A "Spookied Up" Wedding

When Ben and Tracy Phillips invited us to their Halloween party, our first thought was: "No way! That's our anniversary." Then we realized that a Phillips party would have everything we always looked for on our anniversary: good food, candlelight -- and martinis with floating eyeballs! So we threw together some costumes and joined about a dozen guys and ghouls for some good fun.

The Phillips really went all out. There was a ghost hanging from a noose on the front porch, with some dry-ice smoke and scary music. Inside there were plenty of candles and spider webs on everything. Ben had procured several pumpkins for a carving contest, and Tracy had found a way to make chocolate martinis scary. The scariest detail: family photo frames had been replaced with headless relatives, fanged portrait subjects, and so on. Freaky!

What Marian didn't realize is that a plan was hatching in my twisted little brain (which had been stolen from the grave of a criminal!). My bridge partner Scott Osondu had remarked to me that the best wedding he had ever attended was a Halloween wedding with everyone in costume. So I asked our hosts if it would be okay if a wedding took place in the middle of their party. Tracy was a total witch about it. Actually, she only looked like a witch. Her response was: "That's so romantic! Of course!"

I asked Marian to marry me again, to her, uh, horror. But she was on the spot so she said, "Okay." Tracy and a very Victorian Christine served as her bridesmaids while a male nun performed the service. It actually worked out just right, as I was dressed for the party as a Hippie Groom, while Marian went as a Gypsy Bride.

Marian and I tied the knot (not a noose!) six years ago on her uncle's farm in Raleigh. Marrying her was the best decision I ever made. And she is even more beautiful today than the first time I married her.

P.S. "Spookied Up" refers to one more hilarious story our friend Del Lancaster tells about his kindergarten students. One child, Justin, won't use a modifier when he speaks. So, when a classmate gets muddy, Justin says, "Uh-oh, you're all muddied up!" When Justin saw Del's new October calendar on the wall, it was, in his country drawl: "Mr. Del, that picture's all spookied up!"