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Couple Wed in Halloween Themed Haunted House

2 November 2011 By

A new trend could be emerging which would give new meaning to ‘wedding day jitters’ – Halloween nuptials have taken place this year in a haunted house in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Doing away with sweet romance and elegant glamour, Max Coffman and Sheri Whitt exchanged vows in the presence of ghouls and vampires at a venue called Nightmare on 13th.

Bride Cheri commented: “We met on Halloween, and so I thought what a perfect place to be married – inside a haunted house.”

She added: “I love it. I don’t think it’s creepy. I love the idea of Halloween, and it’s my favourite time of year. And for us, if people think it’s creepy, well, it’s what we want to do.”

No less than the Grim Reaper himself officiated at the couple’s Halloween ceremony, and even their wedding rings were brought out in a tiny coffin.

The newly-weds have not said where they will be celebrating their honeymoon – one can only imagine a location that the Addams Family would approve of…

Filed Under: Destination Weddings, Unusual, Wedding Themes, Wedding Tips & Trends, Weird weddings Tagged With: ,

Groom Shocks with Wedding Day Skydive

7 September 2011 By

Jackie Burns was in for a major surprise when her groom organised the most eccentric wedding day to feature on BBC Three’s Don’t Tell The Bride.

After spending three hours getting her hair and make-up done on the morning of the special day, a car was sent to whisk her away. But instead of being taken to a picturesque venue or church, she was dropped off at Strathallan Airfield for a 13,000ft skydive.

The shocked Jackie commented: “I seriously thought I would die before I got the chance to become a bride. I was so angry, but my mum Carol persuaded me I would always regret it if I said no. I don’t know where he got the idea from.”

Nevertheless, windswept Jackie admitted it was one of the best things she has ever done: “The jump was amazing. The minute I hit the ground, I forgave him for making me do it on my big day.”

As if that weren’t enough, John had arranged for a Christmas-themed reception, complete with a large cake shaped as a nose (to tease his bride since she had always wanted a nose job) and cat-covered toilet seats (she loves felines).

After the humanist ceremony at the lovely Strathallan Castle, the bride was then taken to the Kirkintilloch Miners Welfare and Social Club where the couple first met six years ago.

Jackie said: “I was so angry I didn’t want to get out of the car. The Miners is OK for a quick drink but not a wedding. But when I saw the room, my anger disappeared. I love Christmas and John had decorated the whole place like a classy winter wonderland.”

The groom also chose his bride’s dress (which he picked in 10 minutes and got his best man to model) and spent a fair portion of the wedding budget to fly her best friend in from Australia.

The sporting bride concluded: “There were times when I wanted to kill John but once the shock wore off, I realised he had got everything spot on. I couldn’t have arranged it better myself.”

Filed Under: Destination Weddings, Planning, Unusual, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Themes, Wedding Venues, Weird weddings Tagged With: , ,

Couple Request Cat Donations as Wedding Gift

14 June 2011 By

Vanessa Duggan and Thomas Wood have made an unusual request to the guests who will attend their wedding ceremony at Carr Hall Castle in Halifax this Saturday – the couple requested donations to a rescue charity for cats rather than the traditional types of presents.

Ms Duggan commented: “It would be so wonderful if by celebrating our special day with our family and friends we could also raise a significant sum to help change lives… Knowing we’ve made a difference would be the best wedding gift of all.”

The cat-lovers, of Charlestown, Hebden Bridge, will have a collection box on their special day. They have also set up a page on Virgin Money Giving for online donations ahead of the occasion – well wishers will find it by searching for Vanessa Duggan at www.virginmoneygiving.com.

Haworth Cat Rescue takes in abandoned and stray cats as well as helping people who need to find a new home for their pets because of such issues as illness or eviction.

Ms Duggan added: “The reality is the charity can’t help every person or every cat and kitten that needs them due to lack of money needed to build a bigger centre… The vet bills alone are thousands of pounds each month.”

 

Filed Under: Planning, Unusual, Wedding Gifts, Weird weddings Tagged With: ,

Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner to Tie the Knot

8 June 2011 By

The 85-year-old Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is set to turn a new leaf by marrying 24-year-old former Playmate Crystal Harris next week on June 18.

Mr Hefner commented: “I wasn’t planning on getting married again but we’ve been together two-and-a- half years and I can’t imagine meeting anyone I’d get on better with. People make so much of the age gap but we have a lot in common.”

The Chicago-born media magnate has been married twice before – the first time to college sweetheart Mildred Williams and then to Playmate Kimberly Conrad. He is more famous however for having numerous girlfriends.

Now that he has decided to settle down, the forthcoming wedding is being hyped in America as “bigger than William and Kate’s”. While the Playboy Mansion attracts more visitors than Buckingham Palace every year, they have opted for a more intimate celebration on their special day.

In total, 300 guests have been invited to the wedding in the Playboy Mansion gardens, with Mr Hefner’s three sons as groomsmen. The bride has confirmed that her gown will be pink.

