http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/1781392,CST-NWS-wed21.articleBride draws up winning wedding play
HIKE! | Bears fan orchestrates marriage to Steelers groom before NFL matchup
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September 21, 2009
BY MARY HOULIHAN Staff Reporter
mhoulihan@suntimes.com Let's get one thing straight right from the beginning about the football-themed wedding Sunday morning at ESPN Zone: It was all the bride's idea.
"I know people are going to think this was forced on me," Lindsay Huetson said, laughing. "We were spinning around ideas for a casual, fun wedding, and this just popped into my head."
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Lindsay Huetson and Shawn Kelley are outside ESPN Zone after the ceremony.
(Al Podgorski/Sun-Times)
Huetson, who grew up in Rockford and is a Bears fan, and Shawn Kelley, who grew up in Pittsburgh and is a Steelers fan, have divided loyalties when it comes to football. But when they saw the teams were playing the Bears home opener, it seemed the perfect time for a wedding.
The couple from Sylvania, Ohio, wore the jerseys of their favorite players (the Bears' Devin Hester and the Steelers' Troy Polamalu) and team caps as they said their vows before a backdrop of television screens and sports paraphernalia.
The bridesmaids wore pink Bears' jerseys, and the groomsmen wore jerseys from their favorite teams (49ers, Bengals, Cowboys).
"This is the first wedding I've been in where I get to be comfortable," said bridesmaid Jackie Kelly. "Leave it to Lindsay to do something different and interesting."
The "Monday Night Football" theme played while the bride walked the short aisle escorted by her father-in-law, Tom Kelley.
Officiating was Michelle L. Oxman, who spliced football references into the short ceremony.
"Will you give up your status as a free agent and make the welfare of this team your highest priority?" she asked.
After the ceremony, the couple, who have been together for seven years, hugged their children Christopher, 7, and Kimber, 6, as family and friends offered congratulations.
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time," said the groom's mother, Linnie. "It was perfect."
According to Randy Hajduk, sales manager at ESPN Zone, this was the first wedding at the downtown establishment.
"We'd love to see it become a trend," Hajduk said. "But I'm not sure many wives would agree to this."
After brunch at ESPN Zone, the couple headed over to Soldier Field in a chance they could land tickets to the game. Hopes weren't high, but they both wanted to give it a try.
"I'm just lucky to have a wife who loves football," Kelley, 36, said, smiling. "And she even roots for the Steelers when they're not playing the Bears."
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