Couple Throws Gaming-Themed Wedding Complete with a Mario Kart Face-Off and Custom Pokémon Photo Cards (Exclusive)

Erin ClackTue, July 14, 2026 at 2:37 PM UTC

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Huy and Justine NguyenCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography -

Justine and Huy Nguyen initially bonded over their shared love of games, so it was only fitting that they had a gaming-themed wedding

The festivities included a live Mario Kart face-off during their reception, custom Pokémon photo cards for guests and a Kahoot! trivia game

“It was all about having fun with each other, surrounded by the people we care about,” Justine tells PEOPLE of the theme

When Justine and Huy Nguyen first met in college back in 2015, they discovered a shared passion for games and initially bonded while competing against each other in countless rounds of the Love Live! rhythm game. As their friendship grew, they added more games to their repertoire — including Osu! and League of Legends — and took walks together around the University of Texas at Arlington campus while playing Pokémon GO.

They began dating in November 2018, and as their romance evolved, so did their gaming habits. When they were long-distance for two years, they stayed connected through games. During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, they got into tabletop games and played online games with friends to pass the time. More recently, Justine and Huy, both 29, have begun playing Riichi Mahjong and hosting game nights at their home.

Justine and Huy NguyenCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

Both recall getting into games, like Mario Kart, MapleStory and Guitar Hero, in their childhood — Huy tells PEOPLE he has “a baby picture of me holding my Gameboy Color playing Pokémon Yellow.” Justine, meanwhile, describes having “a full party” with her three siblings playing console games together.

So, after the two software engineers got engaged in May 2024 while hiking in Okinawa, Japan, and began planning their wedding, it didn’t take them long to land on the perfect theme: gaming.

“We were like, ‘What screams Justine and Huy?’ ” Justine says, noting, “We weren’t really big on having a wedding at first, but we figured if we were going to have one, we wanted to make it fun and memorable for both of us.”

Adds Huy, “We have attended a lot of weddings, and we wanted to change it up a bit, but keep it on brand for us and who we are.”

Justine and Huy Nguyen’s wedding invitationsCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

With help from wedding planner Allison Thuy Wallace and event designer Viktoria Decor, the couple brought the theme to life with details both big and small, starting with gaming-inspired save-the-dates and invitations that gave guests “an idea that [the wedding] was going to be different.” They also created gaming-themed “proposal” boxes for their wedding party members.

Their bar menu had subtle references to League of Legends, and their cake topper featured life-like figurines of the pair holding video game controllers.

Justine and Huy Nguyen’s bar menuCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

The newlyweds made a playful entrance to their reception — held on May 23 at The Grand Ballroom at The Pearl in Grand Prairie, Texas — on kiddie cars. Justine says they did it on a whim after the groomsmen got the toy vehicles for them the night before.

“We didn’t even have time to practice and hoped for the best,” she recalls of their untraditional entrance. “The original plan was for Huy to fake breaking down midway through and have his groomsmen run over to help him finish. Huy didn’t even get to start because the car couldn’t hold up to his weight. He told me to go through first, so I went ahead, wondering if it was really going to be okay.”

Huy and Justine Nguyen’s wedding entranceCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

“Allison and one of Huy’s cousins helped push him through the entrance before his groomsmen realized he really did break down,” she continues. “So not exactly the plan, but it worked out, and we all had a good laugh!”

Huy Nguyen getting help from groomsmen during his wedding entranceCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

Each wedding guest was gifted a Poké Ball replica and a plushie of their favorite Pokémon character. “It was really an I Choose You! moment,” Justine says, referencing the 2017 Pokémon movie.

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The wedding also featured a photo booth where guests could get snapshots of themselves printed as custom Pokémon cards. “It was the biggest hit,” Justine says.

During the cocktail hour, each table had a QR code for guests to play a custom game where Justine was the protagonist seeking to save “the damsel in distress” — Huy. The bride and groom also prepared a trivia game using Kahoot! that allowed guests to learn more about them.

Huy and Justine Nguyen’s wedding cake topperCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

“The questions were based on fun facts about our relationship. Everyone got really into it, and we had prizes for the winners,” Justine explains.

For Huy, it was one of the highlights of the night. “I liked watching everyone try to see how well they know us and watch their reactions if they either got it right or wrong,” he says.

Huy and Justine Nguyen’s Mario Kart battleCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

In another memorable moment, Justine and Huy skipped the traditional first dance — “we get stage fright,” the groom explains — and instead faced off against each other in a live Mario Kart battle. While their guests looked on, they sat side by side on chairs, wearing headphones with their formal attire, as their “first game” played on a large screen.

In a video shared on Instagram by Wallace, their guests could be seen excitedly cheering, clapping and stamping their feet as the action unfolded.

“There was so much cheering in the room — it was a lot of fun!” Justine says. “Some of our relatives later shared that they cried watching because they were so happy for us.”

The victor of the newlywed Mario Kart battle? “Me!” Huy declares, playfully boasting, “I tried throwing, but I’m just a better gamer.”

Huy Nguyen wins Mario Kart battle against Justine NguyenCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

“I know he tried to let me win,” Justine admits. “At some point, I stopped moving and suddenly forgot what my buttons did, so he was able to catch back up. But yeah, he’s the better gamer. I can only win against him in Tetris.”

Justine and Huy tell PEOPLE their gaming theme was a big hit with their friends and family.

“They really enjoyed it,” Justine says. “We had a lot of positive comments overall, and many guests were saying that it was very ‘us.’ ”

Justine and Huy Nguyen’s headphones at weddingCredit: Tom Nguyen of 7th Story Wedding Photography

“A wedding is a pretty formal event, and you could say our theme was not so much, but I think we were able to blend it in just right,” she continues. “It didn’t take away from any of the elegance and lifted up the parts of us that we wanted to show to everyone. All we really wanted was for everyone to enjoy the night. It was all about having fun with each other, surrounded by the people we care about.”

Huy says they “didn’t know how it would all turn out,” but in the end, the wedding far exceeded their expectations. “It’s a night we know everyone who was there won’t forget,” he adds. “Games are all about connecting people, and we did that.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”