She was a box of Sugar Babies; he was Dick in a Box. Later that night, they made out on the dance floor at Evil Olive in Wicker Park, and both of them knew it was something special. Three and a half years later, they became Jon and Jennifer Iwert.
Between the costumes and booze, Halloween is the chief holiday for acting like something you're not. Funny then, that as one of the biggest party nights of the year, it's also a great opportunity to meet people if you're single.
And, despite deliberate attempts to alter appearances and personality, true love can indeed be found.
For 26-year-old Jen Iwert, a senior financial analyst for US Cellular, it came at a party in 2008 wearing a polyester suit and a box strapped to its groin. Fortunately for Jon, she saw past the box.
"I think the mind-set definitely does change (on Halloween)," she said. "I see more flirting going on. The costumes act as two things in my opinion: a conversation starter and a means for an increase in confidence."
Although the details of their first encounter are a little--er, foggy--and he waited five days to finally ask her out, Jon recalled having no doubt in his mind in the days after that Jen might be the one.
"It's hard for me to remember that night exactly because I was pretty ripped, but I did walk into work on Monday morning and say 'I met the future Mrs. Iwert this weekend,' and I never said that before--ever," said Jon, a 28-year-old account executive at Aramark who lives in Wicker Park with Jen.
Not everyone's story is serendipitous, but Halloween usually makes a first encounter more memorable.
Alexandra Campione, 23, met her boyfriend Sam, 24, on Halloween 2010 when they were living in Orlando. She had kind of met him once before and encouraged their mutual friend to invite him to her party. She wasn't sure if he would come, but she carefully prepared in case.
"I kind of had an inkling he would be coming so I wanted to look cute and sexy but not too slutty and showing too much skin," Campione said. "So I decided to go as the classic schoolgirl, kind of inspired by the Britney Spears 'Baby One More Time' look with my own twist on it."
It was late into the party when Sam, now an assistant manager at Brasserie by LM in the South Loop, finally showed up---in a plaid shirt and black pants.
"I thought it was even more funny when he told me he didn't realize I was wearing a costume and he thought that's just what I wear," she said.
The two still managed to hit it off and moved to the South Loop together last year. That Halloween she got Sam to dress up as the Big Bad Wolf to her Little Red Riding Hood.
As much as wearing costumes can bring people together, so can general apathy for all the Halloween hoopla. George Panos, 25, of Mount Prospect, met his live-in 27-year-old girlfriend, Vicky, a teacher, on Halloween two years ago--on purpose.
The two had been messaging back and forth on match.com when they established that they didn't have--or care to have--any plans for Halloween night, a Sunday. So they decided it would be a great night to meet each other in person.
"She and I aren't big Halloween people to be perfectly honest," Panos said. "We both didn't like dressing up or anything like that."
They met at Yard House in Glenview for drinks and to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers, Panos' favorite football team. Sports has since remained one of their strongest common interests aside from not caring for Halloween; they will celebrate their two-year anniversary at the Bulls' home opener Halloween night.
"Instead of an actual holiday, we think about it as our anniversary instead," Panos said. "We look at it as we can dress up still, or we can do something for our anniversary."
For all these couples, Halloween has taken on a new sentimental value. This year, the Iwerts will be apart over Halloween weekend as Jen will be out of town visiting friends, but she'll be back in time for Wednesday.
"We will still be together on the actual date, and that is all that really matters," she said.
So for all the single trick-or-treaters this year, you never know who's out there and what pop-culture reference they might be hiding behind, but there's definitely a chance your Oct. 31 will never be the same again.
Steven Chaitman is a RedEye special contributor.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye's Facebook page.�
Source: http://www.redeyechicago.com/news/redeye-love-at-first-fright-20121026,0,2198391.story?track=rss
No comments:
Post a Comment