Victor Van Dort, the shy and awkward son of nouveau-riche fish merchants, and Victoria Everglot, the daughter of impoverished aristocrats, are set to be wed in an arranged marriage that will benefit both families socially and financially. On the eve of their nuptials, Victor struggles to master his vows during the rehearsal. Overwhelmed and anxious, he flees to the forest to practice. There, his recitation is filled with genuine emotion, and he places the wedding ring on what he believes is a tree root in a symbolic gesture of commitment.

However, the root is actually the hand of a deceased young woman named Emily, who rises from the grave claiming to be Victor's true bride. Spirited away to the Land of the Dead, Victor learns of Emily's tragic past and her longing for love that was cruelly taken from her. Confused and torn between his sense of obligation to Emily and his love for Victoria, Victor embarks on a journey that reveals the complexities of love and commitment, as he tries to navigate the stark differences and unexpected similarities between the worlds of the living and the dead.