Gtech Community Stadium Hosts its First Wedding
Two lifelong Brentford season ticket holders tie the knot
Reese and Rachel had their wedding photos taken pitchside. Picture: Brentford FC
September 8, 2024
The first ever wedding reception has been hosted at Brentford FC’s stadium and, fittingly, it was two lifelong supporters of the club getting married.
Bride and groom Rachel Murphy and Reece Nunes, both season ticket holders, had a Bees theme to their event.
Reece, who grew up near the ground in Distillery Walk said, "My dad took my brother and me to Griffin Park when we were younger. We used to go every Saturday with my friends. And then for my dad's 50th, we bought season tickets 10 years ago, and we've been going ever since."
Rachel's father was the head groundsman at the club's previous stadium Griffin Park, and he would frequently bring her to the ground when she was a baby. Since she was 14, she's had a season ticket and would watch Brentford play with her father and uncle.
The couple met eight years ago when out in a pub in Twickenham with mutual friends. Chatting about their plans for the weekend, they learnt that they were both season ticket holders.
The Gtech Community Stadium wasn’t the couple’s first choice for their wedding reception. They had been planning the event for three years but, with just a month to spare, the original venue ceased trading. They drew up a list of emergency options including the stadium, but it was an easy choice.
Reece was immediately convinced that the stadium would be their reception venue after he visited, "When I walked in, I was in love with the place. And then to have it at Brentford as well was perfect."
Just eight days after their original plans fell through, they were booked into the Railway, a hospitality lounge in the stadium used by premium seat holders on matchdays.
A Brentford-themed celebration was part of the original plans, from their guests being seated on tables named after Bees players to a cake topper with Reece wearing a Brentford shirt, and the conference and events team at the Gtech were only too happy to put these into action.
Reese is wearing a Brentford shirt under his wedding suit on the birthday cake. Picture: Brentford FC
The couple had their wedding photos take pitchside along with family and friends. There were also a number of surprises in the form of video messages from Brentford head coach Thomas Frank and goalkeeper Mark Flekken and an additional wedding guest in the form of club legend and Bees club ambassador Marcus Gayle.
Club legend Marcus Gayle was a surprise guest at the wedding. Picture: Brentford FC
Despite now being husband and wife, they've maintained their regular seats and stands. Rachel explained, "We still stick to the traditions. We travel together. My dad, Reece's brother, and I normally meet at One Over the Ait. We will walk up to the ground together, my dad and I will go one way, and Reece will go the other. After full-time, we'll come back together.”
She adds that the wedding has made the stadium somewhere even more special for them and they’ll remember their wedding day at every match they attend.
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