The last triple digit wedding day for the next 89 years, mixed with Five World Record Attempts has Vendors lining up to participate in the World Record Event scheduled for 12/12/12.

Ft. Myers Beach, FL (PRWEB) March 21, 2012

Weddings In Paradise, LLC-SWFL Beach Wedding Specialists, Announces Plans to Break Multiple World records on the last triple digit Wedding Day in this Century. The applications are done, and pre-evaluated and just waiting to be completed.

The World Record Wedding Event is not only a great way for businesses to be a part of a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity. But also a wonderful way for businesses to showcase their expertise all while gaining exposure and recognition as a participants in the event.

The event has actually been in the planning stages since September of last year. Unfortunately, many couples wanting to be married on 11/11/11 had to be turned away because the resources were not available to handle the all of the wedding requests. 11/11/11 made it clear that advance planning was necessary to meet the volume 12/12/12 will inevitably produce.

Weddings In Paradise, LLC-SWFL Beach Wedding Specialists, teamed up with The Gulfview Manor Resort to perform the ceremonies on their oversized, Pristine powder sand beach to provide services to every couple looking to be married that day. The Gulfview Manor Resorts Beach Front is the largest in all of South Florida and is the perfect place to make history, and memories that will last a lifetime where the average December temperature is 77 degrees.

We receive inquiries daily about how to participate in the event and there is still a need more Photographers, Florists, Wedding Dress Providers, Entertainers, and Officiates. A small Army of Officiates are already on board. But due to the massive amount of ceremonies that will be conducted that day, more are needed. A caterer to serve the couples and guests is also still needed. The caterer that comes on board needs to be able to handle the volume and stands to make a small fortune on this day.

There are two types of participation levels for Vendors. Basic Vendor Participation-This registration allows vendors to: Be present during event, market services, Table and Banner with their business name. This also gives the vendor the right to say they participated in the World Record Wedding event and advertise that future marketing. A Premium Vendor Registration includes a table, Business Banner, Link from event website, recognition in Blogs, Social media advertising related to the World Record wedding and the right to mention your business participated in the event on your website. Only a handful of industries have been given exclusivity during the event, such as The Laser Lounge Spa, in Estero, Florida. The Laser Lounge Spa in addition to participating during the event, will also be giving away spa packages to selected couples as gifts.

To register for the event go to http://swflbeachweddings.ticketleap.com/121212-world-record-weddingor for addtional information contact Lisa Gonzalez, Event Coordinator at 239-645-2388.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/3/prweb9289136.htm

NEW YORK, Mar 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
XO Group Inc.


/quotes/zigman/5625705/quotes/nls/xoxo XOXO
+1.10%



,
a global media and technology leader and creator of the top two wedding
websites, TheKnot.com
and WeddingChannel.com,
today released the results of its annual Real Weddings Survey, which
surveyed nearly 18,000 US couples married in 2011. TheKnot.com
WeddingChannel.com 2011 Real Weddings Survey captures detailed
information on wedding budget, style preferences, event characteristics
and other key information related to the bridal demographic.

“For the first time since 2008, wedding budgets are on the rise,” said
Carley Roney, cofounder of The Knot. “In 2011, one in five US couples
spent more than $30,000, and 11% spent more than $40,000 on their
weddings. Our research shows that couples and their families are less
concerned with the economy and are increasingly comfortable investing
more in the once-in-a-lifetime occasion of their wedding.”

2011 Wedding Statistics

–
Average Wedding Budget: $27,021 (excludes honeymoon)

–
Most Expensive Place to Get Married: Manhattan, $65,824 average spend

–
Least Expensive Place to Get Married: West Virginia, $14,203 average
spend

–
Average Spent on a Wedding Dress: $1,121

–
Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 30

–
Average Number of Guests: 141

–
Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4-5

–
Average Number of Groomsmen: 4-5

–
Most Popular Month to Get Engaged: December (16%)

–
Average Length of Engagement: 14 months

–
Most Popular Month to Get Married: September (15%)

–
Popular Wedding Colors: Blue (30%), Purple (25%), Green (24%)

–
Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24%

2011 Average Wedding Budget Breakdown

        Category                               2011 National Average Spend  2010 National Average Spend
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Overall Wedding (excluding honeymoon)                     $27,021                      $26,984
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Wedding Venue (reception hall)                            $12,116                      $12,124
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Wedding/Event Planner                                      $1,753                       $1,683
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Reception Band                                             $3,122                       $3,081
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Reception DJ                                                 $929                         $900
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Wedding Photographer                                       $2,299                       $2,320
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Florist/Décor                                 $1,894                       $1,988
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Videographer                                               $1,486                       $1,463
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Wedding Dress                                              $1,121                       $1,099
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Wedding Cake                                                 $535                         $540
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Ceremony Site                                              $1,599                       $1,393
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Ceremony Musicians                                           $536                         $503
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Invitations                                                  $331                         $351
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Limousine                                                    $669                         $667
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Favors                                                       $217                         $222
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Rehearsal Dinner                                           $1,078                       $1,127
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        Engagement Ring                                            $5,130                       $5,392
        ------------------------------------- ---------------------------  ---------------------------
        

Figures based on respondents who hired a professional vendor for the
service.

