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Updated Mar 06, 2025What Is a Football Wedding? 12 Ideas to Incorporate It
With the right decor and details, there's no way you'll fumble a football wedding.
If there's nothing you and your spouse love more than game day, you might want to throw a football wedding. Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like—a football wedding theme for your nuptials. While it stems from an 80-year-old Italian-American tradition that involved throwing subs around like footballs, football weddings today look more like a wedding cake with your college logo or footballs as centerpieces. They're among the more different wedding theme ideas, and they bring fun and excitement—especially in the south where college game days are essentially holidays. From game-day-inspired wedding photos to football decor ideas, we've got loads of inspo for your football wedding.
In this article:
What Is the Italian Football Wedding Tradition?
There are many wedding traditions around the world and football weddings are one of them. They stem from an Italian-American tradition in New York 80 years ago. Back then, only wealthy families could afford catered weddings, while working-class couples hosted informal parties at home or in a casual hall. They would serve premade meat and cheese sandwiches wrapped in wax paper as part of the football wedding meal.
During the reception, guests could yell out the sandwich they wanted to eat to a designated quarterback (typically a relative or friend) manning the table they were stacked on. They would hurl the sub, much like a football, across the room to the receiver (the guest) who would have to catch it before someone else intercepted it. The tossing would happen all throughout the night, and thus, the term "football wedding" came to fruition.
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Football Wedding Ideas
The football wedding tradition is a little out of fashion at this point, but that doesn't mean you can't bring it back to life—or incorporate other football-themed ideas and wedding games into your day. Here are a dozen ideas to spark some football inspiration for the kind of wedding you want.
Tailgate Dessert Table
We love the way this cake is set up like a tailgate, with the bed of a truck, cooler and all the works! Whether you're doing a classic cake or dessert spread, this is one creative way to display it.
Football Guest Book
For a creative guest book, let guests leave a message and their autograph on a football. You can put it in a display case on the mantle as a memento of your wedding day.
Football Mum Wedding Bouquet
Think outside of the box when it comes to football details—like incorporating football mum flowers into your wedding bouquet. This one pairs with dusty miller, succulents and eucalyptus in rich hues for some deep and moody vibes.
Football Centerpiece
Of all the wedding centerpiece ideas, we love using a football for the game-day lovers. You can always add flowers on top—in your team's colors, of course—to bring in more traditional centerpiece vibes.
Football Field Wedding
These Indianapolis Colts fans got married on the 50-yard line of the team's home field—a great way to really bring the football theme to life. You can find unique sports venues like the M&T Bank Stadium and Ripken Stadium by searching The Knot Vendor Marketplace and entering your location before filtering by various venue types.
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Football Themed Table Numbers
We love how this couple made table numbers out of a vintage Penn State football calendar—easy, affordable and on theme for a football wedding. It's a creative wedding table number idea that adds a fun, nostalgic touch.
Mascot on the Dance Floor
College football lovers can bring their love for the game into the wedding with university paraphernalia like a mascot head to pass around on the dance floor or photo booth props.
Football Wedding Exit
Adding a football and tinsel confetti to your football-themed wedding reception exit will make it feel as though you've just won the game—and you have, if you consider your new spouse on your arm.
Football Field Seating Chart
Try a football-themed wedding seating chart to add big game-day vibes. Each table is named after a different team, with the guests listed as the players, set up on a background that looks like a football field. If that's not your vibe, check out these wedding seating chart ideas.
Football-Themed Wedding Cake
This football-inspired cake goes all out with a miniature football field and chocolate-covered strawberries decorated like mini footballs. We love it for a groom's cake idea or for newlyweds who met at college. Complete the confection with a coordinating wedding cake topper.
University Ice Sculpture
Throw it back to your college game days with a university-inspired ice sculpture that houses your signature cocktail drink. Line up shot glasses with your university team's logo in front of it for some football-themed wedding favors.
Football Themed Wedding Programs
From football-themed wedding invitations to football-themed wedding programs, don't forget your paper goods! Icon silhouettes of players, varsity fonts and yard line details on programs and invites can help set the tone for your wedding. You can find a range of wedding invites that fit the theme by browsing The Knot Invitations.
Weddings During Football Season Considerations
Game day can be a serious matter for football enthusiasts (as you likely know firsthand if you're planning a football-themed wedding!). If you're going to carry out the theme to the max and have your wedding during football season, there are a few things to consider.
Saturdays are typically game days for college football. So if you want to stick with the traditional Saturday wedding day, it's best to expect some football-loving guests to RSVP "no" if there's a big game that day. You can always host on a Friday night or Sunday, but the latter will coincide with NFL game days.
If not, think about ways to incorporate the game into your wedding day—and how to set boundaries so it doesn't distract from the day. For example, you may want to implement a no-screens rule if the game coincides with your ceremony to prevent guests from taking out their phones and watching it.
During the reception, consider having a game day screen near the bar where guests—and you—can keep an eye on the game. Just be mindful that this may keep people away from the dance floor, so you might want to keep the game on mute to limit engagement and let the music fuel the vibes. You can also ask the band or DJ to provide a score update every time there's a big play.
