How Skype became the link between two college sweethearts
25/10/2021 | Skype Blogs | Skype wedding
As newlyweds James and Naya discovered, when you can’t physically be together, connecting via Skype is the next best thing.
“The Skype calling tune is something that brings joy every time I hear it,” James says, “because it brings me back to days when I would hear those sounds and run to my computer to see Naya.”
After nurturing their relationship with endless hours of video calls, the two long-distance love birds were married in Phoenix, Arizona in early October. The couple were wed in a traditional Nigerian ceremony called the Igbankwu, paying homage to Naya’s heritage as part of Nigeria’s Igbo tribe — and live-streaming their wedding (over Skype, of course) for hundreds of wedding guests on the other side of the world.
As the happy couple tells it, their story began in 2015 when they met as students at Arizona State. Naya’s sorority sister asked her to show her cousin, James, around campus in preparation for his first spring semester, but their first meeting didn’t exactly go as planned.
After driving to the wrong apartment building, James was late meeting Naya for his campus tour — but as he explains, all was forgiven when he finally showed up: “He looked much better than in pictures,” she says.
James’s take on the story is, well, a bit more dramatic: “Once we locked eyes, all was forgiven and we haven’t been able to take our eyes off each other since,” he adds.
Two years into their relationship, Naya moved to San Francisco for dental school and the duo suddenly found themselves locked in a long-distance romance that would end up stretching on for six long years
They quickly settled on Skype as the best way to stay connected: “We did everything together on Skype,” Naya says. “We watched movies and tv shows, syncing them together so we would start and stop at the same time. We would talk about our days, we would cook, we would study together. We would shop together using screen sharing, and we would even fall asleep together over Skype.”
At the couples’ peak of usage, they’d hang out together on Skype for nearly the entire weekend, chatting, laughing, or simply enjoying each other’s presence while they studied or slept.
“Skype helped us be with each other in a more focused way than just a phone call,” James explains. “It’s very easy to get distracted during a phone call because it becomes just a voice in your ear. Skype was a necessity for the success of our relationship.”
The newlyweds are thrilled to begin their life together without the necessity for all those video calls, but they say they’re grateful for the role Skype played in nurturing their relationship. “In times of uncertainty, applications like Skype are essential when you are apart from those you care about the most,” Naya says.
Whether you’re in a long-distance romance or planning your own virtual wedding, the Skype team has been working overtime to ensure you can treasure every moment together. With rendering performance for large calls now 50% faster, James and Naya’s wedding ceremony went off without a hitch — and with Skype onboarding now clocking in 8 seconds faster, all their guests were able to take their virtual seats in record time.
Check out this video chronicling James and Naya’s long-distance romance and their Skype wedding:
Locked in your own long-distance romance? Try these tips for making the most of your time together via Skype:
- Together Mode can transport you both to an island paradise or a cozy living room, making it feel like you’re in the room together.
- Can’t wait another moment to see your sweetie? Use Meet Now to generate a video call with just one click and get to chatting. Thanks to Skype’s recent performance improvements, joining a call now takes no more than 4 seconds.
- Set the vibe for date night (and hide your messy living room) with Background Replace.
- With Skype’s screen sharing, you can shop online together, look at photos of the last time you were together, or bond over silly memes.
