Hotels and Happiness: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Benefits of a Hotel Wedding

Date: Wednesday March 14, 2012

Time: 6:00pm (registration begins at 5:30)

Location:

The Sheraton Eatontown Hotel

6 Industrial Way East

Eatontown, NJ 07724

The Jersey Shore chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants invites you to a night of dinner, drinks, and education as the Sheraton Eatontown shares with us the true ease and flexibility of hotel weddings!

Hear how to satisfy your clients’ wishes for that beach wedding in Asbury Park, while securing your clients the comfort and flexibility of a weatherproof reception with hotel rooms right upstairs.

Learn how a hotel room block works, and how to best estimate the number of rooms your clients will actually need.

Discover the difference in booking hotel rooms direct, versus through a booking company.

Tour the event space and guest rooms, taste the food, and build relationships that will enable you to better meet the needs of your clients.

Learn about Starwood Preferred Guest points, and what they mean for you!

If you’re in the business of helping clients choose a venue and/or hotel for their wedding, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to be better informed.

DATE: Wednesday March 7, 2012

TIME: 6:00pm-9:00pm

Location: Cedar Hill Golf & Country Club

100 Walnut Street

Livingston, NJ 07039

The New Jersey chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) and the New Jersey North chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES) are proud to present the third annual “Say Yes to the Best” Bridal Showcase on Wednesday March 7, 2012from 6:00pm-9:00pm. This exclusive event will be held at the Cedar Hill Golf & Country Club in Livingston, NJ. 

Enjoy the elegant venue and the magnificent views of the golf course and surrounding hillsides. Have a sip of champagne or your favorite cocktail while meeting some of the most prestigious vendors in the area. All participants in this event are hand selected by an appointed committee within the ISES and ABC organizations, making it truly the best of the best.

Gain some inspiration from our vendors during our designer showcase contest.  We will be presenting a variety of floral and event design showcasing tables, where you, our valued guest, will vote for your favorite designs!  The winning designer will be presented with a prize.

Our guests will have the ability to explore many different resources for their special day. Some of the many different types of exhibitors we will be featuring include: Hair/Makeup, Entertainment, Bridal Gowns, Tuxedos, Car Services, Florals, Style Services, & Event Planning.   

Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

All ticket proceeds will benefit Wish Upon A Wedding, a non-profit organization providing weddings and vow renewals to couples facing terminal illness and serious life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation.

If you are a vendor interested in participating please click here!

If you are interested in attending please click here!

The North NJ LNG kicked off 2012 at one the newest venues on the market, McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange, NJ. While McLoone’s is well known for its location at the Jersey Shore, the restaurant brings the shore to North Jersey with this scenic venue. Perched on a reservoir, the location offers a fantastic view along with an ambiance that really makes you feel like you are relaxing at the beach.

The evening started with a guided tour, and our hostess from McLoone’s Boathouse explained to guests the various ways this new, chic venue can offer its services for weddings, engagement parties, Mitzvahs and the like.

After guests breathed in the surroundings, we were invited to the private dining area reserved for our meeting to start our educational seminar in video marketing, headed by our guest speaker and ABC NJ Member, Damon Dietz of Absolute Media Productions.

Video Marketing is one of the newest ways planners and vendors can maximize exposure for their business. Damon’s information session included all the ways professionals can use video to increase their marketing efforts. But why video anyway? Damon shared with guests that 60% of online traffic comes from online videos and that 85% of people are more likely to book your services with a video.

Damon shared some pointers to help planners get started with their video efforts. For those who are just getting started or who can not afford to hire a professional to shoot some videos for their site,  he recommended bartering or even getting a flip camera and taking some “behind the scenes” footage of an event.  He recommended starting by creating a “get to know you” video which can be easily filmed at your home or office and finally, getting video testimonials from your clients; something that is sure to capture much more attention than those written testimonials!

Throughout the presentation, guests had the opportunity to taste some of the finest appetizers and desserts McLoone’s has to offer, including Endamane, Tomato & Mushroom Pizza, Bruschetta, Hummus & Pita Bread, and finally… red velvet cake topped with cream cheese icing!

A great time was had by all in attendance.

We would like to thank Damon Dietz for his fabulous presentation (www.absolutemediaproductions.com), Ian Audio (www.ian-audio.com) for providing us with the sound and projection, David Toth of David Toth Photography (www.davidtothphotographer.com) for providing us with wonderful pictures of the evening and Jen Oshiki, Banquet Coordinator at McLoone’s Boathouse (www.mcloonesboathouse.com) for hosting us!

Miss the meeting? Check out Damon’s presentation by clicking here.

On Tuesday, January 17th, the Philadelphia LNG met at the Union League for a night of hair and makeup! The Union League of Philadelphia is one of Philadelphia’s most historic properties, a location that co-director Lynda Barness thought worthwhile for Philadelphia LNG members to see.

Victoria DiPetrio, owner of Bella Angel, joined us to speak about bridal hair and the things that she needs from planners to get the job done right. She also demonstrated how to properly insert and remove a veil and how to take a bride’s hair from a “down style” for the ceremony to a simple updo for the reception. The hands on demonstration was great for members to practice before a bride’s big day.

Makeup Artist Beke Beau also spoke about bridal makeup and answered questions moderated by co-director Rebecca Richman, regarding airbrushing vs hand application and things she would suggest we carry in our emergency kits to fix makeup emergencies.

Our gracious hosts provided us with a delicious meal and were also on hand to give us a tour of the property. Ashley Bartoletti was also kind enough to join us to shoot headshots and take the beautiful photos of our event that you see here.

Our next meeting will be on April 3 at Glen Foerd where we again hope to get hands on with table top setting and ballroom planning.

For more information about the Philadelphia LNG contact Lynda Barness at lynda@idoplan.com or Rebecca Richman at rebecca@qohweddings.com.

On December 19th, the Jersey Shore chapter of the ABC gathered for ‘Food and Flowers,’ an open table discussion with the talent behind Flowerful Events, an award-winning event production company and member of Grace Ormonde’s Platinum List.

The event was coordinated by Jersey Shore ABC’s newest directors, Adam and Kristin Polhemus of Bella Bridal Consultants.  Michael and Kristina Valdmaa of Flowerful Events were so gracious to lend their gorgeous 9,000 square-foot studio, and everyone in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the assortment of hors d’oeuvres and wines as they mixed and mingled.

After a festive cocktail, attendees took part in an informative and enlightening conversation headed by Michael Valdmaa.  Discussions of trends, inspiration, pricing structure, challenges, and opportunities within the industry ensued, as well as a lighting lesson from Section One Audio Visual and floral design tips and tricks from Flowerful Events.

Meanwhile, Feuza Reis of Feuza Reis Photography beautifully captured the decor and conversation.  Guests sipped on delectable coffee provided by Cupa Cabana Espresso & Coffee Catering.  The event was successful in contributing to the knowledge and expertise that helps ABC members stand out from the rest.  We look forward to seeing you at the next Jersey Shore local networking group meeting!

If you are a wedding professional in the Jersey Shore area, contact Kristin and Adam to learn how you can benefit from being a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants: info@bellabridalconsultants.com

Photography: Feuza Reis, Feuza Reis Photography

Florals: Flowerful Events

Lighting: Section One Audio Visual

Coffee Bar: Cupa Cabana Espresso & Coffee Catering

Coordination: Bella Bridal Consultants