004_04 - Love at First Sight...
Though most couples can remember when they first met, few have actual photos of the event.

My wife, Rachel, and I met at a convention when we were both in costume. I was dressed in my Blue Fox costume, and she was in a black panther suit, dubbed "Panthres". This photo was taken the first time we saw each other in costume. (I had seen her costume earlier while working a dealers table.)

Though we didn't see our faces, we did see an attraction. I was impressed with her skill in costume. Having worked at Disneyland for many years, I found most amateur costume folks to be little more than walking coat racks. Rachel displayed a natural flair for pantomime, physical expression and improvisational skills.

She found my comments, made later after we were out of our suits, flattering. She was also intrigued that someone was that committed to performance in a costume. Shortly afterwards, she asked me to assist in developing a dance routine for a costume show. We won first prize. We soon found ourselves spending more and more time together in a variety of different suits.

After a few years, I proposed and she accepted. We were married in costume, and have done several professional gigs together.

(The original costumes we met in are now long gone. The Blue Fox was sold and has been updated by its new owner. The "Panthres" was sold to a European performer.)