Love and Basketball

Seventy-six sneaker-clad couples made the ultimate pledge of love as they took their vows on the hardwood at halftime of the Sixers-Magic game on Valentine’s Day. The wide array of couples dressed in everything from sweat suits to tuxedoes and gowns. From beginning to end, the night was far from the conventional wedding.

This marks the sixth season that the Sixers have hosted their successful Halftime Wedding. In 1997, more than 50 couples took part in the ceremony at the Sixers-Nuggets game on Feb. 16, and in 1998, 76 couples participated at the Sixers-Nets game. In 2001, the 76ers married one special couple at halftime of the 76ers-Lakers game on Feb. 14. Last year once again saw 76 pairs marry or renew their vows on center court.

Bob Eubanks, the host of the “Newlywed Game” television show from 1968-73, returned for his fourth year as the official witness of the ceremonies. Philadelphia’s Honorable Ronald B. Merriweather officiated the Halftime Wedding ceremony.

When the couples arrived at the First Union Center, they checked in and were escorted to a reserved area in the balcony level. There, they were given boutonnieres and a bouquet and posed for a wedding portrait. They then enjoyed the first quarter of the game while feasting on snacks and beverages.

During the second quarter, the couples made their way down to the event level, where they waited in the hallway for the first half to end. Upon the completion of the first stanza of play, members of the Sixers’ dance team escorted the 76 couples –39 first-timers and 37 pairs renewing their vows – onto the court. Once on the floor, the men and women said their “I Do’s” as Merriweather officially wed them before the teams returned to the floor.

Nicole Chattley and Paul Maiers, of Willow Grove, Pa., knew this wouldn’t be a traditional wedding and wanted to dress accordingly.

“We didn’t want to wear a gown and tux because we aren’t gown and tux people. So I said, ‘Why don’t we get jerseys?’”

Nicole and Paul ordered custom-made 76ers jerseys especially for the evening. Following the traditional matrimonial color scheme, the bride was dressed in home white and the groom wore the Sixers’ away black jersey. Their jerseys, fittingly, said “bride” and “groom” above the numbers on the back.

Other couples, like Elizabeth and William Betts of Philadelphia, were already married and chose to renew their vows at halftime. The Betts’ case was unique. In 1998, they were one of 76 couples to be wed at the Sixers-Nets game. They celebrated their fifth anniversary by renewing their vows this year.

Betts heard a radio advertisement for the event and immediately knew how he wanted to celebrate his marriage. Elizabeth submitted a letter to the 76ers and applied to be one of the lucky couples.

“It was different, it was quick and it was nice,” Elizabeth explained.

“We couldn’t decide on a wedding, like church or no church, stuff like that,” Nicole said. “Then we saw this last year, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is exactly what we want!’”

For 76 lucky couples, it actually was a dream-come-true. They spent Valentine’s Day in the City of Brotherly Love, combining their love for the 76ers with their love for one-another. And how many people can say more than 20,000 people attended their wedding?