Denver Masquerade Wedding

This was not your friend’s wedding.

Authentic Venetian Masquerade Ball in a dark, urban music venue on Halloween? Sound like your traditional thing? Yeah, I didn’t think so. But Allison and Josiah are not traditional people. So when they reached out to me to photograph their Urban Halloween Wedding in Denver, I was totally down!

A + J contacted me looking for someone who would capture their vision for their very non-traditional wedding almost a year before it went down. Allison immediately bonded to my artistic eye and style of photography and storytelling and thought it would mesh incredibly well with the celebration they were planning for themselves. We quickly became friends and ended up meeting out in the mountains of Colorado, completely off grid, for a little camping trip together beforehand. We stayed up sharing drinks and stories around a campfire, watching the stars, and getting to know each other and our various dog friends we brought along! Amy and I have two of our own, and Allison and Josiah have 2 as well, though they only brought one with them on said camping trip. We also talked about their wedding (though they almost hesitated to use this word for the event they were planning) on Halloween that year. It was going to be a party for all of their closest family and friends that they had not seen in years due to the pandemic, with a little sprinkling of some marriage formalities tossed in. 

They decided Denver, Colorado would be the most convenient location for their guests since they would be traveling from out of town on a holiday weekend. 

Allison and Josiah themselves are not from the Denver area, but live about an hour south - so it would be a little bit of a destination for them as well.

To make their weekend easier, they rented an awesome AirBnB that resembled a castle in the heart of Denver for the weekend. 

This is where Amy and I went to first on their wedding day. 

With the wedding being a more intimate affair, Allison and Josiah dressed and prepared together, and as you may have guessed, along with their authentic Venetian masks they custom ordered and shipped form Italy, the rest of their attire was non-traditional as well. 

Josiah was in a custom all black, three-piece suit with candy skulls woven into the inside trim, and his last name embroidered inside as well. Allison’s dress, if you can call it that, was something out of a fairytale from long ago with dark, crimson red and heavy sleeves that hung down past her hands, but with slips coming up to the elbows, and black buttons all the way up the front. 

While they put on these garments together with the help of Allison’s mom, we left the final piece, their individual masks, to put on separately so that we could then do a first look with the whole outfit adorned. 

Suit, dress, and masks on, we stepped out back into the peaceful yard the AirBnB offered underneath some colorful Colorado fall trees, and Allison and Josiah saw each other for the first time completely outfitted. It was a stunning moment.

Their vibe together in their chosen wedding attire was unmatched, and the excitement built for the rest of the day. We did some portraits of just them two around the AirBnB then packed up and headed towards their, once again, very nontraditional, wedding venue - a smoky underground music venue north of Denver, the Soiled Dove Underground.

With it being fall, we were granted to an endless stream of cloudy and gray skies with threats of winter on every chilling breeze. Allison and Josiah had requested that all of their guests be wearing masks as well - and no, I’m not talking about the disposable cloth masks we all donned during the height of the pandemic - but a mask that was unique and would add to the theme. Also, it was Halloween too. 

We took pictures of the couple with the arriving guests, all donning their unique masks as people filtered into the venue. Tall wax candles dotted the darkly cloaked table settings, and golden aspen leaves were scattered along the table cloths. The stage lighting was purple and hazy as a smoke machine slowly emitted a layer of fog to add to the ever engrossing vibe. 

Once everyone was seated, and masks were on, the short ceremony began. Allison walked herself down and around the venue to Josiah, her masked-man, up on the stage. They then shared in a mask removing, so they could continue the ceremony while being able to see each other. It was short and sweet, with repeated vows and the kiss. Then the fun began!

Everyone was ready to party, and with it being Halloween and everyone in full masked attire, the vibe was unmatched. Vintage black and white halloween films projected in the background, and smoke slowly filled the floor space, as the colorful venue lights splashed down upon the dancing crowd. 

It was definitely something to witness and be a part of, and I loved every moment and touch that Allison and Josiah put into their wedding day. It wash’t just the authentic Venetian masks that stood out; while it was nontraditional to most weddings, every detail of the day held Allison and Josiah’s unique personality and touch to it. From the decor, to the attire of their guests, it was a Halloween to remember, and I’m very thankful to have been trusted in capturing the unique and non-traditional wedding day of A + J!

Check out their Venetian Masquerade Ball Wedding below!