Photography by Jessie Casey
Part of the beauty of upstate New York is that we have four distinct seasons: snowy winters, hopeful springs, sultry summers and crisp autumns. And when it comes to planning a wedding, those seasons can often serve as a built-in theme. Keep reading to meet one of four couples who took the timing of their Capital Region weddings to heart and celebrated the magic of our upstate climate in spectacular, seasonal style.
Despite what they say about the date, Friday the 13th of October turned out to be quite a lucky day for at least one Capital Region couple. “We really wanted a Halloween wedding, but it was going to be years until it fell on a weekend date again,” says bride McKenna Ethier. “But we noticed there was a Friday the 13th in October and booked it.”
With a sufficiently spooky date booked for their “I dos”—at the Queen Anne–style Inn at Erlowest castle, no less—McKenna and her husband, Garrett, got working on the details of their ultimate gothic wedding. “The goal was Phantom of the Opera, and we just went with it,” McKenna says. “We wanted a dark, gothic, Halloween theme, but at the same time wanted to incorporate the fact that it was fall and it’s beautiful in Lake George.” So while the couple opted for a simple ceremony that showcased the foliage of the surrounding mountains, they went all out on Halloween décor, from skeleton Champagne flutes and skull centerpieces to a neon “To Death” (do us part) sign.
And while the bride’s dress typically takes center stage at a wedding, the artistic Garrett wasn’t one to let his leading lady get all the glory. “He went online and was able to find an authentic, Victorian-style getup, and that was his outfit,” McKenna says. “He did that all by himself.”
