Team of vendors launches offer to win top-shelf wedding package

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2018) — Is there a wedding in your future but you have not set the date? Thirteen Louisville, Ky.-based wedding vendors have combined efforts to provide an occasion with all the trimmings for one lucky couple — at no cost.

Elopement? Pop-up or micro wedding? Call it what you want, but the occasion set for Sunday, Feb. 25, will be the culmination of a contest that launches today and introduces the Elope Louisville brand. The winning couple will be selected from online entries. The winners will need to have their own attire, but the rest of the details for a resplendent wedding, reception and overnight stay will be provided, including:

• A ceremony held at The Henry Clay event venue on Third Street in downtown Louisville;
• A reception held at 8Up Elevated Kitchen and Drinkery, which can be a sit-down dinner for the couple plus 10 guests or a cocktail reception for the couple plus 18 guests;
• Event styling and design by Maddox & Rose;
• Coordination by Weekend Wedding Warrior;
• Photography by Love Hunters;
• Ceremony music by guitarist Liz Welsh;
• Hair and makeup styling for two people by Carley Randall;
• Overnight stay with up to five hotel rooms provided by Hilton Garden Inn;
• Wedding officiant Diane Walker of Ministers with More;
• Signage and menus by Riley & Ko;
• Floral bouquets and boutonnieres for the couple and up to two honor attendants by Rose & Honey;
• A wedding cake by Mert’s Cakes by Virginia;
• And the special occasion will be documented by Bryan Starr Cinematography.

The wedding package contest, dubbed the “Elope Lou Give-Away,” is the brainchild of Maggie Heely, owner and lead coordinator of Louisville-based Weekend Wedding Warrior and Event Warriors. The wedding package giveaway is the initial promotion to introduce Elope Louisville, a new brand developed by Heely that will operate as a segment of her Weekend Wedding Warrior business.

Heely has worked in concert on the promotion with Leigh Robinson, Director of Events for Weyland Ventures, owner of The Henry Clay. The organizers’ intent is to promote downtown Louisville as an ideal place for this type of expeditious yet classy destination wedding that’s becoming a more frequent choice of couples these days.

“There are still many couples who choose to take a year or more to plan and execute a dream wedding with hundreds of guests and thousands of details,” said Heely. “But with Elope Louisville we wanted to reach a growing niche market of people who want to have an elegant but simplified wedding. And we believe Louisville, Ky., is just the place to do it.”

Apply to enter the giveaway between Monday, Jan. 29, through Saturday, Feb. 10, at 11:59 p.m. The winning couple will be announced on Weekend Wedding Warrior’s Instagram account, @weddingwarrior, by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11, which is Weekend Wedding Warrior’s eighth anniversary.

Forms can be submitted at www.elopelouisville.com. Entrants will need to like and follow the social media accounts of the wedding vendors that are offering their goods and services for the contest. There is no cost to enter.

“We thought the giveaway would be an excellent way to draw attention to what we and other wedding vendors have to offer in downtown Louisville,” Heely said. “We handpicked the participating vendors and have developed a sophisticated occasion for our winning couple.”

Robinson noted that the winning couple might be a bride and groom, a groom and groom or a bride and bride. “We’re interested in celebrating a compelling love story,” she said.

Robinson pointed out that The Henry Clay, with its historic architecture, offers an ideal setting for the wedding and elegant backdrops for photography — plus the venue has spaces where the couple and their attendants can get ready for the occasion.

“We host up to 50 weddings per year at The Henry Clay, so we are prepared to make sure this event is a memorable occasion for the winners of our contest,” she added.

The convenience factor built into this wedding package is expected to be appealing to contest entrants since The Henry Clay is connected to the Hilton Garden Inn where 8Up is located on the top floor. “It doesn’t get more convenient than that,” Robinson said.

The organizers say this wedding package could be replicated easily for other couples, and that is their goal with this promotion. Heely estimates the value of the Elope Lou Give-Away to be close to $15,000 because of the extras that are included in the contest package. However typical elopements and pop-up weddings are considerably less. The costs depend on what a couple wants for their special occasion.

“With the current average cost of a wedding in the United States estimated at about $35,000, some couples are choosing a less expensive route for their wedding and spending more on a honeymoon or their home,” Heely said.

Robinson and Heely say they believe the location of the venue and hotel in Louisville’s central business district is ideal for couples who want to enjoy their stay in Louisville beyond their big day. The Hilton Garden Inn is located on the southeast corner of Chestnut and South Fourth Streets in an area that’s seen a renaissance in recent years as shops, restaurants and entertainment venues including the Mercury Ballroom and The Louisville Palace Theatre are a short walk away. They also point out that the West Main Street museum district and downtown Louisville’s burgeoning bourbon tourism scene are close by as well.

“We’re looking forward to working with the winning couple to make sure their wedding day is everything they hoped it would be,” Heely said.