FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 10, 2010
Contact: Erik Kent, (908) 874-0417

Winning Couple To Marry Aboard NJ's Official "Tall Ship" A.J. Meerwald in LBI
NJWedding.com contest winners Nicole Monahan and Christoper Parks will be married on the schooner A.J. Meerwald during a visit to Beach Haven, Long Beach Island on Saturday, July 24th

LONG BEACH ISLAND, NJ - After a short, two month search and among four hundred entries, the winning couple of the "Tie The Knot on the Tall Ship" contest has been chosen, announced Erik Kent, Co-Publisher of NJWedding.com.

Nicole Monahan and Christopher Parks from Wind Gap, in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, will be married on the schooner A.J. Meerwald in Barnegat Bay at 3:00 pm on Saturday, July 24, 2010. Ceremony service will be performed by Deborah C. Whitcraft, a wedding officiant and former mayor of Beach Haven, NJ. 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. Photography for the wedding ceremony will be provided by David Toth Photographers, up to 40 invitations will be created by Stephanie Somodi - Designing Your Most Inviting Day, video coverage of the event will be provided by J & S Video Services, make-up and hair will be provided by Bridal Make-up and Hair By Michele and wedding ceremony flowers will be arranged by Camille's Floral Designs. Wedding planning and consulting services will be provided by the Association of Bridal Consultants - New Jersey branch. These wedding professionals and LBI chamber members will work together to help make the day memorable for this couple.

"After narrowing down the hundreds of entries to a few finalists, I called Nicole and she was overjoyed by the news of her and Christopher winning this unique contest," said Kent. "She told me that they were originally planning a 'destination wedding' to the Dominican Republic, but circumstances had changed recently and they were considering having the wedding locally instead. After a recent visit to tour Long Beach Island, she felt great about the idea of getting married in the LBI region, so winning this contest was a perfect match."

Long Beach Island has grown tremendously in the past few years to be a destination for weddings in New Jersey, with the addition of several new wedding locations and professionals. The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, under the direction of Lori Pepenella, Destination Marketing Director, has successfully produced the "Wedding Road Show on LBI" over the past two years, attracting brides and their families from NJ and throughout the tri-state area to for a one-day tour of the region's venues and services, and the first "Tie The Knot on the Tall Ship" contest in July 2009, was the first opportunity for non-crew members to be married on the A.J. Meerwald during the "year of the Tall Ship."

This special opportunity for Nicole and Christopher to be married on New Jersey's official "Tall Ship" is sponsored by the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, Reclam The Bay, Schooner A.J. Meerwald, Museum of NJ Maritim History and NJWedding.com. More information can be found along with photos and video of the past contest winner at http://www.njwedding.com/lbi.