Two of my favorite people alive, Jason and Todd, got married this past weekend on Halloween… Which also happened to be their 12-year anniversary of dating. It was one of the most elegant and fun weddings I have ever attended, full of so much love (and candy and dancing. More on that later.) Tony and I feel so lucky we got to be a part of their #Hallowedding!

In general, I’m not big on Halloween. I dress as Madonna every year because I used to live in the same apartment building as one of Madonna’s hairdressers; he helped me buy an outfit in a very awkward shopping experience with my mom at Frederick’s of Hollywood and did my hair with her real hair extensions and let me keep them. And then I invested in a matching dog costume for Lucy. So, I’m always Madonna (or, Lady Gaga or an ’80’s hooker, depending on who you ask.)

So, I was thrilled to have an excuse to play dress up in my preferred fashion: Black tie! If I could, I’d wear a gown to the gym (and anywhere and everywhere else). I love getting dressed up. To pay homage to their wedding date in a classy way, Jason and Todd elected to incorporate a masquerade ball into the dress code, so everyone was dressed to the nines with the coolest masks. My kind of Halloween.

Before I dive in, some things to know about Jason and Todd: We met them through taking classes with Jason at the Groundlings. They have a perfect dog, Pip. And they are real-life Disney princes. I mean, look at them! They are also as kind, funny and generous as they are handsome (again, see: photos. VERY.) Jason has the most incredible voice (he went to Juilliard. This is not a humble brag, it’s a full brag), and shared his talents to help Tony prep for the singing portion of his School of Rock audition. He’s also one of the best chefs I know (see: Tony and my cooking class wedding gift, so we keep getting invited over for dinner parties.) Todd is a quintessential Southern gentleman (he shares Tony’s Virginia roots), a martial arts expert, and looks familiar because you’ve seen him in countless movies and TV shows playing The Most Handsome Role in said movie/TV show. I love them.

Their wedding was held at The Majestic in downtown L.A., a gorgeous old bank converted into an event space (you may remember seeing it in The Mask, Spider-Man, or on Scandal?) It was the perfect backdrop for a Halloween black tie masquerade ball – and such a smart choice for a wedding, as it’s such a beautiful space, it doesn’t require much decoration. Fitting in the upscale, classically elegant tone, all of their florals were in white, the groomsmaids and groomsmen were in black, and both were complemented with chic gold accents.

{Katierose, photobomb courtesy of her love Matt}

{Tony}

Todd and Jason did everything right with this wedding, starting with the fact that they threw “tradition” out the window and hosted their cocktail hour before the ceremony – a brilliant call on Halloween, when traffic was at a standstill and even the best-meaning guests (me) did not arrive on time (I am the worst). This also gave us a chance to make new friends as we guessed at who was behind the beautiful masks, and gorge ourselves on the delicious passed appetizers.

{These are the guests who ate all the cheese.}

Then, we all gathered around the bottom of the grand staircase. The bridal party made their way down the stairs, flanking each side, with Jason and Todd making their way down at the end. The ceremony was short, sweet, personal and hilarious (especially when the officiant mispronounced Todd’s last name to a word most people don’t want in their wedding vows); it was all about their love and commitment to each other, with vows they wrote themselves. We cried. We cheered. Then, we made our way into the ballroom to eat and party. It was the exact type of ceremony I dream of for Tony and me.

The food was insane. (So insane, Tony chased the waiter down when he took my mostly-finished plate away, so Tony could eat the last few bites.) Two of their friends sang the song for their first dance, Extreme’s “More Than Words” – which made Tony cry all over again, because that’s his mom’s favorite song and weddings just make him feel so many feelings. I also cried, because they’re so in love and so handsome and they were so happy, and weddings just make me feel so many feelings, too.

The night was full of so many fun surprises and delicious treats. There was a live band playing Big Band and jazz classics while we finished dinner and dove head-first into the dessert bar. There was a photo booth with super fun props. There was an awesome D.J. to follow the band. But, the crowning achievement was the old bank vault… Which, they dramatically swung open to reveal they had converted into a CANDY VAULT, so we could all go trick-or-treating at the wedding! (Full disclosure: Tony and I went trick-or-treating 3 times. Jason, if you’re wondering who cleaned out your Sour Patch Kids, it was us.)

It’s so hard to pick my favorite moment, because I loved every minute, but I think my favorite part of the night was when the photographer had Todd and Jason go on the upper level of the space, overlooking the dance floor, for a photo op. (This photographer also happens to shoot for Vogue Italia. He’s good.) And while they were up there, the D.J. started to play The Isley Brothers’ “Shout.” It evolved into this dance party between all of the guests and the grooms up on the balcony. It was one of those moments where you think, “I want to remember every bit of this exact moment in time forever.” It felt like we were in a Richard Curtis movie.

Every wedding I attend, I fantasize in a little more detail about my own. There are a lot of things I’d like to steal from Todd and Jason (namely, their dog and their style – Jason’s helping me select my wedding gown) – but, most of all, I’d like to steal their grace, their refusal to become groomzillas and remember it’s just one night and it’s supposed to be fun, and their ability to really be in the moment and have a blast with their guests. They had a sense of humor about everything – like, their favors, which kept in line with the Halloween candy theme and looked like a certin Breaking Bad product:

They also achieved the impossible and kept the guest list under control, so they could spend quality time with everyone; I not only got to hit the photo booth and dance with both of them a few times, but I actually got to talk to them, too. (This may have also been because we were the last guests to leave. Jason rewarded us for this by snapping this pic of oblivious Katierose and me, waiting for our boys to fetch the car. And they sent us home with floral arrangements.)

They were the most gracious hosts and in love grooms, and it was such a joy celebrating their life together. Todd and Jason, thank you for having us! Also: You’ve now ruined Halloween for me, as every year from here on out will not hold a candle to this epic evening of ball gowns, photo booths, dance parties, Italian photographers, candy vaults and trick-or-treating for exquisite floral bouquets. We should probably have another dinner party soon to re-live it all (black tie optional.)