GUEST BLOG: A Trek-Themed Wedding

Growing up, I never thought of myself as being especially into “nerdy” things, and that was because my whole family were the ones who introduced me to the fantastic world of Star Trek. I distinctly remember that when I was a little girl my parents used to try and force me to go to bed at a reasonable hour, so that they could watch their Star Trek: The Next Generation that was on that night. Their Star Trek: The Next Generation? It was mine, too.
 

I loved the show so much that I would sit on the stairs and stare at the screen, mesmerized, through the cold metal bars. I was only 5 years old at the time. Ever since then, I have grown to love other shows that emulate the kind of love and comradery that was on full view in Star Trek. I grew to have a deep love for Star Trek: Voyager, along with all of the movies that came along with the name “Star Trek.” I have to just say that some of my favorite characters include Seven of Nine, Kathryn Janeway, The Doctor, Data and, of course, Jean-Luc Picard, to name a few. The reason we love Seven of Nine, Data, and The Doctor so much is that they struggled throughout the series to find their inner selves - and to become more human. This journey was one of self-discovery, and really not that much different than what I have gone through for my whole life. I relate to their struggles, and to finding parts of humanity they can grasp onto for themselves. It always brings a smile to my face when one of them finds something out about themselves that is new, refreshing, and something they get to work through for the first time.

One episode that comes to mind is when The Doctor was in control of Seven of Nine’s body when they got kidnapped, and he was able to taste food for the first time, and to experience so many other things for the first time. One of my favorite episodes, for sure – self-discovery at its finest! Janeway -- like Picard before her -- is their guide in this self-discovering process. They are the gentle, bright lights that gently nudge them along, expressing “you can do this” and “I’m here for you.” That was always extremely comforting to me in those series and really enhanced their relationships with one another. Star Trek truly taught me qualities I could bring into my life, and how I can look within myself to find hidden gems of love, strength, and courage -- and emulate them with the people all around me.
Fast forward to years later and to my romantic relationships. I met this wonderful girl named Jessi, who totally won my heart. One of the first things I ever told her about myself was how I was a “nerd” and loved ALL things Star Trek. She gasped at that moment and told me she was the same way. I knew it was love right after that moment!
When we were planning our wedding -- which took place on October 16, 2015 -- it came as no surprise that we both easily agreed to have a Star Trek & Galaxy-themed affair. How this was going to happen… we had no idea! None at all, to be honest. Let’s just say, a lot of time was spent on Etsy and DIY projects at home. For example, my wife Jessi created our table numbers by hand. She cut each of them out, painted them and then decorated each of them with their numbers. She also hand painted our “To Boldly Go” sign, and even bedazzled our Enterprise ship! Seven of Nine is our absolute favorite character, and she was in about three different areas of our wedding alone; we think our first child might have a name dedicated to her.
We not only had decorations at our wedding that depicted/celebrated Star Trek, but we literally had the theme songs in our wedding as well. We walked down the aisle in the ceremony to the Voyager theme song, which was so amazing. For our grand entrance before our first dance, we walked in to Jean-Luc Picard saying “Space...The Final Frontier,” and so on, until the music came on and we made our way in. People were shocked, and absolutely loved it!
Now that Jessi and I have had our Star Trek wedding, we are boldly enjoying our lives and skipping into the next chapter of married life. We both work full time jobs, have a loving home, supportive family, and have a close net of friends who are the absolute best people. We are truly grateful for everything Star Trek has taught us, especially the notion that no matter what race, gender, or species you are - you are always loved, accepted and encouraged on that journey of self-discovery and wonder.

Thank you to everyone who made this wedding possible, especially our parents!

We love you so much.

Oh, and happy Valentine’s Day!

Qapla’!

Rachel & Jessi