Level Up At This Arcade Adventure Quest Wedding
Rebecca, a research assistant at The Offbeat Bride, celebrated her big day with offbeat partner Greg, a software engineer. Their unique union took place on October 10, 2015, in Elk Grove Village, IL, with two distinct locations: Busse Woods and Level 257. Photography credits go to Essence Photo & Video for capturing the special moments of this unconventional couple.
Our offbeat wedding at a glance:
It all began with a chance encounter at a board game night, where Greg and I first met. As we bonded over shared passions for games, cats, and books, our friendship blossomed into a romance. Fast forward to the proposal – Greg went above and beyond by presenting me with a rare, first edition copy of ‘Undine’ featuring Arthur Rackham’s illustrations. It was a book I had long coveted, making it an incredibly meaningful and unique gesture.
We opted for a relatively short engagement period, choosing to focus on planning our October wedding instead. Given our preference for an intimate celebration, we felt two months was ample time to tie up loose ends. In just a week, we secured the venue, booked a photographer, scheduled cake tastings, selected our wedding rings, and hunted down the perfect ceremony location. The reception itself took inspiration from our shared love of games.
We chose an upscale arcade restaurant as our venue, where game elements served as elegant centerpieces. Each table was cleverly labeled using game cards, adding to the whimsical atmosphere. To cap it all off, we transformed the reception into a thrilling adventure quest, further solidifying the celebration’s unique charm.
Tell us about the ceremony:
We celebrated our union with a profoundly personal ceremony, presided over by Kathy, who has been like a mother to me. The only others in attendance were our witnesses: Eric, Greg’s brother, and my closest friend, Jen. Together with our photographer, we gathered on a picturesque October morning at a secluded lakefront in the local forest preserve. The date held special significance for me – October 10th – as it marks both my grandfather’s birth and death.
Kathy conducted our handfasting ceremony, while Eric and Jen delivered heartfelt readings. I had crafted our handfasting cord myself, weaving blue, red, and white scarves together. These colors had been a recurring theme throughout our celebration, appearing in the handfasting cord, wedding favors, cake, and more. For us, these hues evoke memories of our shared love of board games.
Tell us about your reception:
To transform our reception into a unique adventure game, we crafted quests that invited our 50 closest friends to participate in the fun. The venue, Level 257, was the perfect setting – a resto-lounge with boutique bowling and vintage/modern games. This spot held special memories for us as a couple, as it was one of our favorite hangouts during our dating days. Guest favors played a crucial role in bringing the game to life.
We created an array of custom items ourselves: chainmaille dice bags, quest scrolls, rule books, table name cards, seating cards, and zone labels. Greg dedicated his time to crafting each chainmaille dice bag by hand – a labor-intensive process that took around 90 minutes per piece. Meanwhile, I focused on designing the graphics and layout for the invitations, thank you cards, rule book, quest scrolls, and table cards.
One of the most creative elements was the numbered tables with custom cards from Love Letter: Wedding Edition. We also gifted each family a copy of the game to take home. The quest scrolls featured a range of challenges, such as taking a photo with us, building a house of cards, or playing an arcade game. Given our small guest list, we were able to design quests that would encourage meaningful interactions between every single attendee.
The rule book served as a comprehensive guide, complete with rules and FAQs about us. We used blank dice and playing cards as our Guild Charter (guest book) and had guests create custom dice for us while leaving heartfelt notes on the cards.
What was your most important lesson learned?
As we began planning our wedding, we discovered that having a reception wasn’t as daunting as we initially thought. Initially, we were tempted by the idea of a simple courthouse ceremony with no reception at all. However, the more we discussed it, the more we realized that sharing the day with friends and family in a way that suited us was exactly what we wanted to do.
Our biggest hurdle was striking a balance between our desire for intimacy during the ceremony and the expectations of our loved ones. We ultimately decided to limit the audience to just our two witnesses, the officiant, and photographer, allowing us to preserve the private nature of the occasion. Once that was settled, we were more than eager to celebrate our union with family and friends at the reception.
While we initially worried about all the traditional elements associated with a reception – dancing, toasting, flowers – we ultimately opted for a more low-key approach, focusing on activities like board games, arcade games, and bowling that brought us joy and allowed us to spend quality time with our loved ones. By embracing our unique preferences, we were able to create an unforgettable experience that reflected our personalities and values.
Vendors
The wedding planning process involves a meticulous selection of vendors and details. In this case, Kathy McNeely-Johnson served as the officiant and attorney for estate and life planning. To ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience, couples can utilize tools like Wedding Wire to streamline their preparations. For the couple’s rings, Jared at The Galleria of Jewelry crafted beautiful wedding bands.
Kari at Essence Photo & Video captured the special moments with her exceptional photography skills, while Deerfields Bakery provided a scrumptious wedding cake. To top it off, Blue Butterfly Designs added a touch of whimsy with their custom cake topper. The ceremony took place in the picturesque Busse Woods, followed by the reception at Level 257. A heartfelt love letter was penned especially for this special day’s edition, courtesy of AEG.
As a unique touch, the couple incorporated custom dice from Las Vegas Wedding Favors and Meeples from Meeple Source, all nestled within handcrafted dice bags from The Ring Lord. The bride’s dress shone thanks to ModCloth, while her attire was completed with a cloak from Bad Wolf Costumes.
