Crossing Broad
No other city can match Philly’s love for the Birds.
And love was indeed in the air during the Week 6 Eagles/Browns matchup, but not just for the football team.
Jeff and Monica Vasquez got married in Lot P at a tailgate wedding. Clips of the ceremony, the white carpet in the middle of the lot, and the massive crowds it attracted circled all throughout social media that day. A true display of how passionate Philly fans are. I sat down with Jeff and Monica last week to talk about this viral Philly wedding, and get a deeper look into its backstory:
@noshortsusaGo Birds! Thanks to Jeff and Monica Vasquez for taking the time to talk to me #philly #eagles
Whose idea was it to have a tailgate wedding?
Even though Monica is from New York and never grew up a sports fan, it was her idea to host a tailgate wedding. She knew it was the best way to get Jeff very involved in the wedding planning.
Did they expect this to go viral?
“I hoped” Jeff says.
Did security give them any issues?
Yes, the parking lot security was not keen on allowing them to take up so many spots. Jeff said he had offered to pay for all of the spots they took up, but security wanted physical cars in the lot. After a lot of back and forth, they agreed to allow them to host the wedding, although they needed to take down the aisle, seating, and wedding arch by 1 p.m.
Did a lot of random people show up to the wedding?
Yes, in addition to all the friends and family, many random tailgaters and passersby attended.
Not only was the wedding a unique event, Jeff and Monica have a sweet story. He grew up in West Chester, watching the Eagles practice at West Chester University as a kid. Bleeding green from day one. Monica, on the other hand, is from New York and did not really grow up a sports fan. After meeting Jeff, she began attending his tailgates he would host for Eagles games.
“He’s never taken anyone really to tailgates, and he started taking me,” says Monica.
Monica pretty quickly fell in love with Jeff and Eagles culture, and about a year ago they decided to get married. It was definitely a bit of a shock for some relatives.
“You’re crazy,” is what her family told her, Monica says.
“Her side of the family is ‘you’re crazy’. My side of the family, they were more worried about the logistics of it. About missing, about the parking lot being full and them not being able to get in.”
Nonetheless, after months of planning, leaving for Philly around 4 a.m., and some small disputes with the parking security, Jeff and Monica got married.
“Everyone enjoyed it, and now my family says they’re going to be crashing...
