PLANT CITY TIME & OBSERVER
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PlantCityObserver.com
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2015
LOVE IN ‘ALDERIGHT’ PLACES by Justin Kline | Sports Editor
Lisa A. Rhodes Your Residential Specialist throughout Tampa Bay!
Rock and Andrea Becker’s “Star Wars” wedding was out of this world.
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AN EARLY AGE IT WAS FROM
Both Beckers love the “Star Wars” films, but Rock Becker is the bigger fan. Although Andrea Becker has fond memories of seeing the movies with her father, her husband got his hands on the Episode IV video tape around age 7 and couldn’t stop watching it. “I still remember that day,” he said. “I kept rewinding it — we didn’t have a DVD or anything.” He became hooked, and his fandom hasn’t wavered since. Andrea Becker was first introduced to Rock Becker by a mutual friend in 2011. The couple began dating in 2012 and got engaged in June 2014. After learning more about the 501st Legion, which Rock Becker was then trying to get admitted into, Andrea Becker began to get more and more into “Star Wars.” “I’ve loved ‘Star Wars.’ I’ve seen the movies with my dad, but I never saw myself being a part of the 501st until I saw what they did,” she said. Both are now official members of the group, which also hosts philanthropic events. The Becker household isn’t covered in “Star Wars” memorabilia, but there are little touches throughout: lightsaber candles, picture frames and photographs, and a black
Ken Heavenridge/Imagine Pro Photography
The cake topper was custom made in Germany.
THE 501st The Imperials are the bad guys of the “Star Wars” universe, but not so much in real life. The 501st Legion, the group that Rock and Andrea Becker belong to, is the world’s biggest “Star Wars” fan club. But it’s also much more than just that. Its members regularly host and participate in philanthropic events, visiting children’s hospitals and raising money to help people in need. These bad guys do a lot of good. The catch is, not just anyone can join. To become an official member, one must create their own movie-quality costume, which has to bee approved. Everything must look exactly like it appears on the movie screen, and every member must dress as a movie villain. Rock Becker chose to be a biker scout trooper, as seen in “Return of the Jedi.” Andrea Becker chose to be a female Tusken Raider, one of the natives of planet Tatooine. The group’s website is 501st.com. cat named Vader. The couple both said that their favorite movie in the series is Episode VI, “Return of the Jedi.” So, 18 months ago, there was only one theme they could think of when planning their wedding.
DO OR DO NOT
Wishing Well Barn owner Michelle Welch, a “Star Wars” fan herself, was more than willing to accommodate the Beckers and their ideas. Over their 17-month engagement period, they worked on details that would not only
make the wedding stand out from the pack but also be tasteful enough to not overwhelm guests who weren’t superfans. Meanwhile, the couple also took to the 501st’s message board to look for anyone willing to “troop.” In layman’s terms, troop means to show up in costume. It wasn’t hard: the Beckers had more people willing to volunteer than they had room for and whittled it down to eight members: a pair of stormtroopers, a pair of sandtroopers, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Chewbacca, as
well as a full-size, remotecontrolled R2-D2 unit. Lightsaber candles and cake cutters, signs featuring movie quotes and a custom-made cake topper from Germany were some of the features that gave the setup more character. There was even “Jabba Juice” sangria on hand for thirsty guests. The Beckers said that, at the end of the day, everyone went home happy — even the skeptics. “Some of her family, and some of my family, were like, ‘Wow, I didn’t really realize this is what you do,’” Rock Becker said. “I think they just thought it was a Plant City cosplay group.”
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Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver. com.
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HWY. 60
VALRICO RD.
Han Solo No More he Force is strong in Rock and Andrea Becker. So is their relationship. The Plant City couple wed Saturday, Nov. 14, in an epic, “Star Wars”-themed ceremony, the likes of which venue Wishing Well Barn had never seen before. It was the perfect theme for the Beckers, who are big-time “Star Wars” fanatics. “I went back (to Wishing Well) the next day to get a few things, and they kept saying, ‘There’s no wedding that’s gonna top that one,’” Andrea Becker said.
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Ken Heavenridge/Imagine Pro Photography
MT. CARMEL
Rock and Andrea Becker had members from the 501st Legion troop at their wedding.
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A full-size, remote-controlled R2-D2 unit was a hit on the dance floor, including with the bride.
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