{"id":222600,"date":"2026-04-07T22:22:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T22:22:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/222600\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T22:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T22:22:09","slug":"st-pete-couple-customizes-rays-unis-for-wedding-date-celebrates-13-years-to-the-day-at-trop-reopening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/222600\/","title":{"rendered":"St. Pete couple customizes Rays unis for wedding date, celebrates 13 years to the day at Trop reopening"},"content":{"rendered":"

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April 6th, 2026, the day Tropicana Field finally reopened, was a big day for anyone who follows and cheers for the Tampa Bay Rays. For one St. Pete couple, watching the Rays take down the Chicago Cubs in the first game at The Trop since the 2024 hurricanes held a little extra meaning.<\/p>\n

LeeAnn and William Backer got married 13 years ago, and because attending Rays games at Tropicana Field was a big part of how they first fell in love, they announced their upcoming wedding in proper attire. The couple had custom Rays jerseys made to use in pictures for their Save the Date announcement. The name and number on the back of LeeAnn\u2019s jersey: SAVE, #4. On William\u2019s: THE DATE, #6.<\/p>\n

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On 4\/6\/2013, the couple said I do. On 4\/6\/2026, wearing the same save-the-date uniforms 13 years later, they arrived at the Rays\u2019 home opener in more appropriate fashion than perhaps anyone else at the stadium. Passersby likely assumed the couple had the jerseys made for this special occasion, as St. Pete celebrated the resilience of not just its baseball stadium, but its people and community bond. And certainly, the Backers appreciated the extra meaning this year.<\/p>\n

For LeeAnn and William, the return was personal in many ways. As Rays fans, of course. As a perfect anniversary night celebration, too. However, like those who live in St. Pete and throughout Tampa Bay, they had gone through the same trials as the stadium itself. The Backers live in Flood Zone A in St. Pete. Like so many others in the fall of 2024, they evacuated for each of the back-to-back hurricanes. Like all of us who were tuned in to the coverage that night, and who passed by a roofless Tropicana Field for 15 months, 4\/6 was more than just a fun day at the ballpark. It symbolized the recovery of our city and our community.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring Milton, we sat in our Airbnb in Atlanta and watched the live news coverage of the roof being ripped off the Trop,\u201d LeeAnn said. \u201cWe felt so much heartbreak, not just because of the Trop, but to watch the city we\u2019ve loved our whole lives being torn apart. So returning to the Trop yesterday was a healing moment for us, the team, and the Tampa Bay area. We felt so much pride to see how our city came together and recovered.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nThe Backers at Tampa Bay Rays games throughout the years, including the 2026 home opener (left). Photos courtesy LeeAnn and William Backer<\/p>\n

Monday night was a love letter to St. Pete and Tampa Bay. It was also a fitting and beautiful chapter in the love story of the local couple. They\u2019ve supported the Rays for decades, and whether the club knows it or not, they\u2019ve been supporting that St. Pete love story the whole way through.<\/p>\n

LeeAnn is a born and raised St. Petian, so she has, of course, always cheered for the Rays. When she met William in 2010, however, that fandom took its next step. While they were both falling in love with each other, he was also helping her fall in love with baseball. Rays games became regular date nights. In the years since meeting, the only home opener they can recall missing was in 2013. In their defense, they had wedding plans that year.<\/p>\n

Baseball became one of their pastimes, so naturally, it became part of their engagement and wedding, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were looking for a unique way to inform our family and friends of our wedding date, and given the Rays have been such a big part of our journey, we knew we wanted to include them somehow,\u201d LeeAnn said. \u201cIt was my husband\u2019s idea to have the personalized jerseys made for the photo. And we love wearing them every year on 4\/6!\u201d<\/p>\n

The anniversary is special every year. And while we hope each year is even better than the one before, it\u2019s hard to imagine that 4\/6\/2026 wasn\u2019t one of the best ones yet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t have imagined a better way to celebrate our marriage,\u201d LeeAnn said. \u201cAt the Trop, back home where we belong. Being there is always a reminder of the many years of memories we\u2019ve made there together, and the future memories we will share there.\u201d<\/p>\n

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