A CROSS between Moulin Rouge and Jack the Ripper, that was how Daniel Sockett and Becka Mason describe their wedding - and it was just how they wanted it.

With the overall theme of Moulin Rouge meets the Wizard of Oz, the couple certainly turned heads when they arrived for their civic wedding at Hereford Town Hall.

But Becka, who wore a black gown and red accessories to match her red hair, always knew her wedding was going to be unusual.

"I'm more a punk than Goth and I certainly didn't mean to get married in a black dress because I knew people would think I was one," insisted the 23-year-old sound engineering student, who also works at Hereford Museum and Gallery.

"I have had red hair since I was about 15 so I knew I was going to have to get red in the wedding somewhere to go with my hair," she added.

"I went to Confetti, in Blue school Street, Hereford, to get some ideas for a dress and the black one was in a sale.

"I tried it on and had to have it. I didn't try on anything else."

Daniel, 28, who works in retail, and Becka had known each other for about 10 years but had only been officially "a couple" for about a year. They got married following a six-month engagement, with Daniel wearing a black Edwardian-style suit from High Town Hire.

Becka found the internet useful when looking for ideas for her alternative wedding and Dan was agreeable to her choices. "I knew what I didn't want, even if I didn't know what I did want," he said.

"We're quite compatible really and I was happy with everything she told me about!"

"Ideas came to me as I went along," Becka continued. "I was inspired by anything I saw, particularly films and mainly Moulin Rouge."

They were able to find their wedding stationery, a Victorian-style design in black and silver, in America via the internet at, Daniel pointed out, a much cheaper price then anything similar in the UK even after postage and taxes.

For their Order of Service sheets, they had black type on red paper.

Becka's bouquet, by Broughton's in Hereford's Butter Market, was in red and purple while her accessories, along with those of her bridesmaids, best friend Amy Scott and cousin Orianna-May Skyrme, came from high street stores.

Her wedding ring, which she obtained through mail order after seeing it in a magazine, was a band of white gold, inset with black and white diamonds.

An unusual touch were her black and white striped stockings - as worn by the Wicked Witch of the East in the film the Wizard of Oz - and some ruby slippers like Judy Garland's.

"My mum had a pair which I wanted to wear but they didn't fit me," Becka explained. "So I found some red shoes in Marks and Spencer and put sequins on myself."

For their wedding car, the couple discovered something really quite special.

The two Beatles fans were happy with a red Phantom from G & P Wedding Cars, Hereford, but, said Becca: "We went in the last garage and they lifted up a dust sheet and there was this red Cadillac which we were told used to be owned by Cynthia Lennon." Decision made.

Spurred on by the use of red fairy lights in Moulin Rouge, the couple used red fairy lights on their tables at the reception, which was held at the Railway Club, in Hereford.

Lights for the disco were set to red and the candles for the tables were also in red. For a karaoke slot, the couple even found a Moulin Rouge karaoke disc.

Black table cloths, however were not so easy, even though it was so close to Halloween.

"We found one set but it had eyeballs on," said Becka. "However a former boss of mine stepped in and made them at the last minute."

The tables were named after the characters of their favourite TV programe, the Mighty Boosh.

Their wedding cake was chocolate and covered in red iced roses with a tiny bride and groom on top.

"The idea came from a magazine but I got my mum's friend to make it," said Becka. "For the cake top I found a plain white one for £6 and painted it to look like us!"

And after an absolutely "perfect" day, the couple spent their wedding night at their Union Street home before travelling to Cornwall for their honeymoon.

"Everybody said it was the best wedding they'd ever been to," Becka said.

"Although the wedding looked quite Gothic, it was Victorian and very atmospheric because we had all the candles, which also made it very intimate.

"Everybody we went to was really helpful - we think they liked the chance to do something more unusual."