Dannell Ellerbe’s seven seasons in the NFL have taken him around the
countr y—from Baltimore to Miami to New Orleans, where he’s now a
linebacker for the Saints. But when Dannell, 30, and his longtime girl-
friend, Sher vella Rush, 25, started planning their spring wedding, they
knew they wanted to go home to North Carolina, where they both
grew up. Last May, the couple invited 250 guests to the Grand Mar-
quise Ballroom in Garner, where Dannell and Sher vella, in a sparkly
trumpet gown and carr ying a dramatic orchid bouquet, exchanged
vows on the ballroom’s grand staircase. Their two nephews nearly
stole the show as “security-guard ring bearers” (think suits, sun-
glasses, earpieces), rolling the couple’s one-year-old son, Nevan, down
the aisle in a wagon covered in hydrangeas. For the reception, the
chandelier-filled space was transformed with tall arrangements of
white hydrangeas and roses and gold-painted branches dripping with
dendrobium orchids and cr ystals. A DJ cued up “Matrimony,” by Wale
and Usher, for the couple’s first dance, then Sher vella and her five
bridesmaids did a flash-mob-style routine to UCB’s “Sex y Lady.” Next,
Dannell attached the garter to a football and threw it straight to
Jeremy Lomax, a groomsman and college teammate, who, with the
couple’s blessing, popped the question to his girlfriend on the spot.
“The proposal was a testament to just how magical the night was,”
Sher vella says. “The love just kept going.”THE CAKE
WAS 5½
FEET TALL!Venue Grand Marquise Ballroom; grandmarquiseballroom.com. Wedding planner Elana Walker Events; elanawalker.com. Dress Luna Novias; luna
novias.com. Flowers Fresh Affairs; freshaffairs.com. Photography Knight Weddings; knightweddings.com. For more information, see Shopping Guide.4561 The garter was
tossed (with a lofting
spiral) via football.
2 The bride stunned in
a Luna Novias gown,
while the groom rocked
a custom Badger &
Welsh tux. 3 “I wanted
it to look like a fairy
tale,” Shervella says of
the gold-and-crystal-
filled reception space.
4 Sher vella’s nephew
carried the rings in
a rhinestone-covered
lockbox. 5 Sugar
flowers, crystals, and a
bedazzled E decorated
the huge seven-tier
white-chocolate cake.
6 Dannell wore Nike
Air Jordans for the
photos and studded
Christian Louboutin
smoking slippers for the
ceremony and party.Organza and
lace gown with
pearl and
crystal details,
$1, 250, Mori
Lee by Made-
line Gardner;
morilee.com.Cake, price upon request,
Maggie Austin Cake;
maggieaustincake.com.“Editorial II” invita-
tion, $180 for 100,
Paperless Post;
paperlesspost.com.CAKE IN GET THE LOOK: COURTESY OF MAGGIE AUSTIN; ALL OTHERS: GORMAN STUDIO, STYLING BY JOHN OLSON/HALLEY RESOURCES
GE T THE
LOOK
Hairpiece,
$140, Twigs
& Honey;
twigsand
honey.com.BRIDES.COMTO SEE MORE GLAMOROUS AFFAIRS,
VISIT BRIDES.COM/REALWEDDINGS.