Like Toronto Blue Jays prepare for their first World Series appearance for more than three decades, one Calgary Ahead of her big day this weekend, a bride is faced with an unexpected question: Should she allow guests to watch the game during her wedding?
“Are we going to play Jace's game or not? It's a tough vote.” said bride-to-be Josie Balka, who grew up in Toronto.
“Half of our wedding guests are flying from Toronto to Calgary today. Everyone in Toronto wants the game to go on, but I think I'm leaning towards not playing it.”
The timing left Balki conflicted, as Game 2 of the World Series would be the Blue Jays' first game since 1993 and happened to fall on the same day as Balki's wedding.
As ticket prices soared into the thousands, the patriotism of the Canadian baseball team reached fans across the country, including Balka's guest list.
“I had this terrible thought that we would pause the game for my mom to give a speech and everyone would boo her because they wanted to keep watching,” she said in an interview, laughing. “I just want the game to be family-friendly, but I might piss people off by not playing it.”
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Balka was born in 1993, the same year the Jays last won the World Series. She said she considers this time symbolic.
“I wonder if everything will come together that the year I get married will be the year they win again. That would be great,” she said. “But everyone who's heard that I'm leaning towards 'no' isn't too thrilled with me. I hope they'll forgive me.”
Some guests, she said, have already come up with their own solutions.
“People have been asking to come to the rehearsal dinner because we're doing it at the place where the game is played,” she said.
“I was like, 'You guys might as well just come to the rehearsal dinner, it'll just be a second wedding.'
When it comes to banning phones or adhering to rules against exercising, Balka insists he's being carefree.
“It would be the biggest thing a bride can do to take away the phones. I definitely won't do that,” she told Global News. “Hopefully, since this is the second game, people will just check their phones.”
Now the couple must make a decision soon whether to sacrifice their big day or their guests' desire to watch the game.
“If they lose, it could make the situation worse,” she said. “But there's a sports bar next door, so hopefully we won't lose half the guests.”
Balka says that no matter what they decide, she hopes that Jace and her wedding end in victory.
Editor's Note: Josie Balka is the host of Country 105, a radio station owned by Corus Entertainment, the parent company of Global News.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
