On October 4th, in a castle that looked like it had stepped out of a gothic novel, Eileen and Jonathan threw a celebration that honoured their shared love of classic horror, medieval lore, and each other.

They met online. He sent her Edgar Allan Poe poems. They watched The Nightmare Before Christmas on their first date. He thought she looked like the vampire girl from V/H/S as she ran barefoot through the snow. She thought his eyes were unreal. They’ve been inseparable since.

Their wedding theme was gothic vampire with Victorian and medieval influences. Think fog machines, fire, antlers, preserved roses, a soundtrack of Manson and Slayer, and cocktails served in blood bags. The visuals were only half of it. They spent two years gathering the right pieces, many of them sourced from renaissance fairs, oddities shops and antique markets. They found dragon goblets for their toast, a medieval axe to cut the cake, and a springbok skull that guests signed in place of a book.

“Our main source of inspiration was our love for the classic horror novels and movies as well as our trip to New Orleans”, Eileen said. “We got the idea for the blood bag cocktails from the Vampire Café.”

A fire dancer led the way as Eileen walked down the aisle through fog to Sweet Dreams by Marilyn Manson. Their wedding party entered to the eerie opening of American Horror Story: Coven. They rewrote the vows from Corpse Bride. “Once I saw Jonathan I felt a sense of joy and calm”, the bride continued. “I was so excited that I kissed him several times out of script!”

The castle setting gave everything weight. But it never felt stiff. After the ceremony, guests had tarot readings, danced to metal, and moshed to Angel of Death. They skipped the things that didn’t matter to them. No white dress, no religious elements. They focused instead on the details that made it feel like their world.

“My favourite part of the day was beginning a new chapter with the love of my life within our castle wedding with the ones we love,” Eileen said. “During the planning I loved making sure the aesthetics were on point and just piecing it all together.”

Asked if they had any advice, their answer was simple: “Do what your heart desires, be true to yourselves and don’t worry about anyone else. It’s your day – remember that.”