The Force is strong in Rock and Andrea Becker.
So is their relationship.
The Plant City couple wed Saturday, Nov. 14, in an epic, “Star Wars”-themed ceremony, the likes of which venue Wishing Well Barn had never seen before. It was the perfect theme for the Beckers, who are big-time “Star Wars” fanatics.
“I went back (to Wishing Well) the next day to get a few things, and they kept saying, ‘There’s no wedding that’s gonna top that one,’” Andrea Becker said.
AN EARLY AGE IT WAS FROM
Both Beckers love the “Star Wars” films, but Rock Becker is the bigger fan. Although Andrea Becker has fond memories of seeing the movies with her father, her husband got his hands on the Episode IV video tape around age 7 and couldn’t stop watching it.
“I still remember that day,” he said. “I kept rewinding it — we didn’t have a DVD or anything.”
He became hooked, and his fandom hasn’t wavered since.
Andrea Becker was first introduced to Rock Becker by a mutual friend in 2011. The couple began dating in 2012 and got engaged in June 2014.
After learning more about the 501st Legion, which Rock Becker was then trying to get admitted into, Andrea Becker began to get more and more into “Star Wars.”
“I’ve loved ‘Star Wars.’ I’ve seen the movies with my dad, but I never saw myself being a part of the 501st until I saw what they did,” she said.
Both are now official members of the group, which also hosts philanthropic events.
The Becker household isn’t covered in “Star Wars” memorabilia, but there are little touches throughout: lightsaber candles, picture frames and photographs, and a black cat named Vader. The couple both said that their favorite movie in the series is Episode VI, “Return of the Jedi.”
So, 18 months ago, there was only one theme they could think of when planning their wedding.
DO OR DO NOT
Wishing Well Barn owner Michelle Welch, a “Star Wars” fan herself, was more than willing to accommodate the Beckers and their ideas.
Over their 17-month engagement period, they worked on details that would not only make the wedding stand out from the pack but also be tasteful enough to not overwhelm guests who weren’t superfans.
Meanwhile, the couple also took to the 501st’s message board to look for anyone willing to “troop.” In layman’s terms, troop means to show up in costume. It wasn’t hard: the Beckers had more people willing to volunteer than they had room for and whittled it down to eight members: a pair of stormtroopers, a pair of sandtroopers, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Chewbacca, as well as a full-size, remote-controlled R2-D2 unit.
Lightsaber candles and cake cutters, signs featuring movie quotes and a custom-made cake topper from Germany were some of the features that gave the setup more character. There was even “Jabba Juice” sangria on hand for thirsty guests.
The Beckers said that, at the end of the day, everyone went home happy — even the skeptics.
“Some of her family, and some of my family, were like, ‘Wow, I didn’t really realize this is what you do,’” Rock Becker said. “I think they just thought it was a Plant City cosplay group.”
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.