Zombie groom to renew vows after Halloween wedding
![Family Gavin Hobbins, wearing a zombie costume, crouched in a set next to grave stones and skeletons, next to Kelly, wearing a purple witches costume](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0832/live/7c3e98b0-e88b-11ef-a055-1ba5a4b6ed03.jpg.webp)
A couple who invited ghosts, zombies and ghouls to their wedding reception are set to renew their vows in a mass ceremony at Coventry Cathedral.
Kelly and Gavin Hobbins had a unusual wedding day when, after the ceremony, they swapped their classic wedding attire for fancy dress costumes for a Halloween-themed party.
Mr Hobbins dressed as a zombie groom while his wife chose to be a witch for the reception.
The couple now plan on renewing their commitment to each other during a celebration on Valentine's Day in an event organised by BBC Radio CWR.
The We Still Do event will see them join 80 other couples in a mass renewal of vows.
The 14 February date is particularly special for the Coventry pair who met, got engaged and found out they were pregnant with their first child on that date over the years.
Mrs Hobbins said they had first met on social media in 2009 when she felt she was "done with love" after a break-up.
![Family Gavin Hobbins, dressed in a black suit with a purple tie, standing next to his wife, who is sitting by a registry desk in a white wedding dress](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/8b65/live/4ae15990-e88d-11ef-9d21-35793810c7c6.jpg.webp)
"I'd come out of quite a bad relationship and I'd posted on Facebook that if Cupid came and knocked on my door now I would tell him to do one because all he ever brings is heartache and misery," she said.
"And then on the same day I started up the first conversation with Gavin who became my husband."
The pair were engaged on Valentine's Day two years later, before deciding on a quirky wedding, asking all guests to bring a costume to change into for a party that followed their more traditional wedding.
"We're a bit wild and wacky so I really enjoyed the juxtaposition between having a traditional, big white dress wedding and then going into the craziness of a Halloween party," Mrs Hobbins said.
Talking about renewing their vows, Mr Hobbins said they could not miss the opportunity to take part in the event on what is a "very special day" for the couple.
"It's a day that's especially important to both of us so it will be great to reaffirm how we're going to move forward in life," he said.
"It was a massive opportunity we couldn't miss."
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