Wedding Planning Day, Sunday, April 19, 2009
The following press release discusses the upcoming event to help folks planning on getting married on LBI.
LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J. – The Wedding Road Show has been a work in progress since last spring, with the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce working closely with the Destination Wedding Committee Road Show volunteers, comprising of chamber members locally and outside the area. "There has been tremendous interest in this event throughout the state from wedding media" says Lori Pepenella, Destination Marketing Director for the chamber, "We have bought on some impressive sponsors to help make our area stand out from the rest of the Beach Wedding Destinations."
The first sponsor to come on board was NJWedding.com, who has been actively promoting the Road Show on their heavily visited site and at over 30 bridal shows throughout New Jersey since the fall. "Erik Kent, Co-Publisher of the site, is probably the best resource, being so involved with the Wedding Industry on all fronts, we have created a contest that has been on his site since November and has put the LBI region in front of thousands of brides each week," stated Pepenella.
The contest that is featured on the front page of NJWedding.com website is the Wedding Roadshow VIP Experience, featuring an overnight stay the Saturday before the event at Daddy O Hotel, a chauffeured white stretch limo to take the winner through the events of the day sponsored by Van Dyk Group, a welcome gift basket by Camille's Floral and arrangement by Rose Garden Florist. So far, the contest has generated over 300 entries, and the interest has led NJWedding.com to create a separate category on their site, called "Long Beach Island Weddings."
More Road Show promotion comes from AboutNewJersey.com, who launched a contest as part of their recent sponsorship of Chocolate Week, which included an overnight April 18th at Minerva''''s Bed and Breakfast and dinner for the winner and up to 4 people. More partnerships have been formed; New Jersey Life magazine premiered their first Weddings edition in January and was on board as a sponsor since learning about the event in October. In addition to the full page ad the chamber received to promote the event, support the day of the event will given, as well as promotion on their site and magazines. New Jersey Life Weddings is working on a Jewelry Media Prize for one of the brides, and will be sending down copies of the wedding edition for venues and brides to have at the Road Show.
The brides have already started to register themselves and guests, with some traveling from North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and across New Jersey. "We have over 100 total registered so far, but with our ad going live on The Knot.com this week and ads placed throughout the state we are confident that word will spread," noted Pepenella. A little help from some friends doesn't hurt either, WedAlert.com came on as a sponsor last month, promising full support of the event with e blasts, postings and raffling off chances for exotic honeymoons for brides to enter at the Road Show. NJWedding.com is also blasting out to his extensive bridal list. The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism has supported this initiative through Destination Marketing Organization funding it granted the chamber last year, but has also alerted their public relation firm, Brush Fire to help publicize the event.
The Wedding Road Show is designed for brides to be explore the many shops, services and venues that make Long Beach Island Region a great wedding destination, brides will receive a map and program advising them of the open houses scheduled throughout the day. The more members they visit, they increase the amount their name will be entered into the prize drawings. The Grand Prize is an overnight stay at Williams Cottage Inn, dinner for 2 at The Gables, His and Her Massage from Red Sails Salon, $500 cash prize from OceanFirst first time home buyers program and congratulations arrangement from Frank's Flowers. A second prize has been donated from Freedom Surf and Spa for a Couples Retreat, featuring a full service spa treatment at the Brant Beach Salon.
The Southern Ocean County Chamber members have been invited to take part on this tour for a small fee to cover mapping and sign costs. The Road Show open houses that will be listed to date are: Bonnet Island Estate, Mallard Island Yacht Club, The SeaShell Resort, Ann Coen Photography, Artistic Flowers, Daddy O, Holiday Inn of Manahawkin, Ocean Acres Country Club, Sea Oaks Country Club, StoryTale Video, Pearl Dress Shop, Drifting Sand Motel, The Sea Horse Motel, The SandCastle Inn, Minerva's B & B, By The Beach Events, RB50 Photography, The Boat House, Brant Beach Yacht Club, Camilles' Floral Designs, Country Kettle Fudge, Uniformity, Creatively Yours Dayna, Tammy's Cake Walk, Just Bead It, Freedom Surf and Spa. For members that do not have a physical location are encouraged to partner with venues and other businesses to make the open houses a full experience for the brides and their guests.
For chamber members and other wedding business looking to participate in the Wedding Road Show, contact Lori Pepenella at (609) 494-7211 ext. 101, and if you're a bride, groom or family member or wedding planner/media interested in attending the event, you may register online at www.njwedding.com/lbiweddingcontest