FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 22, 2009
Contact: Lori Pepenella - (609) 494-7211 ext. 101

Tie the Knot on a Tall Ship contest winners to be announced at the Jersey Shore Store on June 24th
The Manhattan storefront provides a unique visitor experience to all that is "Jersey Shore" and is located at 813 Broadway in NYC. It is the perfect venue to announce the winners of a contest that captures the romance of a wedding at sea.

LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J.– In spirit of the State of New Jersey's 345th Birthday Celebration being held at the "Jersey Shore Store" tomorrow beginning at 11:30 am, the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce DMO and NJWedding.com will announce the winning couple that will be getting married on New Jersey’s official Tall Ship, the A.J. Meerwald, during its upcoming visit to Beach Haven. Couples from throughout New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have been entering to win an opportunity to have their wedding ceremony performed for free aboard the A. J. Meerwald, when it sails into Beach Haven, Long Beach Island on Saturday, July 25th.

Tie the Knot on a Tall Ship sponsor, Erik Kent of NJWedding.com and Lori Pepenella, Destination Marketing Director for the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce will announce the winner this Wednesday, June 24th at the Jersey Shore Store in Manhattan. Almost 100 contestants entered the online contest to be married this July 25th aboard New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship during its visit to the Long Beach Island region of the Jersey Shore. The lucky couple will be the FIRST to ever be married on the A.J. Meerwald in Barnegat Bay,  6 pm on Saturday, July 25th. Ceremony service will be performed by Deborah C. Whitcraft, Mayor Emeritus and Wedding Officiant, who has been featured in The Sandpaper/Chamber’s regional wedding guide, Happily Ever After. Approximately 80 guests will be allowed on the ship's deck, and another 100 guests may congregate on the wharf to witness the marriage ceremony.

"I think this is one of the most exciting contests we've run on NJWedding.com so far," said Erik Kent, Co-Publisher of NJWedding.com. "With the recent focus of Long Beach Island as a wedding destination after a successful Wedding Road Show in April, providing a unique opportunity for a couple to be married on the deck of the A.J. Meerwald will truly be an event to remember."  The promotion of contest has been assisted by WedAlert.com, who was a media sponsor of the Wedding Road Show and is also committed to bringing destination brides to the Long Beach Island Region of the Jersey Shore.

Local non profit groups focusing on coastal heritage and environmental causes are teaming with the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and NJWedding.com to promote the Year of the Tall Ship in style. In efforts to raise awareness of the ships visit to Beach Haven July 25, 26 and 27, 2009, several groups have come together to create an eventful weekend. The A. J. Meerwald, NJ’s official Tall Ship, is one of the last remaining schooners. The Meerwald visit is only part of a sensational weekend to learn about Barnegat Bay it’s heritage, and the shellfish ecology that supported the economy. Join with ReClam the Bay, The Museum of NJ Maritime history, Tuckerton Seaport Museum, BBSRP, Alliance for a Living Ocean and Ocean County Culture and Heritage Commission to be part of an educational experience like no other.

Post-contest details, the announcement of the winner and photos from the wedding ceremony will be posted at "http://www.njwedding.com/lbi" along with any future wedding related events for the Long Beach Island region.