FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 2, 2009
Contact: Lori Pepenella - (609) 494-7211 ext. 101

Tie the Knot on a Tall Ship; enter to win a free wedding ceremony taking place July 25th in LBI
New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship, the A.J. Meerwald, will be the perfect setting for winning couple whose ceremony will celebrate the spirit of the sea.

LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J.– Local non profit groups focusing on coastal heritage and environmental causes are teaming with the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerc 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 a wooden hulled gaf-rigged oyster dredge and 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. The program includes: private guided tour of the Museum of NJ Maritime history, a stem to stern tour of the A.J. Meerwald, Seining to find the creatures in the bay, pontoon boat eco-tour from Beach Haven to Tuckerton and special exhibits at Tuckerton Seaport Museum. The most prominent event of the weekend will be a wedding ceremony featuring contest winners from entries received through NJWedding.com, the state’s leading online wedding site. NJWedding.com has partnered with other regional wedding web sites for the Wedding Road Show on Long Beach Island held this past April.

NJWedding.com is a proud sponsor of this event,” said Erik Kent, “to feature this unique opportunity for a New Jersey couple to marry on the A.J. Meerwald, New Jersey’s Official Tall Ship. Many couples are often looking for something “different” when it comes to planning their wedding, so we are happy to be able to fulfill that request through this contest.  And having their wedding ceremony on Long Beach Island emphasizes how the Jersey Shore, and specifically the LBI region, has become a popular destination for weddings.

Erik Kent, Co-Publisher of NJWedding.com and Lori Pepenella, Destination Marketing Director for the chamber, will draw its winner from contestants who entered the online contest through June 24th at www.njwedding.com/lbi. The lucky couple will be the FIRST to ever be married on the A.J. Meerwald in Barnegat Bay. The schooner will be making a special trip from Liberty State Park, sailing along all the New Jersey beaches to make a first time port of call at Beach Haven and to welcome a special couple to get married between 4-5 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.

To register to win the Tie the Knot on a Tall Ship Wedding Ceremony contest, please visit www.njwedding.com, For more information on the A.J. Meerwald, visit reclamthebay.org, For visitor information and other Southern Ocean County Chamber events visit www.visitLBIregion.com or stop into the Visitor Center at 265 West Ninth Street, Ship Bottom. (609) 494 7211