Jrue and Lauren Holiday are one of the most popular couples of the NBA.
Before a couple[]
- Jrue was a basketball player at UCLA
- Lauren was a soccer player at UCLA
Relationship[]
Both Holiday and Cheney were All-Americans in their respective sports during high school and they chose to attend UCLA. The two first met at a UCLA women's basketball game when Cheney was a junior and Holiday was a freshmen. While he was approaching his seat, a young girl asked if he was Darren Collison and asked for his autograph. After explaining that he was not Collison and preparing to take his seat, Cheney, who was seated behind him, said, "Don't worry, you're cuter than Darren is." At the time, both were in relationships with others and the two didn't begin dating after their hilarious first encounter, they did strike up a friendship that months later blossomed into a romantic relationship. "She was really cute, that was the first thing that stood out to me," Jrue said by phone this week from Ottawa.
"And she was older than me, which was cool. I was a freshman, and I think she was a junior. At the time we were both with other people, but we did become friends, and months later, after I got drafted, we started dating."
Despite their chaotic schedules, try to spend every possible moment together -- a feat that might sound easier than it is. Between his hectic NBA travel schedule and her dual responsibilities with the national team and FC Kansas City, the two are "away from each other a lot more than we see each other," according to Jrue. But despite the frequent long-distance challenges, they make it work as best as they can. "Anytime we get to see each other, even if it's just for a few hours, we take it," he said.
"She travels all the time throughout the year, I think they only get something like six weeks off all year, and during my season, it's just really hard. But during the summer when she's traveling, I pretty much just follow her."
Marriage[]
Jrue kissing Lauren at the wedding
Holiday and Cheney got married on July 7, 2013, at Cypress Sea Cove in Malibu, California. From Marisa Nicole Events Lauren & Jrue are a match made in heaven! He is an NBA player for the New Orleans Pelicans, she is an Olympic gold medalist and professional women's soccer player, and together they are two of the kindest people on earth.
For "the look" of Lauren & Jrue's day, we set out to design a naturally elegant, coastal affair that felt comfortable for their friends and family. As the backdrop for these love-bird's vows, with the ocean on one side and guests on the other, Lauren & Jrue stood at the foot of a simply adorned cross where they made their love legal in the eyes of both God and California. We utilized long wooden banquet tables, paired with wooden vineyard chairs, and a simple lace to create the base for our dining area. Lauren just loved the look of super neutral flowers featuring pops of the colors that were already on the property (pale pinks, peaches, magenta and purple). We used soft, ruffled blooms, clean orchids and candles galore on the to create a sense of 'easy romantic elegance' through the table-scape. Hung from trees and tucked in every nook and cranny of the venue, we utilized lanterns to give the party an enchanting feel once the sun had set. One of my favorite areas was the luxe lounge, which we housed in an open wooden cabana under a ceiling of twinkle lights. It was just gorgeous!
Lauren's family got involved with executing the day of aesthetic details as well! Lauren's mom and sister put together sweet treats for the guests to take home. Lauren & Jrue love lemon drops, so they filled mini mason jars with the candy, attached a tag and voilà , a fab favor that brought pops of yellow to the table-scape. Laurenâ??s brother-in-law did all the chalkboard art! Along with the overall look of the day, the cuisine was very important to these lovebirds. Lauren & Jrue love soul food and wanted to bring a touch of southern flair to their celebration. During cocktail hour, we served catfish tacos, mini crab cakes and fried chicken & biscuit bites. Dinner was served family style and all the old picnic favorites were present: barbecue short ribs, stuffed chicken, mac & cheese, cornbread, okra, sweet potato bites; yum!
Neither Lauren nor Jrue drink alcohol, so along with a full bar for the guests, we wanted to do something special for the couple. They are crazy about lemonade, so with a sweet gazebo as the backdrop, we founded a lemonade stand in their honor, featuring three specialty flavors for guests of all ages to enjoy. The couple also wasnâ??t into the idea of a traditional wedding cake; so we said, 'forget the cake' and brought in the best pies we could find in the whole of the state. The couple cut warm peach pie instead of cake and the guests went crazy over all the a la mode pie options!
The couple, with their friends & family, danced the night away under a ceiling of bistro lights, hanging lanterns and stars, slowing down only to pop into the photo booth for a quick selfie! A good time and good eats were had by all at Lauren & Jrue's oceanside, southern romantically elegant fête!
Children[]
Jrue, Tyler, Lauren
Jrue and Lauren have one child together
Jrue Tyler Holiday: born in 2016