Suzanne Raper: Banker by day, chameleon by night.

Maybe it was her Oompa Loompa costume (inspired by "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory") that attracted Robert Tsuhako, who came dressed as a wrestler, when they attended the same Halloween party in 2001.

The matchmaker behind the scenes was a skeptical Oshiro, who dates Rob's brother and had seen Raper and Tsuhako both go through breakups. She thought her friend and boyfriend's brother might hit it off. But she wasn't sure until the phone calls from Raper tapered off as she filled more and more of her time going out with her new companion.

Robert Tsuhako and Suzanne Raper strike a traditional pose at their nontraditional Halloween-themed wedding. Eric Rhodes of Reve Photography

Tsuhako soon bought a sport bike of his own, and he and Raper began exploring the island, enjoying beaches and dreaming up their next Halloween costumes. They were "Beetlejuice" characters in 2002 and Nintendo's Mario and Princess Peach last year.

But Tsuhako chose a different holiday to propose.

It was Christmas morning 2002, and when Raper excused herself, Tsuhako seized the opportunity to tie an engagement ring on the collar of their kitten, Mochiko.

Raper came out of the bathroom in their Liliha apartment, brushing her teeth.

Tsuhako said something like, "Will you marry me?" but Raper was laughing at the cat. Mochiko wasn't used to wearing a collar. So Raper was trying to figure out why the cat was going crazy. Then she noticed the ring around its neck, and the engagement was on.

"We're not a sappy kind of couple," Raper said. "But he's the sweetest guy I've ever met."

Tsuhako said she brings out his mushy side.

"Every time I spent time with her, I wanted to be with her," he said. "I could see this person as someone I could spend the rest of my life with."

Tsuhako, 29, who works in customer service for Sony Hawaii, agrees with friends who say they're kind of like yin and yang. And Raper, 26, who works for Bank of Hawaii, said their personalities complement each other. She likes scary movies. He likes Disney. He's more sentimental. She's more aggressive.

He said he gets a kick out of her spark.

"She makes me happy. She makes me laugh," he said. "And the cats love her, too."

They set the wedding for Oct. 23 and planned an outdoor, dusk ceremony at Moli'i Gardens at Kualoa Ranch with a "Beetlejuice"/"Nightmare Before Christmas" feel to it.

"We wanted to have a Halloween-themed wedding, but not tacky," the bride said. "Something that would match our personalities."

So Raper's mom did most of the decorating, turning witches, skeletons, candles and cobwebs into centerpieces, and mild-mannered Tsuhako convinced his mild-mannered parents that it would be a serious union.

"My parents kind of freaked out a little," he said. "They wanted a more traditional wedding."

Traditional, it was not.

"Our wedding was — it was different," the bride said. "I think that's the key word."

She wore a black and red gown and carried a bouquet of white roses. The groom wore a black tux with a red vest. They asked their 100 guests to wear black, red, white or silver. About half dressed in costumes, including Harry Potter and Hermione, a witch, devil and a ghost.

"It was like a movie," said

Oshiro, the maid of honor, who wore a black dress. "Not really a demented kind of movie, but like a Gothic fantasy."

When it was time to cut the cake, the most noticeable detail was the red velvet cake itself, with a sword sticking out of the top and blood-like icing dripping down the sides.

For the bride, now Suzanne Tsuhako, the overall effect was more elegant than extreme.

"I think even the skeptics were pleasantly surprised at how it turned out," she said. "It was very different."

The newlyweds honeymooned in Orlando, Fla., and spent Halloween at Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Night, where costumes were not allowed.

They're sure to make up for that next year.