FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 30, 2009
Contact: Lori Pepenella, Destination Marketing Director, Long Beach Island Region DMO
Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce - (609) 494-7211 ext. 101

Southern Ocean County Chamber announces Wedding Road Show on LBI Grand Prize Winners

From near and far, these Wedding Road Show Brides have even more to celebrate, as winners claim this Long Beach Island wedding planning event raised the bar for bridal shows.

Long Beach Island, New Jersey - The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce's Wedding Road Show on LBI bought attendees from across the country to tour and explore the region’s wedding services and venues. Three lucky brides-to-be were drawn from completed entry forms, where the more venues they visited increased the number of times their name was entered into the contest. The prizes were donated by chamber members and media sponsors which contributed to the high level of excitement throughout the day. As the winners were contacted, all had very positive thoughts regarding the Wedding Road Show event and the Long Beach Island region as a wedding destination.

The Grand Prize Winner is Chelsey L. Jordan from Lancaster, PA, who was thrilled to hear she was the winner of the Grand Prize package which included an overnight stay at Williams Cottage Inn, dinner for two at the Gables Restaurant, His and Her Massage at Red Sails Salon, welcome arrangement from Frank’s Flowers and $500.00 cash prize from Ocean First Bank’s First time Home Buyer’s Program. Chelsey and her fiancé Patrick attend Millersville University. They are newly engaged as of March 7, 2009 and said they attended the Bridal Road Show as a last minute decision. “We had a wonderful experience,” states Jordan “We loved looking through all the venues and meeting multiple vendors.” With a wedding date set for July 30, 2011, the couple is very interested in having their ceremony and reception in the LBI area.

The First Prize winner received a Couples Retreat Spa Package from Freedom Spa and Salon as well as a $100 Gift Certificate from Anchor Limousine Service. Sandra Kelly and her fiancé Shaun who reside in Bayville called her win the perfect ending to a perfect event. “I had no idea about the shops and services that were available so close to home,” said Sandra, “The spas and dress shops were what I was looking for.” Sandra is planning her March 26, 2010 nuptials and has added Southern Ocean County to her radar to help finalize her arrangements. She commented that the chamber’s Wedding Road Show set a standard far above a typical bridal show, the ability to move around, interact and experience allowed her and her fiancé to wedding plan at their own pace.

New Jersey Life Weddings magazine and celebrated jeweler Euphoria New York of Englewood NJ, whose collection can be viewed on neimanmarcus.com, sponsored the Infinite Love Wedding Band prize. The winner, Jill Brower, who resides in Old Tappan, NJ says she and her fiancé were already very familiar with Long Beach Island. She has summered in Brant Beach for most of her life and was very excited upon hearing about the Wedding Road Show. “A friend emailed me the link to the chamber’s registration site,” stated Brower “I was undecided where to hold our wedding, but after spending the day at the Wedding Road Show I am leaning towards LBI.”

NJWedding.com Co-Publisher Erik Kent announced their two winners of "Dinner For Two" to Daddy O Boutique Hotel & Restaurant, which included Jennifer O'Dea and Paulo Heyman from Red Bank, NJ and Virginia Vanderbeck and Rembert Shaver from Glenwood, NJ. Jennifer and Paulo are planning a June 20, 2009 wedding ceremony at Dolphin Beach in Loveladies with their reception at Brant Beach Yacht Club. Virginia and Robert traveled from Sussex county to LBI and are planning a May 16, 2009 wedding ceremony at Barnegat Lighthouse with a reception at the Holiday Inn Manahawkin. "It was such a pleasure to meet these couples who traveled from throughout New Jersey and beyond so they could explore the LBI region for their wedding. Long Beach Island is truly becoming a wedding destination," said Kent, who posted a photo gallery and media coverage from the event at www.njwedding.com/lbi.

The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce plans to continue the Wedding Road Show for 2010. This event was made possible by support received from the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism; Media Sponsors included NJWedding.com, WedAlert.com, Brides.com, and New Jersey Life Weddings Magazine.