FOR most people Halloween is a chance to dress up in scary costumes and watch horror films.

But Pagans Dave Dominic and Maggie Venables chose it for their wedding day.

Marrying in Sherwood Forest, they observed traditions which would have been a feature of Pagan weddings thousands of years ago – including stepping over a broomstick and having their hands tied together with ribbons.

Pagans like Dave and Maggie call Halloween Samhain or Samhein, pronounced Sah-Ween.

"It's our New Year," said Dave. "The hours of daylight and nighttime are equal. That means we are the closest we can get to our lost ones.

"It was very poignant to us. With us both being in our fifties we have lost a few people and it's nice to be able to celebrate with our lost ones."

Maggie said: "It was magical and fantastic. Everybody had a wonderful time. It's so appropriate and so real, and it feels so good."

Dave, 53, has been Pagan since he was a teenager, while Maggie, 52, has been moving towards Paganism over the last few years.

Dave said: "The Pagan faith is indigenous to this country. It was the first faith and we can take it back 9,000 years. It's been around a lot longer than Christianity.

"I was lucky in that my parents let me choose my own religion, so I looked at them all and I found that the Pagan faith seemed the best way to go. It makes a lot more sense than the others."

The couple met at a Mind, Body and Spirit festival at Wollaton Park at Easter this year, or Ostara as Pagans call it.

Dave is from Radford, Maggie is from Burton-on-Trent, and they now live together in Hucknall.

The ceremony took place in the open air theatre at Sherwood Forest Visitors Centre and was overseen by High Priestess Beccie Morris.

Maggie wore a Medieval-style wedding dress, while Dave dressed as one of the Knights Templar.

caroline.lowbridge@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk