A judge refused to marry a Spanish couple because the groom turned up at the registry office dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, while the bride was wearing a traditional Northern Spanish costume, rather than a white wedding dress.
Juan Alberto and Maria Salinas had arranged a third attempt at getting married after COVID-19 foiled their first two plans. They were set to get married at a registry office in Vigo, Spain on April 24.
The couple planned to fulfill a lifelong dream of getting married in costumes. They hoped the nontraditional wedding would entertain their children, while giving guests the chance to donate money to charities they chose.
But in a Facebook post, Alberto explained the unidentified judge took one look at the couple and said the wedding would not take place unless they dressed “properly.”
The couple, well known around Galicia for their “Paper Elephants” foundation for disadvantaged children, says Albert even offered to remove his wig and hat, but the judge would not entertain such a compromise.
“The judge had made his decision before even talking to us,” Juan said.
The couple claims to have prepared all the necessary paperwork for the wedding.
Alberto explained he often wears pirate costumes when working with refugee children at the Greek Idomeni refugee camp, where he volunteered in the past. Many of the children call him “Pirate” instead of Juan.
The court claimed there is a legal directive that forbids anyone wearing a costume from entering the building, local news outlet Atlantico reports.
However, the couple says the court allowed couples dressed in costumes to marry in the past. As a result, they have filed a complaint. (It was not immediately known where that action was taken.)
The couple’s lawyer said several notaries and judges have reached out to him saying what happened was illegal and the wedding should have proceeded.
In addition, several other courthouses have offered to marry them. However, the couple has refused, saying they want their wedding to take place in Vigo.
Will the fourth time be the charm?
The couple booked a wedding ceremony on May 26 at the same courthouse that turned them away. They remain adamant their dream wedding will occur with Juan dressed as a pirate and Maria in her traditional dress.
(Edited by Matthew B. Hall and Fern Siegel)
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