Thursday, October 23, 2025
Joe and Holly Januzzi (née Wintrone) were not interested in a traditional wedding, replete with the grand ceremony, a white dress, and the like. But when Milwaukee County continued its pandemic-era policies that put a pause on courthouse wedding services, Joe and Holly were forced to pivot.
Joe Januzzi grew up in nearby Wauwatosa, Wis., just a few blocks from Milwaukee Recreation’s Wick Playfield. He played baseball at Wick, as did his father before him, and his grandfather before him.
Holly Wintrone always lived closer to the airport, but started coming to Wick when a friend asked her to join a coed softball team. Holly played fast-pitch softball in high school, and eagerly jumped at the chance to join the league.
With Joe’s local ties to Wick, he became a popular substitute in the league, so much so that Holly’s team captain eventually asked him to join their team. From there, Joe and Holly became fast friends.
“We probably would have never run into each other without centrally meeting here [at Wick],” Holly said.
Fast forward to 2025, and in the pursuit of a wedding “venue,” Holly pitched a potential solution—Wick Playfield, where the two met.
“Nothing seemed like a better idea than that,” Joe said.
On Tuesday, July 1, they invited a handful of friends and family to attend the game, but worked hard to keep the postgame wedding ceremony a secret. Only five or six people knew about the festivities to come, but there was a sense of something in the air. According to Holly, one teammate joked, “’did they start selling tickets to these games?’ because we never had that many fans just sitting and watching.”
As for Joe, after he cracked a home run in the first inning, he was starting to feel a bit of nerves as the game advanced into the later innings. Throughout the night, the pair managed to mostly keep the pending nuptials under wraps, while subtly bringing some decorations to the field and connecting with on-site Milwaukee Recreation staff members to ensure the lights would remain on for a few extra minutes following the game.
After their team putting the finishing touches on a win, Joe announced to the group that they would be holding a brief wedding ceremony on the field after the game. Hats and flowers were passed out, and Holly and Joe tied the knot in front of friends and family.
“The experience of it… I got to marry my best friend,” Joe said. “I got to do it after winning a game that we absolutely love playing together. It was perfect.”
“It was,” Holly added.
Watch our interview with Joe and Holly here!