Pendergraft-Zuckerman union shows the value of teamwork

Marriage, it could be said, is a team sport. Two people work together, each taking turns being coach, champion, cheerleader and teammate. With that in mind, Lauren Zuckerman and David Pendergraft tied the knot in the perfect arena. The former Gonzaga University athletes - David was a star player on the basketball team and Lauren played soccer - turned the McCarthey Athletic Center into an intimate wedding chapel for their Aug. 7 ceremony. “We met at Gonzaga University midway through our freshman year, 2004,” Lauren recalls. “We met in our athletic academic center when David rudely interrupted my meeting with the academic coordinator and introduced himself as ‘Jake.’ Great start.” Their friendship deepened until they “decided to date” May of the next year. “On 5-5-05 and, no, we didn’t know it was Cinco de Mayo,” she says. It may not have been love at first sight, but their relationship has a solid foundation. “David says he knew I was someone he could see himself with for the rest of his life when we starting dating,” Lauren says. “He proved that to me on our wedding day when he gave me a collection of items from our first trip to San Francisco framed with a picture of us together.” Lauren didn’t keep any souvenirs, but she knew the relationship had possibilities. “From the beginning of our friendship I knew he was ‘husband material,’” Lauren says. “I think we both knew we were going to get married eventually, but it wasn’t until we both graduated and started our careers that we knew it was the right time.” After dating for five years, the couple feel they’ve got a handle on getting along for the rest of their lives. “We truly are best friends and no matter what we do, we enjoy doing it with each other,” Lauren says. “I got David - a boy from Brewster, Wash.,- starting to eat and enjoy sushi, and he has a California girl waking up at 6 a.m. to fish.” With the big lights dimmed, chairs and tables on the court and a tall wedding cake in the corner, one could easily forget that just a few months before the arena had been packed with screaming fans and sweaty players. Theirs was the first wedding held in the arena. “I wanted a venue that could do both the ceremony and the reception, which really limited our choices,” she said. “I began thinking of unique places and, obviously with Gonzaga being very close to both our hearts, McCarthey Athletic Center seemed to make sense,” The only problem was that there had never been a wedding there before. “Luckily for us the Athletic Department at Gonzaga was very gracious and made an exception for us,” she said. On the day of the ceremony, the pair walked calmly up to a platform as guests sat at tables covered by crisp white tablecloths. Under a big screen projecting the couple’s personal wedding logo (designed by David) the two said their vows in the company of friends, family and former coaches. It was an informal affair, with tender words from Lauren’s father as well as the minister who performed the ceremony. “Our personalities were reflected throughout the ceremony and onto the reception. We wanted our guests to see us in our wedding and also be able to relax and be themselves,” she said. When it was done, they marched back across the floor as a married couple. Guests chatted, nibbled on appetizers and lined up to be photographed in the photo booth until the buffet was served. “The photo booth was a great opportunity for our guests to be silly,” Lauren says. After dinner the couple sliced into the tall red velvet cake and shared a bite before taking to the dance floor which was laid on top of the athletic floor. As friends and family looked on, David Pendergraft, his new bride in his arms, danced across McCarthey arena one more time. After a quick “mini-moon” in Kimberley, British Columbia, the couple returned to Spokane. “The real honeymoon is in February and we will be heading to Mexico to escape the cold winter,” Lauren says. They plan to spend time in the sun deep sea fishing and horseback riding on the beach. “The wedding day was surreal,” Lauren says. “Now, it feels natural and normal. We are both excited to live together and share the daily memories.” Like any good team players, Lauren and David know there are some adjustments that will have to be made. “Pretty soon we’ll have to work through each other’s oddities from living together,” Lauren says. “But that is part of the growth.”