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Weddings, man. They take forever to plan, cost a lot of money, and the vast majority of them are about as exciting as a speed run of Myst. To top it off, brides and grooms rarely have similar ideas about the kind of event they’d like to throw so one of them just steamrolls the other with turquoise taffeta and heirloom lederhosen.
In a stunning twist of fate for which I will be forever grateful, my fiance Kellbot and I happened to share a great number of interests. We’re both web programmers by trade. We both went to school for art. We both love videogames. Most importantly, we both like making things.
Thanks to our common proclivities, it didn’t us long to settle on a graphic theme for our wedding: videogames! Specifically, videogames comprised of big blocky pixels. To uphold a base level of classiness, we shied away from themeing the event itself around any specific game ( despite how excellent a warp pipe centerpiece would be ) and instead focused on creating a feeling of general videogamey-ness for the blessed occasion.
Curved lines were made verboten! Smooth gradients were abolished! Anti-aliasing was turned off -- ENTIRELY. We needed to make every angle sharp and keep our color count to a bare minimum. These guidelines were easy enough to follow in the two dimensional world of stationary and websites, but it was a little trickier to translate such wanton blockiness into the third dimension. After some brainstorming, we decided that the closest thing to a real-world pixel is a Lego brick. We ordered a pile of Legos and got to work prototyping decorations.
Armed with ideas and raw ingredients, we spent the better part of a year geeking out over every geekable part of the wedding planning process. We used a wide variety of tools: a laser cutter, X-Acto knives, Photoshop, Blender, Python, PHP, and a mountain of support from family and friends. This was the start of us building our lives together, and we were going to start if off nerdy.
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We agreed that we didn't want the wedding or the reception to directly reference any specific game, but all materials preceding the big day were fair play for homage.
I thought that the first level of Donkey Kong would look nice with some extra definition, so I used it as the basis for our “Save the Date” cards. I re-drew the level at double the resolution of the original, adding simple shadows and highlights as I saw fit. Kellbot and I replaced Pauline at the top of the structure, pleading for guests to attend.
The theme of the card sneakily served as foreshadowing for our reception venue: We had just booked the Phoenixville Foundry, a converted ironworking foundry showcasing multiple levels of exposed beams. The building’s aesthetic reminded me of Donkey Kong’s iconic stacked girders, and the idea coalesced naturally.
Next: Website ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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As web developers by trade, we had to do something particularly special for our wedding website. At its core was a fully automated RSVP system that grouped guests by party, allowed them to pick their desired entrees, and let them start organizing transportation if necessary.
Kellbot got the ball rolling on the design by mocking up a modified version of Super Mario Bros. 3's title screen. I took her concept and ran with it, drawing mario-esque versions of the bride and groom. With the finished design in place, Kellbot wrote some javascript that made the keyboard arrows mimic the functionality of the NES D-pad.
We built each section of the site as an homage to a different NES game: Super Mario Bros. 3 for the home page, Mega Man 4 for the wedding info page, and Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest) for the RSVP system.
Kellbot ended up coding the whole site, and it worked like a charm -- we didn’t process a single RSVP through the mail. If you're curious, you can check out the website yourself at either ChrisLovesKelly.com or KellyLovesChris.com.
Next: Programs->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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The event programs, like all of our printed wedding materials, were designed pixel-by-pixel at a minute resolution. We used the same visual theme here as on all signage at the wedding and reception: a blue border and the typeface from Capcom's Strider. Detail text was printed in Pixelette.
The design was tied together by yet another pixelated rendition of ourselves, this time holding up our newly acquired rings while doing our best Link impersonations.
Next: Centerpieces ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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The reception centerpieces, unsurprisingly, ended up requiring more time and effort than anything else. Constructed from 100% basic Lego bricks, each sphere measured 25cm in diameter and was composed of approximately 1,600 pieces. There were a grand total of 14 spheres.
Kellbot has some in-depth posts about the preparation and construction of these behemoths, but in summary: She wrote a Python script that broke 3D computer models into Lego-sized pieces, then cut a series of horizontal slices and made vector files out of them. We utilized a laser cutter to make foamcore jigs for all 27 layers, using them as guides for building the final sculptures.
An intrepid group of family and friends were enlisted to help with the build. On average, building a single sphere took roughly 6-8 man-hours. The centerpieces required a great deal of logistical planning and old-fashioned hard work, but I like to think that the results speak for themselves.
Our caterering company, Feastivites, did a fantastic job setting the tables and decorating the reception venue with leftover Legos. They even helped us rent squared-off silverware and flatware to match the blocky theme. At every step of the way they shaped our rough pile of ideas into a cohesive whole, and I can't recommend them highly enough.
Next: Cake ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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We arrived at Whipped Bakeshop in South Philly with no solid ideas about what we wanted our cake to look like. Fortunately, the helpful staff at the bakery got our imaginations rolling after showing us square cake pans and suggesting that pixels could be replicated with frosting. Kellbot produced a sketch of our ideal cake: a boxy three-tier affair embellished with blue and green squares.
The resulting cake was pixel-perfect. Each tier featured a different flavor: chocolate truffle, lemon cream, and carrot cake. It fit the theme to a tee and didn’t make any compromises on deliciousness.
Next: Table Cards ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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Many couples name reception tables after meaningful moments in their relationships. Kellbot and I were no different; we named our tables after the games we enjoyed playing together. I made illustrated signs for each game, drawing custom sprite work wherever necessary ( I’m most proud of the Monday Night Combat sign ).
Accompanying the table signs were name cards for each guest. I drew icons for the four available entrees and placed them under each name accordingly.
Next: Entertainment ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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It would be criminal to host a videogame-themed reception without providing some actual games to play. We had two gaming stations:
- A Nintendo Wii with four controllers hooked up to an LCD television
- A complete Xbox 360 Rock Band 3 setup projected onto a screen with audio piped through a PA system
Rock Band, as we all know, has been scientifically proven to be the best party game of all time. Supplemented with a song list several hundred strong, the RB3 station drew a crowd of players and spectators all night long. Players at the Nintendo station favored New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Kart Wii for some more competetive fun.
In between the game stations was a dance floor, and it was expertly DJed by Jason Remaly from Silver Sound DJs. We established a playlist centered largely around ska staples like Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, and The Mighty Mighty BossTones. I beamed with pride when the floor went from zero to circle pit in an unprecedented 3 songs.
The dinner prepared by Feastivities was excellent, but my favorite part of the catering service was the self-service ice cream bar at the end. Homemade vanilla and chocolate ice cream were complimented by a full spread of toppings: hot fudge, whipped cream, cherries, sprinkles, strawberries -- basically, everything. I’d say that I don’t understand why more weddings don’t feature ice cream bars, but in truth I don’t understand why any event wouldn’t feature ice cream bars.
Next: Thank You Cards ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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Two days after the wedding, Kellbot and I set out to Saint Lucia for our honeymoon. With fantastic beaches and picturesque backdrops, it was an ideal place to wind down after months of preparation and several weeks of non-stop activity. We relished being able to lie in a hammock on the beach and play games without a care in the world -- this was our first real vacation in years, and it was long overdue.
I used photos from the honeymoon as a basis for our “Thank You” cards. This was the last piece of wedding-related design work I’d have to do, so I wanted to make it good.
Final: Wrap up ->
( Back to Kellbot and RevolvingDork's Pixelated Wedding ) |
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When preparing to get married, there are a number of methods one can use to select a best man. Some husbands-to-be start with a brother or the brother of their fiancée. Others choose their best friend or a family member they've grown up with.
If you're like me, you make your groomsmen battle it out in a multi-console videogame tournament.
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