Instead of offering discounted pizza on Pi Day, a pizza shop in Federal Hill offered pop-up weddings. &pizza was able to make a couple's day extra special by bringing together their two loves, pizza and each other.
“We’re a pizza-loving family, yes we are,” said Ayana Green and Theodore Roebuch.
The snow pushed back the couple’s nuptials, scheduled on Tuesday for Pi Day, but their pizza wedding is still on.
“When I told people, I think a lot of people had to take a step back and say 'What?' A lot of questions like 'Wait a minute, you entered a contest and they're going to throw you a wedding?,” said Green.
Green and Roebuch didn't always plan on getting married in a pizza parlor, they were actually set to get hitched inside their home last August.
“A week before, we were at the mall just planning everything, getting everything ready for the wedding. Then on the 13th, at the time I was six months pregnant, and my water broke,” said Green.
Their daughter was born three and a half months early.
“When babies are premature, she was 2 pounds 3 ounces, you never know what's going to happen,” said Roebuch.
They put their wedding on hold until their daughter was nursed to full health and ready to be with them on their special day.
“That's what marriage is really about, uniting us together so I think that'll be great. We're happy. We have a six month old baby and a 12 year old daughter and now we're here, and now she's 10 pounds 13 ounces, so yah, we're very happy with the way things turned out,” Roebuch said.
This is the third year &pizza has transformed their D.C. stores into a pop-up wedding chapel. It’s the first year they brought the tradition to their Baltimore and Philadelphia locations.
Instead of an alter, the couples commit to one another in front of an ampersand.
“Our logo, our symbol, the ampersand is really special as well because to us, it really stands for inclusion, unity, community, connectedness and I can't think of any stronger connection than that of marriage,” said Sam Blum, Guest Experience Manager at &pizza.
He said their goal is to give every customer a personalized experience, some more lasting than others.
“This is the real deal! Yah, I got ordained and officiated my first ever wedding yesterday in D.C. Our training manager, Ken, is going to be officiating tonight, so we're all sort of getting involved with it. We're really pumped about it and we really take care of everything you want as far as a pizza-lover's wedding is concerned,” said Blum.
There will be flowers, photography, champagne, and of course, pizza.
“Pizza! Plenty of pizza and that makes me very happy. That makes me extremely happy. We're more into pizza than cake so that works,” said Green.
On Tuesday, seven couples were married at &pizza locations in D.C. In Baltimore, there will be one wedding and one vow renewal Wednesday evening.
