A Rustic Halloween Wedding Designed by Amos Gott

When Kathleen Diehl and Spencer Kennard tasked Amos Gott with planning their April 2020 wedding, their initial plan was to incorporate rustic elements from their adopted state of Colorado into the refined festivities at Belle Meade Country Club. When the global pandemic forced them to reschedule their nuptials for the fall and move the event to a farm in Murfreesboro, they decided to turn the idea on its head and infuse the rustic venue with some elevated elegance.

After a six-month delay, the couple wed on Halloween at Saddle Woods Farm. Given the date and venue change, Amos had to almost completely redesign the event to incorporate seasonal elements and nods toward the holiday, which is a favorite for the bride and her mother.

The Christian ceremony was held outdoors under a simple wooden structure draped with greenery and flanked by two towering arrangements in vivid autumnal hues. Mini bottles of hand sanitizer, wrapped in spider web bags, were awaiting guests at their seats. An outdoor cocktail hour followed the ceremony, allowing guests to stay socially distanced while celebrating the new couple.

The reception took place inside the 10,000-square-foot barn, which was glammed up by the AmosEvents team. Seven 15-foot birch trees — provided by the bride’s brother, who is a landscaper — were potted in natural baskets and positioned throughout the space, along with clusters of pumpkins. Amos created chic lounge areas in rich fall tones, and round dinner tables were draped in rust-colored cloths and topped with autumnal florals. As a nod to Colorado, table numbers were flanked with elk horns — a design element that was also featured on the invitations and menus. Flavor Catering served a three-course dinner, ripe with autumnal flavors, including a golden beet and arugula salad, curried butternut squash soup, beef tenderloin medallions and grilled chicken with mushroom risotto. For dessert, the wedding cake from Dessert Designs was a sour cream pound cake with chocolate truffle and cream cheese icing.

As the night progressed, the elegant reception transformed into a lively Halloween party with costumes, jack-o’-lanterns and dancing to the Atlanta Allstars. A late-night menu of truffled grilled cheese and beef sliders was served before the newlyweds departed through a dazzling tunnel of sparklers.

Spooky Scene

Halfway through the reception, the music came to a screeching halt and the Atlanta Allstars started playing “Thriller,” signaling to guests that the Halloween party had officially begun. The lighting changed and the clusters of pumpkins throughout the space were turned around to reveal candlelit jack-o’-lanterns.

Costume Change

It’s not Halloween without a costume party, so as the night continued, wedding guests added festive touches to their attire, including witches’ hats, face masks and feather boas. There was even a unicorn on the dance floor! But the best surprise of the evening was when the father of the bride disappeared and returned fully costumed as The Riddler.

Trick or Treat

Even the food got a Halloween makeover for the affair. In a playful nod to the holiday, Flavor Catering created themed hors d’œuvres for the cocktail hour, including pumpkin-shaped hand pies, jalapeño poppers that looked like mummies and charcuterie cones with a breadstick snake.