Holidays and Occasions
Halloween recipes
Over-the-Top Halloween Wedding Ideas

Over-the-Top Halloween Wedding Ideas

September 23, 2016

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey, Rose Nguyen

Why go all blush and bashful when you can be ghostly and ghoulish? If a Halloween-themed wedding is your bag of bones you'll love our Halloween wedding ideas for the perfect menu. Wedding spreads range from sit-down dinners to heavy appetizers to simple toasts, so pick the appetizers that reach out and grab you. When you slice into your haunted Kitty Cake, know that our team is toasting you on your big day! Best wishes on your spooky day.

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Monster Brownies

E. Spencer Toy

Monster Brownies Recipe

Your little human monsters will love decorating brownies with chocolate, marshmallows, and M&M's to make these sweet treats. For the base, we doubled the recipe for Dark Chocolate Brownies, baking it in a 9- by 13-in. pan and omitting the glaze. Thin, flat chocolate bars work best for the faces.

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Sweet and Savory Tortilla Bats

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Sweet and Savory Tortilla Bats Recipe

Making a spooky snack for your Halloween table is as easy as cutting tortillas with a bat-shaped cookie cutter (R&M Flying Bat; amazon.com). We seasoned one panful with cinnamon and sugar and the other with chile salt, but you can go for all sweet or all savory if you prefer. These Halloween snacks can be served as appetizers alongside salsa for a savory bite or Greek yogurt swirled with honey for something sweet that goes beyond candy.

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Chorizo and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Intestines

Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Chorizo and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Intestines Recipe

Take your Halloween party to the next level with Mexican sausage and onion stuffed "intestines". Store-bought pastry dough makes this masterpiece simple to make and contributes to the rich taste and flaky texture. A cranberry sauce adds sweetness to this salty, savory dish while contributing to the realness of its presentation. This appetizer is sure to be a memorable one!

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Pumpkin Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

For this festive version of a pumpkin cake, we opted for a "spiced pumpkin" box cake mix, but any box mix will do. Adding powdered sugar to the prepared frosting helps make it thicker and less likely to melt off the cake or get too soft and drippy. It's helpful to use piping bags to get a nicel layer of frosting and then blend together on the pumpkin to get green vines and leaves.

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Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs

Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs Recipe

Serve a mad scientist-inspired, Jekyll and Hyde-themed appetizer for the ultimate spooky Halloween or horror snack. Your friends will not believe just how real these mozarella balls look and just how delicious they taste. With spices like garlic and red pepper and fresh Italian herbs, this ballin' recipe is packed with flavor that will keep your guests coming back for more.

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Stuffed Pepper Mummies

E. Spencer Toy

Stuffed Pepper Mummies Recipe

An adorable take on jalapeño poppers, these sweet pepper "mummies" are stuffed with a gently spicy mix of Mexican chorizo, cream cheese, sharp cheddar, and cilantro.

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Brain Dumplings with Kimchi-Chile Sauce

Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Brain Dumplings with Kimchi-Chile Sauce Recipe

Take your Halloween eats to the next level with these Jekyll and Hyde-inspired dumplings. Make ahead of time and freeze for a stress-free, yet totally spooky, spread.

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Halloween Spider Cookies

Sara Tane

Halloween Spider Cookies Recipe

Landing somewhere between adorable and slightly spooky, these Halloween spider cookies are sure to fulfill all your creepy-crawly sweet needs for your upcoming Halloween festivities. Using a classic cut-out butter cookie dough keeps the edges of your spider cookies shape neat and clean—no worries about the cookies expanding when they bake. Decorate these Halloween cut-out cookies with black gel icing, royal icing, candy eyes, orangle and black sprinkles, or whatever fun decorations you have on hand. These cookies make for a playful, spooky food craft that grown-ups and kids alike can enjoy.

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Spider Web Cake

Spider Web Cake Recipe

This incredibly fudgy flourless chocolate cake is a much better way to satisfy your own spooky sweet cravings than dipping into your kids’ Halloween candy. Dark and delightful, this rich and chocolatey cake only requires five ingredients and about an hour to pull together.

