This Pokémon GO wedding begin with a chance encounter, and Sandra and Les's began with a Pokémon trade. After connecting through their local Pokémon GO community, the couple turned a shared love of adventure into a relationship that would take them around the world - and ultimately lead to a one-of-a-kind wedding. On June 6, 2025, they became the first couple ever married by the Pokémon GO team, celebrating with an intimate gathering of 33 guests at Maritime Parc and Liberty State Park in New Jersey. With pink and purple florals, a Pokémon-themed ring bearer's Love Ball, and a cake topper featuring Chansey as a nurse and Squirrel as a firefighter, every detail celebrated the game that brought them together. More than a whimsical wedding, their day was a full-circle celebration of finding hope, community, and lasting love in the most unexpected place.

COUPLE: Sandra & Les

DATE: June 6, 2025

GUEST #: 33

PHOTOGRAPHER: Rebecca Ferrier Photography "Rebecca was recommended to us by Maritime Parc and I'm so glad she was. She mad us feel relaxed during the day and the candid shots turned our beautiful." -S

COLOUR PALETTE: Pinks and Purples. The theme was floral and Pokémon. 

TELL US YOUR STORY: When the pandemic hit, my life as I knew it collapsed in a single, terrifying week. I was a Registered Nurse and overnight, our unit became the city's COVID 'hot zone.' We were the place people came if they were sick, and suddenly every shift felt like walking into the unknown. I remember feeling utterly alone: depleted, anxious, and without hope. Somewhere in the middle of that Loneliness I did a small, impulsive thing: I downloaded Pokémon GO. I thought maybe it would give me one small reason to step outside, one tiny distraction between shifts.

I didn't know then that the game would save me. PokémonGO became my anchor. Every spare minute not working or sleeping I spent scanning my city for raids, chatting in my local community group, and slowly building something that felt like normal again. It game me a place to belong when everything else felt broken.

I'm a completionist by nature, so one day I messaged our city's Pokémon GO group asking if anyone had Corolla, the last Pokémon I need to finish my John dex, That's how Les Dorgo entered my life. He said he had one and joked we should 'make a date' out of the trade. I thought he meant two friends playing Pokémon. I agreed. That 'date' turned out to be my first with person who would become my partner, my home, and my best friend.

Les works as a firefighter and serves in the Canadian military; he understood the scars I carried from work and used Pokémon GO the same way I did - as a gentle escape, a way to breathe. Together we started letting the game write the maps of our lives. We chased regionals and rare spawns around the world: to France for Klefki, to Florida for Maractus, Carnivore, and Heracross. We've attended multiple GO Tests and GO Tours, always dressing up, always laughing, always collecting memories the way we once collected Pokémon.

Four years into our adventure, on leap day, I proposed to Les. The most surreal and beautiful chapter that followed was the wedding. We were invited to have out day fully hosted but the Pokémon GO team and we were the first couple ever married by Pokémon GO. It was everything we dreamed of and more. I walked down the aisle to the piano version of the Pokémon theme song, a melody that has followed us through every stage of our relationship. Our sign bearer carried the bands in a Love Ball, a perfect symbol of how this game brought us together. At the reception, our cake topper featured Chansey dressed as a nurse and Squirtle dressed as a firefighter - our Pokémon counterparts in the real world.

Even our signature cocktails were inspired by those two characters, a playful nod to who we are. Every detail felt like a reflection of our love story: whimsical, heartfelt, and uniquely ours. The truth is, this wedding wasn't simply a prize or an event: it was a full-circle moment for me. Little Sandra - the kid who believed in adventures and that perseverance led to magic - would be stunned to see where those small beliefs led. Pokémon Go first gave me a reason to explore the world again and then, in time, gave me a community, a partner who understands the hard parts of life, and a celebration that honoured both our quirks and our love.

I'm now a Nurse Practitioner in Windsor, Ontario - I went through the worst of the pandemic on the front lines, and those experiences shaped me. Les carries his own burdens from service and from firefighting. What healed us both, in many ways, was community and play: showing up for one another at raids, cheering each other on at events, travelling across borders for a single rare Pokémon because some things are worth the trip. If there's anything I hope readers take away from our story, it's this: hope can begin in the smallest places. It can be a message in a game chat, a shared giggle over a traded Corolla, a kiss at the end of a night that was supposed to be casual.

VENUE & PLANNERS: Maritime Parc

FOOD & CAKE: The Feathered Fox

MAKEUP & HAIR: Roxana Nuñez

NAILS: Minh Tran at Black Swan Salon 

WEDDING DRESS: His and Hers Bridal 

SUITS: Monty Formalwear

RINGS: Sofia Zakia Jewelry

MEDIA COVERAGE: Stefanie Masotti (@stefanie_masotti) &  Danny New (@dannynewtv) 

CUSTOM ART: Natty Cat

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: "The biggest challenge was planning everything in a time span of 5 weeks while doing a Master's Degree full time. Thankfully the Pokémon GO team was wonderful and great help." - S

BEST MEMORY: 'Truly everything!" - S

ADVICE FROM ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Have fun and don't sweat the small stuff." - S

This Pokémon GO Wedding can be seen in the Spring/Summer 2026 issue of The Wedding Ring Magazine