'Jack Sparrow of Vigo' wins battle to marry in Caribbean Pirate costume

A JOHNNY Depp fan has won his fight to get married in fancy dress and has now tied the knot with his fiancée – in front of the judge who initially denied them permission.

'Caribbean pirate' Alberto Carreira and his would-be wife María Salinas turned up at the court in Vigo (Pontevedra province, Galicia) dressed as Jack Sparrow in Berto's case, and in traditional regional dress in María's.

But the female judge, officiating, refused to perform the ceremony due to their get-up.

This was due to take place on April 23, and the couple ended up filing legal action.

They were finally married in the same court and by the same judge on Wednesday this week.

Berto says: “I'm not sure what changed between our first attempt at marrying on April 23, and our second attempt this Wednesday – nothing did, actually.

“There's proof in the form of videos and photos in which I agreed to take off my pirate's hat and 'Jack Sparrow' wig so that I could be easily identified as the person on my official documents, but this was not accepted the first time around. 

“So I don't know what happened today.”

Galicia regional High Court of Justice, asked by the Spanish media, said as Berto had 'agreed to remove his hat and wig' for identification purposes 'as established by law', this had been acceptable to the court. 

The couple still intends to pursue the case, given the upheaval and upset caused by their wedding being 'off' with seconds to spare and having to reorganise it all, and because they are 'convinced' that the magistrate's decision on April 23 'was not in line with the law' and was 'profoundly arbitrary and unfair'.

“If she had agreed to talk to us – not to apologise, because none of us has the privilege of or the authority to forgive anyone; just to talk to us – we would not have taken legal action; it would have just been a 'bad day', we'd have got married another day, and that's it. But her attitude is the reason we are not going to withdraw our legal claim,” says Berto.

“It's not exactly pleasant being married by a person you're taking legal action against, but what's important is that we are now properly husband and wife.”

Berto and María say their wedding, in the presence of their children – partly for whose benefit the Pirates of the Caribbean costume was – was still a wonderful day and one they will remember for all the right reasons.

Local media in Vigo have been following their story since April, and reporters and photographers were gathered outside the court, eagerly awaiting the dénouement of María's and Berto's 'second wedding'.

They were not disappointed, and the happy family now has press reports, pictures and videos of local TV news footage as an extra, bonus souvenir of their lovely day.