It is just your typical love triangle: the shy, reserved Victoria (Emily) who is being forced to marry to help her family maintain their financial status; the clumsy but sincere Victor (Johnny) who cannot resist his nouveau riche parents’ insistence that he marry up to help their social status; and Victor’s new bride (Helena) who is dead. The town, everything in it and beneath it, including the corpses’ musical selections ooze with Burton’s creepy, dark style. This is not really a children's movie.

Victor, unable to get through his wedding rehearsal, runs away and accidentally recites his vows to the Corpse Bride who is ecstatic to finally have a man. The new husband must now make a decision between the living and the dead. Of course, in order to be with one, Victor will have to die. Meanwhile, Victoria refuses to give up hope and longs for the return of her betrothed. Lurking in the crevices of the unfolding drama is the greedy, deceitful Lord Barkis (Richard) just waiting for the seemingly jilted Victoria to run into his arms.