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Offbeat partner: Nia
Offbeat partner: Ryan
Date and location of wedding: Paradise Cove, Orlando, Florida — July 15, 2017
Our offbeat wedding at a glance:
Our wedding theme was based on Square Enix's video game Kingdom Hearts. We both love the game and figured it would make a fun theme. After spending two years planning this wedding, I’ve rediscovered the very reason I fell love with this franchise. It’s a beautiful game with beautiful music and messages of love and friendship. It was the first game I ever fell in love with and it was so fitting to celebrate it with the first man who ever captured my heart.
Tell us about the ceremony:
During the ceremony, all of the music was coordinated with the game's soundtrack. Yoko Shimomura is an elegant composer and her music was perfect for a wedding.
My bridesmaids were made up to look like Disney princesses Jasmine, Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, and Alice. The groomsmen were Donald and Goofy. Our cocktail hour was accompanied by piano covers of her work by Moises Nieto and the official Kingdom Hearts Piano Collection. I think my favorite part however, was my husband's speedboat entrance. We timed it with more game music and it was a fun moment for everyone.
Tell us about your reception:
Our reception started with my bridesmaid singing an acoustic cover of "Sanctuary" by Utada Hikaru for our first dance. It is the starting theme to the second game in the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
Since every table represented a different world within Disney, we started dinner with "Be Our Guest" and followed by other Disney classics.
We also had nitrogen ice cream provided by Private Island Ice Cream. Sea Salt ice cream is a special treat favored by the game's characters and the creator himself from his visits to Tokyo Disney. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to provide it to our guests.
What was your most important lesson learned?
When I told people I was having a video game-themed wedding, I was met with a lot of skepticism. Everyone imagined we would be in Halloween costumes and it would be overly childish. But I wanted to prove that making a video game themed wedding not look like an eight year old's birthday party was possible. I think every couple should have the opportunity and support to incorporate what they love into their celebration of love.
Vendors
- Photography: Cricket's Photo & Cinema
- Ice cream: Private Island Ice Cream
- Wedding Coordinator: Ki
- Hair: Shannon with Faces by Shannon
- Makeup: Melissa Duran
- Floral: Atmosphere Floral and Decor
- DJ: Vinny from Soundwave Entertainment
- Catering: Cocktails Catering
- Cake: Sprinkles Custom Cakes
- Gown: Justin Alexander from Bowties Bridal
- Bridesmaids: Atom Attire
- Suits: Men’s Warehouse
- Ice Cream: John Eustace from Private Island Ice Cream
- Officiant: Chad Sulak
Gallery
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Yes…just yes. The incorporation is strong enough without being overpowering and taking away from the wedding, but still wonderfully executed for an absolutely beautiful event. I might have been skeptical at first too, but every idea I read just had me more and more surprised and impressed!
“Everyone imagined we would be in Halloween costumes and it would be overly childish.” Even though we actually WERE in Halloween costumes at our wedding we really did strive to make it not cutesy Halloween party. I think sometimes people have difficulty thinking outside the box and when they hear that a wedding has any sort of theme they imagine that the theme is going to be in your face the whole time. This was a beautiful example of how a theme can be present but subtle at the same time. Also, LOVE the hemline on the wedding gown. I have never seen that before and it looks so cool.
THANK YOU for posting such a great idea! As a fellow KH fan myself, seeing it come to life in a wedding is a fantastic idea, there are so many elements in the franchise that represent so much love and togetherness, I’m looking forward to using this as inspiration for our special day!
I totally love what you did with this wedding! My theme is Kingdom hearts as well. It’s the game that my fiance and I fell in love with. I do would love how you made the center pieces since it is the same idea that I had with my wedding. Once again I love what you did with your wedding!
We’re having a KH wedding too!! We both grew up with Disney and both fell in love with the games ? Where did the little keyblade and shield come from for the boutonnières? I love them ?
I’m not sure where she found her decor for the boutonnieres, but I found some gorgeous wood pins on Etsy. The shop is MaddisonCherie: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaddisonCherie?section_id=18484014
I was able to get The Chosen One, The Healer, and The King pins for my fiance and his groomsman
I am torn I both love and hate this at the same time and only because i feel that the pressure of the “old school” forces those of us with fandoms like this to still keep it “classy” in order to appease the older generation which honestly i get but the inside of me is screaming who cares if you went all out and it was childish to some people the wedding is about the couple and i feel that we have lost that along the way trying to please everyone else. the flourishes were not bad but i didn’t really get KH theme until i saw the cake