The first time Matthew Majchrzak laid eyes on Emily Brenna McCormick, she resembled storybook royalty, dressed in an elaborate, Italian Renaissance-style blue-and-gold gown. And she had seemingly cast a spell on him.
“It felt like that moment in a movie where things just slow down,” said Mr. Majchrzak, 35, who works as an information technology specialist at Asembia, a pharmaceutical company based in New Jersey. “The whole room went silent.”
It was February 2019, in Sparta, N.J., and they were among more than 100 other costumed adults taking part in a live-action role-playing game hosted by Knight Realms, a 200-acre recreation center that offers immersive experiences. Mr. Majchrzak, a self-professed fantasy nerd who briefly studied theater at Bergen Community College, had been attending LARPs since he was 14.
For Ms. McCormick, a TikTok and Instagram content creator who has a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Columbia College Chicago, it was her first time at such an event.
“It looked fun,” said Ms. McCormick, 31, who goes by Astraea (and by Queen Astraea online). “I didn’t know anyone. I just showed up.”
[Click here to binge read this week’s featured couples.]
The two struck up a friendship, and several months passed before he eventually asked her out on a date. In late summer 2019, they shared a meal at Joe’s Shanghai, a dumpling restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Despite the blazing summer heat, Mr. Majchrzak wore a wool suit to impress Ms. McCormick.
When Mr. Majchrzak first took hold of her hand, he recalled being overcome by a swelling in his chest. “It was the first time I felt that world-stopping love for someone,” he said. “I knew on that first date that I was going to marry her.” It was either that, he added, or give up and “move to Alaska.”
Ms. McCormick’s feelings developed at a slower pace. The dissolution of her previous relationship had made her cautious, she said. She voiced her need for things to move slowly and was heartened by Mr. Majchrzak’s patience.
“Any time there was a moment of doubt, he would reassure me,” Ms. McCormick said. “Any time I felt scared, he comforted me. Any pace I wanted, he followed.”
After six months of dating, Mr. Majchrzak told Ms. McCormick that he loved her. She admitted to feeling panicked in that moment, as it was a bold declaration compared with Mr. Majchrzak’s usual restraint. She realized she wasn’t afraid of being with him, but of losing him. The next morning, Ms. McCormick said “I love you” in return.
Shortly before the pandemic began, Ms. McCormick moved in with him in Wallington, N.J., though she kept her apartment in Manhattan.
On June 4, 2022, Mr. Majchrzak successfully proposed — his third attempt. He first intended to propose to Ms. McCormick on a trip to Japan in early 2022, but their vacation was abruptly canceled because of continued coronavirus restrictions. His second attempt came in April 2022. He had wanted to take Ms. McCormick on a romantic picnic upon her return from a work trip, but the plan was scuttled when Ms. McCormick became sick with Covid-19.
The final attempt required the help of some of their closest friends. Mr. Majchrzak enlisted a photographer friend of Ms. McCormick’s who specializes in fantasy to arrange a “Sleeping Beauty” photo shoot of her in the woods outside Philadelphia. Ms. McCormick, wearing a velvet princess gown and a tiara, would have her eyes closed for extended periods, giving Mr. Majchrzak a chance to surprise her with a kiss — and a ring.
“I whispered into her ear, ‘Honey, I’m going to kiss you now,’” Mr. Majchrzak said. He had to walk about a mile through the woods from an Airbnb, wearing around 60 pounds of full-plate armor, to reach the remote shoot location.
When Ms. McCormick opened her eyes, it took her a moment to realize that it was Mr. Majchrzak — not the prince taking part in the shoot — who was standing there. “I was so over the moon,” Ms. McCormick said.
On Nov. 2, Mr. Majchrzak and Ms. McCormick were married before about 130 guests at the Merion Tribute House, a historic mansion in Merion Station, Pa. The venue perfectly matched the medieval aesthetics they wanted for their celebration.
Aaron Feingold, a friend of the couple who was ordained through the Universal Life Church, officiated.
“We knew we wanted to incorporate our fantasy affinities into the wedding without turning it entirely into a cosplay event,” Mr. Majchrzak said.
“We have big dreams and aspirations to travel,” Ms. McCormick said. “And I’m looking forward to how we grow together as we see this beautiful little planet we call home.”
The post In One Magical Moment, He Fell Under Her Spell appeared first on New York Times.
