It’s a Coney Island love story!
A burlesque bombshell and metal-head merman tied the knot at the 35th-annual Mermaid Parade. Newlyweds Chuck Varga — a costume-maker who portrayed Sexecutioner in the shock-rock group Gwar — and Bambi the Mermaid, founder of Burlesque at the Beach, recited their vows on Surf Avenue in front of a 50-strong bridal party of unicorns, a non-nautical mythical icon chosen as a symbol of the couple’s love, said the bride.
“When you get married it should be to your unicorn, and Chuck is my unicorn,” said Bambi, who has attended the parade for 24 years running and was even crowned Queen in 2006. “I feel like my whole entire life has been leading to this.”
The lovey-dovey duo were introduced by painter Joe Coleman two years ago at that the 2015 Mermaid Parade, and Varga popped the question to the bawdy burlesquer at last year’s procession.
Coleman, who is also a wedding officiant, married the pair in the pouring rain. But the weather did little to dampen the spirits of the groom, who already had his mind on creating the beast with two mermaid tails.
“I used to have to go through 100 mermaids a night and now I have Bambi,” said Varga. “I feel absolutely great. She’s my mermaid.”
The lovers had skipped to the fun part already having just returned from a preemptive honeymoon at a conch shell house in Mexico.
And after three years of raucous parades together, the couple is considering taking it easy next year, said the scaly sweetheart.
“I don’t know how we’re going to top this next year,” she said.
