Metal singer Marilyn Manson and burlesque performer Dita von Teese seemed a strange romantic pairing, but that’s exactly what drew them to each other.

Both from middle America, the two had reinvented themselves into who they wanted to be. Born Heather Sweet from Michigan, Von Teese became one of the most famous burlesque performers in the world. Brian Warner of Canton, Ohio grew up to be the world-famous controversial and iconic rocker.

After a five-year relationship, the pair tied the knot in a private ceremony at home in Los Angeles in November 2005, then exchanged vows again in a more lavish event at a friend’s castle in Ireland a week later. Their unconventional nuptials were even captured in an iconic spread for Vogue magazine.

Their nuptials went on for several days, starting with a civil ceremony at Von Teese’s Los Angeles home. This location was chosen as many of the churches they approached were apprehensive of having Manson inside their venues, according to Vogue.

Von Teese wore a simple white Moschino suit, designed by the label’s then-creative director, Rosella Jardini for the low-key event. It was Von Teese’s vision to look like “a forties bride going to the courthouse to get hitched before going off to the war” that inspired the design. Manson wore a Dior Homme jacket, a Galliano shirt, and Moschino creepers.

Their formal ceremony was much more extravagent. Held at Ireland’s gothic-style Castle Gurteen,  the wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. Gottfried Helnwein, the owner of the castle, stood as Manson’s best man. The wedding was attended by about 60 guests, including Lisa Marie Presley and Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark.

For the nuptials, Von Teese wore a striking royal purple silk tafetta gown designed by Vivienne Westwood that featured a custom corset for her a 17-inch waist. She accessorised with a tri-corned hat designed by Stephen Jones and custom Christian Louboutin shoes the designer had created just for her. John Galliano designed Manson’s black silk taffeta tuxedo for the big day.

Of course, the reception was as unconventional as the couple. The banquet table was lined with giant centerpieces of black and crimson rose and featured gold skull-shaped candles. The waitstaff all wore Moschino tailcoats and pipers, and serenaded guests.

In the days after the wedding, guests partook in skeet shooting, archery and falconry on the castle grounds.

Unfortunately, the pair divorced a year later. During an interview with Khloe Kardashian on the Kocktails with Khloe show, she explained that getting married ruined their relationship.

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Project Runway judge, New York Times best-selling author Elaine Welteroth said ‘I do’ to musician Jonathan Singletary in a virtual block party wedding outside their New York apartment.

Elaine and Jonathan met at the young age of 12 through church, but it was only in 2013 when the pair would be reunited as adults that a romance began to blossom. They became engaged in 2016. Their wedding date, May 10, 2020, was chosen for its special numerical order:  5-10-20.

“There was so much symbolism in this sequence of numbers [5-10-20] that only come together once in a lifetime,” Elaine explains to Vogue. “Also, it fell on a Sunday—the day we met as kids and saw each other every week growing up. But it wasn’t just any Sunday, it would be Mother’s Day!”

They were meant to marry at a church friend’s home close to the church in Northern California where they first met. However, with the coronavirus pandemic, those plans were cancelled. Instead, they threw a “virtual quarantine wedding” on their stoop in Brooklyn.

Their friends and family all jumped in to make sure the new plan was a success. The stoop was decorated with a whimsical floral arch that framed the front door.

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All 200 guests, even the ones attending via Zoom, were given a white dress code. The in-person guests followed social distancing protocols and were provided gloves and masks on-site in addition to white parasols, bubbles, seeds to plant flowers, and homemade brownies from Elaine’s mom’s family recipe in a gift bag.

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The bride made her walk down the ‘aisle’ wearing a label-less dress she’s owned for years, and her mother’s wedding veil. She even did her own makeup in the backseat of a car.

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The wedding was officiated via Zoom by Dr. Stanley Long, the founding pastor of South Bay Community Church, the couple’s home church in California.

Then, the virtual block party began. Each guest had been sent a playlist to join in on the party. Their friend also DJ’ed live for the guests.

Even though it wasn’t the wedding they had planned, it was still a special one because their loved ones were there and they could hold it on their original date.

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Feature image: Instagram / Vogue