It was a great day for the professionals who attended the South Jersey LNG “Luxury Excursions” meeting on March 25th. This meeting was unlike others we have hosted in the past. An all-day event, guests were escorted around the central and south New Jersey region on luxury coach bus, provided by A-1 Limousine to visit and experience some of the top locations and services. With tastings and tours, attendees got to experience first hand what is available to them.

Guests began their day with a tour of A-1 Limousine in Princeton, NJ. Serving the entire New Jersey area along with Pennsylvania, A-1 Limousine offers 24 hour, 7 day a week service to all customers. With a fleet of over 200 late model vehicles, this company is able to handle groups of any size. They are equipped to handle smaller parties with their Cadillac Sedans, Limos, and Luxury Limo Vans. Additionally, they can accommodate larger groups with their luxury motor coaches that can set up to 56 passengers. All of these vehicles are maintained on site by A-1 Limousine and they have a full insurance coverage policy.

Next stop: Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ. This unique location brings art to life with its hand made sculptures placed throughout the entire park in unsuspecting spots. Just touring the gardens, our attendees were happily surprised by many of the hidden pieces of artwork in the park! Our tour guide, Christopher Carrell, explained to us the many benefits that Grounds for Sculpture can offer the guest. The location itself has a number of different places in which to host your reception, from the Rat’s Restaurant to the Museum itself, which features a special exhibit each year from a specially selected artist. There are also many places for one to get married in the actual park, which offers a colorful and unique backdrop for your reception.

After breathing in some life-like artwork, attendees hopped back on the bus and headed to their next location – The Ashford Estate. Tucked away in Allentown, NJ the Ashford Estate is anything but ordinary. Followed by a long drive down a country road, you are suddenly at the gate surrounded by lions of the Ashford, and after a long scenic drive of the property, you are greeted by a circle driveway with that overwhelming feeling of complete luxury. This location is perfect for that client who is craving a country getaway with pristine sophistication. Through a self-guided tour, our attendees were really able to breath in  the elegance of this hidden gem. From the luxurious rooms, to the elegant ballroom and rustic ceremony location, the venue definitely gave our guests that “wow” factor!

After roaming around the Ashford Estate and having all of their questions about this famous location answered, guests headed to their last stop for the evening, Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ! This location is not only perfect for a day trip, but yes for your next special occasion! Especially for those couples who have a love for all things underwater. Our tour started with the Currents Ballroom, which offers a fish tank filled with sharks and other cool undersea life as the backdrop for your event! We were also escorted to the Ocean Realm Gallery which offers fish tanks throughout the spot and a really unique undersea mobile! Let’s not forget about the various ceremony locations and the North Building as well. What a large, and versatile place for one to host their event at!

We ended our day with some lovely cuisine provided by Adventure Aquarium, a raffle and giveaway for Wish Upon a Wedding, and some Thank You’s from our South Jersey LNG coordinators, Caitlin Boshnack and Isis Williams! Additionally, our LNG Co-Director Allison Kulesza, central Co-Director Damon Dietz, and director of South PA/North Delaware Joelene Russell were in attendance and gave us a quick update on the next meetings they will be hosting.

We would like to thank everyone who came out and made this meeting a fantastic one! Special thanks to Jordan Brian of Jordan Brian Photography who took all of these great shots throughout the day. To view the complete Facebook album click here!

Join the South Jersey LNG for their next meeting on May 8th at Maggiano’s in Cherry Hill, NJ from 6:00-9:00PM. They will be discussing ways to take advantage of social media and search engine optimization to further your brand. To register, click here!

Click & Register!

WHEN: Wednesday, April 25, 2012

12:00pm-2:00pm

WHERE: Oakeside Manor

240 Belleville Avenue

Bloomfield, NJ 07003

PRICE: $25 members, $35 non members

You’re invited to the North NJ’s ABC’s ‘Spring into Action’ luncheon! Please join us for a lovely spring luncheon and site tour of the beautiful and historical Oakeside Mansion in Bloomfield, NJ! This hidden away gem offers a romantic, 19th century charm. We will enjoy the tastes of Frungillo Caterers while listening to the Sounds of Music by Dante.

Spring is the perfect time to take action! Often in the mail you receive information from the ABC about their Sandals Resorts program. But are you wondering how it really works and what this program really is? Well then you don’t want to miss out on this important presentation about the Sandals program! Our key speaker, John Raiche of Sandals, New Jersey will be on site speaking about this lovely incentive for members with his presentation titled “How to Profit and Make the Most of ABC’s Sandals Program.” This is a great incentive for vendors and consultants alike!

At this meeting you will discover:
*How the sandals program really works*
*How to promote the program to your Brides & Clients*
*How you profit from the program*

We look forward to seeing you at this upcoming event!

On March 14th, the New Jersey Shore chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants gathered for a night of Hotels and Happiness at the Sheraton Eatontown.  We began with a tour of the property, including a spacious and elegant courtyard that would be perfect for an outdoor wedding ceremony (with a tent-ready patio space!).

Just a few steps inside led us to a bright and airy cocktail hour space with high ceilings and a wall of windows.  Just beyond cocktail hour, a 5,700 sq./ft. grand ballroom awaited with high ceilings, a neutral palette, and seating for up to 360 guests.  And with 208 guest rooms and suites, room blocks at the Sheraton Eatontown were just a few(swollen) footsteps away after a long night of reception dancing.

One really interesting aspect of this hotel is their new offering of beach weddings.  Instead of wedding guests battling for beach parking spots and feeding meters, they can simply board a shuttle that will take them right to the ceremony and back, with minimal effort.  After a reception at the Sheraton Eatontown (with delicious food, I must say!), guests have the priceless luxury of being just a few steps away from their (very!) comfortable beds.

