LOCAL

Gamer groom from Newark meets online pals-turned-groomsmen just days before wedding

Allison Ward
The Columbus Dispatch
Jacob Garcia of Newark, third from left, is getting married Saturday, and he and three of his groomsmen had never met in person before Sunday because they only knew each other from playing video games online. Among the places they have visited in town this week is Easton Town Center. The wedding party includes, from left, Carlos Santiago, of Orlando, Florida; Grant Plunkett, of Chicago; Garcia; Alex Wheelhouse, of Heath; Braxton Dunn, of Newark; and James Bonner of Kissimmee, Florida.

When Jacob Garcia marries Alyssa Werner on Saturday, he'll be flanked on his right by five of the most-important men in his life.  

He's known two of his groomsmen since kindergarten and grew up with them in Newark.  

The other three he’d actually never met until a week ago — at least not in person.  

When Garcia, now 22, was in middle school, he struck up a friendship with some other preteens on Xbox playing the sci-fi game Halo. Nearly a decade later, the Newark resident is still playing video games most nights with Grant Plunkett, of Chicago; Carlos Santiago, of Orlando, Florida; and James Bonner, of Kissimmee, Florida.

They text, video chat and send Facebook messages about much more than gaming, and always joked about meeting in person. But the distance, their young age, and other factors prevented that.  

Until Garcia proposed to his girlfriend.  

Wedding helped sparked a meeting in person

“The wedding became a really good way for us to meet up,” said Garcia, who will marry Werner at Vinberige Vineyards in Glenford, east of Buckeye Lake. “It gave us a point that allowed us to determine a set location.” 

And sure, he could’ve just added them to the guest list, but Garcia felt these gaming friends were just as close as some of his friends locally.  

“We’d known each other for so long,” he said. “Some people don’t understand, but online friends can be just as close. A friend is a friend regardless … We still make connections, memories.” 

The group has helped each other with issues at school, breakups and job changes. Their regular texts and voice chats have become something the men said they can count on each evening after a long day.  

That’s why none of them hesitated to take a week off from work and hop on a flight to be with their buddy on his wedding day.  

'It’s not like you have to dress up and go out or go out to eat'

Plunkett said that, in many cases, it’s been easier to keep up with Garcia and his other gaming pals over the years than friends locally because they all like to do the same thing in their downtime.  

“It’s not like you have to dress up and go out or go out to eat,” Plunkett, 21, said. “We’re in our own homes, comfortable, and we’re basically talking every night.” 

At times, one member will disappear for a while for exams or a schedule change at work, but that person always comes back a week or so later.  The group has been a constant in their lives for a decade.  

“If someone has a bad day, they get to vent,” Plunkett said. “Or if they did something amazing, like proposed to a girlfriend, we get to hear about it immediately.” 

'It’s been great to see them in person, their mannerisms, and share a meal together'

That dynamic didn’t change when the four guys all met for the first time Sunday. (Santiago actually already knew Bonner, as they went to the same high school and he invited him to join the group.)  

While things were a tad bit awkward at first, the men said they relaxed easily, sharing inside jokes and favorite memories.

“It’s been great to see them in person, their mannerisms, and share a meal together,” said Santiago, adding that a few of the guys look a little different than they do on the screen. “It’s been entertaining, for sure.” 

Beyond taking care of the wedding minutiae of tuxedo fittings and the rehearsal dinner, the group has been able to explore Easton Town Center, visit a go-kart track and try out some of the area’s restaurants.  

Jacob Garcia, of Newark, second from left, is getting married Saturday, and he and three of his groomsmen had never met in person before Sunday. They're his buddies with whom he has played video games and chatted online for more than a decade. They are, from left, Carlos Santiago, of Orlando, Florida; Garcia; Grant Plunkett, of Chicago; and James Bonner of Kissimmee, Florida.

'I think it’s really cool they’ve remained friends all these years'

Garcia’s mother, Diana June, said she was delighted to take her son’s friends to lunch and see them all in the same room.  

“I got to know their names, and I kept hearing the names into high school,” June said. “I think it’s really cool they’ve remained friends all these years.” 

She said they’re all very funny, and she could tell right away why they’ve been friends for so long. 

“You don’t want your kid to be online all the time, and I’m not a big fan of social media, but in this case, it’s helped. And the bond they’ve made through this makes me hopeful that not all these things are bad,” she said.  

Even though Bonner joined the group a bit later than the others, over time, he got to know the friends better. 

“I’m here and it’s awesome,” Bonner, 22, said.  

That’s been the reaction, too, from Garcia, who is a rural carrier at the Blacklick Post Office. (The other groomsmen are students.)  

While they love playing all sorts of games together, he said, it’s been nice to do other activities away from the computer. This week, they’ve shared beers around the table at Garcia’s house and listened to a Spotify playlist they each uploaded songs to so everyone could get a taste for each other’s preferred music.  

He said meeting in person was a bit hyped up in their minds after all this time, but it turned out to be more familiar than any of them expected.  

“It’s been cool having them in town,” Garcia said. “I told them, ‘I feel like I’ve known you forever’ and that’s because I have.” 

award@dispatch.com

@AllisonAWard