Kayla Wallace & Isaiah Thomas
MARRIED & CELEBRATED: MoPop at Seattle Center
DATE: August 20, 2016
THE COUPLE: Isaiah Thomas, a NBA point guard for the Boston Celtics (and former University of Washington basketball star), and Kayla Wallace, who is studying to become a parent coach, went to high school together in Tacoma. Sweethearts, however, they were not. “In high school, you never date the younger guys,” Kayla says. By the time they both graduated from the University of Washington, however, the one-year age difference could no longer get in the way of happily ever after.
THE DESIGN: They loved the funky, nontraditional vibe of Seattle’s MoPOP (formerly known as the EMP), which became drenched in fun, glittering romance with the help of a giant gobo chandelier, mirrored tables, sparkling sequined linens, clear plastic mirage chairs, uplighting and flowers in a lush spectrum of purples, a nod to the coincidence of purple being Isaiah’s team color on three different basketball teams.
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT: When Isaiah first declared for the NBA draft, a filmmaker friend started to document his journey. What he inadvertently also documented over six years of filming was Kayla and Isaiah’s entire love story, including the moment Isaiah bought the engagement ring, Kayla’s pregnancy and the birth of their son. They showed it all in a seven-minute video on MoPOP’s giant screen. “For the people there who one of us didn’t know, it allowed them to see intimate sides of us that maybe they’d never seen before and really get to know us,” Kayla says.
TRADITIONS: With Isaiah standing at just 5 feet, 9 inches and Kayla at 5 feet, they used the hashtag #littlepeoplebiglove for their wedding celebration. They also honored Isaiah’s favorite snack with a late-night delivery of Chick-fil-A, with MoPOP staff even donning Chick-fil-A T-shirts and visors to serve the party crowd.