Top 20 Most Expensive Places to Get Married

Based on average wedding spend in 2011, these are the areas around the
US where couples spend the most on their wedding.

1. NYC (Manhattan): $65,824

2. Chicago, IL: $53,069

3. NY Metro (Long Island, Hudson Valley and NYC Outer Boroughs):
$50,087, $46,560, $40,356

4. Northern/Central NJ and Southern NJ: $46,600, $38,103

5. Rhode Island: $41,307

6. Santa Barbara/Ventura, CA, and Los Angeles, CA: $37,823, $37,690

7. Philadelphia, PA: $37,014

8. Boston, MA: $35,560

9. Southern Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas):
$34,465

10. Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland: $34,203

11. Connecticut: $33,789

12. Baltimore, MD: $32,702

13. Northern, CA, San Diego, CA, and Orange County/Inland Empire, CA:
$32,261, $30,482, $29,826

14. Hawaii: $31,461

15. Pittsburgh, PA: $29,703

16. Louisiana: $28,790 *New to Top 20 List in 2011

17. Dallas, TX, Houston, TX, and Austin/San Antonio, TX: $28,717,
$27,459, $27,735

18. California/Nevada (Sacramento, Tahoe and Reno): $28,028

19. Lehigh Valley/Poconos, PA: $27,339 *New to Top 20 List in 2011

20. Detroit, MI: $27,017 *New to Top 20 List in 2011

Interesting Regional Differences

TheKnot.com WeddingChannel.com 2011 Real Weddings Survey can be broken
down on a region-by-region basis across more than 80 markets. Regional
highlights include:

–
Budget: New York City (Manhattan)
has the highest average wedding budget ($65,824), and West Virginia
has the lowest average wedding budget ($14,203), excluding honeymoon
only.

–
Age: Hawaii has the oldest brides (31 years), whereas Utah has
the youngest brides (26 years), on average.

–
Engagements: Mid-Atlantic brides (New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania) have the longest engagements (16 months), while brides
from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi
have the shortest (12 months), on average.

–
Wedding Size: On average, Iowa brides still have the largest
number of wedding guests (215), and Hawaii
and Nevada still have the smallest number of wedding guests (77 and
63, respectively).

–
Wedding Style: Hawaii has the most casual weddings (48%), while Long
Island, NY, has the most formal (black-tie) weddings (37%).

–
Wedding Dress Spend: Brides in Manhattan spend the most on
their dresses ($2,403), while North and South Dakotan brides spend the
least ($745).

–
Registry: Brides in Central Illinois, are the most likely to
register for wedding
gifts (98%).

Top 10 2011 Wedding Trends

BIGGER BUDGETS. Brides are spending more on their weddings. For
the first time since 2008, the average wedding budget has grown year
over year, hitting $27,021. Fewer brides (29%) say the economy affected
their wedding
budget — a decrease from 31% in 2010 and 34% in 2009. Wedding
standards also rose for the first time since 2009, as the average
wedding spend per guest increased to $196, compared with $194 in 2009.

PLANNING BEGINS EARLIER. Some brides are even starting to plan their
wedding before their guy pops the question. Brides are now allowing
themselves more time to plan, with one in three (31%) beginning to plan
more than 12 months ahead (up from 28% in 2010). Plus, 16% of brides now
plan their wedding before getting engaged. In the last three
months leading up to their wedding, brides spend an average of 11 hours
a week working on wedding details. Nearly one in three hire or use a wedding
planner, with more than half of those brides (51%) hiring them for
day-of coordination.

3-DAY-LONG, LUXURY WEDDINGS. High-end weddings are far more
traditional. The luxury
wedding segment (those spending an average of $100,000 on their
wedding) had approximately 85,000 weddings in 2011 and represents a $9
billion industry. Luxury weddings are more formal/black-tie (46% vs. 15%
of the non-luxury market) and larger (204 guests compared with 137
guests attending non-luxury weddings). Luxury weddings are also longer,
with 74% of couples hosting three or more days of events. The look is
also more traditional: Ivory/champagne and metallics are the most
popular wedding color palettes among luxury brides.

