Hello there
In early January 2006, Stephanie, an animator who had recently begun writing screenplays, opened the networking section of Myspace.
In theory, she was looking for another writer interested in critiquing each other's work. The more boxes she checked off in the site's search engine - within 10 miles of Philadelphia, must not smoke, must also be allergic to pets, only a social drinker - the clearer it became she was looking for romance.
Up popped Matt's profile. The headline, "Lathe'd!", is a reference to the Internet cartoon series Homestar Runner. Her geeky heart melted. "Corn chips are no place for a mighty warrior," was her Homestar-inspired message to him.
Back then, Piscataway native Stephanie did graphic design for an architecture firm while doing animation from her Bensalem home. Matt, who grew up in Lower Merion and lived in Manayunk, worked for Weston Sound and did video production through his own firm, Crystalline Studios.
They spoke of animation and screen writing, TV shows and film, and drafted a before-30 bucket list for Stephanie, who, as a self-described overprotected only child of Hungarian immigrants, had never seen Star Wars or been in the ocean. (Stephanie has written a memoir, American Goulash, that will be published this winter by Booktrope.)
They spent a February day at the Philadelphia Zoo, where they chuckled over a gorilla who appeared to be reading the newspaper.
All their outings - neither was sure if they were dates - were fun, yet "I would go home afterward, turn on angry music, and ask out loud, 'Why won't he kiss me?' " Stephanie said.
Matt wanted to. But after hearing his female friends describe how much they hate it when men assumed their interest, he promised himself, "I was never going to be that guy," and so, "I generally let women make the first move."
Stephanie spent about 60 hours drawing Matt within a Futurama parody poster based on one of his films. "I loved it," Matt said. But because he assumed it was Photoshopped and took much less time to create, "I didn't see it as the grand courting gesture it actually was."
In late April, Matt hired Stephanie to assist him on a video shoot. They met at her place beforehand to watch movies.
Determined to end the uncertainty, Stephanie cranked the air-conditioning to we-must-cuddle cold and chose the most boring B movie she could find.
Instead of ignoring Tentacles, Matt began making snarky comments, Mystery Science Theater-style. "I'm cold," she told him. He got her a blanket.
"We should really get going," Stephanie said, deflated.
On the way out, both reached for the light switch. Their heads clunked together.
"It was like we both thought, 'Our faces are really close, and neither of us is running or screaming, so I guess this is OK," Matt said.
They kissed.
How does forever sound?
By May, Stephanie, who is now 31, and Matt, 33, began work on their own film festival, starting what has become their nonprofit, Project Twenty 1.
Very soon in the relationship, "We each knew the other wasn't going anywhere," Matt said.
In December 2012, with both their nonprofit and their businesses established, Matt surprised her with news of a Caribbean cruise. The night of the cruise's formal dinner, he tucked a silver dolphin ring with blue and white stones into his pocket.
"I have something for you," he said as dessert was served.
"Holy -!" Stephanie said, much to her still-lingering embarrassment. And then: "Yes!"
It was so them
Stephanie calls her ring "Ecco" after the dolphin in her favorite video game. She found Matt a wedding ring adorned with the vampire jellyfish from his favorite game, Metroid.
They wed at the Colonial Theater, where about 400 people watched a 90-minute documentary mixing their love story with selections from the couple's work.
Some attendees wore red, the couple's favorite color. The photographer dressed as Jessica Rabbit. Others came as Mandalorians, warriors from Star Wars.
The couple walked down the aisle to "Somebody's Getting Married" from The Muppet Movie. The Blob - the silicone gel creature used in filming the movie of the same name, in that same theater - was their witness. Friend-of-the-couple and Blob caretaker Wes Shank led them through short vows.
About 150 people joined the couple at the Four Seasons in Norristown for dinner, drinks, and dancing. And then a larger crowd met them at Arnold's Family Fun Center in Oaks for laser tag and go-carts.
Awestruck
Stephanie and Matt shared a bottle of champagne in the balcony while their wedding film played. "I have him with me, and we can hear everybody reacting to us, to our movie. We feel all this energy and love. I will never forget that feeling," she said.
Discretionary spending
A bargain: The owners of Get Wild Photobooths agreed to barter for video production work.
The splurge: The traditional reception.
A bit of advice
Pick a few things that really matter (for the couple it was finding a movie theater with a marquee, great photography, and friends with full bellies), and don't sweat anything else. And if you need any decorations, ask around. "A lot of people who are already married still have their decorations holed up somewhere," Stephanie said.
Do You Have the Date?
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