Kansas City Chiefs fans marry as beloved team wins Super Bowl: 'And we all came home with rings'
Despite the immense importance of any couple’s wedding day, one pair recently decided to share it with an entire football team — the Kansas City Chiefs, whose winning of Super Bowl LIV, over the San Francisco 49ers, turned out to be the icing on the cake.
“The pictures and video could only capture the moments, but it was the most emotionally draining night of my life,” Rob Walkowiak tells Yahoo Lifestyle of his marriage to now-wife Nikki. Both are diehard Chiefs fans. “I cried, I laughed, I screamed until I was hoarse,” he adds. “The day and night went perfectly.”
The couple met four years ago on a dating site, and once Rob proposed on their three-year anniversary, Nikki immediately began planning the wedding, buying a dress less than a week later, and zeroing in on a special date.
“At first, we looked at 5/10/20, just because we thought it was neat, but realized it was Mother's Day,” explains Nikki. “So then Rob threw out 02/02/2020, [which is the] same forward and backward, and we knew it was perfect. Once we realized it was Super Bowl Sunday, we thought, well who wouldn't want to come to a pre-planned, pre-paid Super Bowl party, especially if the Kansas City Chiefs were in it?”
Though the wedding theme wound up being more of a vintage-Hollywood/Great Gatsby-glam vibe, there were plenty of nods to the couple’s pro-Chiefs spirit — including, among the feather-and-pearl centerpieces and crystal chandelier, red wall sconces, a goal post, and posters of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Nikki and Rob also asked guests to wear red and to bring their team gear to wear after the ceremony.
“I had one friend buy a Chiefs dinner jacket that he proudly wore throughout the wedding, and one of the female guest wore her jersey over her skirt,” Nikki says. “Everybody looked amazing!”
After the ceremony came the highly anticipated Super Bowl party, during which the couple’s love for their favorite team shone through even more. And watching the face-off with family and friends was an exciting treat, since they’d not been able to attend many home games due to saving up for their wedding.
“I was more nervous about the game than the wedding,” Rob admits, “but...I just wanted everybody in attendance to have a great and memorable time, which they did. It was the best party I've ever been to, or hosted!”
Both Nikki and Rob agreed that no matter the outcome of the big game, there was nothing more exciting than making the vow to spend the rest of their lives together.
“We've waiting our whole lives to see the Chiefs win and I waited four years to marry this amazing man, and we got everything we wanted all wrapped up in one of the most amazing days ever,” Nikki said. “And we all came home with rings.”
The couple, of course, plans to attend the parade for the Chiefs that will take place in Kansas City, Mo. on Wednesday — but will then jet off to Europe for their honeymoon.
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