Johnsonville and the SEC are ready to make the “I do’s” a reality for Auburn alums Sophie and Frank, as they were chosen among the 386 entries in the Johnsonville Tailgate Wedding Contest.
The couple was forced to cancel their original September 2017 wedding date after Hurricane Irma’s path was scheduled to hit their wedding location in St. George, Florida.
“We had purposefully chosen a Friday night date because we didn’t want our wedding to interfere with the Alabama and Auburn football schedules that weekend since all our guests were serious fans,” recalled Sophie. “We scheduled a quiet, intimate gathering with our friends and family on the beach, who were excited that they could still watch the Auburn-Clemson and Alabama-Fresno State game after our festivities.” But Hurricane Irma was the uninvited guest that cancelled flights and lodging reservations a day prior to their wedding – leaving Sophie, Frank and their guests no choice but to evacuate and return home.
The Auburn couple – who have been engaged since New Year’s Day 2017 – continued with their plans of remodeling a house, and has since been trying to save money and find another date that works around the beloved SEC football schedule. When they learned of the Tailgate Wedding Contest, Sophie and Frank “were hoping this could help us incorporate the football season into our wedding plans in tailgate fashion.”
As the official sausage of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Johnsonville learned just how much fans live, eat and breathe football, and how that passion presents serious struggles for betrothed SEC fans when planning a fall wedding. Those passionate SEC fans don’t want to risk the possibility of no-shows at the reception, not to mention being tempted to skip their own ceremony for the big game.
Growing up in SEC territory and playing as a Gator, Tim Tebow is also familiar with the dilemma, and joined Johnsonville in announcing the contest prior to the 2017 SEC Championship game. Tebow also plans to join Sophie and Frank and celebrate during their wedding day, which will be scheduled during a home Auburn game this fall.
As part of their contest entry, couples were asked to share their engagement story, their beloved SEC football fan story and why they deserve a one-of-a-kind, fully-equipped tailgate wedding during a SEC football weekend this fall. Now that the couple has been chosen, Johnsonville members will take care of the details, from the ceremony to the reception with the Big Taste Grill – the world’s largest grill – all done tailgate-style, on Auburn’s campus.
Follow the wedding planning journey with Sophie, Frank and Johnsonville on the brand’s social media pages: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest.
Source: Johnsonville
