Photos courtesy ESPN

The Ultimate Sports Theme Wedding

A growing number of couples are opting for theme weddings to showcase their shared interests; one lucky couple had the opportunity on May 26, 2006 to not only highlight their shared interest—sports—but to share their joy with the world.

Catherine Bennett and Jason West of Jupiter, Florida were among 496 couples who submitted entries to win the "Ultimate Sports Wedding," the grand prize for ESPN Radio's “Mike & Mike in the Morning Marriage Madness” promotion. They made it to the Sweetheart 16, then listeners and viewers (co-hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic are heard from 6-10 a.m.ET and simulcast on ESPN2 Monday-Friday) voted for the winner. The wedding was held at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.

It was a dream come true for this sports-loving couple. According to the groom, “We are living the sports dream. We are sports fanatics who watch Sports Center 24/7. In fact, we fall asleep to Sports Center, which is how we found out about this contest. We were already planning a sports-themed wedding as we were trying to schedule our wedding around Florida’s annual blue and orange spring game. When that fell through we were waiting for a sign about what else to plan and we literally woke up one morning to the sound of Mike and Mike talking about the contest.”

The wedding was themed in blue and orange after their alma mater, the University of Florida and included an array of special features:

• The Gin Blossoms performed before the wedding and at the reception

• Dr. Jon Wuerffel, father of 1996 University of Florida Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, presided over the ceremony

• Albert & Alberta, the University of Florida mascots served as ring bearer and flower girl

• Price Chopper put together extravagant floral arrangements all in line with the sports theme including cut up footballs and basketballs being used as vases.

The reception was a tailgate style event complete with nachos, pretzels, a hot dog cart, and a BBQ with burgers and sausages.

After the wedding, it was off on a “High-speed Honeymoon” at the Indianapolis 500. In Indianapolis, Catherine and Jason were given VIP treatment with a police escort, red carpets and a lap around the track.

About Catherine & Jason

Catherine & Jason met at a Florida Gators’ tailgate and hit it off immediately. However, the first obstacle was he lived in Florida and she in Atlanta, so the long distance game was in play. After nine months, meeting for any sporting event possible, they decided to make Florida home base. At that point they faced possibly their toughest opponent; Catherine was diagnosed with breast cancer. Being the avid fans they are they planned her surgeries around the Gators’ schedule.

They got engaged in Gainesville, minutes before a Florida/Florida State game. Jason hired a plane to fly a banner over “The Swamp” that read, “Marry Me Catherine -- I Love You, Jason -- GO GATORS!”

Their greatest victory came in November of 2004 when Catherine had surgery to remove the cancerous cells. With the long distance relationship and breast cancer in their wake, Catherine & Jason are getting married on May 26, 2006 – Catherine’s 37th birthday.