PHOTOS: Dallas Mavs fans get married during halftime of game

“From Central Arkansas, starting at the bride position, please welcome Ellyn Payet.”

The Dallas Mavericks hosted a full-fledged wedding during halftime of Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A symphony was even on hand to play for the processional and the first dance.

Love was truly in the air!

The wedding was unprecedented, sure, but so was the fact that Mavs personnel pulled off the feat and paced the ceremony in a way that felt very normal. Nearly the entire arena stayed in their seats and on their feet to watch the wedding.

It was the first halftime wedding for the Mavs since 2005. A few other NBA weddings have taken place throughout the years.

The groom, Reid Malone, is a longtime fan of the Dallas Mavericks, and he proposed to his girlfriend, Ellyn Nicole Piatt, in December 2021 at the game.

The footage and photos of that engagement gained national traction thanks to Luka Doncic’s reaction to the proposal. The pair decided that getting married on the American Airlines Center court would be a magical chapter to their love story.

“I’m ready, I’m ready,” Malone told Mavs.com in the tunnel before he saw his bride. His mother, decked out in sparkling Mavs blue, took in the moment near his side.

The groomsmen wore blue suits with green ties to match the Mavs City Edition court and colors.

Mavericks play-by-play announcer Mark Followill, an ordained minister, officiated the ceremony.

“This is my second wedding,” Followill said before the game with a big smile. He really is a man of many trades. He was thrilled for the couple.

The lights were dimmed during halftime, and the groom waited on the court for his bride to appear from the same tunnel players use for games. The theme of basketball was used all throughout the ceremony.

Piatt donned an elegant dress that was fit for a queen.

After the two completed their marriage ceremony, the couple received a thunderous ovation as the groom was told to kiss the bride.

“Reid and Ellyn will now exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other,” according to the officiant. “It is the seal of the vows you have just taken to love each other without end.”

The vows were then repeated, and the marriage was pronounced official.

Seeing the bride, Piatt, walk down the court was breathtaking. She wore an elegant wedding gown that flowed like a train, and the light cast down to make the Mavs’ logo sparkle. The families sat in chairs at center court to watch the ceremony.

The Mavs have experience with this sort of thing. The team has hosted a few ceremonies during the last couple of years to honor Dirk Nowitzki, and the mood was upbeat and enjoyable. Fans posted their reactions on social media and recognized what an incredible moment it was to see live.

The Dallas Mavericks have been an important part of the couple’s journey and sealing the deal on the team’s court felt like the right move. It worked.

After the newlyweds danced to their first song, Reid and Ellyn received a special message from Dallas Mavs center JaVale McGee, and the couple received $7,000 from Chime for their honeymoon fund. Chime is the official jersey patch sponsor of the Dallas Mavericks.

“By the power vested in me and with 20,000…as witnesses, it’s my delight to declare you husband and wife,” Followill announced. The crowd went wild.

Is this the start of ring season? Mavs fans sure hope so.