Scary guests at Halloween wedding

By Denise Glass
Tayside reporter, BBC Scotland news website

Mark was Jock the Ripper and Tammy was Bettie Page

Dundee has played host to a spooky wedding between a serial killer and a 1950s pin-up.

The ceremony was carried out by a dark hooded figure while comic, horror and children's TV show characters watched on.

In reality, it was a Halloween-themed marriage with the bride, groom, guests and even the registrar dressed up.

Mark Robinson and Tammy Wilson decided 31 October was the ideal day to wed as they met at a Halloween party.

The new Mrs Robinson dressed up as model Bettie Page - complete with black leather wedding dress and black gloves.

The groom put on a top hat, cloak and kilt and carried a bag with a blood-soaked knife to be Jock the Ripper.

Guests dressed as Grotbags (the bride's grandmother Margaret Wilson), a demonic jester (best man Darren Revill), and Freddy Krueger (the bride's cousin Shaun Anderson).

Also attending were the Joker, Dr Who, Tinkerbell, Cruella de Ville, Iron Maiden's Eddie, and various zombies, vampires and fallen angels.

And not to disappoint - the theme from Halloween was playing as the bride walked down the aisle.

The wedding promises were also untraditional as Mrs Robinson pledged not to fall asleep when her hubby talks about his computer programming and to only kick him gently when he snores.

Guests dressed as a demonic jester, the Joker and other characters

Mr Robinson promised to understand his new wife, even when he didn't, and to reacquaint himself with the toilet brush and bleach.

The new husband told the BBC Scotland news website that Halloween was the perfect time to get married - and not dark or strange at all.

He said: "Me and Tammy met six years ago at Halloween and we just thought, 'why not?' It's something a bit different.

"The way that we've kind of promoted everything is that it's the sacrifice of two souls to become one.

"So our single lives are getting sacrificed and we're becoming one."

Mrs Robinson added: "We're both horror fans and we thought it'd be really cool to get married on Halloween.

"I didn't want a traditional white wedding and he didn't want a traditional white wedding so we decided fancy dress was the best option and it has been proved that yes it was."

And on her choice of wedding dress, the new bride said: "She's just such an icon. I love everything about the 1950s, the music, the clothes, the hairstyles and she's just the ultimate sex siren of the 50s.

"And I thought, if I'm going to come as anybody I'm going to come as Bettie Page."

The couple chose Halloween for their wedding as that was when they met

The couple's parents also got into the swing of things.

Tammy's mum, Kate Wilson, dressed up as DC Comics character Killer Frost.

She said: "This is typical of Tammy and Mark. They're a lovely couple, they're very, very good with one another.

"They have their arguments like most people, but they always say sorry straight away."

The groom's mother, Vicky Bruce, came as a cabaret star in top hat and tails. She was a bit sceptical about the idea at first but did come around.

"I thought it was extremely strange and to be honest I wasn't looking forward to it at the start," she said.

"But now it's all fine. It was a little bit weird for me, but it's a bit of fun and it's actually nice."

The wedding took place in the city's Bon Appetit restaurant, where the couple went on their first date.

Registrar Grant Law said: "It's a great idea and great fun.

"It's the first time we've had a Halloween wedding, it's the first time I've had to participate in a themed wedding.

"Halloween's a time for celebration, its a time for fun, it's not a morbid celebration at all, it's not about death it's about life."