Pasco couple and fierce NFL fans become teammates for life

The Sept. 24 wedding of Pasco couple Raymond Bennett and Kimberly Welch might have been bigger than Super Bowl Sunday.

The backyard of Welch’s father’s home in west Pasco was transformed into a scene right out of a football stadium. The grass was spray-painted to look like a football field. Fans of the happy couple packed into the seats, and the bridesmaids held footballs instead of flowers. Flower girls carried helmets and wore tutus with their NFL jerseys.

Bennett and Welch were married by friend Harold Priest, who wore a referee’s outfit.

When Priest asked if there were any objections, Welch’s father, Duane, threw a red flag in response. Priest conferred with the sideline ref — Bennett’s 8-year-old son, Jaxxon — and they overruled the objection. Bennett then kicked the flag off the field.

When it was time for the vows, the best man and maid of honor were called to the center for a coin toss to see who would read them first. Welch won.

Welch, 34, wore a Seattle Seahawks jersey as part of her wedding dress, and Bennett, 31, had on a Denver Broncos jersey. Their jersey numbers — Welch’s No. 9 and Bennett’s No. 24 — represented their wedding date.

They sealed the deal with some beer, signaling that their wedding and reception would indeed be the “biggest tailgate party of 2016.”

“Football season is the best six months out of the year, but I guess today, my wedding day, is the best day of the year,” Bennett said.

This story was originally published September 24, 2016 at 7:22 PM with the headline "Pasco couple and fierce NFL fans become teammates for life."