Rockets’ Clutch Mascot Crashes a Sports-Loving Couple’s Wedding, Shocking the Groom — This Bear Can Dance

Alexis Cantu pulled off the perfect surprise for her new husband Aaron Campbell at their wedding reception at Madera Estates, the Spanish-inspired venue in Conroe. She brought Clutch to the party. Yes, the Houston Rockets’ beloved gray bear mascot joined the guest list and boogied down.

This couple is made up of lifelong sports fans and they’ve attended numerous Houston sporting events over the years — both together and separately before they met. Alexis Cantu and Aaron Campbell even bonded over their love for Clutch.

So it blew Aaron’s mind when Clutch sauntered out onto the dance floor to join the newlyweds at their wedding. Calling him surprised would be putting it lightly.

“The best part of the day was being surrounded by our favorite people, marrying my partner for life, and then surprising Aaron with Clutch on the dance floor,” Alexis tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “The look on his face was priceless.”

Of course, before you get a Clutch happily ever after, you need to connect in the first place. Alexis and Alex found each other on Bumble and decided to meet in person in December of 2021.

“We went to dinner at The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation and then strolled through the Houston Zoo Lights,” Cantu says of their first date.

The couple got engaged during a weekend getaway in Wimberley several years later.

“While making dinner together and overlooking the beautiful Hill Country, Aaron popped the question,” Alexis reveals. “It was the perfect intimate moment.”

Finding The Perfect Wedding Land

When wedding planing took centerstage, Conroe’s Madera Estates quickly became this couple’s first choice for a venue after Alexis and Alex saw photos of the space at a wedding planning event.

“The moment I saw those images, I was captivated by how stunning it was,” Alexis says. “I instantly knew it was the perfect place for us.”

The indoor-outdoor land allowed them to have their wedding outdoors and set the stage for a magical first kiss as a married couple.

“It was absolutely beautiful,” Alexis says. “Set beneath the stars, with a live string band playing and fireworks for our first kiss, One of the most meaningful moments was having both of our parents walk us down the aisle. Which made the day even more special for all of us.”

The reception brought its own special touches. Including an ice cream cart from Cool Cow Creamery with four flavors available for Alexis and Aaron’s wedding guests.

“I gave each one a special name to make it more memorable,” Alexis says. “One was Cupid’s Arrow — chocolate and vanilla cookies and cream, which we named in honor of my late Boxer Cupid. Another was Christmas with the Campbells, complete with Little Debbie cakes. And we had Clutch — charcoal vanilla with red velvet cake to tie in the Rocket’s black and red.

“Finally, we added Bigfoot’s Party Mix, which was cookie dough because my husband is a big fan of both Bigfoot and cookie dough.”

The drinks menu received a personal touch too, featured the newly married couple’s favorite four-legged friends — Cupid, Buddy and Desmond.

After all, a pooch helped Aaron seal the deal with Alexis.

“(Cupid) was my late Boxer,” Alexis says. “He was truly the best dog I’ve ever had. And when Aaron eventually won him over, it felt like Cupid was giving his blessing. Buddy is my sister’s dog, but he grew up right alongside us. Over the years, Aaron and I came to love and cherish him as if were our own.

“And then there’s Desmond, Aaron’s cat that he’s had since college. Desmond has been a steady part of Aaron’s life for so long. And together they remind me of how love and loyalty show up in so many forms.”

Sometimes, they even show up as Clutch the Bear.