October Perfect Backdrop For Salem Weddings

For some, the thought of inviting wedding guests to the middle of the Halloween capital of the world may sound like a nightmare given traffic and crowds. For others, the thought is quintessential autumn.

“It’s a destination and one-stop shopping,” Karen Cotton, director of catering for the said. “Many couples and their guests have their rehearsal dinners here, they stay here and after the wedding have a brunch the next day.”

Cotton says while it’s been years since a couple has had a “Halloween-themed” wedding, today couples are choosing to incorporate the holiday in other ways.

“The mother of a bride (this month) bought Salem postcards and is having the guests write the couple a note which will be mailed to them after the wedding,” Cotton said. “The cards will be at their home when they get back from their honeymoon.”

Another couple soon-to-be-wed is using Trick-or-Treat bags to house a number of goodies their guests will be met with when checking into the hotel for the wedding weekend.

“We also do apples and mulled cider in the lobby for the guests when they arrive,” Cotton said.

Cotton also said couples are choosing fall-themed menus incorporating pumpkin and other seasonal flavors and using the colors of the season to decorate the hotel.

While the historic hotel and location may lend itself to autumnal décor, the hardest part about having an October wedding at the Hawthorne is securing a date, Cotton said.

“We book up a year to a year-and-a-half in advance,” she said of October weekend weddings. The last weekend of the month is secured for Haunted Happenings festivities, such as the

In addition to the hotel, Cotton and her staff also manage catering for weddings at the . The booking time is over a year for that venue as well, she said.

“We have 89 rooms (at the Hawthorne) and even though we’re no longer the only hotel in Salem, we are different because of the history and grandeur,” Cotton said. The Hawthorne Hotel is on the list of “Historical Hotels of America.” “We attract brides that want a classic wedding, but we can also do the signature martinis and Chiavari chairs. We keep with the trends as well.”