A few years ago, a vaguely goth friend of mine got engaged to her boyfriend, who is so gothtastic that his name might as well be Azrael. The two of them planned a pretty non-traditional wedding—they wanted to fly to Transylvania and get hitched in a haunted castle. But when they told their parents this, their plans got the kabosh. They ended up getting married in Ohio, instead. Today, I saw another story about a spooky wedding dream that got the smackdown. Lisa Panensky and Jim Nieves have been planning their wedding for over a year. They signed a contract to exchange their vows in the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow, NY, which you may remember from Washington Irving’s creepy tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. But when the reverend heard this week that they planned to play the theme song from “The Munsters” during their ceremony and that they were going to wear costumes, he canceled their wedding and sent them a refund. What a party pooper. What’s a Halloween-loving couple to do? [AOL]

Does anyone around here remember Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the valley girl/goth goddess who introduced B horror films on “Movie Macabre”? (Maybe, if your parents were cool enough to let you stay up and watch that much cleavage scary movies on late night TV.) Cassandra Peterson has been making the morning news rounds since it’s that time of year, and we are suddenly so very nostalgic for all the sexy goth style she spawned. [NYC, 10/29/09]

The cover of Martha Stewart Halloween magazine is ghoulish all right. The pink-ish eye makeup and purple lipstick are way goth. Cleary, Martha peeped our 8 Starlets Who’ve Gone Goth slideshow and wanted to join in! [BUST Magazine]

Feeling a little ... bearish? If you’re looking to get your fierce on, nothing says, “Come here, no, wait, go away!” like a bear trap necklace. This fully functional (but we hope not too functional) pendant comes in oxidized black or polished sterling silver on a 25-inch chain and is, online store Lost at E Minor claims, a “bane to miniature bears everywhere.” It’s not cheap—$240—but at least you know you’ll be safe if a miniature bear (or something bigger) tries to take a bite out of you. [Kingdom of Style]

Just because you’re not on one of those hot-right-now vampire shows doesn’t mean you can’t be inspired by the look. Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick give in to the power of the night in a leaked photo from an upcoming issue of Elle. [Gossip Girl Insider]

It’s Halloween in July, apparently. “Horror Girl” is a new, mostly black, mostly lacy collection at Topshop, the U.K. (and now U.S.) clothing store. They’ve got a white vest with “Be Afraid” across the front, a blazer with the words “Vampire Kiss” written in blood-red on the inside lining, and burgundy, five-inch studded platform heels fit for a hooker’s rise from the dead. If only their quasi-goth looks were apropos of the “Twilight: New Moon” release, like at Nordstrom, but the flick’s not out until November. Maybe Topshop’s simply trying to steal customers from Hot Topic? [Topshop Horror Girl Collection]

Confession: I was kinda Goth in high school. Every Saturday night, I got out my black dress, fishnets, Doc Martins, slathered on the black eyeliner, white face powder, and vamp lipstick, and headed to my local Goth club to do the pain dance. Why? It was the best way to show the world how I felt on the inside—slightly dark and a wee bit odd. I’ve outgrown the phase, but let me tell ya, it’s not easy being goth. Forget being an inky soul in a world of full of people who can’t understand your damage, but getting dressed in all that gear is practically a full-time job. And then there’s summer—every Goth’s nightmare. Hot weather, sunshine, and happiness abound. A new blog, Goths In Hot Weather, is here to show us what Goths do during the summer months, and it certainly is not cute, my friends. Still, I just can’t stop looking. After the jump, favorite hot Goths from the site.

When I was in high school, the kids who wore the same three colors every day—black, dark black, and darker black—were the freaks. They had piercings everywhere, listened to Marilyn Manson, and smoked cigarettes in the parking lot during pep rallies. But right now, Wednesday Adams and her gang are having their day in the sun—while keepin’ it pale—as the fashion world recommends going goth this season. After all, black is a slimming color.

I love makeover shows, but they piss me off when the person they’re “making over” already HAS style, whether that style is in vogue or not. For example, last night i caught an episode of How Do I Look?, one of the more annoying makeover shows simply because of host Finola Hughes. Her subject was cute goth Plum who seriously DID NOT want to be made over. Her general distaste for the whole process was refreshing, really, and I totally admire her for saying just how shallow this crap is. Shallow and FUN for viewers, yes, but life-changing it is not. Clip above!

The second spawn of Gwen Stefani and hubby Gavin Rossdale will have a bright future, but a dark bedroom.  Gwen plans on painting the nursery room for what’s growing in her womb not pink, not blue, but BLACK. Gavin told OK! magazine, “It’ll be a goth baby so it doesn’t matter if it is a boy or a girl.”  Wait a second, parents who want a goth kid—doesn’t that, like, defeat the purpose of being goth? Well, it would be funny if “Holla Back Girl” became a staple at satanic rituals. [Star Pulse]

Online dating is more popular than ever!  Just like the movie and music industry, it’s getting into the wallets (and pants) of niche markets, as dating sites are getting as particular as their clients. Are our top five picks for going indie online, after the jump…