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Frankenstein Cookie Bars

Thomas J. Story

Frankenstein Cookie Bars Recipe

These bars make a fun Halloween treat, and they're very flavorful: the green tea frosting cloaks a chewy-soft coconut-lime cookie. They're easy enough that the kids can help you make them.

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Midori Lemon Gin Fizz

Photo: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Julia Levy; Prop Styling: Blakeslee Giles

Midori Lemon Gin Fizz Recipe

Egg whites form a spooky, frothy top, giving the cocktail a mad-scientist makeover. The cocktail gets its green hue from Midori liqueur, a super sweet muskmelon-flavored liqueur. Serve in beakers or test tubes to up the Halloween aura.

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'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Caviar

Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Styling: Mindi Shapiro

'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Caviar Recipe

Need a great appetizer for your Halloween bash? Serve up chips and this classic veggie and bean dip for some spook-tacularly good flavor. This recipe features staples that you may already have in your pantry or fridge, making this a perfect last-minute appetizer to take to the party. And while the name suggest that a Halloween party is where it's at with this recipe, you can just as easily much on this great dip any day of the week!

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Ghost Cookies

Sara Tane

Ghost Cookies Recipe

Prepare for a sweet scare when these adorable Halloween ghost cookies are all iced, decorated, and ready to party. Super easy and kid-friendly to make, these butter cut-out cookies coated with royal icing are the perfect dessert for your Halloween spread. Candy eyeballs add a playful, whimsical touch to these spooky treats, but you could also use black icing to draw eyes on your ghost cookies. Using a classic cut-out butter cookie dough keeps the edges of your ghost cookies shape neat and clean—no worries about the cookies expanding when they bake. Whip up a batch with the kids and let them go to town with the decorating for a fun Halloween kitchen activity.

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Bell Pepper Jack O'Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Bell Pepper Jack O'Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip Recipe

Give your Halloween party some personality with these carved edible "bowls." Make them as goofy or as scary as you like, depending on your mood! Not only do these jack o'lantern snacks add a festive touch, they will make sure kids and adults alike will continue to snack on vegetables in between bites of Halloween candy. This healthy Halloween snack is a must.

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Bat Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio

Bat Cake Recipe

For the Halloween crafter inside all of this, this simple Halloween sheet cake is a fun, easy dessert to make. Devil’s food cake is very dark chocolaty color, but a red velvet cake would look just as fitting and festive for the bat, too. Piping bags and tips are found in craft stores or specialty baking shops. Be sure to cut the cake rounds in the prescribed order so that the bat’s head with ears comes out as 1 of the cuts.

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Witch's Hat Cake

Time Inc. Video Studio

Witch's Hat Cake Recipe

For a spooky spin on a Halloween-inspired sheet cake, look no further than this festive witch's hat cake. We opted for boxed cake mix for simplicity, but if there's a homemade recipe you prefer, that works too. As long as you're ready to get a little crafty and extra witchy, this easy, Halloween dessert will come together in a flash.

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Mummified Candy-Corn Cake

Photo: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Ed Gallagher

Mummified Candy-Corn Cake Recipe

This festive candy corn-colored cake is sure to impress your Halloween guests.

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Spiderweb Spice Cake

Photo: Mark Thomas

Spiderweb Spice Cake Recipe
Colored candies are all you need to transform a chocolate cake into a creepy, crawling Halloween-themed cake. Don't worry, even with the spiders you won't be able to resist this delicious confection.

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Halloween Hummus

Photo: Caitlin Bensel, Styling: Mindi Shapiro

Halloween Hummus Recipe

For a truly spooky treat, this hummus is a great way to create a fun and festive Halloween effect. Simply fill a carved skull prop with this ghoulishly delicious hummus for a great appetizer to serve to guests. This hummus is red pepper based and features cayenne pepper, cumin, and plenty of garlic cloves for some great flavor. This dip is great to serve with crackers, chips, or veggie sticks. Dig right in, if you dare!

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Wizard Hats

Oxmoor House

Wizard Hats Recipe
Make this fun Halloween treat for the kids to take to school.

