Communities

Spooky Halloween wedding in German Park

NEW ULM -- Victoria “Tori” Frank and Clay Schuldt were married at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, Halloween, in the amphitheater at German Park.

The ceremony was an open invitation. A large crowd gathered in the white folding chairs and on the stone bleachers. The rain held off and temperatures were cool. 

Some guests in the crowd were dressed in costume, including a mime, the Joker, a group of witches and a variety of other costumes.

New Ulm Mayor Kathleen Backer officiated. She wore black and was dressed as a witch, with a black hat decorated with black roses, a veil, and curly-toed pointed shoes.

Schuldt is the editor at the New Ulm Journal. Frank works in administration at CliftonLarsonAllen. 

Frank wore an off-the-shoulder black wedding dress with white lining. Schuldt wore a black suit with a dark red shirt. Her bridesmaids wore dark maroon dresses. There were six bridesmaids and six groomsmen.

During the ceremony, Backer told the story of the proposal during the ceremony, which also happened on Halloween 2024. Schuldt proposed during a special Halloween karaoke night held at Rodney's Tavern. He proposed at the end of the song "Spooky," by Classic IV which, contains a lyric about proposing on Halloween.

Though the couple got engaged on Halloween, they did not initially planned to get married on the same Halloween, but when trying to find a venue the best available date for Royal Oak Entertainment Center was Oct. 31, 2026.

Backer said they had not originally planned to marry on Halloween but decided the date was right for them.

During the vows, Schuldt said it is rare to find a woman who enjoys Halloween. He said he did not think they would get married on Halloween, but looking back he would not have it any other way. He said he would be by his wife’s side through any strain and any spooky event.

“I vow to make every day not just happy but exciting,” Schuldt said. “You will be doomed to be happy for the rest of your life.”

In her vows, Frank said they share a love for Halloween and scary movies and an inability to slow dance.

“You gave me a reason for joy,” Tori said. “We will continue the dance, even if we can never figure out the steps. I will love you fiercely, but support you graciously, and will always be your best friend.”

After the ceremony, and before the reception, the wedding party went to Rodney’s, where the couple spent many evenings singing karaoke.

The wedding party also took an impromptu hayride down State Street, throwing candy to those trick-or-treating along the street.

The couple has no immediate honeymoon plans. Schuldt said was back at The Journal editor’s desk Monday.