When Sarah and Jake met for their first date, Sarah made sure to arrive early and to bring the one item she always brought on a first date – a book, The Poisoner’s Handbook. She nonchalantly placed it on the table without making mention of it, as she always did, to see how her date would react. It was her test, her way of knowing whether this person would take her as she is – in her full quirky, offbeat glory or whether it’d make them uncomfortable.
Some dates would eye the thing with fear. Others would ignore it entirely. But when Jake sat down to meet Sarah for the first time and saw The Poisoner’s Handbook, he said, “Cool, what’s that?” with genuine intrigue and delight.
Ten years later, Sarah and Jake eloped at Boxcar Barcade in Greensboro, positively glowing with the happiness of two people perfectly suited to each other. And of course, their goth Christmas-themed wedding was chockfull of quirk, cheesy Christmas lights, goth glam the glow of vintage arcade games and PIZZA.
“After being together for nearly 10 years, we were as good as married,” Sarah said, “but we figured we’d make it official. So, on our exact 10 year anniversary, we eloped at Boxcar Bar + Arcade. We moved to NC in 2021 so we thought it would be a great way to symbolize the new adventure. With COVID changing things rapidly, we thought eloping would be the best option.
“The wedding theme was simple: spooky Christmas, complete with pizza and bundt cakes. Simple weddings don’t have to be boring!
“I wore black and my groom wore plaid. This was a fun reflection of the day we got engaged at Walt Disney World since I had a black dress and he wore a plaid shirt. We also included this element in our engagement photos, which carried into the wedding day. My necklace included the coordinates to Walt Disney World as this is a favorite spot for us. I also walked down the “aisle” to “Homesick” by A Day to Remember.
“The venue, Boxcar Bar + Arcade in Greensboro, has the absolute best event coordinator in Brittni Knott. She was always responsive and flexible. She was a delight to have there on the day of as well!
“For the decor, we used a mixture of Halloween and Christmas elements in a unique mash of spook and sparkles. Fun and cheesy moments abounded in our quirky elopement. Our wedding planners, Detailed Events LLC, did an amazing job of putting everything together. They took this weird mish-mash of ideas and turned it into a beautiful, photogenic backdrop.
“My hair and makeup was by Sarah Gerber of SMG Beauty Co. Originally, I had no idea what I was going to do, and she did her magic. She made me feel fabulous.
“Our photographer was Aja White of Fur and Lace Photography. She completely understood the aesthetic and vibe. She was actually the reason we found the venue! Even though I had seen her work even with our engagement shoot, the wedding photos turned out even better than expected.
“Our officiant Rev. Kath Dupree was the kindest and most peaceful presence for the day. The ceremony was absolutely perfect, and she just “got us.”
“We got to hang out with our vendors and new friends, and I cannot speak highly enough of them. I found every person online through Google searches and Instagram. Eloping can seem like a lot of work, but finding the right vendors is essential to the day. Hiring a day-of coordinator is a wonderful idea because it allows you to enjoy the day with your partner and not worry about setting up or taking down anything!
“Trust your guts with your vendors. Once you find someone you click with, go with it! I went with Fur and Lace because I knew she understood us and our weirdness. I literally didn’t inquire with any other photographers after speaking with her. I only had one call with our officiant, Kath, and adored her immediately. She explained literally everything you could think of and was always responsive. Our event (day of) coordinators, Detailed Events, also understood exactly what it was that we wanted and executed everything wonderfully. The last piece of the puzzle was hair and makeup, SMG Beauty Co, somehow understood exactly how I wanted to look and just knocked it out of the park.
“Eloping allows you to pick and choose exactly what YOU want to do. It allows you to just enjoy the day with so much less stress than a traditional wedding. It’s seriously the best way to celebrate you and your partner.”
Vendor List:
Planner: Detailed Events LLC
Photography: Fur and Lace Photography
Venue: Boxcar Bar + Arcade Greensboro
Officiant: Reverend Katherine Dupree
Flowers: Tallulah Rose Artistry
Hair & Makeup: SMG Beauty Co
