In Ocean City, a Halloween wedding ceremony to die for

This macabre marriage is bound to give new meaning to the traditional wedding vow, “Till death do us part.”

Passersby will notice right away that the elegantly attired bride and groom are, well, skeletons. Obviously, they are already dead.

But don’t feel sad. Actually, you’ll probably scream in laughter.

In all, 16 plastic skeletons are part of the elaborate Halloween wedding scene created by Lou and Woozie Becker and their children, Lynnie and Freddie, on the front lawn of their home at 12 Wesley Road in Ocean City.

Cleverly, they have named the display, “Till Death Do Us Part.”

(Video courtesy of Kristin "Woozie" Becker)

The bride, “Boney,” and groom, “Clyde,” are the focal point of the Halloween decorations. Their names are a whimsical reference to the 1930s gangsters Bonnie and Clyde.

Boney is beautifully attired in a vintage, cream-colored beaded wedding gown and flowing veil. She carries a black wedding bouquet.

The dapper Clyde is wearing a black tuxedo, a black bowtie shaped like a bat and a stylish top hat, also black.

Standing next to the happy bride and groom is the ring bearer, a young girl named Josephine dressed in a white gown and coiffed in a black bow on top of her skull.

The wedding is not without some intriguing subplots. For instance, Clyde’s scheming ex-wife sits in the front row of the ceremony in a rude attempt to grab attention. The ex-wife is draped in a white wedding-like gown.

“She’s got a front row seat, which isn’t very good,” Woozie Becker said of the ex-wife while laughing.

    Well-dressed wedding guests take their seats for the nuptials. They include the groom's scheming ex-wife to the left.
  

Most of the skeletons seated in the wedding party seem to be interested in the nuptials. But four impertinent guests stand at tables while blithely sipping cocktails.

“The guests are enjoying cocktails, but they don’t really care about the wedding,” Woozie pointed out.

A wedding cake is adorned with figurines of Boney and Clyde. Fake tombstones scattered on the Beckers’ lawn amid the skeletons add another eye-opening touch.

Another part of the Halloween decorations is a collection of lighted, carved pumpkins strung above the front porch of the Beckers’ stately 99-year-old home. Guests are greeted at the front door by two ghosts.

“At night, it’s a whole different vibe,” Lou explained of how the lighted Halloween decorations take on a spooky atmosphere after dark.

The Beckers have sent comical invitations to family members, friends and neighbors to attend the wedding ceremony on Halloween this Friday.

“Join us for a union of two souls – regrets only,” the invitation says.

    Woozie Becker makes sure that the bride's beaded wedding gown is in perfect order.
  

The Halloween display often attracts admiring looks and compliments as neighbors – young and old – walk by the Beckers’ house.

“They just love the creativity of it all and the originality of all the pieces,” Lou said. “Most people love seeing the house decorated. It reminds them of their childhood. It’s more the nostalgia of it.”

The Beckers’ display has captured citywide attention as the winner of the 2025 People’s Choice Award in Ocean City’s sixth annual Halloween House Decorating Contest. Here’s a link to the full list of contest winners: https://www.ocnj.us/halloween.

Each year, the Beckers carefully plan and carry out a new theme for Halloween decorations. They won awards in the city’s decorating contest in 2021 and 2022, Woozie said.

Last year, the Beckers’ home featured a “Boo-gie Nights” display featuring a 1970s-inspired display of disco dancing skeletons, but they missed the deadline for entering the decorating contest.

Lynnie, their 13-year daughter, and Freddie, their 10-year son, also play roles in planning and assembling the Halloween decorations to make it a family affair.

“It’s definitely a unique way for the kids to become involved. They want to get everything out,” Woozie said of the decorations.

“We love doing it,” Lynnie added.

    Fake tombstones scattered on the Beckers' front lawn give the Halloween display a spooky air.
  

Woozie credits her creative mother, Linda Hyland, who also lives in Ocean City, for helping to inspire the Halloween decorating designs.

Lou and Woozie noted that family members and neighbors help to put up the Halloween decorations in a community-like effort.

“With all of our friends, we joke about it and discuss it. It’s a really collective-like neighborhood,” Lou said

“We’re a close neighborhood – thick and thin,” Woozie added.

John Martin, their next door neighbor, was one of the friends who helped the Beckers assemble the lights for the display this year. He used to decorate his own house for Halloween, but said he simply couldn’t compete with the Beckers’ elaborate displays year after year.

“I just gave up,” Martin said, smiling.

    Lynnie Becker shows off her "Alice in Wonderland" costume as she prepares to go trick-or-treating.
  

   Some of the wedding guests enjoy cocktails while standing at a table.

 

    The elegantly attired skeleton bride and groom prepare to exchange vows.
  

    Lou Becker points to the collection of carved pumpkins that decorate the family's front porch.
  

    Figurines of the married couple adorn the top of the wedding cake.