A Welsh cheesemaker and his American partner overcame a 3,500-mile distance and the COVID-19 pandemic to get married in an online ceremony, after meeting through a horror video game.
Lewis Relfe, from Caernarfon, and Amelia Henderson, from Virginia, USA, struck up a relationship in 2017 while playing the Friday the 13th game. Despite the miles between them, the couple managed to make their long-distance romance work, with Amelia making several trips across the Atlantic, including a six-month stay.
In a fitting twist, Lewis proposed to Amelia on Aberystwyth Pier, dressed as the game’s villain, Jason Voorhees. The couple then tied the knot in a virtual ceremony on New Year’s Day 2021, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
“At least it wasn’t as expensive as a proper ceremony,” Lewis joked about their unconventional wedding.
After six years of living apart, Amelia was finally able to move to Wales in 2023, where Lewis works as an assistant cheesemaker. She says the Caernarfon landscape reminds her of home, with its “lot of farmland and hills”, and she now lives just 20 minutes from a beach, a far cry from her previous home.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Evelyn, last year. However, the demands of parenthood mean they no longer have as much time to enjoy the games that brought them together, with one usually entertaining the little one while the other is gaming.
“We’re a lot more busy now with the little one,” Lewis said. “Usually one person will be gaming and the other person will be distracting her.”
Despite the challenges, the couple reflect fondly on their journey, with Lewis saying they “barely remember” their time apart. He credits their shared love of video games as a key factor in making their long-distance relationship work.
“We played so many games together for four hours during our time apart,” he added. “I think that really helped us.”
