(Photo edit by: Star Wars Skynobi | DYAD necklace: Jo & Company)
Today marks 19 years since one of my favorite days ever, when Jason and I met! Typically, I share the fundamental details of our story every year, but I don't think I've written about the day we became a Dyad in the Force. Since so many of you have asked, I thought this year would be the right time to do it since this time next year I'll be super busy getting ready for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim (May 26th-29th). We are excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the day we met as well as Attack of the Clones with all of you!
Before I get into our story, I do want to point out the amazing DYAD necklace by Jo & Company that I'm wearing that inspired these photos above. I love it so much! They have a beautiful Star-Crossed Love collection of jewelry as well as some other Star Wars necklaces unlike any others you'll find available to purchase. If you love Star Wars and dainty jewelry, I'd highly recommend checking out their shop! Many of their pieces are filled with gold/silver, which is more durable than gold/silver plated, since a thicker layer of gold/silver alloy is applied. Even with daily wear, these pieces can last 10 years - a lifetime if you take care of it properly (care instructions are included with each purchase). I can't wait to share the other pieces that I purchased later!
If you didn't know, Jason and I met in line for the midnight showing of Attack of the Clones on May 15th, 2002. I was 16 years old, and Jason was about to turn 19. We were both there with our group of family and friends. It was an all-day event where fans shared their excitement in anticipation of the next installment of the Prequels. Let me tell you, midnight showings are nothing like they used to be. You were allowed to camp outside the movie theater with chairs, coolers, music, etc. Fans dressed up, took photos, and played games. It was like a mini–Star Wars Celebration event! I can't complain, though, because if they still had midnight showings like that now, I would be at home sleeping!
AOTC was my first Star Wars midnight show experience, but Jason had previously been to the one for The Phantom Menace. I was wearing an "Anakin and His Angel" t-shirt I designed, along with a Jedi robe my mom made for me. Jason was also dressed in a Sith outfit his mom made for him. This makes us laugh now because I'm way more Dark Side than he is. Jason's favorite character is Luke Skywalker, and mine is Darth Vader. I'm not sure what happened between the years!
Jason says he spotted me in line first, but believe it or not, I made the first move. I approached him and asked if I could take a photo of him for my blog (which was true) while documenting the day. He let me take his photo, and we then introduced ourselves and chatted about Star Wars. We were instantly smitten with each other! After talking with him, I called my mom, who hadn't arrived yet, and told her about the "amazing guy I just met!"
We visited each other in our groups periodically throughout the day, took more photos, and eventually exchanged email addresses. It sounds so old school, but that's what we did. Phone numbers didn't even come up! I remember being bummed after not seeing Jason after the movie. I wanted to talk to him about it, and I also felt like our meeting was no coincidence. I wanted to get to know him, but didn't feel like emailing him first, so I waited. A week had gone by, and Jason FINALLY emailed me. I remember asking him many years later why he took so long to email me, and he said that he didn't want to come off as desperate. For me, a week was too long in my book; truthfully, it was for him, too! After that first email, we never stopped emailing. We wrote long letters daily for years, only seeing each other periodically for special events and more midnight shows. We were friends at first, but getting to know each other this way really developed a strong relationship, and we eventually fell in love.
(Photo by: Mark Edwards)
That's our Star Wars love story! We've been inseparable since day one and happily married since August 30, 2008. We love the way that God used our love of Star Wars to bring us together and we hope for many more years here on this earth to enjoy as husband and wife.
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