April 16, 2003
Wedding to be held at G-Braves Stadium
Couple�s first date re-defines �playing the field�
When Nicole Lambert and Jason Strickland went on their first date to a Greenville Braves Game, little did they know that the diamond they were attending that night would be one of the most significant diamonds in the couple�s future.
�I received an email from them one day asking about having their wedding at the
ballpark,� said Greenville Braves General Manager Steve DeSalvo. �After reading it and learning that we were the place it all started, we thought, �hey, this might be fun�.�
After meeting with the couple, DeSalvo and his staff suggested it would be a good idea to
try a pre-game wedding, and the ball was rolling. �We put them in touch with David Rister (of Upstateweddingmalls.com), and David contacted his vendors to donate their services for the wedding,� said Brenda Yoder, G-Braves Director of Community Relations. �From there, things took off, to the tune of over $25,000 in services being donated for the event.�
The wedding, of course, will have a baseball theme. G-Braves players will form an arch with their bats for the couple to walk under and down the �aisle� after the ceremony. As an additional promotional twist added by DeSalvo and his staff, Upstateweddingmalls.com will be setting up a table throughout the season registering other area couples for a wedding to be given away at the end of the season for the 2004 season. �Sometimes great promotions are thought up. Other times, they just fall in your lap,� said DeSalvo. �This is one of those times, where we get to bless a family, provide a unique promotion in the process, and start a new tradition for our franchise and the community.�
The reception will be held at the picnic tent with the Party Machine donating a DJ for the party. As for registering as a wedding party at the G-Braves Souvenir Shop? �I wouldn�t go that far,� said Nicole Lambert.
The Greenville Braves have been an active member of the local community for almost 20 years, hosting special nights at the ballpark each season to benefit local charities and sponsoring several charity functions throughout the year. The G-Braves also offer many other successful children�s programs including the Honor Roll Program and the Gatti-Town Braves Buddies Club.
The Greenville Braves web site
Read more about the baseball wedding