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Autumn Punch

Photo: Thayer Allyson Gowdy; Styling: Miranda Jones

Autumn Punch Recipe
"Punch" is a good description of this one--a couple of glasses pack a wallop. Add extra cranberry juice if you want it weaker.

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Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers

Photo: Tara Donne; Styling: Erin Swift

Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers Recipe
Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers are an adults-only treat featuring three different fruit juices, bourbon (of course), and the perfect Halloween hue.

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Olive Spiders

Olive Spiders Recipe
Dress up your spooky Halloween table (or your drink) with this fun garnish.

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Jack-o'-Lantern Cheese Ball

Photo: Andrew McCaul; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Jack-o'-Lantern Cheese Ball Recipe

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Red Velvet Cake Balls

Photo: Gooseberry Patch

Red Velvet Cake Balls Recipe
Red Velvet Cake Balls are the perfect bite size dessert. They are incredibly easy to make and are a wonderful indulgent treat or gift.

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Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce

Photo: John Kernick

Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce Recipe
These wrinkly dumplings are filled with pork, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, scallions and ginger. For Halloween, David Burtka soaks the brain-like dumplings in the dipping sauce, then serves them in science-lab beakers.

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Snackin' Pumpkin Seeds

Oxmoor House

Snackin' Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Every Halloween carved pumpkins appear. Now that you know what to do with the seeds, you can cut down on food waste! Pumpkin seeds are such a great Halloween party food idea for an easy get together or casual fall hangout. This recipe for pumpkin seeds is basic, so start here then flavor to fit your tastes. The seeds will keep in an airtight container for several days, so make a large batch. You can add them to fall-themed snack mixes, stir them into soups, or simply snack on them by the handful.

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Deviled Green Goblin Eggs

Deviled Green Goblin Eggs Recipe
For a festive look, serve in decorative Halloween cupcake liners.

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Halloween Kitty Cake

Oxmoor House

Halloween Kitty Cake Recipe
What a sweet kitty this is! The cake is baked, cut into shapes and then put together to make a purr-fect cake for any Halloween party.

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Monster Eyes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Monster Eyes Recipe

Halloween is dominated by sweets so go the savory route and make these Monster Eyes with simple sausage ball ingredients and green olives with pimentos.

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Spiced Lamb Chops with Rosemary Crumbs

Photo: Thayer Allyson Gowdy; Styling: Miranda Jones

Spiced Lamb Chops with Rosemary Crumbs Recipe

These spiced lamb chops are great for cocktail parties, since you can eat them one-handed.

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Mummy Dogs

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey, Rose Nguyen

Mummy Dogs Recipe

These make-ahead hot dogs use refrigerated breadstick dough, perfect for goblins, pretty princesses, superheroes, and even their parents. Watch the how-to video at SouthernLiving.com.

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Monster Meatball Sandwiches

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey, Rose Nguyen

Monster Meatball Sandwiches Recipe
These 5-ingredient, money-saving mini sandwiches will satisfy the heartiest of appetites. Using premade frozen meatballs keeps preparation swift and simple.

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Over-the-Top Halloween Wedding Ideas

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Monster Brownies

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Sweet and Savory Tortilla Bats

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Chorizo and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Intestines

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Pumpkin Cake

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Marinated Mozzarella Eyeballs

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Stuffed Pepper Mummies

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Brain Dumplings with Kimchi-Chile Sauce

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Halloween Spider Cookies

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Spider Web Cake

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Frankenstein Cookie Bars

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Midori Lemon Gin Fizz

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'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Caviar

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Ghost Cookies

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Bell Pepper Jack O'Lanterns with Vegetables and Dip

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Bat Cake

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Witch's Hat Cake

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Mummified Candy-Corn Cake

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Spiderweb Spice Cake

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Halloween Hummus

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Wizard Hats

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Autumn Punch

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Blood Orange-Bourbon Coolers

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Olive Spiders

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Jack-o'-Lantern Cheese Ball

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Red Velvet Cake Balls

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Pork Dumplings with Chile-Sesame Sauce

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