Bride Shocks Groom with Wedding ceremony Escape Room (Unique)theinsiderinsight

• Ben and Michal Lepley bought married on the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Playa Vista, California, on Oct. 5, 2024
• The bride shocked the groom throughout their ceremony with a “mini escape room” problem to unlock the marriage rings
• “I believe that in a world that’s sophisticated and overwhelming, discovering one another by way of play permits us to remain related,” Michal tells PEOPLE

A bride shocked her groom mid-wedding ceremony with an escape room problem to unlock their marriage ceremony rings.

Ben and Michal Lepley tied the knot on Oct. 5, 2024, outdoors the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace in Playa Vista, California. The officiant described the pair as “showmen,” so it wasn’t out of character for the bride to have just a few methods up her sleeve for the ceremony. 

When the officiant requested, “Might I’ve the rings?” she was handed a small drawstring bag. Ben and his 110 attendees have been shocked to see her pull out marriage ceremony rings mounted by a mix padlock. “Oh no! Aw man,” the groom exclaimed as his marriage ceremony friends erupted with laughter.

“I had locked my knees earlier within the ceremony and was feeling fairly lightheaded, so it was a giant reduction that the blood had gone again to my mind when that lock got here out — I believe I’d have handed out in any other case!” Ben tells PEOPLE.

As a result of she and Ben take pleasure in taking part in video games collectively, Michal secretly started planning a “mini escape room” three months earlier than their nuptials. About 13 individuals helped Michal with the ceremony problem, together with her pal Summera because the day-of prank coordinator.

Prank helpers immediately stood up from the viewers. They have been in costume and held totally different numbers, which acted as potential mixture codes for the groom. Ben listened intently to a speech learn aloud by Michal, which included clues to the quantity order and nods to their relationship.

“Ben was utterly shocked, he had no thought I had been planning that and he mentioned his mind form of froze, however he nonetheless solved it!” Michal tells PEOPLE. “I attempted to make it so simple as doable since he was going to have to unravel it in entrance of everybody on a extremely emotional day, however he’s a voice actor! He is aware of learn how to carry out underneath stress!”

For Ben, the shock made the ceremony much more particular.

“Michal did such an unbelievable job of constructing it a shock, making the puzzles replicate one thing essential to us — an exquisite board recreation referred to as Unmatched that we found collectively, involving our neighborhood of mates, and creating the entire thing along with her signature kindness and cleverness,” Ben says. “I used to be moved  —  I’ll all the time treasure that shock and the work that she put into it.”

A video of the mini escape room marriage ceremony problem taken by videographer Devan Shae Media and posted on TikTok on Feb. 6 went viral, gaining greater than 435,000 views and 65,000 likes. Greater than 100 commenters praised the “enjoyable” and “significant” recreation.

However the video games did not cease there. Board video games, fidget spinners and specially-designed prizes have been on the marriage ceremony reception.

“It was crucial to each of us that our marriage ceremony be distinctive and replicate who we’re as a pair,” Ben says. “We each love in-person experiences, video games, puzzles, and spontaneous adventures, so escape rooms are an important match for us — it’s very fulfilling to work on puzzles side-by-side, taking in an important theme and manufacturing values, and the sense of accomplishment we get from placing our heads collectively to unravel on a problem.”

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The duo — who fell in love at a barcade 5 years in the past — are skilled in comedy, performing and improv, in order that they’re on the identical web page in regards to the worth of artwork and comedy, and are all the time able to play one other spherical collectively.

“Ben and I imagine that play is basically essential and we incorporate it into all areas of our life: we play board video games, we invent our personal video games, the clues to the escape room have been all from his favourite board recreation Unmatched,” Michal says. “For his fortieth birthday, I truly shocked him with a reside motion model of his favourite board recreation and all of the friends got here dressed as characters from the sport!”

Deeper that means underlies their play. 

“I believe that in a world that’s sophisticated and overwhelming, discovering one another by way of play permits us to remain related,” Michal shares. “We’re all the time on the lookout for and pursing pleasure. Our subsequent massive venture is to construct an escape room collectively.”