NEED TO KNOW
- Milwaukee couple Sam and Emily Pankow turned their Oct. 24 wedding reception into a World Series watch party
- They and their guests celebrated and watched Game 2 on a big screen set up on the dance floor as the Brewers faced the Rays
- Former Brewers pitcher Corey Knebel made a surprise appearance
Milwaukee couple Sam and Emily Pankow booked their wedding date a year ago — but as the big day neared, they were thrown an unexpected curveball. Their beloved baseball team, the Brewers, made it to the World Series.
Knowing that Game 2 would be taking place during their wedding reception on Saturday, Oct. 24, they decided to pivot. “We were like, ‘Okay, we have to cover our bases,’ ” Sam said while speaking with TMJ4 News. “We knew the game would be involved in some way — it had to be.”
They turned their reception into a watch party, setting up a large screen on the dance floor so everyone could catch the Brewers as they faced off against the Tampa Rays. Guests showed their team spirit by wearing Brewers jerseys, and former Brewers pitcher Corey Knebel made a surprise appearance.
When the Brewers beat the Rays, 5-4, the DJ played Bruce Springsteen‘s “Glory Days.”
Sam and Emily’s passion for baseball has been at the heart of their love story since the beginning. Emily told TMJ4 News that Sam asked her to be his girlfriend on the Brewers’ opening day three years ago. They also both attended Brewers games regularly as kids.
Emily also spent six seasons working for the team, including making appearances as mascots and participating in the Brewers’ famous Racing the Sausages event, which takes place during the sixth inning of every home game.
Several of Emily’s former Brewers colleagues were in attendance at the wedding on Saturday.
“The Brew Crew shows up strong. We’re all still really good friends,” she said.
The Brewers’ World Series run not only changed Emily and Sam’s wedding plans, but their honeymoon plans as well.
They told TMJ4 News that they’ve decided to head to Tampa, Fla., for Game 5.
“We got this sort of crazy idea before the Rays even clinched: What if we went to a game in Tampa? So we switched our whole itinerary and bought tickets to Game 5,” they said.
And if the Brewers manage to win the series before then, they will still enjoy their trip to the Sunshine State — and have even more to celebrate.
Game 3 will take place on Monday night, Oct. 26. The Brewers are leading the series 2-0.
Read the original article on People