Spooktacular anniversary ahead
Eskasoni couple’s love and celebration of Halloween continues to grow
A wedding day can be scary for some as a new couple looks to make a lifelong commitment to each other.
Scary was actually the goal of that special day for Robert and Riviera Casey when they said ‘I do’ on Halloween day back in 2015.
“We had some Halloween decorations, just a little bit, in the church. Nothing crazy because we wanted the wedding to be traditional,” said Robert Casey.
“As soon as we were done with that we took our photos outside and then we went to the cultural centre here in Eskasoni where we had our reception.”
He said the hall was decked out for Halloween, the reception and the dance that followed.
“Some people got a little bit confused and actually came to the church dressed up, which was OK.”
Over $5,000 worth of fireworks that night also drew a large crowd to their reception.
As the two-year anniversary of Casey’s wedding day draws closer, its legendary status remains.
“We still get talked about. They are claiming it was one of the nicest (weddings) Eskasoni ever had,” he said.
“There’s always people from other communities who see me and ask ‘if I was the guy who got married on Halloween and had the Halloween dance.’ I say ‘yeah, that’s me and my wife.’ I don’t even know these people, but they know us, apparently.”
The theme of their big day showed off their mutual love for each other, their love for Halloween and also allowed them to pay tribute to Riviera’s grandparents, who were also married on Halloween.
“It was 50 years to the day. They had their anniversary on our wedding day.”
Their love and celebration of Halloween has only continued to grow since then and is on full display in the weeks leading up to their anniversary on Tuesday.
“The last week of September we start digging out the Halloween stuff and placing it everywhere. Usually by Oct. 1 we try to have all the decorations up.”
For their yard, at 32 Mountainview Dr., Eskasoni, that means inflatables — big and tall — everywhere. The inside of their home is also filled with Halloween fun.
“I even have a shower curtain with pumpkins on it.”
Those decorations have made their home a must-stop destination on Halloween night. The thousands of treats they hand out each year and $1,000 or so in fireworks also helps.
Though not everyone loves Halloween enough to make it their wedding day, there’s an undeniable affinity for the spooky day around Cape Breton. Evidence is found in household displays and haunted houses and fundraisers sporting a Halloween theme.