LESS FORMAL STYLE. Casual weddings grow. Wedding style continues
to move toward the more casual end of the spectrum. In 2011, 16% of
brides said their wedding style was “casual,” compared with 14% in 2010
and 12% in 2009. While the “semi formal” category still reigns, with 65%
of brides planning a wedding with that style in 2011, fewer brides are
going for the “formal/black-tie” tradition, with only 16% describing
their wedding that way in 2011, down from 18% in 2010 and 20% in 2009.

FALL WEDDINGS ARE MORE POPULAR. Unique wedding dates alter seasonal
landscape. While summer
will always be “wedding season,” 2011 saw a shift in seasonal popularity
with only 37% of weddings taking place in months of June, July and
August, down from 41% in 2010 and 2009. Partially owing to the popular
wedding dates of 9/10/11 and 11/11/11, in 2011, fall
grew in popularity, with 36% of weddings taking place in September,
October and November months, compared with just 30% in 2010 and 2009.

PURPLE REIGNS. Purple is the fastest-growing wedding color. Purple
weddings continued to be extremely popular, with one out of four
brides (25%) choosing the palette, up from 21% in 2010 and only 16% in
2009. Other popular wedding colors include blue (30%), green (24%) and
pink (22%). On the other hand, brown
weddings are on their way out, with only 11% choosing the color in
2011, down from 21% in 2008 (when brown was the “it” color).

WEDDINGS ARE MORE INTERACTIVE. New types of guest “entertainment” are
on the rise. Eating and drinking isn’t enough anymore. Custom guest
entertainment, such as photo booths and comedians, is on the rise, with
22% of brides incorporating additional guest entertainment into their
wedding (vs. 15% in 2010 and 11% in 2009). In addition, interactive food
stations, such as a sommelier with wine tastings, a sushi chef or a
cheesemonger, continue to be popular, with 14% of brides including this
option in their receptions (up from 13% in 2010).

COUPLES STILL LOVE CUPCAKES. Wedding cakes have much more
competition. While a majority of brides (67%) still go for a
traditional tiered wedding
cake, other desserts are also served during the reception. Great
dessert options include items like a groom’s cake (19%), candy (15%) and
baked goods like pies, cookies and brownies (20%), and cupcakes,
surprisingly, grew again in popularity from 13% in 2010 to 17% in 2011.

EVERY WEDDING HAS A WEBSITE. Couples increasingly communicate with
guests online. The vast majority of couples now have personal
wedding websites (69% of couples created one in 2011 vs. 65% in 2010
and 60% in 2009), and brides are increasingly using social media to
share wedding details with guests (45% of couples did so in 2011 vs. 32%
in 2009). Nearly one in six brides (15%) even kept in contact with their
vendors via Facebook and/or Twitter.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY. Wedding planning has gone mobile. Nearly three
out of five brides use their smartphones
for wedding planning. Brides who have smartphones are doing a lot on the
go, from taking and sharing wedding-related pictures (58%) and looking
up wedding vendor contact information (47%) to accessing wedding
planning websites (33%) and managing their wedding
gift registry (32%).

About TheKnot.com WeddingChannel.com 2011 Real Weddings Survey

The 2011 Real Weddings Survey captured responses from nearly 18,000 US
brides married between January 1 and December 31, 2011; respondents were
recruited throughout the year from TheKnot.com
and WeddingChannel.com
membership, which represents nearly 80% of brides nationwide. Brides
received survey invitations shortly after their wedding date and were
asked a comprehensive series of questions about the event and their
planning process. All qualified respondents:

–
Were 18 or older

–
Had a wedding in 2011

Survey respondents represent a variety of ethnic, education and income
levels, and are geographically dispersed across the country. The survey
and data management partner for the study was Decipher Inc.

About XO Group Inc.

XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO;
http://www.xogroupinc.com ),
formerly The Knot Inc., is a global media and technology leader devoted
to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women
with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide
them through the most transformative events of their lives. Our family
of premium brands began with the #1 wedding brand, The Knot, and has
grown to include WeddingChannel.com, The Nest, The Bump and Ijie.com. XO
Group is recognized by the industry for being innovative in all media —
from the web to social media and mobile, magazines and books, and video
— and our groundbreaking social platforms have ignited passionate
communities across the world. XO Group has leveraged its customer
loyalty into successful businesses in online sponsorship and
advertising, registry services, ecommerce and publishing. The company is
publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange (XOXO) and is
headquartered in New York City.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50212100lang=en

SOURCE: XO Group Inc.

        
        XO Group Inc. 
        Stephanie Fraiman 
        Public Relations Manager 
        212-515-3595 
        sfraiman@xogrp.com
        

Copyright Business Wire 2012

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• 
  Rep. Maggie McIntosh poses for a picture with her partner, Dianne Stollenwerk

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – When Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley signed the Civil Marriage Protection Act on March 1, same-sex couples were not the only ones excited about the new law.

