When Steve Capalbo first met Crystal Soto in 2005, it was in Menethil Harbor — a virtual port town in “World of Warcraft.” He had simply set out to give away some of the in-game flowers he’d collected. She happened to be the one who asked.
At just 17, Capalbo, born and raised in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, had no idea that the New York girl he met would become his best friend and true love for the next 20 years. She stood by him through a series of health challenges caused by Marfan syndrome and two open-heart surgeries.
In June, when Capalbo — who had been given just two years to live by his doctors — learned he would need a third heart surgery, he proposed to Soto by his hospital bed, and she said yes.
Marking their 20th anniversary since meeting online, Capalbo and Soto exchanged vows at Woodbine Heights Baptist Church on Sunday. This time, Soto carried a bridal bouquet of real flowers, including purple coneflowers and phlox.
Initially, due to financial constraints, they had planned for a modest ceremony, but several posts in Facebook community groups sparked an outpouring of generosity that transformed their wedding beyond their expectations.
Strangers and neighbours — many of whom had never met the couple — rallied together to provide a wedding dress, sandwiches, a cake, professional makeup, a long table filled with dishes and treats and even wedding rings, which were handed to the pastor mere minutes before the ceremony began.
“I would have been happy with just this small ceremony, but the community has made this something truly astounding. I’m immensely grateful,” said the six-foot-10 Capalbo, wearing a black vest and blue shirt.
Capalbo said he had always wanted to marry Soto but was waiting until they had saved more money. Eventually, the couple realized they needed nothing more than each other.
Initially, due to financial constraints, Steven Capalbo had planned for a modest ceremony, but several posts in Facebook community groups sparked an outpouring of generosity that transformed their wedding beyond imagination.
Giovanni Capriotti for the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarThe Monday before the ceremony, Capalbo caught his mom, Ann Cordingley, off-guard by saying he wanted to get married on Sunday.
“He said we’re just gonna have cake, and the people from church,” Cordingley said. “You gotta have something more than that, some sort of lunch, so I’ll see what I can do.”
Cordingley, facing financial difficulties, posted on Facebook asking friends and family for help. Her post was spotted by friend Cindy Monk-Fuller, and founder of the non-profit group Community Angels ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, who then shared it across several other Facebook communities.
Within a few days, word spread quickly in the community: Monk-Fuller got busy updating the couple with their latest schedules, with appointments for hair, beard trimming, makeup and fittings. Someone even donated their points to get the couple a hotel for the night to celebrate.
“I never expected the outpouring, I just put the word out,” she said.
David Brown, owner of the restaurant Fearless Meat, said he didn’t hesitate when he received a call for help Friday morning and donated 40 specialty bacon sandwiches for the couple.
“I hope this will be an inspiration to other people out there to help,” he said. “There are so many people out there right now that are struggling, and anything we could do to help them out is a blessing.”
Christina Hotton, the owner of Celebrations Bakeshop, saw Monk-Fuller’s Facebook post on Friday afternoon and immediately decided to pitch in by making a vanilla cake with chocolate ganache inside.
“I just feel very strong moral responsibility to share what we have with other people,” Hotton said. “Even though we live independently, we have to be very aware of our community, and we can’t take anything ever for granted.”
At the ceremony, Pastor Bob Paterson-Watt — who first met Capalbo in 2009 — delivered a heartfelt blessing, laced with game-themed jokes that nodded to the couple’s unique journey.
“Some couples call for a far more formal experience … that was not what they wanted or needed. They needed to feel just the lightness and the delight of being together with people who love them,” Paterson-Watt said.
Steven Capalbo and Crystal Soto at their wedding party on Sunday.
Giovanni Capriotti for the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ StarSoto, 36, who travelled to Canada several times every year to visit Capalbo, said she is “completely overwhelmed” and moved by the kindness of the community and Capalbo’s family.
“They just wanted to make this day so special. It really is. I’m never gonna forget it,” she said, wearing a white dress adorned with floral lace sleeves.
Watching her son lock eyes with his bride and hold her hand tight, Cordingley said she was thrilled to see Capalbo become the first of her three sons to get married.
“I just love that he’s happy and they love each other. She loves him just as much as he loves her.”
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