May 20, 2009

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For many of us, three little letters—LBI—evoke a tide of happy memories: good times, summertime friends, first kisses, moonlight over surf, the sound of crashing waves, the taste of saltwater taffy.

Mallard Island

Therese Marie Wagner Photography.

Bonnet Island Estate offers a breathtaking location.

Therese Marie Wagner Photography.

Gina Hoffman and Paul Rubin were married at Bonnet Island Estate in 2008.

No wonder it’s one of the first places that springs to mind as a romantic location for your dream wedding.

“You don’t have to leave New Jersey to have a destination wedding,” says Erik Kent of njwedding.com. “LBI offers beach ceremonies, bayside sunsets, seaports, even a lighthouse—all within a three-hour drive.” Kent helped promote LBI’s Wedding Road Show this past April, which featured tours of island venues, from luxury estates to B&Bs, plus samples from local florists, bakers, and other wedding vendors. Hundreds of brides came to see what the island has to offer. “With LBI’s top-notch venues and the economy, brides are looking to stay closer to home now,” says Kent. Beyond the natural beauty of a beach setting, LBI’s proximity makes it likely that more of your friends and family can attend.

Lori Pepenella, destination marketing director of the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce (609-494-7211; sochamber.com), estimates the LBI region, from Forked River to Little Egg Harbor and the island itself, hosts up to 600 weddings a season, now stretching from April to November.

“Bonnet Island Estate and Mallard Island Yacht Club offer settings second to none,” says Pepenella. More venues are opening year-round for off-season weddings. In fact, she estimates that one-third of LBI businesses are wedding-related. Most brides hail from Philadelphia, New York, and New Jersey, all within an easy drive. “LBI does celebrations well; we enjoy helping people enjoy themselves,” says Pepenella.
Wedding planner Julia Erlichman of Julia and Friends in Philadelphia (215-490-8222; juliaandfriends.com) is known for her fabulous “island” parties. “If the bride has a home here, vacations here, or met her beau here, she’ll have soft spot in her heart for LBI,” she says.

Erlichman encourages brides to keep the fun rolling, with a morning-after brunch, beach volleyball and bonfire, or a chartered fishing trip. With the formalities over, newlyweds get to unwind, check everyone’s digital photos, and actually visit with out-of-town guests. “The wedding day flies by so quickly,” she says. “LBI weddings are absolutely weekend-long affairs; that’s the fun of it.” Some couples rent a beach house for after-parties or book a weekend-long package at an LBI resort. Because more logistics go into a destination wedding, Erlichman recommends hiring a planner who knows the ropes on the island.

Considering an LBI wedding? Your very first stop should be the Chamber of Commerce’s official wedding guide at weddingsonlbi.com or 800-292-6372. It offers prospective brides a wealth of information about churches, beach permits, venues, and vendors.

“LBI has its own vibe,” says Pepenella. “At an LBI wedding, the first thing you notice is that everybody’s so relaxed. The second is that the newlyweds are starting their marriage with a vacation. What could beat that?”

Tag Topics: beach weddings, destination weddings, outdoor weddings, Patricia Koch, waterfront weddings, wedding ceremony, wedding locations, yacht weddings

Latest Comments

The Wed and Bed for Your Destination Wedding on Long Beach Island, NJ

I got married in 2006 to the boy next door I grew up with during the summer months on Long Beach Island, NJ. I have 4 daughters and he adored them at first sight. He said they reminded him of me growing up in their different stages of age. We both were married once, and it didn't work and didn't see each other except for a few times from ages 10- to 40! We got married on our beach in front of our homes. It was a dream come true to be married in such a familiar spot with our loved ones surrounding us.
We bought my families home est. in 1958, in 2006 and started to rent it for various occasions. We recently renovated the house and added on specifically to have small wedding venues use our home for the wedding party to stay. We enjoyed our location for our marriage we thought we should offer it to others also.
We made our kitchen table to seat 16, be moveable in the room for different uses, buffet, bar, or dining area. The 4 floor roof top deck is 600 sq. ft. to have a amazing ceremony on overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The house sleeps 16, and is 3rd from the beach.
We love helping the couples with their preparations before the big day, whether it be finding a caterer for the rehearsal dinner in house, or just welcoming the party in at check in with a Happy Hour.
So what a nice life it has been returning to LBI, getting married, raising kids, buying my home, and renovating to share a great wedding location, vacation, or retreat weekends year round.
S&A,
(Still and Always)

Mary Ann and Tom

Posted by Mary Ann Gutchigian February 01, 2011 14:47:02
Budget Wedding

There are many things you can do to ease your budget. As for the ceremony it really doesn't matter how many guests attend unless you are renting chairs (as with an outside wedding usually followed by an outside reception).
NOt uncommon for the bridal party to pay for their own gowns and rent their own tuxes. This is why its a good idea to pick bridesmaids gowns which they can have altered to tea length or shorter easily after the wedding to be worn in a less formal manner. Then they don't mind putting out the money for their own dresses as long as its reasonable.
Make your own bridal bouquets and corsages using silk flowers. Everything you need can be found at your local craft store and is very reasonable. They are very easy to make...just stick with your wedding colors with perhaps some greens or baby's breath.
For a church or outside wedding, A few baskets of fresh flowers for the alter are recommended and are usually donated to the church afterwards.

The biggest expense is always the reception and the menus are fairly flexible to meet the couples budget. If you have alcohol, make it a pay bar, not an open bar. Centerpieces for the tables can also be made easily and inexpensively. If you rent a hall you can purchase the food yourself and have it prepared and served buffet style...this is a lot less expensive than hiring a caterer to supply, cook, and serve the food. To really cut costs, you can make it more of a brunch menu instead of a dinner...depends on the time of day. And, fresh fruit is also readily and fairly inexpensive during the summer months. Even on a budget, it takes time to do everything.

Posted by NJHousewife June 07, 2010 16:41:44
Budget Wedding

We are on a very tight wedding budget but yet still want to have a small but beautiful wedding ceremony with maybe 40 guests or less. Can you help us?

Posted by Valana Wright May 19, 2010 02:19:39
Where to have close family stay

We get a lot of wedding people requesting long weekend rentals at our rental house. If your wedding is in the offseason, b4 memorial and after labor day, then you should consider renting a summer rental house for a weekend. LBI if full of summer rental houses that are for the most part empty during the off season. Some of these houses make a great place to have close family stay instead of the local hotel/motel scene.

Posted by CausewayView.com June 23, 2009 16:31:49