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Red Sox Pitcher Sterling Sharp Marries High School Sweetheart Chloe Henderson in Elegant Detroit Ceremony

Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding
Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding

PHOTO BY K.R. MORENO PHOTOGRAPHY Sterling Sharp and Chloe Henderson's Wedding

Boston Red Sox pitcher Sterling Sharp's wedding to his high school sweetheart Chloe Henderson was picture-perfect.

The couple exchanged vows on Dec. 11, 2021 in front of 176 family and friends at their Detroit church — the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament — after a nearly year-long postponement due to Covid.

The nuptials paid tribute to the couple's traditions, including their love of visiting museums that began on their first date in Detroit in December 2012.

"We wanted our wedding to celebrate our unique love story, Detroit, art and the many ways that the stars aligned to bring us together," Henderson told Brides in an exclusive interview as she reflected on tying the knot.

Their love story may have begun in 2012, but the pair have known each other since they when young kids after attending the same summer camps. Their paths then crossed again when they attended nearby high schools and were both playing baseball and softball competitively. "We would see each other around at our tournaments and games," Henderson recalled.

Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding
Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding

PHOTO BY K.R. MORENO PHOTOGRAPHY Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp

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They ended up flirting on social media and exchanging numbers before going on their first date on Dec. 1, 2012. Seven years later, on Dec. 23, 2019, Sharp, 27, pulled off a memorable proposal when he got down on one knee at a Christmas party at Henderson's Detroit home. "As I opened my present during the gift exchange in front of our friends, I was shocked to turn around and find Sterling on one knee with our families behind him," said Henderson.

Two years later, Henderson was being walked down the aisle by her father in a silk Ines Di Santo dress, which she says she "fell in love with quickly." "When the doors to the cathedral opened, I saw Sterling for the first time. It was such a magical moment that I will never forget," she said.

After exchanging vows, the couple took part in an important tradition. "We wanted to pay homage, as many Black couples do, to the tradition of jumping the broom. Many enslaved Black people would jump over a broom to marry since they could not legally wed. We wanted to incorporate jumping the broom as a way to pay homage to our culture, legacy, and ancestors' ability to joyously formalize their unions. It is a representation of how triumphant love is."

Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding
Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding

PHOTO BY K.R. MORENO PHOTOGRAPHY Sterling Sharp and Chloe Henderson

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And while their big day was a dream come true, it wasn't without a few mishaps. Henderson recalled how she almost didn't get to wear one of her two custom crystal-covered Erin Cole veils after it blew off her head and onto the roof of the hotel where she was getting ready. "My jaw completely dropped," she said. "Luckily it got caught on a pole on the neighboring roof of the hotel, and one of the photographers was able to climb over the wall to grab it quickly before the wind took it away further!"

The couple's reception took place at the location of their first date — the Detroit Institute of Arts — and the celestial details were clear. "We chose to have a December [wedding], with dinner served under the stars, literally," Henderson said of the couple's seating chart, which had been decorated with small lights to look like a starry night sky and had stars hanging from it with guests names and tables numbers.

Other details included a starburst cake topper for their five-tier cake and calligraphed menus embossed and foil printed with the star map of their wedding night, while the ceiling "was turned into a planetarium with light projection for the effect of a starry night sky."

Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding
Chloe Henderson and Sterling Sharp Wedding

PHOTO BY K.R. MORENO PHOTOGRAPHY Sterling Sharp and Chloe Henderson's wedding cake

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"These celestial details were also very much in keeping with a phrase we have always used to describe the extent of our love: To the moon and back," said Henderson.

The couple's first dance to Etta James' "At Last" was followed by a DJ taking to the deck so guests could party into the night.

And baseball was of course incorporated into the day too, with a baseball signed by both the bride and groom — calligraphed with "Nice catch! You're next!' — used instead of the traditional garter toss. Guests were also treated to ballpark snacks in the evening, with mini hot dogs, pretzel bites, and Cracker Jack boxes passed out in ballpark concessions carriers.

"They were a crowd favorite during dancing and made for a really fun experience for our guests," said Henderson.