We’re not sure if you know this, but Star Wars fans can get a little obsessive. With the new movie fast approaching, many fans are planning their own way to celebrate. For most it may be something simple, like watching a marathon of the films. But, for Caroline Ritters and Andrew Porter that’s not nearly enough. They’ll be celebrating the release of The Force Awakens by getting married in front of the TCL Chinese Theater on the night of the premiere.
You might think this makes wedding planning easy, but the bride and groom will be traveling from their home in Australia for the event, so it’s a bit of a trip. The idea was actually sprouted by The Chinese Theater itself, where staff went looking for somebody interested in getting married at the premiere. Ritters was very familiar with the theater, having made the trip from Australia to Los Angeles in both 2002 and 2005 to see the previous two Star Wars movies.
The TCL Chinese Theater has brought back a promotion that they started during the prequels, called "Lining up for Star Wars." Fans can stand in line in the days leading up to the film, and if they can log 24 hours total (the waiting does not have to be continuous) they earn tickets to the film. The event is also a charity fundraiser for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. According to Mashable, Ritters had done this twice before, which makes the Chinese Theater a sensible location for her wedding.
This theater changed my life in 2002 it was the perfect spot for us. I am a veteran of Lining Up for Star Wars 2002 and 2005...the family and friendships we've made, that's why I keep coming back. TCL have been fantastic to let us do this. This is a dream come true.
Since the wedding will be out in public pretty much anybody is invited; additionally, the wedding will be live-streamed for those outside of Hollywood. The live-streaming is a major benefit for Ritters’ family as apparently her father doesn’t fly, so he'll still be able to witness the event.
For those who are too young to remember, lining up was a thing that you used to have to do if you wanted to buy tickets for a movie 10 years ago. In the age before Fandango you actually had to go stand in a line with other people and wait to buy your tickets. When The Phantom Menace was released in 1999 fans spent days in line waiting for the tickets to go on sale, because the theaters also weren’t selling them in advance. Yeah, it was the dark ages. It’s a miracle we all survived.
We offer our congratulations to the soon to be married couple. We hope the first movie you see together is as good as we all hope it is.
What’s everybody else planning to do to celebrate the new movie?
