The Grand Ballroom is wrapped in original Circassian walnut paneling, which was one of the most expensive woods money could buy when it was installed in 1910. That and the century-old chandeliers still hanging above a 2,500-square-foot unobstructed floor are the frame for what the Hermitage has been doing longer than almost any American hotel: hosting weddings.
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A 1910 Landmark
The Hermitage opened in 1910 as Nashville's first million-dollar hotel, a Beaux-Arts landmark by J. Edwin Carpenter with a brick and polychrome terra-cotta exterior. It is a National Historic Landmark; the 19th Amendment was ratified after Tennessee's vote was secured in the Hermitage's lobby in 1920. Weddings have been continuous since the hotel opened.
The Grand Ballroom is the wedding room. Almost 2,500 square feet directly off the lobby, ornate ceiling, original Circassian walnut paneling, century-old chandeliers. Capacity runs 30 to 200 for seated dinner and 30 to 300 for a reception, with 150 being the sweet spot for dinner and dancing. The Veranda and smaller rooms handle intimate ceremonies.
Project String Quartet founder Rebecca Hamilton is a conservatory-trained violinist who has performed at 200+ Nashville-area weddings. The repertoire spans classical standards to Bridgerton-style pop arrangements, string versions of current songs that feel right at home under 1910 chandeliers. Browse the full music library or use the playlist builder to draft your ceremony and cocktail sets before you even call us. The ensemble holds a 5.0 Google rating across all markets.
Playing Walnut Rooms
The Circassian walnut paneling absorbs more high-frequency energy than the plaster-only ballrooms of the same era. The room is warm rather than reverberant; tempos sit cleanly at concert pace, and the cello line gets a noticeable low-end lift. We set up under the chandelier at the head-table end where the paneling acts as a natural projection shell.
The glass-walled Veranda is a smaller, more acoustically direct room overlooking the Capitol. We sit with our backs to the windows so the quartet projects into the seated area rather than through the glass, and we shade instruments from direct southern afternoon light, which heats varnish quickly and pulls strings out of tune.
Cocktail hour frequently lives in the restored Oak Bar, a historically tight space that cannot comfortably hold a full quartet. When the evening includes an Oak Bar cocktail hour we split the package: a duo or trio subset covers the bar while the full quartet stays staged in the Grand Ballroom for dinner prelude. See our guide on choosing the right ensemble size for your room.
Ensemble Fit
Every package includes our full Nashville string quartet repertoire. Not sure which size fits your day? Read how pricing and ensemble size relate.
Violin + Cello
The right fit for Oak Bar cocktail hour or an intimate rehearsal dinner. Not enough ensemble for the Grand Ballroom itself.
Request QuoteViolin, Violin + Cello
Works for a Veranda ceremony or for a Grand Ballroom wedding at the 150-guest end. Often the Oak Bar subset for quartet packages.
Request Quote2 Violins + Viola + Cello
The right ensemble for full Grand Ballroom weddings. The warmth the walnut paneling adds to a four-voice ensemble is specifically what Circassian walnut was prized for acoustically, a century later, it still works.
Request QuoteThe Grand Ballroom books quickly in spring and fall. Check availability now and we'll confirm within one business day.
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Send the date and the room. If you plan on an Oak Bar cocktail hour, flag it early so we can set up the ensemble split.
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