Kelly + Mack's Celebration at Kroger Field

From the Bride: The University of Kentucky holds a special place in our hearts. Mack and I met as Freshmen, and our love of the Wildcats and football were common bonds. In spite of the fact that I grew up in Paducah and Mack was born in Brandenburg, we knew that we wanted Lexington to be the location of our big day. We knew we wanted to get married in the summer, and after getting engaged in November of 2021, I assumed that all summer 2022 dates would not be available. We knew we wanted to be married at Saint Peter Catholic Church, and our dream was to have the reception at The Longship Club at Kroger Field. When we toured the venue, UK Hospitality offered up two dates for summer of 2022. Saturday, July 16 worked perfectly for our entire family and then we began eight months of planning.

Since so many of our guests would be traveling to Lexington, we did everything to ensure their stay would be enjoyable. We reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton Lexington Downtown and provided transportation via motor coach through Gold Shield Transportation to and from the reception venue for everyone. Guests were welcomed to the Hilton with gift bags filled with practical items for the weekend, breakfast items, snacks, water, an itinerary, Bourbon Balls, and Kentucky Bourbon shooters. Shuttles ran every 30 minutes from the hotel and reception venue so that guests were able to arrive and depart as they wished. We wanted everyone who traveled to be a part of our special day to have a very stress-free, fun-filled experience.

Bonnie from Stems in Lexington was the mastermind behind our flowers. I knew the color scheme that I wanted and she just filled in the missing pieces. I knew I wanted various shades of white and green. Bonnie made it come to life. My favorite flower in my bouquet was the White Veronica. It was unusual but added dimension to my bouquet. The hydrangeas, Vendela roses, and white dendrobium orchids, hydrangeas, and eucalyptus made for my beautiful bouquet.

Our wedding day was the best day of my life. St. Peter Catholic Church was the perfect backdrop for our ceremony. After the wedding, guests were shuttled to the Longship Club at Kroger Field by Gold Shield Transportation. We took advantage of all the A/V equipment and produced a slideshow of videos and pictures of Mack and me. From the second the elevator closed, the slideshow was playing. Upon arrival at The Longship Club, guests were welcomed with hors d’oeuvres and drinks at the bar. Guests immediately gravitated to the balcony overlooking Kroger Field. Cocktail hour was held and the wedding party entered. I wanted our cake to be very classic and simple. We chose a 4 layer cake with layers of champagne, chocolate, lemon, and strawberry. Every guest would have an option for a favorite. At our reception, we served beer, wine, and two signature cocktails. Mine was a Moscow Mule with vodka, ginger beer, lime juice, and lime garnish. Mack’s was an Old Fashioned with Bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, maraschino cherry, and orange peel.

Mack and I entered the reception in true University of Kentucky football fashion, to Grove Street Party. We began with our first dance to “It’s Been a Long Long Time” by Harry James. On one of our first dates, we watched a Marvel Movie. Both of us are big Marvel fans so we found it very appropriate. It was just the perfect song for Mack and me. Our first dance was followed by a welcome greeting from my father and mother. My father gave a great toast to us, a toast that even drew a tear from Mack. We enjoyed dinner at a sweetheart table. My father and I had our dance while a video, featuring videos of the two of us together since birth, played in the background. We danced to “First Man” by Camila Cabello. It was so perfect and a few tears were shed, but Mack and his mother lightened the mood with their dance to “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart. The wedding party took sunset pictures on the football field, a bucket list item, not only for Mack and me but also for our wedding party. Mack and I exited the reception to a sea of white ribbons. It was the most magical, memorable, event. To see that so many of our dearest family and friends stayed so late to watch us exit meant the world. I cannot thank the University of Kentucky enough for my education, my soul mate, and our beautiful wedding!

Bride’s Advice: The biggest piece of advice that I wish someone would have told me about the wedding is one that my mother told me. She told me to get plenty of sleep the night prior to the wedding and to budget extra time to get myself ready the day of the wedding so that I wouldn’t be stressed. A piece of advice I would give about wedding planning is to work with trusted vendors. I was so lucky to have worked with such an amazing team! All of my vendors were fantastic and made our day stress free and absolutely perfect. Enjoying your wedding day and taking in every single moment is so important. We truly could not have hoped for a more perfect wedding day!

Katelyn DaughertySeptember 16, 2023