Greg Parks officiates a Halloween wedding beneath a bat-decorated arch at the Athenaeum. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)ALEXANDRIA, VA — The wedding arch was draped in black, bats dotted the windows, and the man officiating wore a powdered wig. For 16 couples in Old Town Alexandria, Halloween was also their wedding day.
Alexandria Clerk of the Circuit Court J. Greg Parks hosted the second annual Halloweddings on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Athenaeum, 201 Prince St. The Clerk’s Office shared the newlywed count and photos after the event.
A couple in burgundy velvet and black lace holds hands during their wedding ceremony. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)The couples put their own spin on wedding attire. In one ceremony, a bride in a black lace veil took the hand of her partner in a burgundy velvet jacket. In another photo, two newlyweds in gold-embroidered outfits held up their marriage certificate beside Parks, one of them sporting round red sunglasses.
Another couple went with a white dress, a dark suit and a bouquet of white flowers, with the bats still in the background.
Two newlyweds display their marriage certificate alongside Parks. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)Alexandria held its first Halloweddings at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in 2025. This year’s celebration moved to the Athenaeum, where the $75 reservation fee helped cover the cost of the event. Couples were offered cake, refreshments and a gift bag, as The Zebra reported in its October preview.Costumed participants pose in a courtyard dressed up with cobwebs. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)Costumed participants pose with certificates inside the Athenaeum. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)Greg Parks and another man in period costume pose inside the Athenaeum. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)Parks poses in period costume beside a sign thanking event sponsors. (Photo credit: Griffin Vision Media, via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)The Halloweddings program features an illustration of the Athenaeum framed by bats and autumn leaves. (Via the Alexandria Clerk’s Office)
Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, the award-winning Alexandria news publication she founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating community, culture, and all the good news happening across the city.
A longtime community advocate and storyteller, Mary was selected for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce inaugural 40 Under 40 class, served on numerous boards, been awarded the 2024 Business Philanthropist of the Year Award by Volunteer Alexandria, and has served as president of Living Legends of Alexandria Board since the fall of 2021. Known for her deep local roots, sharp editorial instincts, and passion for connecting people through journalism, she has spent decades chronicling the personalities, businesses, events, and civic life that make Alexandria unique.
Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa history-major graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, and has been part of Alexandria’s publishing and media community since 1987.
