Morticia’s Ball 2026: TOTALITY Masquerade at James Ward Mansion

On October 2, 2026, I photographed Morticia’s Ball 2026 at James Ward Mansion in Westfield, New Jersey. It was one of the most visually distinctive events I have worked, with masked guests, candlelit mansion rooms, themed entertainment, and an eclipse-inspired atmosphere built around TOTALITY.

I have spent more than 30 years behind a camera, and a masquerade is a different kind of assignment. It does not hand you a shot list. The rooms, the costumes, and the people decide what the pictures become.

Here is how the night looked from my side of the lens, room by room. You can see more of my work in the photography portfolio.

A Masquerade Ball Inspired by AddamsFest

Westfield has a long connection to Charles Addams, the cartoonist who created The Addams Family and was a Westfield native. AddamsFest is the month-long October celebration of him in Westfield, NJ, and the masquerade ball is one of its events.

Carr Event Productions coordinated the evening, which took its theme from TOTALITY, the idea of a total eclipse. I was there as the photographer, not the organizer, so everything you see here is what I saw and photographed as the night unfolded.

If you have never been to AddamsFest, picture a town that spends October having fun with the macabre. The guests at this TOTALITY eclipse masquerade came ready to join in, and the mansion’s lighting and decor leaned into that same sense of drama.

The James Ward Mansion Transformed for TOTALITY

The mansion does half the work at a masquerade ball like this. From the street, the red facade and iron balconies set the tone before anyone steps inside.

Inside, each room has its own character: a tall ballroom washed in deep blue light, a red damask room hung with gilt frames, and white paneled rooms with crystal chandeliers. Candles sat on mantels, on tables, and on the steps of a spiral staircase.

A room like this deserves two kinds of attention: wide enough to understand the space, and close enough to catch a carved mantel or a crystal drop. Before guests arrive, a venue like this is quiet and waiting, and I like to photograph that stillness: candles set out, the bar being prepared, the light settling into the room. Once the guests come in, the same rooms fill with voices and movement.

I share more New Jersey venue stories on the Alex Kaplan Weddings blog.

Masquerade Masks, Costumes, and Candid Guest Moments

Masks change how people carry themselves. The face goes quiet, so everything else speaks: the tilt of a head, a hand on a shoulder, a smile that shows below the edge of lace.

I look for the moments between poses: a guest laughing at something out of frame, two friends comparing costumes, someone settling into a chair as if the night belongs to them. What I am after is the person inside the costume, not only the costume.

The costumes rewarded a closer look. I saw a ram-horned mask over a gold waistcoat, a red brocade vest under a long black coat, and a tall blond wig stacked with pearls. One guest in a top hat stretched out across a gilded bed with a drink in hand, completely at ease.

Out front, a vintage-style hot rod in teal and chrome gave guests a backdrop under the string lights. A group in black lace, velvet, and sequins lined up beside it, and the street did the rest.

An Evening of Immersive Entertainment

The entertainment was spread across several rooms, which is part of what made the evening good to photograph. Each space had its own activity, its own light, and its own pace.

Tarot readings were set up at small tables beside candles, one in a paneled white room with mirrors and another in a lounge with deep teal walls and a leather sofa. Guests leaned in over the cards while others stood nearby with drinks.

A grand piano anchored another room, where masked guests settled at small tables to talk. The ballroom doubled as the dance floor, lit in soft pink and violet.

I like to treat an evening like this as a series of small scenes. A tarot table is quiet and close, the dance floor is loose and moving, and the piano room is a place to stop and talk, so each one asks for a different pace. Between the readings, the piano room, and the dancing, there was always somewhere else to wander.

Photographing the Atmosphere of a Themed Event

A themed night gives a photographer two jobs at once. One is the room: the chandeliers, the candles, the mirrors that repeat everything twice. The other is the people, and what they are doing behind a mask.

I try to keep both in the story. Wide photographs show where a moment happened, and closer ones show how it felt to be inside it. Layers help, so I like to let the edge of a piano or a doorway sit in the foreground while guests carry on beyond it.

Mixed light is part of themed event photography, and Morticia’s Ball 2026 had plenty: warm candles, pink and violet washes, and bright white paneled rooms in one evening. My aim is to leave the mood alone and stay out of the way of the guests’ night.

Capturing Unforgettable Celebrations in New Jersey

What stays with me from Morticia’s Ball 2026 is the range of it: the blue-lit ballroom, the quiet focus around the tarot cards, the conversations beside the piano, and the portraits outside by the hot rod. No single photograph holds all of that, which is why I pay attention to more than posed portraits. The venue, the small interactions, and the entertainment are what make an event feel like itself when you look back.

If you’re planning a wedding, private celebration, or special event in Northern New Jersey, in Westfield or anywhere nearby, I’d love to help you document it. Browse my photography portfolio or contact Alex Kaplan to talk about your event.