie-like fare. The food is where you can have a lot of fun during a zombie wedding. However, you want your guests to actually eat what you're serving so while you may want to serve food that look like brains and guts, ask your caterer to create fare that is also distinctly appetizing.
    • Brain topped wedding cake. Top a traditional white wedding cake with a large oozing brain made from marzipan or royal icing. Drip blood down the sides of the pristine white wedding cake to give the appearance that someone has just lopped a brain on top of the cake. See also How to Make an Anatomically Correct Brain Cake.
    • Food that looks like body parts. From “lady fingers” to Sloppy Joes, select food that represents the zombie theme. Other ideas include deep green guacamole and blood red chips, green or red gazpacho and goat cheese balls. Your caterer may have a few creative suggestions to make your zombie party a hit.
    • For guest gifts, have candies made that look like zombie parts.
  6. Stage some drama. Take your wedding beyond just the “I do’s” and add a bit of drama to the event. Find ways to surprise, thrill and excite your guests so they’ll be talking about your wedding for years to come. Some ideas include:
    • Funeral. Lay to rest your life as a single person and host a funeral for your “lost youth” or “single days.” You could even enter in coffins and have funeral wreaths placed around the altar as your family and friends give you a zombie inspired send-off.
    • Attack your guests. You may not want to completely freak your guests out, so make sure if you stage a zombie attack that it's done with a little humor. For example, have the attack performed by a bunch of zombie drag queens who want new shoes instead of brains.
    • Stage a rendition of “Thriller.” The classic Michael Jackson video “Thriller” was a zombie paradise of dancing and grooving. Purchase a copy of the video and encourage your wedding party to learn the dance moves. During mid-reception, bust out on the dance floor and give your guests your version of “Thriller” that they won’t soon forget.
  7. Warn your guests that they will be part of a “zombie invasion.” In order to make sure everyone has a great time, clue your guests in on what will happen at your wedding.
    • Send “blood-soaked” invitations. Have fun with the invitations and drip fake blood over the invite and rip or burn them for effect. Include information about the nuptials and elude to a theme.
    • Suggest that guests get in on the fun. Your pictures will look authentic if your guests come dressed as zombies. Let guests know that they're invited to take part in the fun and even offer to set up hair and make-up artists outside the venue a few hours beforehand to deck out the guests.
    • Consider leaving the children at home. Unless you plan to keep the wedding rated “G”, you may want to let guests know that children should be kept away. You don’t want to responsible for your cousin’s child having post traumatic stress disorder after the event.

Tips

  • Work with wedding professionals who understand and appreciate your vision. If you try the traditional wedding consultant route, you may end up being disappointed.
  • Remember that your wedding photos will look out of the ordinary for the rest of your life. That's probably a good thing if you're a zombie fan but just bear it in mind.
  • Register for both traditional and zombie-appreciation gifts. Think about what you may be into 20 years down the––do you think you’ll still want to eat off of china with blood splatters?
  • Continue the theme with a zombie inspired honeymoon––choose destinations that give that depressed, end of the world feel.

Warnings

  • Some family members and other guests may be upset at your choice of wedding theme. This is something you need to weigh up with who you are, how people know you and what matters most to you. In some cases, cultural or religious sensitivities will need to be taken into account and may impact how much of a zombie experience you can recreate. Then again, if you're the type of person who aims to shock, your family and friends probably won't be that surprised.
  • Consider including a few rules with your invite so no one gets too carried away and thinks that bringing a 20 gauge shotgun to blow zombies away is a good idea.

Things You'll Need

  • Appropriate location for the wedding and reception
  • Understanding wedding officiant
  • Clued-in design artists
  • Wedding cake baker
  • Wedding dress and groom outfit in zombie style
  • Zombie props and decorations
  • Zombie style music

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