Some Maryland wedding planners, caterers and wedding photographers are backing same-sex marriage in part because they hope it will create a larger market for their services.

“I know there are couples out there that have been waiting for this moment and they won’t want to wait a moment longer to have their special wedding day,” said Allison Barnhill, of Annapolis, who has designed wedding invitations for nearly 10 years.

In 2010, there were 16,987 same-sex households in Maryland, 10,903 of which were unmarried, according to the U.S. Census.

“Overall, I think this legislation will be a boom for the wedding industry in Maryland. Since most of the wedding vendors are small businesses, this will be a great benefit because so many have struggled due to (the) downturn in the economy,” Barnhill said.

Same-sex couples may have more disposable income to spend on their special days than heterosexual couples.

In 2010, unmarried same-sex couples in the United States had an average household income of $103,980, according to the U.S. Census, while unmarried heterosexual couples had an average household income of $62,857. Income data for same-sex couples in Maryland was not available.

If voters approve same-sex marriage later this year, some wedding planners also hope same-sex couples from other states will decide to marry in Maryland. If the referendum passes, same-sex couples will be able to marry beginning in January.

“So many couples marry in New England, since that area was the leader in legalizing gay marriage, and it really became a true destination spot, nearly overnight. I hope that our metro area can become a similar destination,” said Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events, who has been planning weddings in the Washington area since 2002.

Tags:
hot topics, shesays

For many brides (and grooms) there can come an underwhelming feeling that their wedding has to be a traditional affair with all the usual customs and an enormous guest list. For most of them, straying from the traditional white wedding would seem incomprehensible, especially when you throw in pressure from close family. The net result is they find themselves at logger heads with their nearest and dearest over what they really want.

It is true to say that traditionally if the bride’s parents paid for the wedding then they would have the most say over the theme and feel of the day. These days however most couples pay for the wedding themselves or at least a significant portion of it, which means that they should actually have more control over the wedding planning and the day they want. Many bride’s will point to feeling they have to plan a wedding that pleases other people more than it does themselves, such is the pressure to ‘keep everyone happy’.

But it doesn’t have to be this way and more and more couples are breaking free from the constraints of the traditional white wedding and choosing something more unconventional.

The modern wedding can be very diverse with brides becoming more innovative and creative with their choices of venues and details. Being original has become the key objective and with the internet now playing a major role in wedding planning, inspiration comes from many different (and surprising) sources!

So what do I mean by unconventional?

Destination weddings are now hugely popular but were perhaps one of the first types of ‘unconventional’ wedding, as many couples chose to rebel against the traditional local chapel ceremony and hotel reception. The lure of sunny shores and stunning backdrops has proved too tempting and destination weddings have now become big business.

But if you wanted to stay at home there is still plenty to inspire you when it comes to non-conventional wedding planning! From venues to wedding cakes, wacky themes to DIY details and alternative ceremonies, these days anything goes, you just need to be brave! A wedding should be a reflection of the couple’s personalities, their likes, interests and hobbies and although you do not have to go so far as dressing like Shrek and Princess Fiona you shouldn’t feel you have to go down the path of formality and tradition either. Today many wedding photographers say they receive more bookings for contemporary photographs than they do traditional, formal posed shots. Couples are loving the quirky nature of photographs taken in unusual poses or with props because the style really helps to make their wedding album unique to them.

Dealing with family expectations……

You may come under pressure from your closest family to put on a wedding day that appeals more to them than it does to you and many couples will relate to an influx of people suddenly putting forward their own ideas and ‘suggestions’ in a bid to influence you. If you know the kind of wedding you want then you need to put your foot down from the start and tell everyone, politely but firmly that this is how it will be. They may not like it, but most will come around in time and I have read stories of brides who met fierce resistance from the family only for them to absolutely love the wedding day when it finally arrived! Your wedding should be about the two of you so you need to stick to your guns.

The trend for the unconventional…….

There have always been a percentage of couples who choose to do ‘something different’. The most wacky and unusual often end up in the media somewhere, such as YouTube or the national press. Recent trends have included choreographed ceremonies which include all the guests and officiants dancing and singing together; weddings full of vintage or retro details; unconventional first dances and even sky-diving ceremonies! For those who want something a little less extreme, pets at weddings, invitations printed on tea towels and swapping vintage cars for bicycles are just a few ideas!

Don’t be afraid to flout tradition and do something different. You will only plan this day once (hopefully!) and it should be all you want it to be. Some may have to compromise somewhere along the line, whilst others will find they are met with little or no resistance, in either case however, you shouldn’t allow others to influence your decision making. Make your wedding day as unique and original as you are!

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