 

Filed Under: Celebrity Grooms, Celebrity Weddings, Extravagant, Unusual, Weird weddings Tagged With: ,

Unique Wedding for Hyde Farmer and His Bride

3 May 2011 By

Farmer Mark Hazlehurst and his bride Katie Brayshaw have eschewed wedding tradition on their special day by choosing a tractor rather than a formal car as their chosen transport.

But not everyone was in on the weddings’ unusual twist, said bride Katie: “A lot of people didn’t know about the theme, and the first time they realised was when they saw the tractor outside the church. We wanted it to be a surprise.”

The couple met as teenagers (Mark was 15 and Katie was 13) while the groom’s mother taught his future bride-to-be to horse ride at Godley Stud farm in Hyde. The couple still live in the same area.

Mr Hazlehurst ensured his prided and joy Valtra-T series tractor was sparkling for the occasion, and it was suitably decorated with ribbons for its arrival at St Mary’s church in Newton.  The wedding reception was held at the Deanwater Hotel in Woodford. Milk churns and wellington boots were filled with flowers for the decorations.

The wedding cake also boasted a unique twist by sporting miniature models of Mark and Katie doing their rounds on the farm. The event menu featured hearty seasonal produce supplied by local farmers.

Filed Under: English weddings, Groom Style, Unusual, Wedding Cars, Wedding Themes, Weird weddings Tagged With: ,

Benefits Fraud Uncovered By Facebook Wedding Photos

11 April 2011 By

The Barbados wedding pictures that Hazel Cunningham posted on her Facebook page have landed her a jail sentence for the benefits fraud of falsely claiming thousands of pounds.

The 47-year-old Ashford resident was unveiled as a benefits cheat by her local authority’s fraud investigation team, which discovered she was enjoying holidays to Turkey up to three times a year at the same time as claiming an average of £170 per week for council tax benefit, income support, and housing benefit.

Mrs Cunningham must now repay all the money she falsely claimed, amounting to just under £15 000. She has also been sentenced at Folkestone Magistrates Court in Kent to 120 days in jail after pleading guilty to four charges of making false statements and one of failing to notify a change in circumstance.

She had further claimed she was a single mother when she was actually living with her husband and neglected to tell the authorities about maternity pay she was receiving from her employer.

An Ashford Council spokeswoman said: “Our investigators use Facebook as a routine tool when looking at someone’s claim that they are single and not married.”

Peter Wood, Leader of the Ashford Council, commented: “The message is clear: people who commit benefit fraud will be caught.”

Filed Under: Extravagant, Mishaps, Planning, Unusual, Wedding Finance & Insurance Tagged With: ,

KFC Chosen As Wedding Reception Venue By Happy Couple

7 April 2011 By

The bride and groom Kalli Buchan and Gareth Pritchard celebrated their wedding reception at a KFC in Bristol recently. They have explained their unusual choice as a family tradition.

In 1989, Kalli’s mother and father, Davy and Madalene Buchan, were married in a Bristol Registry Office and then had their reception celebration at the local McDonalds. When it came time for Kalli and Gareth to start planning their wedding day, they joked about having the reception at a Burger King.

The couple warmed to the “cool idea” of a fast food venue for their post-wedding celebration and eventually settled on the KFC, since it is their favourite.

When staff at the Bristol KFC were approached by the couple with the idea, they were excited at the prospect and eager to help. Wedding guests however when told about the reception plan initially thought it was a joke.

Kalli and Gareth were adamant about their unconventional plan – after the official registry, the newlyweds and their 30 wedding guests made their way to the KFC restaurant to celebrate the special occasion. The happy couple were also congratulated by surprised diners.

Filed Under: Planning, Unusual, Wedding Venues, Weird weddings Tagged With: , ,

New Zealand Earthquake Survivor Goes Ahead With Her Wedding Day

1 March 2011 By

Just days after being rescued from the rubble of a building that collapsed during the recent 6.3-magnitude New Zealand earthquake, Emma Howard has bravely gone ahead with her wedding plans.

The couple have said that continuing with their marriage today was a sign that the disaster could not break the spirit of people in New Zealand’s devastated second city.

Ms Howard, an accountant, was rescued on Tuesday after the Pyne Gould building in Christchurch collapsed. While trapped inside, she contacted her fiancé Chris Greenslade using her mobile phone, so he was able to direct rescuers to find her.

She recounted earlier today how she was trapped “in a foetal position” for over 6 hours after she was thrown from her chair when the horrific quake struck at lunchtime on Tuesday. She further said her decision not to crouch under her desk saved her life as a section of the concrete floor from above crashed down on to her work station.

This story of miraculous survival and a happy ending is inspirational at a time when the official death toll from the severe earthquake has risen to 113, including two Britons.

Filed Under: Mishaps, Unusual Tagged With: ,