Another great aspect of the meeting was a presentation by Kathi Evans of All the Best Weddings and Celebrations.  Kathi is a certified Sandals specialist, and as a fellow ABC Member, we loved asking her candid questions about her experience with Sandals!  Kathi gave us a few real-life examples of her success in referring clients to Sandals, and the benefits of connecting with the organization.  If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Sandals specialist (or even if you want to book a vacation yourself!) reach out to Kathi: kathi@atbcelebrations.com.

Last (but certainly not least!) all attendees at the meeting were treated to delectable, homemade brownies by Clare of local baking company Devil Brownies LLC.  Words cannot describe the sheer deliciousness Clare packs into these brownies.  To try them is to love them, and they were the perfect way to end a fantastic meeting.

If you missed Hotels and Happiness (and the delicious food and drink that ensued), you won’t want to miss the next Jersey Shore ABC meeting!  Be sure to e-mail Kristin@BellaBridalConsultants.com to get on the Jersey Shore Local Networking Group list.  Whether or not you are a current ABC member, we look forward to seeing you at our next networking event!

Luxury Excursions with the South Jersey LNG!

Click and Register

WHEN: March 25, 2012

TIME: 10:00am-8:00pm

WHERE: Tour of Ground for Sculpture, The Ashford Estate, A-1 Limousine Showroom, and Adventure Aquarium. Transportation provided in ticket price.

Meeting Place: Adventure Aquarium

1 Aquarium Drive

Camden, NJ 08103

Join the Association of Bridal Consultants South Jersey Local Networking Group on Sunday, March 25, 2012 for a full day of luxury excursions exclusively for wedding professionals! When we say this meeting is sure to be one for the record books, we mean it!
Our luxury motorcoach will depart from Adventure Aquarium at the Camden Waterfront at 10:00am and will return at 5:00pm in time for an exclusive event for wedding professionals hosted by the Adventure Aquarium.

Caravan Tour to Include tour and strolling food tasting at the facilities below:
Ground for Sculpture
Called by The Washington Post, “a world where art and nature collude and sometimes collide,” Grounds For Sculpture is an exquisite destination. Showcasing hundreds of outdoor sculptures on 35 magnificently landscaped acres, Grounds For Sculpture’s rental facilities provide the picture-perfect setting. Both the expansive Seward Johnson Center for the Arts and the enchanting Rat’s Restaurant offer panoramic views of the sculpture park and stunning and thoughtful interior design.

The Ashford Estate
The Ashford Estate is a well-hidden treasure for brides looking for country estate elegance and sophistication. From a small wooded road over an antique steel bridge, you enter lion guarded iron gates onto a dramatic white crushed stone drive, lined with old growth pines. The Ashford has been brilliantly designed on over 30 park-like acres of sculpted property, complete with sparkling fountains, waterfalls, a floating gazebo, stone ruins, garden arbors and sprawling views. In addition to the natural beauty of its grounds The Ashford features immaculately preserved and architecturally astonishing structures, such as the barn chapel, carriage house and the grand ballroom. The Estate offers a monumental conservatory and a majestic solid oak library. Multiple sitting rooms and verandas provide extraordinary spaces between and around these magnificent gathering areas for people to converse during a spectacular cocktail hour. Not to be overlooked are the guest suites that are as elegant and posh as the finest hotels in the world. The photo opportunities are endless.

A-1 Limousine Showroom
Our transportation host for the evening will provide luxury accommodations between our selected venues as well as a private tour of their fleet showroom.

The event will be open to both members/non-members as it’s an excellent opportunities for all vendors to tour these fabulous spaces and network along the way.
Registration is limited due to the motorcoach capacity, so if you’re interested, be sure to reserve your spot. Once the vehicle is filled unfortunately we are not going to be able to accommodate additional attendees. ***Transportation must be reserved no later than 3/18/12.

BONUS EVENT: An exclusive evening at Adventure Aquarium (Dinner included)
Located at the Camden waterfront with a phenomenal view of the Philadelphia Skyline, the Adventure Aquarium offers a unique setting for any event. Attendees of the vent will be taken on a private tour of the facility, which boasts a 760,000-gallon open ocean exhibit and Shark Realm with a 40 foot walk-through tunnel followed by an intimate dinner, perfect for networking with local colleagues.

Ticket Price:
MEMBERS
Caravan: $15
Aquarium: $20
Duo: $30 (Less than the cost of an average meeting!)

NON-MEMBERS
Caravan: $20
Aquarium: $25
Duo: $40 (Less than the cost of an average meeting!)

This Wednesday, March 14th, the Jersey Shore LNG will be kicking off 2012 with their meeting about hotel weddings! As a planner, the different locations to host a client’s special day can be overwhelming, but one option you should consider is a hotel setting. Many different hotels offer their own special and unique feel and can help turn your client’s visions into a dream come true!

The Sheraton, Eatontown will be hosting us for this fabulous educational seminar. They will be offering behind the scenes information on how hotels handle weddings and special events! The item of most importance is the hotel blocking system and the best way for you to save your client and their guests money when booking a room. The Sheraton will also be putting to rest the myth of how many rooms a bride must book in advance at the hotel hosting their wedding.

Another fun aspect of wedding planning we will be discussing is Destination Weddings & Honeymoons! Kathi Evans of All the Best Wedding & Celebrations will be presenting valuable information on the Sandals program offered through the ABC, which is another great way members might take advantage of their ABC Membership. Kathi will be listing all the different ways you can benefit (and how she has benefited!) from this program and what the Sandals resorts have to offer for your destination weddings and honeymoons!

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain some insight into the perks of a hotel wedding. The Sheraton, Eatontown will be providing us with a plated dinner and a cash bar. Please remember that registration will not be done on sight so you must pre-register!