A couple of self-confessed 'giant nerds' marked International Star Wars Day by tying the knot in an elaborate themed wedding, complete with lightsabers and a droid officiant.
Sci-fi enthusiasts Zoe Chapman, a veterinary nurse, and Kirby Rule, who works at B&Q, both 29, embraced their shared passion as they exchanged vows near Salisbury, Wiltshire on Monday. Guests joined in the galactic celebration, with the bride's father dressed as bounty hunter Boba Fett, her sister as Padmé Amidala, and her brother as Pedro Pascal's The Mandalorian.
Actor Danny D'Arcy, who played a stormtrooper and a rebel soldier in The Return Of The Jedi, surprised Mr Rule as a secret guest.
The newlyweds, from Swindon, walked back down the aisle beneath an arch of crossed lightsabers from their personal collection. Their commitment to the theme extended to their first dance, which featured a playful 'lightsaber fight' with Darth Vader himself.
The couple, who met at college in Swindon a decade ago and got engaged at Disneyland two years ago, said they find traditional weddings 'quite sterile and boring'. They wanted to share their 'passion' for the Star Wars films, which were among the first they watched together.
Ms Chapman wore a wedding dress passed down to her from Mr Rule's mother - modified with armour, a helmet, and a 'blaster' modelled after Sabine Wren from the Star Wars Rebels cartoons. Guests were armed with 26 lightsabers from the pair's personal collection and they walked under a path of crossed lightsabers after the ceremony.
The wedding rings have been modelled after a red and blue lightsaber so the happy couple can have 'lightsaber clashes' when they hold hands. The ceremony was officiated by a giant 'life-size K-2SO droid' – the robot companion of Cassian Andor in the titular TV show and Rogue One movie – designed by Ms Chapman's dad.
Officially, the theme for the wedding was science fiction and guests were invited to wear anything sci-fi related. However, Star Wars took centre stage. Ms Chapman said her first memory with Mr Rule was of sitting on the stairs at college, watching How To Train Your Dragon. 'We are both giant nerds,' she said.
She had been into Star Wars ever since she was little after being introduced to the films by her dad. 'I know it's controversial but I loved Jar Jar Binks growing up, I don't know why. He was the comic relief character, loads of people found him really annoying. But I also loved the wookies and all the other weird and wacky characters in there. They're my childhood.'
Mr Rule said he was also 'basically brought up on Star Wars'. 'My granddad is massively obsessed with science fiction. When I was four or five and The Phantom Menace came out I watched it on repeat. My real love for Star Wars comes from being a teenager and Revenge of the Sith being one of the first sci-fi films I saw at the cinema. Then in college I got involved in Ludosport which is basically fencing with lightsabers. We now own about 26 lightsabers because of that. Each of the guests sitting on the end of the aisle will be given a lightsaber for the ceremony.'
Mr Rule said that the idea to get married on 4 May – Star Wars Day – was 'just genius'. 'It was one of those why haven't I thought of this before things. It's a franchise that everyone knows and everyone loves so we knew it wouldn't be a problem for people to have ideas.'
